Younger member
My name is Steve. I am Senior Western Director of the Hudson Essex Terraplane Club. I have volunteered to head up a small group of dedicated members to try and figure out what it takes to attract and keep YOUNGER members involved in the National HET Club. This is a big job. What is the average age of the HET Club member? What does a younger member need/want from the HET Club and how does the HET Club provide it? If you could help me and would like to be on committee please email me at Notamerc@yahoo.com. I am looking for the youngest paid National Member. Thanks for your Help. Rust is Gold! Steve
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Comments
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Coincidentally, the AACA asked the same question of the membership. I am of the opinion that if any club wants to attract younger members, they need to offer "something" that appeals to them. In the case of the AACA, shifting the focus of the club magazine from obscure cars with wooden wheels and tillers (to 60's and 70's era cars) seemed to do the trick. Since Hudson products have not been made for almost 50 years, the task may be more difficult. I think that just getting our cars out in public will get them noticed and hopefully spark some interest.0
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My viewpoints on this subject can be read on pg. 40 of the July- August 2006 WTN, letters to the editor section.0
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From the viewpoint of a younger member, who's dues for the hudson club are overdue.... I got a few suggestions....
Have some of the "senior members" of the club give NOS parts to the younger members to help them get their cars back to where they need to be. (okay, that's not going to happen)
Give younger members great deals on a few convertibles or coupes, help them out. Give them a break.... (seriously... seems to me a lot of the younger members are delegated to starting their hudson journey with a 4 door... (alright this isn't gonna happen either....)
How about this one....
THere are a ton of people that I have interacted with that have been of tremendous help with me getting my hudson on the road, keeping it there, and generally feeling good about the ownership of a hudson.
Of them several come to mind....
For example:
Paul Schuster (who should be the official welcoming committee for any hudson meet) Even though my first encounter with Paul was him telling me to move my Tahoe out of the hudson parking at the 04 nationals, or it would be towed... Oh well, what a great guy. He never fails to take an interest in you, or takes that "step" to bring you into a conversation, by saying, "hey ____ have you ever met ____ they got a real nice 52" or something like that.... I bet I have met more people that way, and generally, this time around, feel more a part of the hudson community, much more so, than back in the late 80's or early 90's.
Cliff Minard probably another guy that could be nominated for the nicest guy in the world. Not only does he own what I consider one of my all time favorite hudsons, but always goes out of his way to make me feel welcome. Seems that Cliff is a fixture at every meet that we seem to make it to.
Frank Dluhy (geez... did I spell this right?) Not only has Frank happily taken my hard earned money, at almost every hudson meet we have frequented in the last several years, where he has been set up as a vendor, but he has offered much advice, and has been able to help me further progress my parts gathering efforts. He offered to loan me tools to get my Twin H in order, and offered several troubleshooting pointers when I needed the help. He has specially brought parts to meets that we have needed, and just in general has helped me get closer to having my hudson closer to being 'restored".
Allan Minard from the beginning of my time on this board, Allan, without knowing me, contacted me in regards to a car I was considering purchasing, trying to help me "not" make a mistake. He offered his opinion on a vehicle, and really steered me in the right direction. Also, he showed us gracious hospitality the other year when we were able to attend a local meet picnic at his place, and made me feel welcome. Always, we seem to run into Allan at almost every hudson event, and he takes time to take interest to see what we got going on.
Doug Wildrick who has offered me much advice and direction in regards to my hudson clutch, and most all of it i have taken, but it will be painful, when I have to admit he told me so, if my latest project goes south. Doug is one of those people that has a sincere dedication to keeping hudsons on the road. He has invested countless hours to working with making the clutches that he rebuilds, last. and to make them better than the original product. Not sure what kind of financial benefit there is to his work and time devotion, but I got to believe it has to be minimal to zero, likely just a hudson community service. The fluid I get from him is superb, which I think is a proprietary formula, but not sure. I got to imagine that he is equally helpful to anyone that needs the help.
