Let it be...
I was in the CCA for many years. I did Chapter President, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, organizer and so on. Those days are years in the past. I've been through the CCA scene, Chapter Congresses, Oktoberfest, Editor's Conferences, Driving Events meetings and so on, so I will address my perception of the current state of affairs. 2002FAQ no longer recognizes my login, so I do it here.
I've not see the new Roundel and don't necessarily want to; my CCA days are largely over.
If CCA re-orgs, there's a reason. One of my toughest jobs during my many years as a Chapter officer was to generate enough attendance to make it worth my time. Aside from a few close friends, turnout was never worth the effort in any realistic manner, but it is and remains a volunteer proposition and you take from it whatever satisfaction you may find. It was tough to find my successor; I was lucky in some ways.
Old cars - CS, 2002, Bavaria, 320i, 635CSi, and the like - have faded and no longer constitute any significant part of the present club nor are they seen on the road. A stock BMW from those days is decades old and compared to the current standard it gets poor mileage, provides lousy occupant safety, many CS parts are ridiculously priced, there's nearly no aftermarket sources and the cars no longer represent the value they once did. The owners are also aging. Those desiring a meaningful mechanical involvement, have by now learned to do so themselves. When I joined there were so few alternatives for parts and mechanical knowledge, CCA membership was a blessing. Nowadays, knowledge, camaraderie and the parts availability are on the 'net and any fool can find, as we do on this forum, all we need. Those reasons pertinent to joining back in the day, are thus no longer.
Similarly, the mechanical make-up of the car has advanced in complexity. Example: this afternoon I was in a pal's X5 door trying to figure out a lock/unlock issue. There's a lot of stuff there. This reinforces that today's bimmer owner is not for the most part interested or mechanically inclined or perhaps capable. The old simple days of current Bimmer ownership are over - as they are for all those fond of cars designed in the 60's and built in the 70's.
Social perceptions of BMW ownership I will not address but they contribute to this.
CCA has got to follow what/where they perceive their market is. Inevitably they have and will continue to change, and this will be resented by some of the "old-timers" who rightly or otherwise perceive they are being ignored. I suggest both sides be recognized and accepted. B*tch if you want but be aware what segment of the population you represent; if you haven't been a longtime active CCA member I think STFU.
Flame suit's on; my email is inop (da*mn AOL) so it will largely pass me by. I will respond to polite PMs, and continue to kick in my two cents to this list.
