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21

hi snapon38,

in my long experience there are always cliques in groups, whether there is a shared interest or not, and I don’t blame you for feeling a bit peeved. Personally speaking I hate groups of people and avoid them at all costs for that very reason of cliques and would rather enjoy whatever it is on my own, in this case my MX5. What I don’t get is the sheep mentality of meeting for a mass"run out" in the car, when it is by it’s very nature a solo activity. I don’t want people planning routes for me and having briefings before hand…I can do that on my own thank you very much. No fun in driving in convoy, you cannot put the right foot down if you so desire. Baa!

Well done anyway for expressing your experience on here, nice one!

22

I fully agree with MarkAd’s post.  Clubs are by definition about social gatherings and the MX5 is merely the common denominator and if that’s not what you enjoy I don’t think there is anything you can do about.  Full marks for snapon38 for having a go and perhaps the club should at least recognize that he’s only trying to give some honest feedback.

23

When I first went to an OC monthly meet over 10 years ago, it was a full sit down meeting, around a table with a chairman and full minute writing and everything. It, in my experience, has changed rather a lot, but it should be understood that these things are also social gatherings. Over this 10 years, where I have been an AC I have seen a lot including a fair number of emails and even letters written directly to the main OC committee basically saying, “I turned up at a meeting and it was not to my liking.” The “best” ones usually go “I hid in the corner tying not to stand out and nobody used their super powers to understand that that was what I was doing and come and find me and make lots of introductions for me, because of this I am totally disappointed and shall never return.” Almost in every case I / we had literally no idea that person was even there.

Clique’s as they are described are just groups of people that know each other, just like walking into a pub and finding a bunch of people playing pool or watching the TV, you would not expect them to immediately say “oh have you come to play pool” or for that instance just going to a new pub, you are always going to be the new boy and it takes time to become one of the regulars. 

My very earnest advice to anyone new is to say something along the lines of “is this the MX-5 club?” And if the answer is yes, then say “hello, my name’s Nick, or whatever, it is my first meeting, can I join you?” It is then exceptionally likely that within the next 5 minutes you will be introduced to the AC, but even if not, it is very unlikely you will be shunned. 

I very much hope Snap-on that you will give it another go. It is generally worth it. 

I will however also say this. In my experience having seen a number of “very disappointed” experience emails over the years , that when they include “I was stared at” and “cliques and groups” the person writing this generally has the wrong expectations. These are just people that know each other a bit, meeting in an evening, generally at a pub, possibly having dinner as well. They do not have formal "meeter’s and greeter’s, and a skilled party host who is there to make sure you are introduced to the right people. You have to introduce yourself just like any other social function.

24

I joined the OC for the magazine, for the offers and the fact I love MX-5s. I also like the community feel of acknowledgement waves from other '5 drivers. I m happy with my membership in that way. 

25

Hi, thanks for your thoughts on this. For me the reason it came across as a fake account was because there was no photos, no friends, no history at all on the account. But the main reason was that the account was used for a direct attack on one of the volunteers. Not a complaint, not a request for an issue to be addressed. It was a direct attack. This was the only thing they used the account for.

So could I be wrong? Yes, of course I could. Should someone be removed from the group for a direct attack on another member? Well I would hope that a group such as this would not tolerate that sort of behaviour. 

 

 

 

26

We don’t do the circle of doom and don’t do the clicky bunch huddle ( selective ), we do passion, ownership and helping each other, don’t be put off from ownership of your little pride and joy because of this, we are not all the same, i am in the cheshire and north wales section, top people with the passion too,they are always at some show camping somewhere with a B&Q going for everyone which is how it should be, but i don’t do the camping crap, i was assigned the Northwest section, which was a laughable joke, not friendly in any way shape or form , made you feel like an outsider unless you were of a certain age and met at the meets in a none Mx/roadster, not what the club should be offering and putting owners off, if they don’t know your face then they don’t want to interact, hey their loss never mine, because of what i do ,i struggle to get to the local meets at the asbestos arms with the local OC section, but we are always in contact, try another area first, if your not happy with the one you are put in, you can change it.

