OK it's been quite awhile sence the Grand Rapids Fiero club rolled together and I think it's time for that to change. I don't know if the old chapter can be brought back to life or an all new one should be started.
I guess at this time just trying to get an idea if we have enough possible future members to move forward on this.
My idea is a meeting 1 time a month and some kind of event at least 1 time a month, some we may be sponsoring and some others may be. A strong connection with other clubs I think will be the key.
Anyway just getting a feel right now, post if it sounds like something you would want to be a part of. Grand Rapids is way to big not to have a Fiero club.
Rides: 85 Fiero Gt, Green "Grasshopper", 86 Fiero GT, Blue, V8 " Snapperhead" 2013 Fierorama Best of Show Non-Stock, 87 GT Met Orange, 88 Formula White stock soon to be 4.9 met Blue like Snapperhead--- 10 Camaro, 99 K2500 Suburban, 04 Trailblazer
Vince I agree. There are 2 other Fiero owners just with in a few blocks of my home, So I know there are a lot of them in GR, Grandville, Ada, Lowell, Jenison, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon etc. Then there are a bunch in the Kalamazoo metro area. I am game.
Bump,. I'm looking into the old club info to see if it can be brought back to life. If anyone has info on the old club pm me. I have sent emails out to Barry and Fred & Kathy. If we can't bring it back to life then I think a new one should be started. I feel we have enough interest to move forward..
Man is it ever going to stop snowing and warm up. My car is a mess from all this junk.
Nope!
No word on the club info. I started looking into starting a new one. If it comes to starting a new club I think we should all hook up somewhere and go over some details to see if we all want to move forward.
That sounds good to me. I am trying to think of a convenient location for all. I am wondering about SE, SW, NW? If Orson Coe was still in business and I still worked there, that would be available.
Originally posted by Snapperhead: The official club paperwork.. Like non-profet, 501c, Fiero chapter paperwork... Thinking back many moons could Darrel have them?
Vince
I don't recall doing that for several clubs that I helped get started. But that was a long time ago and I could have forgotten that.
I think it would be nice to get together this spring or? at Gilmore farms and get people from Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area, Lansing area and west Michigan for a Fiero gathering.
I agree. I would really like to get an idea on how many people truly would be a part of a new club. It's a lot of work to get a club up and running and keep it going. You need to keep it active all year long from meetings, outings, hooking up with other club events. You only get out of it what you put into it, I just don't want to see 2 or 3 only keeping it all together. I'm game for starting a local Fiero club if others want to put a strong effort in to it also. If its just going to be Kathy and I.... well it's not much of a club with the two of us.
Being one of the founders of the West Michigan Camaro Club and helping the West Michigan Trans Am club grow, I understand just what you are saying. I am currently the Grand Knight of council 13391 Knights of Columbus. We have almost 40 members in our council and the same 8-10 guys show up to all the events. Not a good percentage and they are getting "burned out" I know I am and cant wait for my tenure to end. It takes a lot or work and participation from ALL the members to make a club successful! I am not sure if having meetings every month is good. Maybe every other in the winter? Trying to come up with new topics or ideas every month for meetings is not easy. I can see that once the snow is gone the enthusiasm will perk up and people will want to do things. Having meetings at a restaurant in my opinion is not necessarily the best. Not all want to spend $ on food and such. I could be wrong. So finding a meeting place can be hard. Unless, because of West Michigan covering a lot of area and cities, having the meeting rotating around the area might be an idea. At one time there were a lot of Fieros in Muskegon. I think between GR and Holland a lot are "popping up". So they are all over. Caledonia, Hastings, Lowell, Cedar Springs, Rockford, to the west, to the south etc. Vince you mentioned getting together with other clubs. That is a great idea. I understand the Capital City club is doing well. And they are not that far from GR. Then there is the West Michigan Chapter of the Pontiac Oakland Club International. It is an out growth of the Trans Am club. I was a member at one time. I am still a member of the international club- POCI. I love them Pontiacs.
Sorry Vince for the rambling but I thought I would put down some of my thoughts.
I guess the "elephant in the room" question is how many are willing to make a commitment to see the club stays vibrant? It will take a commitment from many to ensure it stays healthy. If just a few are active it can get old and they will leave. Also need people who are willing to "run" the club for a year or so. One person "running' the club will eventually lead to burn out. Though that isn't always the case. When Sig and I with our group of Camaro people met Doug Warren and the group from the GR Camaro club we decided to merge. Doug took on that leadership and ran and grew that club into what it is now up until his untimely death a few years ago.
Oh another thought. What day or night? I think one of the reasons the West Michigan Club kinda of died off is they had it on Wednesday evenings. It seems to me that everything is on Wednesday nights. Mary and I have choir practice on Wednesday evenings, there is an support group for "mature" unemployed people on Wednesday evenings, other employment support group meetings are on Wednesdays, lots of churches have events on Wednesday evenings. So choosing a day can be difficult because not everyone can make it. I can see why you are just "exploring" the idea for now. I still have some literature from the old club and the name tags if you want them for ideas. I know I would really like to meet with other Fiero owners and talk about the cars. I would love to compare notes with other 3800 owners as I have lot of questions.
