club subscription renewal due, do I or don't I?

[Budgie]

Yes they are fully paid up members. As for members attending zoom meetings to express their views not everyone is computer savvy or may be feel uneasy with speaking out negatively as it tends to come with stern views from those that are opposite thinking / views, I wouldn't want to join a zoom meeting personally but were all different hence the reason why I have started this post just to see what other people think and of course expecting some strong views on both sides of the query.

[MorrisJohn]

I personally think the magazine is great quality and I’d pay £32 a year just for it. Club spares is good. I find parent club activity is mostly too far south though and don’t use any of the other advertised benefits.

I do think owners of classics need to stick together though so clubs and historic vehicle associations can continue lobby to protect our rights to enjoy using them etc. That can’t be done without subs.

[Owlsman]

I personally think the magazine is great quality and I’d pay £32 a year just for it. Club spares is good. I find parent club activity is mostly too far south though and don’t use any of the other advertised benefits.

I do think owners of classics need to stick together though so clubs and historic vehicle associations can continue lobby to protect our rights to enjoy using them etc. That can’t be done without subs.

Beat me to MJ.....I was just about to post something virtually word for word, as my two penn'orth Being from Yorkshire, I'm not tight but I do like to think I'm getting value for money.

My £32, which I gladly handed over at the MMOC stand at the NEC last Friday, is worth it for the club magazine alone. Anyone who can get through an issue in 20 minutes takes speed reading to a new level Personally, I love reading about all things Moggy related as it's part of the enjoyment of one of my chosen hobbies.

I have to be honest and say that I've never been persuaded by the argument of 'exclusive club discounts' on goods or services, available either from the MMOC or any other club, group or company I have ever been associated with. I think they are mainly marketing gimmicks or a cheap form of advertising. I have never been afraid to ask for a discount on anything and if the vendor wants to sell it to me enough, you'll get one. At the NEC I bought 8 metres of plush snappon door edge trim priced at £7.50 pm = £60. I would have been prepared to pay that but I politely asked the proverbial ''is that the best you can do?''.......an immediate response from the vendor meant I parted with just £45.

The Esso Fuelpecker discount card is a classic example of a worthless 'benefit'. The normal pump price of E5 Super-unleaded at my local Sainsburys, is actually cheaper than than discounted Esso unleaded........ and I can pay by cash.

This might sound a tad altruistic but rather than join a group or club looking, necessarily, as to what I can get out of it, I like to consider what I can contribute to it. It is very much a 2-way thing for me. My financial subscription helps, admittedly in a very small way, to keep the classic car movement alive and kicking and so I am happy to pay it.

Oh, at the NEC, I did manage to get a cuppa, a welcome sit-down and a couple of sweeties too! What's not to like from being a member?

[jagnut66]

I do think owners of classics need to stick together though so clubs and historic vehicle associations can continue lobby to protect our rights to enjoy using them etc. That can’t be done without subs.

Seconded.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[1958trebor]

Renew.....................Or we send the boys round! :

[cococola]

I have been a member for several years and I feel that I Am helping to promote the Owners club, which is good not just for now but for future generations of Morris Minor ownership. I don't take advantage of discounts etc as so far as I have got better offers elsewhere.
As Morris fans surely we need to preserve future generations coming through by promoting what ownership is all about?

[Des911]

I get my membership pack every year and search the internet for anything I need to buy. I spend 10 minutes reading the mag and complain about the web site being down.

I still think it's worth it

[Admin]

This might sound a tad altruistic but rather than join a group or club looking, necessarily, as to what I can get out of it, I like to consider what I can contribute to it. It is very much a 2-way thing for me. My financial subscription helps, admittedly in a very small way, to keep the classic car movement alive and kicking and so I am happy to pay it.

Oh, at the NEC, I did manage to get a cuppa, a welcome sit-down and a couple of sweeties too! What's not to like from being a member?

We're 'not allowed' to provide tea and coffee at the NEC, but we do anyway, every year. The more cynical among us (that'll be me, then) have always said that the rule against it is to limit competition for the NEC's own refreshment outlets which charge extortionate amounts for a paper cup of warm water and a teabag, and there have been one or two clubs taking the mick a bit by having cappucino wagons on their stand charging for drinks in direct competition to the NEC. We try to be a bit more discreet in offering tea or coffee for our members and somewhere to sit and drink it and have a chat for a bit, although this year because of COVID we've had to swap to disposable cups instead of the mugs we usually use, and individually wrapped sweets rather than plates of biccies. The stand Visitors Book usually has a good selection of thanks for that!

[geoberni]

I'm reminded of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961.... so to paraphrase it slightly...