 

I don’t post on here much these days because there is just to much politics involved with something that is meant to be a car club and enjoyment, and there is a free house for the runners in the back ground to do their own thing with no rules for their does and don’ts actions, the board is rubbish to use and is very un user friendly in so many ways ( i believe they are on that) which needs to be sorted asap, we have helped the club in so many ways over the years, and we always seemed to be a case of take it on the chin  after going out of our way, which never comes from the owners, always from the badge wearers , it gets to the point where your chin as had enough and it is time to move on, and i now understand why the club struggles so much for good honest help, we are still there/here to help if needed because that is our back bone and we are her for the owners, some are starting to understand that , the rest that don’t are just full of their own self worth in the back ground and would not get it if it hit them in the face, we have no agenda , never have.

 

What we do is more tech/spannering as a group to help ownership with keeping them on the road and costs down, our get together’s on mazdamenders is more answers and questions, getting hands dirty and rolling around on floor in overalls , not so much the chippy runs and cream teas, although we will make sure you will be on it running correct, we give and aspect nothing back, the only huddles you’ll see from us is a deep talk about sorting a running issue or someone as brought the brews out with Jammie dodgers or even the dead pig butties with a runny egg, got to be a runny egg.

So don’t be put off by a section you did not gel with, there are more sections to chose from, if you have had enough, then there is other groups to join to feed the hunger of ownership and what fun it does all bring, there are plenty of sad heads out there like myself with a passion, don’t throw the towel in just yet, we are the ones that help to keep you ready for the clubs get togethers, run outs and meets if needed.

 

We still come to the rallies, and have a health check bay for any owners that need advice and info etc,it’s what we do and are far from selfies with it.

M-m

 

 

 

27

Can we please not feed this troll.

It WAS a fake account.

It WAS offensive

We will be asking the forum moderator team to check the IP address of “snapon 38” and see if it matches existing members.

The comments were sufficient for a ban from the Facebook group (with the clubs blessing) now we have the opportunity to remove them from the rest of the club for good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

28

Well said Joe, I’ve only been to one meeting of the Ches & NW group of which I’ve been a member since 2010, because the meetings are held quite far away from where I live and they are held in the evening for quite understandable reasons and my optical powers are far from perfect in the dark , However I did manage a visit to a meeting at the Antrobus Arms on the 11 May this year staying the night in a nearby super  little guest house.

 Jan and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, meeting new people with similar interests in our beloved MXs.

As usual in any gathering   there is a mixture of people, some of which are nervous on entering a crowded room and if they spot a face or faces they recognise will make a beeline for their comfort Zone , hence the tendency to collect together in what some may  regard as elite groups.

As a child I was brought up under the old rule " Children must be seen and not heard" which did nothing for my self confidence , and ended up as a shy introverted individual.

However,  age has changed me (78) and these days I have developed a confidence to approach such perceived elite groups , introducing myself with a smile and a " Hello I’m new here , My name’s Tom , what’ the form ? do I have to report to someone?" or words to that effect. I find that 99% of people react well to that kind of approach except for the odd wag who will tease a little. The main thing is that you break the ice or what you may perceive as the ice which really is nervousness.

I developed this confidence in hotel lifts particularly in Spain which I visit quite often. Invariably a group of people in a lift will look at the ceiling or floor or anywhere except the persons they share the lift with.

A simple Holla, Buenas Dias, Me nombre es Tom , A donde es?  will bring a smile ( probably at my bad Spanish) but will open the flood gates, explaining where they come from and why. not much of which I understand , however a smile and a nod fills in the gap, and jolly goodbyes will be said on arriving at our destination.

My point is, we are as a nation(s) are generally introverted, some of us are shy of entering into conversations with people we don’t know and regard groups of chatty people as opponents rather than potential friends. It’s quite understandable I suppose but it behoves us to try and get over it.

I take my hat off (Chapeau) to the people who give of their time to organise trips and events, it cannot be easy and you cannot please everyone all the time.

 

Gales.

 

 

 

 

29

 

 

Shame you have not been to SWM as none of the above applies