As founder of the Del-Val Miata Club, imagine my disappointment when I learned that no only will there not be an annual picnic to celebrate the founding of the club 35 years ago, but that the anniversary celebration will be outside of the Del-Val's territory in Lancaster, PA and will require members to outlay a not insignificant amount of money to attend.
Somehow the idea of the annual picnic as a celebration of our founding and giveback to our members by providing free food along with no reservations required and no cash outlay by members has been lost by the currently leadership who has told me that attendance was poor at the annual picnic and money is being diverted elsewhere. Not sure what money is being diverted, as the last few years, the annual picnic required attendees to pay in advance for the food.
Needless to say, I will not be attending the 35th anniversary celebration of that day in May of 1990 when 3 people put together a picnic to organize the club and I was elected the 1st president. Along with a string of very committed presidents following me, we built the largest Miata Club in America with over 450 cars at one time and went from a few of us grilling hot dogs and burgers which were provided free to attendees to a fully catered free meal for everyone. The current leadership of the club seems to have forgotten what made the club successful. It wasn't holding expensive events a hundred miles from our members' homes. It was getting together locally to enjoy seeing each other informally at least once a year to catch up on each other's lives even if the event was a pot luck lunch.
I am beyond saddened.
Del Val Miata Club