The Spark
The DISTRIBUTOR Why are you a member of the MG Car Club Washington DC Centre? Dont answer just now, wait for the upcoming issue in which well specifically ask you why youre a member and what kind of club events youre most interested in drive to lunch, overnight trips, shows, tech sessions, or fill in the blank. Right now, I posed the rhetorical question because I want to tell you about one of the reasons I joined the Club, even if I didnt know it at the time the people. Ive told you about my 66 Midget and how I came to own it. My Father originally bought it in 1969 after returning from Vietnam. My sister drove him hard and put him up wet while we were in Germany in the mid-70s, and I got him when I was a junior in college. I drove him as a daily driver until the early 90s when I traded him for the 73 GT6 I still have (1500 miles away). I bought him back in late 2005 and a few months later joined the Club mostly to get back in touch with the MG-owning scene. Initially, I didnt participate in any of the Clubs driving events because I didnt want to trail a line of MGs in my Volvo, but I did go to every tech session and membership meeting I could make. The first event I went to was a tech session at a location not too far from where I live. I scouted the location the weekend before and lo & behold there were a couple of guys there, both long-time members who welcomed me and let me join their conversation. I stayed for an hour or two talking (mostly listening) about cars, specifically British cars, and more specifically MGs. I went to other tech sessions and as many other Club events that didnt involve driving as I could. At each and every event I attended I met more and more Club members, albeit many of the same members since most of our members (thats you) rarely seem to attend Club events, but more on that in an upcoming issue. Ive yet to meet a Club member, or for that matter a member of another British marques club, who was not willing to share their interest and expertise in old British cars. That goes beyond just telling stories or sharing parts sources, but to actually helping a member to make a repair or install an upgrade offering that commodity we all seem to have so little of time. Its a small world. Im sure youve all heard someone say that and may well have said it yourself. You probably have an example or two, and heres one of mine. Ive been watching the Little League World Series (LLWS) on television and thinking about the days a long, long time ago when I played Little League baseball at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Although I played on 2 or 3 All-Star teams, we never won our region so I never made it to the LLWS. Now for the small world part about 20 years later I was a Captain in the Air Force attending a professional; military service school in Alabama when I bumped another Captain in the hallway. It turned out that we played Little League together in SC 20 years earlier. Its a small world. My point in all this is that my life is richer for my membership in the MG Car Club Washington DC Centre because of the people Ive met and the friends Ive made that I otherwise would likely not have met or made. Despite the smallness of the world, Im pretty confident saying that were it not for my membership in the Club it is very unlikely that I would have had the honor to meet or get to know any of you, and my life would not have been enriched as it has been. So, I would suggest to you that a major benefit of Club membership, IF not the biggest benefit is the people who make up the membership of the Club. I encourage you to come out for one of the many Club events we have scheduled and meet some of the other members of the Club. I hope you too will say that your life has been enriched by the people you meet and the friends you make. Before I close, I would be remiss not to exhort you to drive your MG. The weather has been pretty good, even though were approaching 60 days of 90 degree plus weather so far this year. A fellow member told me about a drive he and his wife took in their TD yesterday quite the adventure, just because they could. Dont forget the pre-departure checks and I must also remind you of Ruths tip for topless driving remember sunscreen. Cheers and Safety Fast!
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