2018 CLC Grand National – 60 Years of the CLC

June 5-9, 2018 – Central Texas

Central Texas between San Antonio and Austin.

REGISTRATION FORMS:

Chair:

Lance Hirsch
lhirsch@gvtc.com
830-336-4524

Host Hotel

The hotel has a convention center attached to the hotel and the rates are $129. This includes free breakfast for all everyday and a manager’s happy hour. Rooms are available beginning Wednesday, June 6 through Sunday June 10. Reservations can be made as follows:

Online Hotel Registration
512-392-6450
Use group code: CLC
Reservations must be secured no later than May 11, 2018.

Backup Hotel

Courtyard by Marriott in San Marcos. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel at 512-359-7550 and ask for the Cadillac & LaSalle Club rate.

Driving tour – June 5, 2018

Embassy Suites by Hilton
San Marcos Hotel Conference Center & Spa
1001 E. McCarty Lane
San Marcos, TX 78666
512-392-6450

Australian Grand National Renmark South Australia: a Fair Dinkum Experience

: On the banks of the Murray

: A little early for the show, but you get the idea.

: Saturday’s car show in Renmark

: They don’t skimp on their cars down under.

: No shortage of fins in Oz

: Caddies under the gum trees

: It pays to protect your LaSalle from, well, whatever?

: Beautiful town–and cars

: You know him, you love him, VP Ron Zahn

Tom and Lynn Keegan were able to attend the Aussie Grand National in Renmark, South Australia March 21 to 26. Smaller than our GNs, the event hosted about 200 Cadillac enthusiasts from Australia, the US, Germany, and New Zealand. Because we were a smaller group, members drove their own cars to the many outings. In a way, it was closer to one of our driving tours. Our headquarters was the Big4 Holiday Park on the Murray river. Very comfortable, it offered a range of accommodation. We stayed in a little pre-fab bungalow, while others brought their camping trailers. One bloke camped in a tent next to his Cadillac. The activities were well-planned and well-executed with the help of many volunteers. But, untimately, it’s the Cadillac people who make the trip worthwhile. It was wonderful to make new international friends and catch up with the ones we knew. Of course, all received an invite to Kansas City to attend our GN in 2020.

2017 CLC Grand National Tysons Corner. VA

: Good crowd at USA auto parts

: Good food, too. Thanks Mike and Hannah

: Seems like there is always time for a winery

: solid gold

: Members enjoying a great tour of the Air and Space Museum

: Club icon Yann Saunders admires the ’42 Limo

The 2017 CLC Grand National is in the books, and ranks among the most successful and well-attended events in Club history. Many thanks to the Potomac Region and the Valley Forge Region, for hosting the July 31 – August 6, 2017 event. Chairpersons Ronnie Hux, Scott Minesinger and Jack Hotz are to be commended for planning the events which were much appreciated. As to be expected at an east coast event, many overseas members attended. In fact, the long distance award was collected by a team from Venezuela!

~~Cadillac Grand European August 23–27 Copenhagen Denmark~~

Cancelled!

Not Cancelled! What?

: Eddie from Alabama right at home in Copenhagen

: Another international event about to begin

: Navigating the streets of Copenhagen in these big boats not for the faint of heart

: First stop, Hamlet’s castle, Elsinore

: Lunch at a fabulous fishing village–weather mostly co-operating

: Classic Cads attract a lot of attention in Denmark

: How’s this for a host hotel, the Bella Sky–largest in Scandinavia

: Ron Zahn photographs our gathering, Chuck in the yellow shirt

: Recognize inspector Colombo’s decapotable?

The 2017 Grand European in Copenhagen Denmark was cancelled due to the low number of members who signed up to show their cars. But did this stop Cadillac lovers from around the world from creating their own GE? One must ask: Is the international Cadillac & LaSalle Club populated with such diehards that they must attend even a cancelled event?! Well, if you already have your plane tickets, hotel reservations and your English/Danish phrase book tucked into your backpack, then the answer is yes. Astoundingly, 20 Club members from all over Europe and North America gathered in Copenhagen and enjoyed the hospitality of the Danish Cadillac Club August 23rd–27th. Members arrived for the “cancelled” event from Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Czech republic, and the good old US of A to do what we do best: Drive Cadillacs, visit great venues, and break bread.

