[Healeys] Just one club? In this Country?

[Editorgary at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/21/11 12:29:03 PM, healeys-request at autox.team.net
writes:


>
> Then comes the 2012 meet as well that should have been the 60th 
> anniversary International Meet which would have been a joint meet 
> between both clubs, not happening.  Now what do we have AHCUSA having 
> their meet in Canada and AHCA having their meet in Kentucky and both 
> will probably call them the 60th anniversary meet. I hope that this 
> don't mean an end to these national meets in the US.
>
> This is one more reason the I think there should only be one National 
> US Club. They could have several large regional meets and then one 
> large meet every 5 years and come together. The meets could be spread 
> out from April to September and then you may have to opportunity to 
> attend meets in other regions. If you look at the calendar right now 
> you have this happening all across the US.
>
I take just the opposite viewpoint -- there should be two Austin-Healey
Clubs, one to cater for Rockies and West, and one to cater for East and
Midwest. Face it. My bet is you won't see 50 cars in Colorado Springs next
year
from anywhere east of the Mississippi. The biggest challenge to all of this is
the feeling on the part of AHCA that they should conquer the entire country,
even though it can't be served when 75 percent of the club's drivers won't
drive more than 150 miles to a meet.

If we'd just acknowledge that we should have two clubs on this huge
continent, with its great emptiness in the middle, then   we could (and we
should)
happily call the two meets in 2012 celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of
the Healey and give a welcoming reception to the 20 or so long-distance
enthusiasts who will actually drive cross-country in that year to attend the
opposite club's meet.

Gary