Most liked posts in thread: Is it time for a National MINI Club??

I still think a national club could be a benefit if we have local chapters such as they do for BMWCCA and PCA.

I plan events for a local Mini group. We are very informal with no dues which is good but there are disadvantages. Since there are no dues we do not have any money other than what I provide. We do not have a website other than on MA, which many possible members do not see and many current members never use. Our communication is mainly through emails that I send out based on a distribution list that I maintain. If the club wants anything that costs money (such as stickers), I have to provide the funding and then get reimbursed. Even posting photos of events cost money on Flickr once you go over the free limit.

For example; I have tried to setup Mini Cooper Car Corrals at Laguna Seca but that requires a minimum of 10 tickets purchased by one person. My club does not have enough interested people for 10 purchases which means we must get multiple clubs together to get at least 10 participants. That requires one person coordinating with multiple clubs, collecting money from multiple clubs, purchasing tickets for everyone, then distributing tickets to other clubs. Kind of a pain. With a MINICCA things like car corrals at race tracks would be much easier to arrange.

Having a National Club could make things a little easier for small local clubs. I would hope that the National Club could also help provide things like driver's training at a reasonable cost such is offered by BMWCCA.

Yes, the MINIs can join BMWCCA but I do not feel that the BMWs really want Minis in their club. It would be best to have a separate MINICCA.

 

Hmm, even *I* forgot about the President's Lounge...

 

A national club might be able to provide some sort of package insurance coverage for Auto-X or DE events... maybe for local MINI clubs wishing to get some coverage for club events. It might also be useful for organizing interactions with MINI USA (larger items like the BMWCCA member discount).

Other than that, I don't see a whole lot of use for it. We have other media outlets to transfer information (see: Motoring Alliance), so the club newsletter that used to be the primary benefit of a national club is irrelevant, IMHO.

 

Would be nice to see MINI USA back local clubs and perhaps set up a standard for clubs to meet in order for them to be accepted into their circle. All it does is endear people to the brand. So far, it seems they have been very hands off.

 

That would make MoM the leading non-club. :lol:

Jim

 

That is include under the "enjoy" umbrella!

 

Not in some clubs... :frown2:

 

Has this went anywhere.....is it time to reignite the topic?

 

Why???? That smacks of organization.

Jim

 

Lone Star Mini Club

If anyone is looking for a club that is free form to the max...check out the Lone Star Mini Club. It is comprised of k-huevo, me, and about 4 or 5 others that used to post on our club forum which was owned by the original LSMC guy who moved away about 10 years ago but kept making the payments to keep the forum alive. He stopped. So, no forum. All three or four of us now post on MA. But, we all have fun anyway. Actually, I think it is down to just k-huevo and me. Tom, you out there??

 

Interesting as both my wife and I (I have a 2011 R56 S, she has the awesome R58 coupe JCW) are members of a local BMW CCA group (Blue Ridge) and they are welcoming to MINI owners.

I guess it's hit and miss.

 

Well... there is welcoming as in "Oh... yeah... I guess you can join too" and welcoming as in active out-reach programs and membership drives/benefits aimed at MINI owners. I've seen several clubs with policy #1 and none with #2 yet.

Technically anyone can join the BMWCCA (I joined for a few years when I thought I was going to buy a BMW and wanted the BMWCCA discount)... you don't even need to own a car, let alone a BMW. The local Dallas BMWCCA will allow any cars to run in their DE or Auto-X events, so it's kind of a moot point.

 

Some good points there. I can attest to #2 with the Blue Ridge BMW CCA as some of their officers are also MINI owners. But to your point on #2, there isn't an active MINI outreach program at all.

 

Though they do (or at least they DID a few years ago) have a regular MINI article/feature in the Roundrel (the monthly BMWCCA Magazine). As a MINI owning member, I did appreciate that.