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.