Dale Cooper another guy that is just too nice for my good. He not only is making the hard to find stuff easily and readily available, but I feel the need to recommend him every chance I get when someone is looking for a specific gasket, or engine component, just for the simple fact that he has treated me so well. I would have been stuck many times if it were not for his product line, and here's another case of someone making the stuff available for us, and essentially keeping the hobby alive.
Some more.....
The Amman's
THe Boyle's
Bill Albright
Dave Kostensak (spelling...)
The Steven's
Press and Janet Kale (and probably soon... The Springs too!)
No names, but still memorable...
The guy with the new black dodge ram diesel truck at the 04 nationals, who was set up as a vendor, who sold me a lot of great parts, for a very reasonable price...
THe guy with the medium blue lowered 54 super wasp coupe at the 04 nationals. Made us feel welcome.
The guy doing the disc brake conversions, that has the white and red 50 coupe.... Geez... I never remember his name. SOrry. (I think it's Richard Pridemore... is that right?)
I feel bad, since I got a ton more people to mention, but this post is too drawn out already. The hudson club is full of great folks, a few examples from my journey, I felt that deserved to be mentioned. People like this is what the club needs more of.0 -
would my 17 year old fit into the younger crowd ? i suppose i could have him join by himself but i will have him wait until he actually has his own place. he is actually the driving force here with his ambition and desire to have a herd of huddy;s. his is the 46 comm thats nearly all painted black, bc/cc. & has the interior waiting in the sewing room for mom to do the upholestry. it needs to be done for spring prom.
this winter his plans are to get the 47 pickup truck at least majorly done and running so this spring he can start on the 51 hornet. thats the more important one to him.
me? im gonna make a 47 super six into just drivable vintage car. no major paint, no major bodoy work, a little rust is normal for such an old car, and i can put some seatcovers on the tattered seats. just as i would have done when it was ten or fifteen years old. so whats a little fog in the windows ? vintage i say, just vintage. how cool is that ?
davidh0 -
I would have to think all orphan clubs, street rodders, custom clubs and classic car clubs in general are experiencing this same challenge. I'm on the board of a collector (antique) club and this is also one of the topics that we devote much attention and effort to. Unfortunately, in the 80s and early 90s the Hudson Club ( in general ) was pretty much an "Old Boys Club" that did not welcome or respect "modifieds" or "young members". There were some exceptions and I'm sure Hudsonkid can (and did) name a few. As we dropped out for several years, and rejoining a few years back, I truly believe there has been a change. Modifieds are appreciated ( except by a few ) and younger members are encouraged ( by most ). Personally, you're fighting an uphill battle as most youngsters don't know what a Hudson is (unless there's a family member that has one ) and they certainly would sooner have a muscle car or modified subcompact. (Return to your youth or what you had in high school - remember? ) Most of the younger group has not had the opportunities to work on mechanical things and gain these experiences with tools and troubleshooting (computer games instead occupied there spare time, remember?). Possibly if you spend some time taking a course or investigating "generational diversity" you will understand the needs, priorities, and values of the generation X and Generation Y age groups. It's not that they're wrong, but they are different from the Boomers and Seniors. I still encourage you to continue to focus on gaining young membership and share with us your ideas and progress.
Doesn't somebody have a coupe or convertible for hudsonkid????0 -
Make him a deal on yours!0
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66patrick66 wrote:Make him a deal on yours!
I guess Someday he'll get a "really good deal"!!!! Or maybe If I found a convertible that I like..................0 -
Me and Jon B have kicked around this topic many times on old chats and even a post or article or 2 and I'm only 28, joined when I was 19 but in my Generational group I'm odd and weird, an anomily, an exception, because most of my peers who are into cars are not into cars in the same WAY that I am into cars. Your facing some demographic realities that say your "younger" members are going to be mostly 40- somethings. Plus a few economic factors that are going to keep some younger folks out of the picture. Then add to that the reality that in a sense you are competeing with other forms of entertainment and use of free time.
Having said that there are more younger people in the club than you might think. HET is probably doing a little better than many orphan clubs. The future will not be people who knew these cars new from the showroom, it will be their family members, and children of current members, followed by the guys who were buying Hudsons in the '60's and '70s when they didn't have a dime to their name and they bought a Hudson no one in their right mind wanted. ....followed by their kids and finally people people who have no personal history with Hudson at all but are merely enthusiasts.
