Car Clubs and what I have learned... May 2009

Several years ago I began getting involved in the car hobby. At first I found it interesting and cool to go and hang out with fellow car enthusiasts who shared a common interest of automobiles. Spending my Fridays and some Saturdays going to area cruise-in’s and talking shop with some of the best and knowledgeable artisans in the area!

After spending a couple of years doing the cruise-in circuit I decided to join my first car club. I fully immersed myself in the culture and became a bonafide car nut! All my time was spent studying the hobby, gathering information and creating a website second to none in the area for car nuts like myself. I had a great time doing it… for a while.

Nearly two years ago after leaving a club that I dearly enjoyed I decided to start my own car club. And after many misfires and minor setbacks it became a rather unique and interesting venture with many members and a great monthly cruise-in. Once again I found myself fully immersed in the day-to-day goings on of dealing with a car club. Instead of feeling excited about doing the thing I loved I started loathing it because of the attitude of a few members. My wife and I were talked about behind our backs and accusations of all kinds started getting back to me concerning the very club I created!

After confronting the parties that made the statements and accusations regarding my involvement and commitment to the club, my wife and I again decided to take a break from the club scene. No apologies private or public have been made to either of us since this happened. We simply got an invite from the party that started the accusations to us “if we wanted to remain members”. And not even face-to-face! But through the email! Needless to say we both refused the offer.

I have never given up on the “real” Rock Hill Cruisers Car Club or the website. I have just taken a break to give myself a sabbatical from the attitudes of a mere few that made my life miserable. This time I have chosen a different and bold new path to try in the culture of car clubs. The totally virtual kind! With today’s technology and the Internet expanding exponentially with each day I feel we can create a car enthusiast site with blogs, photo galleries, and reviews of products, music, art and a moderated chat forum that will again be cutting edge for this area.

So if you are tired of the same old car club mentality and culture, come join us in a new and unique spin on the culture! You will not pay fees, you will not have monthly meetings to attend, and you will not be chastised for your ideas or contributions. And if you do not have an automobile… that is fine too! It isn’t about how many hot rods, classics or antique automobiles, motorcycles or music instruments you may own or how many cruise-in’s and car shows you attend each month… it’s more about your love for those things we are interested in and we want to hear from you about them!

Telling it like I see it!

Dave S. Mauldwin, Jr
dmauldwin@comporium.net