Blackhawk Chapter

[Coolbreeze]

The most recent version of The Antique Motorcycle does not list Blackhawk Chapter on the listing of chapters on page 88. Also, it is not shown on the map.

Why?

[T. Cotten]

George!

The Chief Blackhawk Antique Motorcycle Club left the AMCA.

....Cotten

[AFJ]

The most recent version of The Antique Motorcycle does not list Blackhawk Chapter on the listing of chapters on page 88. Also, it is not shown on the map.

Why?

George,

The Blackhawk Davenport Meet has not been an AMCA meet since 2011 and the Chief Blackhawk Club has not been an AMCA Chapter since 2012, as far as I know. Therefore no listing.
There was apparently some great disagreement between certain people in the AMCA Board and the Blackhawk Chapter officials which seemed to have culminated in some kind of "donnybrook". I wasn't there but some reliable people who were witnessed it. A sad occurrence was one opinion.

AFJ
(AMCA member since 1978)

[shelbyinparadise]

George,

The Blackhawk Davenport Meet has not been an AMCA meet since 2011 and the Chief Blackhawk Club has not been an AMCA Chapter since 2012, as far as I know. Therefore no listing.
There was apparently some great disagreement between certain people in the AMCA Board and the Blackhawk Chapter officials which seemed to have culminated in some kind of "donnybrook". I wasn't there but some reliable people who were witnessed it. A sad occurrence was one opinion.

AFJ
(AMCA member since 1978)

Our Friends at The Chief Blackhawk Motorcycle Club still do a fantastic job of giving us the largest Swap meet of Antique parts and Motorcycles as they have for 43 years. They dropped out of AMCA over issues that have been discussed before , but Except for NO AMCA Judging Davenport is still Davenport. A long time gathering place for friends to attend a great historic event, and no longer have to turn over approx. $17,000 in spot fees. They are free to use the Money to support their Club, local charity's, volunteers and make the event better for us all. The fact that a simple Motorcycle Display and a great swap meet did not suffer from leaving the shackles of the AMCA National Board Speaks Volumes.

The Local Chapters do not need the National Board as much as the National Board need local Chapters to do the work, to support the National Boards expanded travel and administrative budget, note Davenport, Eustis and now Pate in Texas prosper as Regional or non AMCA events.

The Chief Blackhawk Motorcycle Club is still a excellent bunch of Antique Motorcycle lovers who provide us Davenport each year, and as a long time vendor I still support them for their 44th in 2015. Shelby

[T. Cotten]

Our Friends at The Chief Blackhawk Motorcycle Club still do a fantastic job .... Except for NO AMCA Judging Davenport is still Davenport. ... Shelby

A reprieve for History no doubt!
But it is still 'sad' when we become divided.

....Cotten

[shelbyinparadise]

A reprieve for History no doubt! But it is still 'sad' when we become divided.....Cotten

Cotton you are well respected on this forum, and your comment of it was "Sad when we become divided" was well stated. I do not recall anyone involved being anything but sad, unhappy, uncomfortable or less than concerned for the future. A series of "current events with the National Board", with the IRS, Local Chapters, Club Events, Policy Changes and objections from individual members had an effect on the National Club. Some members do not become involved, some are forced to make choices, and others have genuine reasons to stand up for what appears to them "the straw that broke the camels back"

As a long time Vendor at National and local Events, I know how difficult it is to have the chapter volunteers host these events, working on relationships with host cities, Police, and officials that are not always even pleased with all the headaches from all of the out of town visitors. The fact that Chief Blackhawk had run the "Granddaddy of all Swap meets" with such a high degree of efficiency, professionalism, for 40 years, adapting to changing logistics, financial and political obstacles, earns the Chief Blackhawk club nothing but respect.

The National Board in their limited vision (more Board members do have experience in Swap meets now) on how inflexibility and inconsistency in working with Chapters, has led to the loss of Not For Profit Status, Washington Chapter, Chief Blackhawk Chapter with swapmeet and the problems with the Florida Chapter Swap meet and splitting of Chapters, meddling with events such as Barber, and relationships with other Clubs such as the VJMC.

The Boston Tea Party was not a protest of the quality of tea, but the final straw that started a revolution that ended up with a Better form of Government and eventually a united people again. As long as we have an Imperial Nation Board, separated from the wants and needs of the 10,000 members, A lot of us will remain "Sad" that we as a club can not do better while still supporting Non AMCA friends. Just my 2 cents for the good of the club. Shelby

[T. Cotten]

Well Shelby,

If I am respected here, I should be most greatfull, as nearly every other vintage forum has either banned me outright, or the Divas and Trolls soured them.

I was not privy, nor particularly interested in the politiks as they occurred, and couldn't have helped anyway.
(After my experiences with my local ABATE chapters, I swore I would never ever join another "club". But I woke up one morning to find I belonged to two: Never say "never".)

History is my Goddess, and if splintering the AMCA saves her, so be it.

