I think you misunderstood to the extent that you missed the point entirely.
The MVPA has had a long standing tradition of problems or "trouble at the
top," which have left it little more than an old men's marching and chowder
club with a very elitist method of approaching its membership. That is why
I haven't joined the group. For any member such as yourself to recommend to
anybody who is as enthusiastic as myself "by the way, you probably shouldn't
attend any MVPA events either" makes me wonder how exactly (since I am not a
member) the MVPA really plans to further the hobby I so enjoy. In between
my last post and this one, I received my issue of "Sport Flying," which is
the EAA's magazine. From the tone of most writing in the mag, you would
never get a message like the one which you just delivered to about 200 list
members- stay away from events. That is the last thing I expect from any
organization which purports to support the hobby its members enjoy. And
this has been a chronic problem with the MVPA- I don't see it being quickly
fixed, and therefore have not joined its ranks. There was a reason only 8%
of the voting US membership was eclipsed by the 50% of the Italian
membership in 1988- most people in the US only wanted Supply Line and had to
be members to get it, and just tolerated the political horse shit so they
had some forum to trade their items. Well, now Military Vehicles is out
there, with a bigger following than the MVPA. I wonder why? So how is the
MVPA going to compete for my dollars. They aren't. They think they are the
only game in town, expect lowly collectors like me to see them as such and
just join because they are it. Sorry, I expect more for my $45.00
membership than a magazine and a less well circulated advertising pub than
is available elsewhere (Military Vehicles). If I spend $50.00 for the BMW
Collector's Club of America, I get a lot more service than I get from the
MVPA. And again, despite what I say here about the MVPA, I really hope that
they get their act together, become more of an advocacy group, and survive
to help this hobby. But with problems like this, I don't see it happening.
I really want them to, but with an undercurrent of elitist thought like you
espoused by un-inviting this mailing list to MVPA events if they were not
members, I think the future is grim. I don't know how long you've been in
the MVPA, but the old MVCC was like this back in the 1980's. It was bad
news then, and is bad news today.
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