Cherokee Chapter Reach Out Program

[shelbyinparadise]

An Update on the Cherokee Chapter Reach Out Program is overdue. Please view our website photo gallery and Blog for all past event pictures www.cherokeeamca.org

At our Christmas Party earlier this month brought out a lot of how our Ideas are working out. We had in attendance two of the Pate Swap meet Board Members, President John Anderson, and Secretary Bob Ross, Speaking to our membership about the Alliance being forged for an Annual Cherokee Chapter Antique Motorcycle Display and Vendor area within the Largest Transportation related Swap meet in the USA. This Year Pate Passed Hershey Pa. in the number of vendor spots sold. In 2015 there will be over 10,000 spots sold, and the Cherokee Chapter bought 381 Spots for our area, so we have complete control of our area. We will put on a Public Bike Show in front of over 100,000 visitors. Talk about reaching out. Even the new Executive Director Keith will be there helping sign up new AMCA members, American Motorcycle Museum will have a large booth, and Dale Walksler has paid for spots to shoot an episode of "What's in the Barn" while he vends and seeks out items.

Also in attendance was Steve Ligon, the new Texas Representative for the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club and several members, Many members of the North Texas Norton Owners Association were there. The NTNOA has reached out to all brands of vintage Motorcycles and has 160 members in North Texas, The NTNOA will have a large presence at our Pate event. The Vintage Motorcycle Alliance was represented, and our involvement in Reaching Out to non-AMCA events is working. We currently have 192 Members for 2014, up from 38 two years ago (yet to be verified by Fred as National Members in January.)

Our large involvement in the Cannonball brought us many new members across the country, and we have the Cherokee Chapter group on Facebook, and one of the best websites of any chapter that we are expanding first of the year.

For the second year we have had a Public Display at the Pistons and Pant Car Show in Denton Texas, Was very well received again in a car show of over 500 custom cars, and we are reaching out to the New custom Builders in an area of 6 million People.

The Cherokee Chapter and Gulf Coast Chapter will have a Meet and Greet Booths at the Destination Eustis Event in March as well as Camping and rides in the National Forest. Reaching Out at Davenport is also being planned with our friends at the Chief Blackhawk MC.
Our Chapter is planning on many local events in several States in the South. Watch our Website for more details.

Hope everyone has heard the Classic Chrome Radio program from Youth Director Buck Carson, Featured the new E.D. Keith Kizer and Cherokee Chapter President Steve Klein. New lines of communications are being Built with new Ideas.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, to all Chapters and members, lumps of coal are available for the BaHumbugs out there.
Shelby M. Withrow, Membership and events Director, Cherokee Chapter, join us long distance, we are everywhere. www.cherokeeamca.org

Pate Website is www.pateswapmeet.com For Speedway maps on homepage

[frichie68]

Yes Richard if you can post the link you used and tell the folks how to get it to work, go ahead, if not I will have Buck put it on here. everyone see post 5 below, Shelby

Better Buck than me, I don't have the details.

[shelbyinparadise]

Wayta go Shelby! The Radio Show was great-I'd have missed it if the boss man hadn't sent out the email. Shouldn't notice have been posted on this forum?

Yes Richard if you can post the link you used and tell the folks how to get it to work, go ahead, if not I will have Buck put it on here. everyone see post 5 below, Shelby

[frichie68]

Wayta go Shelby! The Radio Show was great-I'd have missed it if the boss man hadn't sent out the email. Shouldn't notice have been posted on this forum?

[shelbyinparadise]

An Update on the Cherokee Chapter Reach Out Program is overdue. Please view our website photo gallery and Blog for all past event pictures www.cherokeeamca.org

At our Christmas Party earlier this month brought out a lot of how our Ideas are working out. We had in attendance two of the Pate Swap meet Board Members, President John Anderson, and Secretary Bob Ross, Speaking to our membership about the Alliance being forged for an Annual Cherokee Chapter Antique Motorcycle Display and Vendor area within the Largest Transportation related Swap meet in the USA. This Year Pate Passed Hershey Pa. in the number of vendor spots sold. In 2015 there will be over 10,000 spots sold, and the Cherokee Chapter bought 381 Spots for our area, so we have complete control of our area. We will put on a Public Bike Show in front of over 100,000 visitors. Talk about reaching out. Even the new Executive Director Keith will be there helping sign up new AMCA members, American Motorcycle Museum will have a large booth, and Dale Walksler has paid for spots to shoot an episode of "What's in the Barn" while he vends and seeks out items.

Also in attendance was Steve Ligon, the new Texas Representative for the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club and several members, Many members of the North Texas Norton Owners Association were there. The NTNOA has reached out to all brands of vintage Motorcycles and has 160 members in North Texas, The NTNOA will have a large presence at our Pate event. The Vintage Motorcycle Alliance was represented, and our involvement in Reaching Out to non-AMCA events is working. We currently have 192 Members for 2014, up from 38 two years ago (yet to be verified by Fred as National Members in January.)

Our large involvement in the Cannonball brought us many new members across the country, and we have the Cherokee Chapter group on Facebook, and one of the best websites of any chapter that we are expanding first of the year.

For the second year we have had a Public Display at the Pistons and Pant Car Show in Denton Texas, Was very well received again in a car show of over 500 custom cars, and we are reaching out to the New custom Builders in an area of 6 million People.

The Cherokee Chapter and Gulf Coast Chapter will have a Meet and Greet Booths at the Destination Eustis Event in March as well as Camping and rides in the National Forest. Reaching Out at Davenport is also being planned with our friends at the Chief Blackhawk MC.
Our Chapter is planning on many local events in several States in the South. Watch our Website for more details.

