National Tours

[BNCHIEF]

I have never asked this question I know how national tours work for the mtfca, just driving and eating enjoying each others company, It seems the A crowd is very different, so say in a week it seems to be all seminars, activities, and judging with driving pretty much one day such as the grand tour. How about a clearer understanding for folks like me. It has to be fun or you would not get so many folks coming.

[tbirdtbird]

pretty much as you describe.
If the planned activities are not very exciting at any given point, there are usually splinter groups that go off on sub-tours of their own. This is especially true for the younger crowd. The 90 year olds and the 60 year olds seem to have different goals of what the tours should be. If we bother to go a distance to a tour/meet/ whatever, we want to get some driving time in!
The tours/trips that the Dallas club sets up are predominately drive your car as much as possible

[BNCHIEF]

Thanks Tbird that is kind of what I thought but I have never been to one so Branson will be my first. Tbird I know you guys travel, I can understand the different age groups and their wishes.

[Mark Maron]

Chief we have a ton planned already for Branson, MANY self guided tours..keep in mind....the ONLY Level place you will see is your dining room table, make sure your brakes are good, and your e-brke holds strong!!! Our grand tour on Thursday will be about only 45 miles RT as of now...we will be going to Silver Dollar City....otherwise we have great seminars planned and so much more to share!!

[BNCHIEF]

Not to worry Mark I have taken model t's over the great divide, not poo-pooing anything just getting my head wrapped around how the A folks work.

[plyfor]

If you travel with another person(s), activities would want to be fun for them as well, rather than just driving which is what most of us enjoy about the A's and other classics. My wife and I went to the Reno national in 1980, with a side trip to Virginia City, NV, and we had the muffler clamp fall off with a couple of other minor issues. Didn't know how loud an A can be with it wired up ! Interesting planned stops and less congested routes are important as well as accommodations, and a variety of good food options other than fast food are sometimes difficult to find on the way.

[BNCHIEF]

Plyfor that is one of the things I enjoy about touring,those things happened back in the day we get to do living history when we dreive them.

[Mitch]

Chief the VFF will be there in FULL force so party heavy

Gettysburg was my first ever meet, and i did not attend any seminars. I took the A out one day out for a ride around the battlefield Nat'l park, but the rest of my time was taken up with the VFF tent and hanging out at the repair tent. The touring class and Grand Tour was another full day.

[Mark Maron]

But your GOING TO go to seminars this time and more!!!! :-)

[BNCHIEF]

Mark has spoken see you at some seminars Mitch.

[BNCHIEF]

Oh I am still coming maybe one day we could go visit my friend at tablerock lake, he was the head mechanic for the company I worked for and Ralph could fix anything in the field, now he works on jetskis boats and 4 wheelers when he feels like it. I may just park my trailer at his house it gets pretty congested in branson on a normal day and Ralph already told me that I will be coming to spend some time with him.

[Mike V. Florida]

I have never asked this question I know how national tours work for the mtfca, just driving and eating enjoying each others company, It seems the A crowd is very different, so say in a week it seems to be all seminars, activities, and judging with driving pretty much one day such as the grand tour. How about a clearer understanding for folks like me. It has to be fun or you would not get so many folks coming.

It is my understanding that there are several types of national meets. The different National Clubs may have different names but I think we can say there are three general types;

National Meet
Membership meet
National Tours

Only the national meet has the judging. They have seminars, swap meet, and maybe some tours for the A besides the grand tour that is required for the judging.
National Tours is what is sounds like many tours around the area, some guided, some self guided, some just driving, others places to stop and visit.
Membership meets have seminars and maybe some tours but rather like a family reunion.

Details can differ and the national websites don't really have good explainations in my opinion. (could be why more regions/chapters don't step up as thay really don't know what each type entails (Just my opinion).

[BNCHIEF]

Thanks Mike that helps to clear some things up Might be a good topic for someone to take up in both club magazines,new members do not know and that would be me for one.

[Mark Maron]

Reading and following this very closely... Can i assist people at all in any explanation on what goes on?? BNCHIEF, Mitch, Mike anyone ask me...

[BNCHIEF]

Well Mark Mike V mentioned the three types in his post so now I understand the differences but as a new guy to the scene it has been confusing for me to understand how it works I do understand it now but as I said maybe an article in the national magazine might be helpful for the newbies I am not knocking how these are ran at all just wanted to understand the concept and thanks for your help. Also Mark an explanation of what does go on would be very educational so please do.

[Mark Maron]

Mike has the right comments but just more detail the MAIN event is the NATIONAL Meet. Self Guided Tours, Organized Tours, Welcome Parties, Banquet, Fine Point and Touring class judging for awards. Seminars almost everyday for men and woman, Youth Activities, all around MODEL A DAILY Activities, the swap meet, the grand tour and the final Banquet on Friday Night....

Membership meet is basically a 3 days event that ENDS with a swap meet, seminars, welcome party and also a banquet. A much more scaled down version of the National and the big thing in MARC is the awards are given for magazines, and the NEW BOD is sworn in at that time..

National TOUR.
Just that , a guided tour to locations, a very popular thing..
Thats about all like Mike has said...
Marc does a National every year
Mafca every 2 years
Hope that helps

[tbirdtbird]

Once you see the actual Itinerary for one of these it all gets much clearer. Then you realize most of these events are structured in a similar manner.
I had never been to a MARC meet when I was back east, work got in the way.

A Mafca meet was scheduled here in Texas Hill Country (an extremely beautiful part of the state) about 3-4 years ago in March, we had a blast and did about everything on the menu. There was a self guided lengthy all-day tour thru some remote back country roads favored by bikers and it was awesome.

I think it was Mafca that had a national meet in Colorado last June, but it was a disappointment that there wasn't room for everybody at many of the events that were planned. For example, there was a bus tour into a famed area of the Rockies, but there were only a few busses available. It might be better to over-plan than under-plan. Also, seemed like many members got some sort of advanced notice of the whole deal, because we signed up for stuff the minute we got the flyer in the mail, and when we called the long list of hotels for a room, 3 were already filled up. These were the cheapest rate rooms there were. LOL nothing is cheap in Colorado. Unless these rooms were filled by the local club members that put the event on, which would have been OK

Generally speaking, the national groups work hard to put on a meaningful, worthwhile meet, try it! You'll like it!

[BNCHIEF]

Oh I plan to for sure I did not realize they broke it down in that fashion, not everybody is gonna want to drive 500 miles in a week, And you are right about that texas hill country it is beautiful for sure. Colorado is a tough place for a lot of reasons as we both know and I have been to a tour there as I said before i have only done this in model t fords and we are a driving group.

[Mark Maron]

Guys We have sow much planned in Branson for tours and seminars you wont have time in the week to do it all??

[BNCHIEF]

I am looking forward to it Mark and I volunteered to help you guy where you need it, will contact Dan after the first of the year as we have already spoken a while back.

[Mitch]

And wait till you see the VFF itinerary for the week

[BNCHIEF]

Better up my vitamins and geritol intake.

[TOBKOB]

Our Chattanooga club hosted the 2012 MARC National Tour and we had several (8 or 10) tours led by club members. Most folks chose 2 or 3 tours and then we had a Grand Tour to Lee & Gordon's Mill (circa 1830s) for lunch. The days were all filled with touring and visiting places of interest. There were a lot of self touring also.

TerryO

[BNCHIEF]

Thanks Terry I was debating whether or not to take a car,wasn't going to if not much driving.