CLC Announces New Directory, Member Software

The following information courtesy of SWVP Tim Coy

The 2017 CLC International Membership Directory will be mailed in late October to most of you along with your November-December copy of The Self-Starter; for those on First Class and Life memberships, the Directory will be bulk mailed separate from your copy of The Self-Starter. If you are an online-only member, you will not receive a printed directory; it will be available as a read-only PDF in a protected area of the CLC website. A postcard will be inserted in an upcoming issue of The Self-Starter asking members if they wish to continue receiving the printed copy for 2018 and beyond. If the member returns the postcard and/or e-mails the CLC Office, they will continue to receive a mailed directory. Otherwise, they will not, and will be able to log in and look up the information on the CLC website. This is a huge cost-saving move and hopefully will ward off a dues increase for a while longer.

Use the new Directory for membership recruitment

I did this for years when I was the editor of my Region’s newsletter. Look up all the names in your assigned area, send all non-Region members a letter and/or a newsletter along with a membership app and ask them to join your Region. My experience was that 20 percent of those people will respond and join your Region, with the new revenue you receive far outpacing your postage expenses asking them to join. The CLC experience is best at the local level.

New membership software coming

The board, in a majority vote, approved to allow the CLC to move its membership records to YourMembership.com by the beginning of 2017. The Club will save money in the long run, while offering members the ability to update their own information without having to notify the CLC Office. Every member will be given one login and password for all functions, which will work for updating your membership information, renewing your membership, viewing The Self-Starter (if you have an upgraded membership), viewing the online Directory, participating in the Discussion Forum and a lot more. Once you’re logged in, you can search for every member in your state, members who own the same body style you have, and you can even search for owners using multiple model years. YourMembership.com will allow Regions access to conduct business, so get ready for this exciting change.

New officers appointed

Dan Cress of the Badger Region (Wisconsin) has been appointed Grand National treasurer beginning with the CLC-operated 2018 Grand National. Chuck Swanson of the New York Capital District Region has been appointed vice president of Information Technology, and will oversee the implementation of YourMembership.com. DR Rawson of Las Vegas has been appointed chair of the Membership Promotion and Public Relations Committee, and will spearhead efforts to bring in new members and retain existing members.

2017 Grand National judges

This is going to be likely the second-largest Grand National the CLC has ever had (Detroit’s 2002 meet is by far the largest ever). Chief Judge Bill Anderson needs judges badly for this meet. Watch for the registration form in the January issue of The Self-Starter. If you and folks in your Regions plan on going, please consider being a judge and check off the appropriate box on the registration form. In that vein, the number of cars to be judged will be limited if there are not enough judges, according to Bill.

Future National events

Grand National—2017—McLean, Va; 2018, San Marcos, TX, 2019, Chicago area; 2020, Louisville, Ky. or Kansas City area, still TBD

National Driving Tour—2017, Chicago to St. Louis; 2018, Southern California area; 2019, Gettysburg, Pa. area

CLC Museum mortgage retired

The building at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, is paid off; however, there are still operating expenses and an upcoming fundraising campaign will take place to expand the building.

100 percent compliance

Don’t forget to work hard and get your rosters up to 100 percent National compliance—I’m counting on you! If your member refuses to join National, you must remove them from your roster. When you and your membership chair have done the best you can, please resubmit your rosters to the CLC Office at cadlasalleclub@aol.com.

The Cadillac Fall Festival is scheduled for September 20-23, 2018

The Cadillac LaSalle Club Museum and Research Center at the Gillmore Car Museum will host the Cadillac Fall Festival in Hickory Corners, Michigan September 20-23rd. This year Allantés are the featured cars. If you haven’t been to a Fall Festival, plan to attend in 2018. The museum’s collection grows each year, and the quality of the display continues to astonish visitors.

Also worth mentioning: the mortgage on the building has been paid off! This is due in great measure to the efforts of Paul Ayres who has worked tirelessly as museum director and fundraiser. Remember this is your museum. A pilgrimage to the site ought to be high on your travel plans. Also, even though the building is paid for, expenses never stop. Your generous support is appreciated.

Check out museum activities on facebook: facebook.com/pages/Cadillac-Lasalle-Club-Museum-Research-Center/593415324019434

Big Meet is Huge Fun!

http://www.cadillac-bigmeet.com