Ad Hoc Get-Togethers

[mike mckinley]

hello Geoff

this is a hell of a good topic to discuss indeed, and if my comments offend anyone, they aren't meant to. before i got into military vehicles, i was heavily involved with motorcycles..infact, one night i counted all the ones i had owned, built, restored, and the number was 88 in total. of course when one has a hobby one tends to hang with those with a like mindset, usually a club of some sort. this never worked out because of the snobbery, politics, and exclusion by the "perfectionists" of the rest of us, who were having some fun. isn't the purpose of a hobby to have some fun? when i got a bit older and got involved with the mv's, the internet was new down here in new brunswick. i found out two things rather quickly, the internet made networking with fellow hobbiest's much easier, and the people with whom i had met over the web were the genuine article. there seemed to be no limits to the lengths these people would go to help someone out. this is testament and examples can be found in any forum on this website. i personally have no problem with any club, but, i have found that keeping things casual as in the spirit of the cc or bb events is the best way to go as it dispences with the above mentioned " club things" which can ruin the whole thing. my next point is that this forum allows all of us, from australia to norway to communicate and help/ entertain each other.....something no club i know of can do.
as for ground rules at events, yes, everyone needs to be careful and for several reasons. we live in a world today where lawsuits are as common as brushing ones teeth. we work with heavy machinery, which can be dangerous even when not in motion. i'm thinking here of the people who see a bunch of army trucks lined up and stop for a look. people are naturally attracted to our old trucks because you gotta love anything that ugly. the problem is the tailgate that opens and smucks someones kid on the head, or someone falling out of the back of a deuce...which they shouldn't have been in in the first place. if we get to the point where these shown are by invite only, we exclude everyone else, which we don't want to do. if we have to place a sentry at every vehicle, the fun is gone. roping the vehicles off is what you see in a museum and detracts from the learning/ drooling process, so we are left with " this is an enter at your own risk" event, or paying heavy premiums for insurance incase something happens, which is no fun either. in the case of an event on private property, you enter at your own risk, and if the event grew in numbers it wouldn't be difficult to make visitors sign a waiver. for public displays, be sure you have the coverage. nobody want anyone to get hurt, but anything can happen anywhere at anytime.
drinking at driving is an absolute no no. both jeff caldwell and myself are volunteer firefighters, and we see the outcome of drunk drivers and it's not pleasant. if you want to get hammered, have at it, but give your keys to someone to ensure you stay put. personally, and jeff can attest to this, i have put bob and doug mackenzie to shame with my beer drinking antics at their events, but there has never, nor will there ever be a problem. i went there to be with some very good friends, to meet some new friends, and to have a good time...safely. all it takes is one accident to tarnish our hobby, and we don't need that. we are the caretakers of our history, and our vehicles have a story to tell. with the use of some common sense, hopefully the hobby will prosper. one final thought...i wonder if bill gregg, bart vanderveen, or peter ford ever imagined that this hobby would grow, and generate the interest that it does today? all for now
mike

p.s. i can't make the cc this year, but i know everyone will have a great time....with the calibur of company that will be present, how could one not?