One good recruiting idea might be do some demonstrations at high school shop classes or voc-tech schools.
Another might be to actively invite the public to HET nationals and charge them to get in....the fee is in reality a national membership fee and they get the WTN all year and even if they don't renew they may pass it along.
Another might be to give a scholarship to someone under age 15 to attend nationals since if you stayed a week and went to a host hotel you'd be out $1000 for the trip.....not a lot money maybe but a lot for a younger person.
2007 the newest Hudson is going to be 50 years old. We can choose to steer change or we can be dragged along by it kicking and screaming. If we choose the former we can keep the best parts of the club and get rid of the parts that will stiffle the organization, if we choose that latter we'll just be hoping luck will stay on our side and that's there's enough crazy people in this world to want to keep the whole thing going rather than see it decay into oblivion.
Economically it's an expensive hobby, it got a following because it was cheap at one time when America still actuallly made stuff. You want a cheap hobby now you better start collecting barbie dolls. I think in the long-term future the car clubs might have to go the way of EAA Warbirds or the Confederate Airforce and have the club aquire surviving cars, purchase land and or shops to keep them, issue project cars to new members or chapters to drive use and fix while the organization actually owns them gets fleet insurance for them and stores them. Then even a poor kid could get involved, learn the mechanics, learn from the old-timers who will pass on the knowledge, and get to drive them or drive in them to car shows and chapters would have regualr meeting places. Otherwise we risk the whole thing becoming exclusively the domain of a wealthy few just like Dusenburgs and we'll be on the outside of Hudsoing looking in.0 -
I here that a certain unemployed senator may be able to offer some tips on how to attract young people. :eek:0
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I dont think it is a problem, everything takes its course. Why would people be interested in a car that most of them have never heard of? They know what a Mustang or Roadrunner is and could care less about a flathead powered car that failed over 50 years ago. Even most of the club members only are interested in stepdowns and dont care about the early cars. I have found over the years that most club members dont even know what a Terraplane 8 is and could care less. Matter of fact about the only people who know/knew what a T8 is are either dead, dying or dont care.0
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I discussed this problem with an HET member who is strictly a "keep it original guy". At the time we were discussing a members car that was "modified" - it had a Hudson drive train, but it had dual exhaust, continental kit, alternator, etc.
As I pointed out to this gentleman I feel that one thing you have to do is have cars from both sides of the fence - original and modified - if you're going to attract younger members.
Ask a 25 year old what a generator is - he'll probably tell you it's something that they sell at Home Depot. On the other hand he might not even know what an alternator is, but he'll probably recognize it.
And that's the point - you have to have something that they can recognize!! Once they get into the hobby, maybe have a car, then they can begin to understand the "older" part of it.
That's my nickles worth.
Hudsonly,
Alex B0 -
Younger members need to be developed within the existing Hudson community. It will be rare to convince people with no prior Hudson experience to restore, collect, and enjoy original equipment Hudsons. Most people didn't know what a Hudson was before Doc Hudson came around.
If you were 16 in 1954 and had a chance to drive a new Hudson Hornet, you are now a 68 year old great-grandfather.
Make plans to get your Hudson in the hands of your grandchildren before your widow has a chance to sell it to another Hudson collector that already has 5 to 10 Hudsons in his garage. We don't need more hoards of Hudsons, we need more Hudson drivers.
I'm one of the younger members of the club (34) I joined because I grew up in and around Hudsons, knew how great the cars are, and remembered what a great family the HET club was and is.0 -
Dave53-7C wrote:I here that a certain unemployed senator may be able to offer some tips on how to attract young people. :eek:
Dave, I don't think you're on the same page as the rest of us
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SamJ wrote:Dave, I don't think you're on the same page as the rest of us
Oh sure I am. I just couldn't help myself. After all, the guy does needs a new job.