....Cotten

[BoschZEV]

The National Board in their limited vision (more Board members do have experience in Swap meets now) ... . As long as we have an Imperial Nation Board, separated from the wants and needs of the 10,000 members,

I just looked at the list of Members of the Board to remind myself who they are and it's not obvious to me that their vision any more limited than anyone else's, nor that they are separated from the wants and needs of the members. However, since most people haven't served on Boards of non-profits they might not fully understand what's involved.

Effective board members have to be able to work together, to identify and work toward appropriate strategic goals, and to be willing to put in the time and energy required to accomplish this. It may seem "undemocratic," but for these very reasons by far the most common practice is for Boards to identify and recruit their own replacements rather than have them voted in by a broad constituency (as opposed to the way it is done that results in our highly functional U.S. Congress...).

Unfortunately, it's a thankless job. If a Board does something really great that 95% of people approve of, they have to live with the reality that none of those people will say anything but the 5% will loudly express their displeasure. After a number of years of hard work for which the only feedback is criticism, people rotate off the Board and another masochist is recruited to replace them to continue to move the organization forward.

[fillibuster]

Well Shelby,

If I am respected here, I should be most greatfull, as nearly every other vintage forum has either banned me outright, or the Divas and Trolls soured them.

I was not privy, nor particularly interested in the politiks as they occurred, and couldn't have helped anyway.
(After my experiences with my local ABATE chapters, I swore I would never ever join another "club". But I woke up one morning to find I belonged to two: Never say "never".)

History is my Goddess, and if splintering the AMCA saves her, so be it.

....Cotten

I'm not positive either, which parent ran off with a different mate, but the experience leaves me feeling a little ashamed (plagiarized from a friend's perspective).
So I will visit both as regularly as I can manage, for as long as I feel compelled to do so (I love compulsion).
With fine friends and allegiances on both sides of this invisible fence, I'll have to refuse to carry either's flag. If they don't work it out we'll still survive.
Just have to hope that the floating masses are positive. Let time sink the negatives.

[exeric]

Not to be a buzzkill, but I think all meets will have a dubious future due to ebay, and very uncertain fuel costs. Vendors don't bring their best stuff anymore, and who can blame them. On the up side, declining shopping may bring back meets with a much more social climate, and focus on (can you believe it) antique motorcycles.

[T. Cotten]

Eric!

D-port had more glorious hardware than ever, but prices certainly reflected ebay fever.

.....Cotten

[exeric]

Davenport is iconic. It's not going away.

[BoschZEV]

I think all meets will have a dubious future due to ebay, and very uncertain fuel costs. Vendors don't bring their best stuff anymore,.

EBay certainly has changed things, but your view may be a little too pessimistic. Today someone who has an expensive, relatively uncommon part (say, a Bosch ZEV) can reach a wider audience and achieve a higher price by listing it on eBay. But someone who has a bunch of old stuff has the problem of listing it: "Rusty part #1 from maybe a Harley, Indian, or ??", "Greasy part #2 from..."

A friend with a large shop who does mostly eBay sales tells me that a major time sink is identifying those parts that he actually can identify, and then writing listings for them that are worded in a way someone looking for those parts will find them. Even when he knows the part the time required to take photos and transfer them to his computer, write the listing, post the ad, package the part after it's sold, and ship it means there's a cutoff to the value of items it's worth the effort for him to list. Because of this he has a lot of stuff that is unlikely ever to make it to eBay.

A swap meet solves this situation in bulk, enlisting the aid of hundreds of experts to identify the parts and then buy them. Of course, once image recognition software reaches the point where it automatically identifies "Rusty rear mudguard for 1921-23 Excelsior..." swap meets might be doomed. That's not going to happen for a while, though.

[T. Cotten]

... Of course, once image recognition software reaches the point where it automatically identifies "Rusty rear mudguard for 1921-23 Excelsior..." swap meets might be doomed. That's not going to happen for a while, though.

But you do bring up the probability that buyers may no longer be anonymous at meets!

I can't shop because vendors recognize me, and prices skyrocket. My customers must then go back and pick it up far more reasonably.
When I introduced myself to Toney Watson, he went ballistic, and all the wide-eyed bystanders dropped their jaws.

And I am not a wheeler-dealer, nor am I even registered for ebay,.... yet.
(My D-port booth is "promotional" for my services, because you can't pick a brain on ebay.)

.....Cotten

[exeric]

My best deals always came from people I know, and swap meets, but as a dealer, you can't beat ebay. The inertia from identifying, describing, and listing parts is minimal compared to a vendor at Oley, who traveled from California, and has to sell $1,500 of parts just to pay his fuel bill, not to mention lodging, food, and beer. The most esoteric stuff I've found has been on ebay, and I guarantee, no matter how weird and rare the part is, there are at least 5 people that know what it is, and are going to bid against you. I've taken super rare Merkel parts to sell at meets, and not a nibble. Put them on ebay, and it's payday. I think it's noble to support, and defend the swap meet, but the Ethernet is slowly killing many of our once dear 20th century institutions.