Back when the West Michigan Trans Am club was alive, we would have an annual show inside what used to be Eastbrook Mall. That was great for the club. Though I dont think I would want to have a car in the mall now days. People do not have any respect any more.
Thanks for suggesting starting up a club in the area.
Steve W. NE Grand Rapids, MI 88 2.5 Base Coupe - First Fiero- went to the recycle yard 87 GT 3800 SC
[This message has been edited by solotwo (edited 03-07-2014).]
I'm not sure how much time I would have. I hope I can make it to some events this summer. It would be nice to have a local club but I agree if there was only a couple people it wouldn't be worth it.
FieroMaster88 is it or would it be worth the drive for you and others to GR? I am surprised with the large number of Fieros in the Greater Kalamazoo, Battle Creek area that there isn't a club in that area. I understand your situation. BEEN There done that. I was President of the Camaro Club when my first two kids were small and later when I was President of the Trans Am club I also had little ones at home.
Wife had other plans for me that Sunday and quite frankly most don't drive their Fieros in the winter like I do. Some people here in GR don't know where Turk Lake is. LOL You ask them if they have heard of Sidney and they give you a strange look. I grew up in the Greenville area and had grandparents in Stanton, Sidney, Sheridan, cousins at Turk Lake and other relatives all over Montcalm county. Did you take M-57 over to Greenville? That used to be the way to get to Flint from Montcalm county back in the 50's. My father was working for McCroy-McClellan-Green Stores and was transferred to Lapeer. So we traveled from Lapeer to Montcalm county a lot on that road. This was of course before your time. LOL.
Winter time is for driving my K2500 Suburban.. I don't want it mad at me.. My Fiero don't know what snow is. Its dropped about 4 1/2" so ground clearance wont allow me to run over an ant and with a SBC traction mite be fun.
True Steve. I don't want the meetings at a food place but I do feel they are needed to a point. I was thinking someplace fun, maybe a different place each month on a day that works best for most. Maybe even a rotating day or on the weekend, Just thinking. With online calendars it doesn't always have to be the same... Tons of places to go. We could all meet at a place the club picked have a 10 minute meeting or so and do the outing the club picked for the month after. Winter time it could be indoor things and if warm weather ever comes then out door things.
Most of the clubs I've been part of really only needed about 15-30 mins for a meeting anyway. You can always do web based meeting and save the gas.
I guess if I'm part of starting a new club up I would like to change some of the ways clubs have been ran in the past. I feel clubs haven't Changed with times and really need too. I'm not trying to talk down on any club, but just looking at a club from a different angle
Vince
[This message has been edited by Snapperhead (edited 03-07-2014).]
If we can't pull enough Fiero owners maybe we should look at a Pontiac / Saturn 2 seater club. Could even break away even more and go with a just a 2 seater club open to all. I guess it depends on what we all want.
Myself what I'm looking for is to get out of the house spending time with others, make new friends, have fun and share my love for the automobile & enjoy my own cars. And I don't want to drive 4+ hours every time just to hook up.
My fiero is lowered with little ground clearance. That's what the bumpers are for, to push the snow out of the way.
With my winter tires on my car sits real low. You have to watch out for the ice chucks from other cars wheel wells when they drop off as I hit on the bottom of my car. I have to try to keep that on the right side away from the trans cooler.
a local(ish) club would be cool.....I would be down as a rank and file member for sure.
I lack focus for the long term so I wont say I could help in the more administration type of affairs. but I have a strong back and would be willing to help at the events more than the lead up to them.
also I LOVE taking pictures.....so I have that to offer too.....club shutterbug, maybe??
now I have suggested in other threads a meeting place of The GunLake casino. its got everything, but I also see the distractions of this place also.....that's why I suggest it. it can and will bring more exposer and will offer an incentive to guys like me, who need something to do after meetings. a nice Long way home drive home after usually handles this but if I also had a pocket full of money/winnings and/or a belly full of food I am even more so
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 03-08-2014).]
We are a member of Capitol City Fieros, but at about 2hrs from me and even more for others it's a little far away sometimes. The Michigan Fiero club is even more out. I guess we were just spoiled having the West Michigan Fiero Club right here in town, good old Grand Rapids, MI
He mentioned he worked on the outside panels and some interior panels. He lent me a couple of books. One I have the other two I dont. One was all about the people who worked at the Fiero plant.
Rides: 85 Fiero Gt, Green "Grasshopper", 86 Fiero GT, Blue, V8 " Snapperhead" 2013 Fierorama Best of Show Non-Stock, 87 GT Met Orange, 88 Formula White stock soon to be 4.9 met Blue like Snapperhead--- 10 Camaro, 99 K2500 Suburban, 04 Trailblazer