...my fellow Morris Minor Owners: ask not what your Club can do for you — ask what you can do for your Club.

Go to branch meetings if you can, support the Club in the world of Classic Motoring, etc as there will undoubtedly be increasing pressure in the future...

However, that said, the Club Hierarchy needs to be more communicative with the members and look to it's Raison D'etre as published, because there is obviously some feeling that this is not the case, especially when this Ruddy Forum is playing up....

"Our aims are simply to promote the preservation and use of the postwar Morris Minor, 1.6 million of which were built between 1948 and 1971.
The MMOC exists to unite these people who have a fondness of these loveable jellymoulds, and those people who still use them as everyday transport."

[Shropshiremoggie]

Joined as a paid up member this morning !

[simmitc]

Thank you. Welcome, good to have you onboard.

[Matt]

I stopped paying a number of years ago....

I put a lot of effort in with the club, a lot of my time went in to the club from moderating this site to helping organise events etc - but I left. The balance and effort of what I put in, plus the cost of subs etc far outweighed what I was getting out. That simple really. The club where I am a technical advisor, and write content for the magazine, and actively help people have made me a life member (i.e. no subs) - they did this without me asking.

I left a number of other clubs at the same time - one or 2 I have re-joined but have not felt the need to rejoin the MMOC (partly due to my cars being off the road for a number of years now and no time to do anything with them.... with a car on the road and/or being actively worked upon my decision may well be different).

[Budgie]

Thanks for your input Matt I was hoping some one from my side of seeing things would put pen to paper so to speak.
Its ok for those that are in a position to go to club meetings etc not everyone is living so close or has the time. As for speed reading, it is a well known fact that most people when reading glance through headlines etc and if things do not catch their eye then pages are turned a fact known in the news paper industry and people are employed and paid well to find ways around this in order to get readers to browse and make each article interesting to draw the eye and mind in so to speak. Also as has been pointed out the club strives to "unite" people with Morris minors but its not a word I'm feeling though this thread so far.
As stated previously I appreciate that subs and input , if possible helps to unite and glue the members together and that I think is what I'm looking for in order to maintain my membership. Also value for money is in the eye of the beholder and what seems good value to some can be the complete opposite to others e.g. purely on the magazine cost alone against the £32 membership , at just over £5 per bimonthly mag.
I used to be a fairly regular contributor on the forum for some years both asking for advice etc and also answering other member's queries until I asked for help in posting up photographs of my tourer and other pictures as I am not a wizkid on the computer although I do use one a lot for my work. The answer I got from an admin / moderator that time , a few years ago was rather arrogant to a point that I refrained from the site for almost two years and hence the still lack of pictures, I just gave up if that was the sort of help that was on offer.

[Budgie]

Sorry but I ran out of space, I didn't realize the length of my script, too much to say and not enough room so I wont continue and bore anyone.

[les]

What is this club you refer to Matt. I’m presuming you don’t mind telling us ?
I’ve done my 25 years membership maybe I’ll be notified of no subs and lifelong membership !!
You’re honoured to get it at such a young age !

[callevaerudite]

I'm a new member and I think it is a good price compared to other societies. I enjoy the benefits but I'm not really here for that. I prefer the benefit of saying I'm a member and the in person help I've had from people. I've had a good chuckle at my lack of choke knowledge (if you know you know!) I don't think you can put a price on those kind of experiences

[Matt]

What is this club you refer to Matt. I’m presuming you don’t mind telling us ?

The life membership one? Thats the Transit Van Club.... I am technical advisor and write articles that go in most of the newsletters, as well as provide tech support and even spares at rallies in the UK and events abroad...

[les]

Thanks Matt, keep the enthusiasm !

[Budgie]

Just to add that over the years I like to think that I have contributed more than some and much l less than others when it comes down to advice for other minor owners although I bow down to the far superior knowledge of the chosen ones on this forum to which I have sort knowledge from on many occasions. I've also asked for advice definitely more times than I've given. Over the last forty years I have owned four minors ,my current one is a tourer which I have had for many years. I have restored [although not being a qualified mechanic just an amateur have a go kinda guy] two of them together with a Triumph Mayflower, Austin Cambridge mk1, and a part restoration of a Triumph TR4a and also the odd classic motor bike now and again so I like to feel that I have given back to the club as much as I can . I too have been approached albeit via email some three years ago when I was pondering initially back then about leaving the club, by another minor organization but stayed put to see if things would get better. I'm not going to join that club at the moment but after putting the feelers out on this forum and waiting to see what type of feed back I would receive, it seems my departure appears to be more imminent now than ever which is a shame but hey ho.

[Classiccars]

Would not want to be part of the problem so happy to renew and keep things rolling.Great Club after all said and done.