Now to get serious. When I was about 10 years old, a friend and I were playing in what had been an old quarry. There, we came across what I now know to have been a Hudson Hornet coupe. It was black and red with red leather interior. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Someone had been stolen and abandoned it in the quarry. Even then, I was facinated with the car. Its color, shape and even the name. I never forgot that car and hoped that some day I would own one. As time went by, school, family, work and other commitments were priorities. However, that stepdown Hudson was always in the back of my mind. So, 40 years after playing in that Hudson, my dream came true and I have made a childhood dream come true. I still can't believe that I have a Hudson in my garage. That's why I say, get those cars out there and show them whenever you can. There's probably a boy out there who, like me, will take to your car and never lose interest in having one just like it.0 -
SamJ wrote:Oh sure I am. I just couldn't help myself. After all, the guy does needs a new job.
Obviously, I'm not as funny as I thought I was. Let me try again: Dave, I don't think you're ON THE SAME PAGE as the rest of us...:eek:
Ah, PAGE...got it. Just overlooked that while I was thinking about the story I wanted to relate.0 -
Just seeing these cars will help get younger members into the clubs and into car shows. Also having cars that are orginal, modded, rodded, etc and allowing them all in could help as well.
I'm 16, and as soon as I could start driving I learned how to drive manual, so I could drive our 1930 Ford Model A. Also just wanted to be able to, if for some reason I needed to drive one. (And I did, my car was just in the shop and I was able to borrow an old 4 speed Chevy 2500 while it was broke) This isn't exactly something that is really popular any more, only two of my friends can drive stick well, both drive stick cars. It could be the illusion that all "old" cars are stick...although I don't know how to do that.0 -
Several months ago on this forum I exposed a raw deal that I got from a club member who lied about the condition of a car he sold me.
In an attempt to get some kind of resolution to my problem I contacted several club officers for assistance. The results were pitiful. The club president made a joke out of it, one regional director, while seemingly in agreement with my postion would not get involved, another regional director was of the opinion that I was being a baby and should just take my screwing "like a man". Several other members were supportive on this forum, many were supportive by way of phone calls and e-mails.
I have been a member of the HET Club for six years. While not a young man, I would consider myself to be one of the younger active members who owns several Hudsons.
Here's the point, There is a perception by many who responded to my situation that if you are not a member of the "old guard" then you should
pay your dues, keep your mouth shut and don't rock the boat. Those in the "old guard" appear to be protected by other members of the "old guard"
regardless of their dirty dealings.
I am talking here about what I hope is a vast minority as there are a lot of terriffic and honest people in this club.
Just something to think about while you are recruiting new and youthful members.
Sincerely,
Brad Blaisdell
HET Dogwood Chapter
Surf City, NC0 -
for those that cannot remember, here are those threads....
deal gone bad
original for sale post
This is unacceptable, but I guess if the mindset is to keep membership and maintain membership, at any cost, and whatever unscrupulous business practices the members engage in, then that's the kind of screwed up way things operate.
Personally, I think even still, the club should step in and do something. I guess we know which Old Boy's club the seller of the car belonged to...
Maybe the mindset should be trying to attract quality members like those that I outlined in my original reply to this...
And club leadership that would react to situations such as this....
Maybe then, the younger people would take an interest...
But at the rate things like blaiser's situation happen, younger people are going to stay away from Hudsons...
and likely stay away from Old republicans...
hehehe....0 -
That's the problem when you have members in ANY club or organization that have 20, 30, 40, or even 50 years involvement in it. They'll cover up for their buddies, and the new guy, not knowing who is who yet, gets screwed and no one is willing to do anything to help.
I've been jerked around by a couple of members in my own LOCAL chapter on things, so I have basically quit my involvement in my local chapter, though I'm still a member. Both were on the upholstery issues I've had with the Terraplane. Screw them.0 -
It's not just the Hudson club though unfortunately in the old car hobby in general there is a history of people who take advantage of inexperienced new guys who are out to buy a car and don't know what they're doing. Absolutely that's not helpful or appealing to potential new folks. I was one of them. I bought a '51 Pacemaker Club Coupe Deluxe that was black with dual spotlights and had a rotted rear frame that was disgused by bondo. I bought is from a non-HET member though. I actually wish I still had the car but at the time I didn't have the money or welding equipment to properly repair it. Someone in TX. Did in fact eventually restore it. The HET members have always been helpful in my experience though and in the long run I hold less bitterness about it because it caused me to learn a whole lot and also learn how to weld which is a darn helpful skill to have when you're into cars that are 50+ years old. haha0
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Me thinks we should go back 30 years to more smaller/imformal Hudson meets on the local level like we had in the 60's and 70's. We are getting to much into to Motel/Big buck stuff.0
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Aaron
You are right on the money with your thread!! "Drive & Show-Um-If-You-Got-Um".....................................With some help, if you build it they will come.