Hope everyone has heard the Classic Chrome Radio program from Youth Director Buck Carson, Featured the new E.D. Keith Kizer and Cherokee Chapter President Steve Klein. New lines of communications are being Built with new Ideas.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, to all Chapters and members, lumps of coal are available for the BaHumbugs out there.
Shelby M. Withrow, Membership and events Director, Cherokee Chapter, join us long distance, we are everywhere. www.cherokeeamca.org

[shelbyinparadise]

I get a report once a week about our website traffic, and I am constantly amazed at how many views we get from non members, this week it was 60% new unique visitors and we get 30 to 60 visitors per day a normal week, way more after an event when new pictures are posted. Our Photo Gallery and Newsletters are all posted going back to the re-organized chapters growth 18 months ago.

There is a lot of talk about reaching out to younger people by the 80/90% of the AMCA that does not belong to a local chapter, but at the local level, we make every effort to attend events that are non AMCA where the majority of the people have never met a AMCA member or seen one of these machines up close and have someone that will talk to them. Far to many people are too busy to be social and yet come up with ideas for others.

The Cherokee Chapter is working to advance the attendance at regional events while traveling in groups to the best AMCA events. Sad to say we have more members that prefer to go to Non-AMCA events if they have to choose one or two events a year whatever the reasons. Last year 4 of us jumped in a truck and shared the gas to go to Barber, bedrolls in back. Where there is a will there is a way.

I still contend that large Chapters offer the best way to grow, even if you never attend a meeting, or some events, just staying in touch with the newsletters and future events, plans to attend are easier to plan in your Area. Getting a couple of friends to go out for a burger, the bikes will draw a crowd. Never know where our next new member will come from.

Yes 8 new members can form a chapter, but who will do the work every month, who will keep up with IRS, and State requirements for the Chapter. Larger Chapters have a large pool of people to fill in when needed. It takes a lot for a Chapter to have a good website like ours, many hours donated so friends can have fun with friends. Shelby www.cherokeeamca.org

[shelbyinparadise]

Thanks Dan, it really is up to the chapters to cast a wide net, and then find common interests to keep them coming back. Leaders with a wider vision see more. Shelby

[frichie68]

Good post, Shelby, I think communication is the key. Our chapter covers a huge area, many new members help fill in the gaps but the pockets of activity are still few and far between. Thank God and Al Gore for the internet!
It's not possible for me to drive the 250+ miles to the Fort Worth area for those events but at least I can read about them and see the photos as and IF they are posted.
Your enthusiasm as Head Member Gitter along with Steve's ("If you ain't havin' fun, you're doin' it wrong!") keep my interest alive, and we have THE BEST newsletter AND website in the business, hands down.
I'm still basking in the glow of the Kerrville Run, that was right at the top of my bucket list. Hell, it was MOST of my bucket list!
Keep on keepin' on.

[DanM]

Congratulation on the results of your efforts. Wherever there is a problem a solution can be found if you look, as you did.

Its a great experience being part of chapter leadership- I think its an honor, and encourage others to try it too.

We have all of the New England states to scatter our members. I think we can try some of your ideas too. I'm sure for example, there are more guys in Maine and VT that would like a local way to participate.

Thanks for writing your update.
Dan

[shelbyinparadise]

Not quite 2 years ago I started a program with National Board Presidents blessing or permission to see how small local Chapters or groups of AMCA members starting a new chapter like us, could overcome the inherent problems dealing with large areas, long distances apart, lack of effective communication and a host of other problems keeping small Chapters energized. From this original point the following has evolved with the Cherokee Chapter, it works in our area and modified could work in other wide spread areas.

A very active group of North Texas AMCA members took up the challenge, and while trying to explore different ideas from addressing the original problem, We reached out to the existing Cherokee Chapter, which was originally set up to cover Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas with the chapter located in the Austin Texas area. A few emails exchanged with Cherokee leaders and members, and an invitation was extended to our group to attend their annual December general meeting and board meeting.

After a great question and answer session with their members, they acknowledged that they had fallen into the same problems of tired leadership (from lack of new volunteers to be leaders), smaller and fewer events ill attended with the exception of National Road Runs they had done very well. The talks were all inclusive, riding, restoration, swap meeting and other social events for the fun of it.

The outcome of this meeting was a reorganization of the chapter with the North Texas group becoming Members, Board members and officers along side of existing Cherokee Leaders. A clear majority embraced the concept of a Out Reach program to get clusters of AMCA Members not to duplicate the formal structure of the Cherokee Chapter but to expand our Board to include our reach to other areas, Chapters and States. We built a website and expanded the newsletter to get the word out about local and National events, Both AMCA and non AMCA events such as Davenport, and Barber to name a few. New clusters of Members were formed for local socializing and events.

Over the last 18 months we have grown from 38 members to over 175 now, we have made friends with other Vintage and Antique Clubs at the local level, and started organizing events on the Regional level that are inclusive and gain us members, Both to the local Chapter but also the National AMCA. Our Meet and Greet Displays in new venues has been a success, giving our members more activities all over to attend

With the total success of our April Road Run spreading the word that the Cherokee Chapter has a proven plan for Regional Outreach. Our Efforts have now yielded a huge step forward with our inclusion in the Pate Transportation swap meet 2015. This will be our largest event yet and an opportunity for AMCA Members from all over the south have a 4 day event to attend.

The Cherokee Chapter is working hard for a better AMCA with these efforts. Shelby Withrow Membership and Events Director