Fred0 -
tombia wrote:Me thinks we should go back 30 years to more smaller/imformal Hudson meets on the local level like we had in the 60's and 70's. We are getting to much into to Motel/Big buck stuff.
I do not like big buck stuff but I sure do like a nice motel with a nice bed and remote control for the cable tv.
The Motel at the Western Regional was very nice I might add.:) Ron 0 -
Wow, it's nice to know other people work on their computers instead of their cars. I dont like to admit the HET Club is a dwindinling organazation. But look at the fantastic WTN and see two pages of obituarys and you get the idea. Like an old splasher the knowledge is leaking out of our club. My question is NOT what is the National HET Club going to do in the upcoming years to keep the club moving forward but how does the HET Club keep and attract younger members. What is a younger member? A 15 year old kid who's grandfather just passed him a stepdown to work on? A late 50's guy that just bought a retirement toy. I will say that a younger member in the HET Club is 40. It's just an average right in the middle. The Club as I have come to know is a group of senior members that have built up a collection of cars. These cars are the club. The hobbie of restoring a old car has become extremely expen$ive. For this reason I feel the younger member is priced out of the hobbie. 50 years ago you could find a 37 Terraplane coupe for $95 bucks. The parts are getting harder and harder to find and it is becoming harder just to find a machine shop willing to rebuild an engine if you could afford and find all the parts. The National HET club is a Social club with many members like an extended family. Therefore The National club must stay out of all private dealings between members. But we must work together to share all the wealth of parts and knoledge we have as a club. Thanks for all the great ideas. Steve0
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Steve,
Why, should the club stay out of dealings between its members ? After all the HET club is a car club. I would hate to think that we are becoming just another "drive to eat" organization.
Members who operate and conduct themselves improperly should not be deemed in good standing and if necessary should be removed. Unions and other types of clubs do this all the time.
When encouraging new and younger membership it would be nice to be able to show that we already take care of our own. Brad0 -
Sad ,but in any organization there are some folks that make it hard for the vast majority of members. Brad, your experience certainly would turn away any potential new member and it is for that reason we really need to watch out for each other. It's really too bad that this happened, but I'm not certain that we , as an organization , should look the other way. Things like your experience should be addressed before we move on to attempt to attract new members. My $.020
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Brad I don't disagree with you. But I personally think dealings between members are just that. The HET Club is in the business of promoting and preserving the Hudson Marquee. Remember lessons we learned in the sandbox about playing fair? Some members don’t. That is not the responsibility of the HET Club. I had a squirrel crap in the feeder in my back yard and I thought to myself "You don't poop where you eat". I have had members in my chapter drop out because of deals gone sour between them and other members. It had nothing to do with the club. That’s unfortunate. All I can say is the club is the source and will continue to be. How do we attract younger members if we treat each others with disrespect? Steve0
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To add more. Both my sons,(39 and 45) drove Hudsons in the 70's and 80's to school and otherwise. Both are now retired Navy Chiefs, both working at good jobs and would love to have another Hudson, !!BUT!! with family's and other obligations they cannot afford at least 10 grand for a toy. Funny thing is that I NEVER paid over $800.00 for a Hudson and at that price I got 2 running original 50 Pacemaker coupes and I have had some really nice cars.0
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You don't need 10 grand for a Hudson. My Jet was under 5K, Bill A had a 48 or 49 with 30,000 miles on it for around 6K, and I think Paul had an AMC Hudson for a reasonable price listed here recently. Don't forget Brad's $2600 '54 Hornet that had all the discussion here on the board.0
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