Starting a tractor club

Friend of mine called last week asked if I would be interested in coming to a meeting about getting a club together. 3 other clubs around are 60+ miles away, nothing " local". The group of us are all in our 40's so it's a young group. Any tips in getting things started? Planning meeting this Saturday. Kevin in Central AL

My leadership in 4-H and a thousand committees is to actually use parliamentary procedure. Consensus seems like a good easu plan, but opinions and input is often skewed toward loud people and not the members. There are simple rules Jim
Example.

You need activities - something to do other than get together and debate which
penetrating oil is best.

Tractor drives - exhibits at county fairs - participation in July 4th, Labor Day parades - harvesting with old combines
Have a picnic to include "the women". Facebook

Think a little about insurance - liability. Maybe you want to form an LLC.

Good luck - best wishes - be careful

Based SOLELY on my experiences with tractor clubs - forget about it. Wont be nothing but one big hassle after another. You and your buds hang out in the barn, have a few cold ones, and enjoy the lies you tell each other and let that be it.

That is an awful long ways to go, just meet up somewhere a couple times in the summer for shows.

I seem to remember you have enough for your own club.

I was a member of a sort of local one years ago but things got to political and to costly to go to. In most cases it gets where the member keep wanting it there way so that in turn cases fights etc. Plus you pretty much need a place to set it up each year or rent fair ground space. Years ago the one I was in had a place till things got out of hand and the person who owned the place flat out had enough and told them NO more. To this day the Hart Parr 70 still sits there about 15 feet off the ground where the site once was

We got young people involved on the board of directors right from the start. We elected a president who was retired career military and knew how to run a meeting and get things done. We try to exhibit tractors at every little event that every town in the county has,even if only a few local folks drive their tractors in. We have one large club show over two days in July. Membership is for an entire family,including the spouse and all offspring up to 21 years old. Two members of the board have weekend get togethers,one over Memorial Weekend where members can camp,then tractors are driven in to town for a show and the Memorial Day Parade,and there's a tractor ride on Sunday afternoon. Another one has a similar event near another town for Fourth of July weekend where tractors are driven in to a town near him for a show,parade and a tractor drive.


Just a few things that you might take to the meeting.

This might seem strange but don't advertise as far as a newspaper goes. A private club can admit or deny who they want. I know it seems harsh but it keeps things harmonious if the group is of like minds. That aside I hope your exploratory efforts are successful.

Sorry to also be a naysayer but for every successfully operating tractor club there is probably 20 or 30 that are failures or failing due all the reasons stated and a few more that haven't been stated. I am not a legal eagle type but in this case you need somebody with that experiance to put things together, vague rules are a made to order disaster in the waiting. As an example one club I know of ended up with a president who ran a lot of the members off yet had the power to do what he wanted with the clubs funds so he built a museum with the cubs money that basically houses his own collection and I have heard a lot worse stories of misuse of club funds. Also place strict limits on terms of office so 2-3 people cant take it over. If controversy is something you dont handle well stay away from clubs, even the best of them have their share of it. Good luck!

One of the three clubs that I belong to has a unique way of keeping things together. They have a potluck meal each month. Everyone brings a hot dish, or a desert or chips, deviled eggs, etc. We all go through the line, sit down and eat, and then conduct the meeting and discuss club business. It keeps everything down to earth.
Just a suggestion.

I hate to laugh but that was kinda funny and probably true

I belong to a local chapter of a national organization (not tractors but similar). The headquarters also says 'the way to get people to come to the meetings is with pot luck dinners'. If you have to give out nearly free food just to get people to come then that sounds like a cry for help if I ever heard one. We put on events, to raise funds, but the problem is I'm 68 and among the youngest who show up at the meetings. The others can hardly get around on their feet let alone work events. The younger members don't show for the meetings (and don't do any of the work) because they are working day jobs, have families to take care of, etc. We do a lot of work to help others get into our interests. The problem is just that; work. We rarely do anything "fun" for the members other than work. I spent all my life working, now I'm retired and am less and less interested in organizations that want me to do more work. I'm getting very turned off by the "club" thing.

I agree with the parliamentary procedure or something resembling that. May seem a little staunch but it beats kaos.

There's a local club around here that all they do is plan rides in the summer. No meetings and paying dues. They stop a several farms to use the restroom and eat.

If you and your friends have aspirations of doing anything major such as acquiring collectibles, putting up a club building, starting an annual show for spectators, or anything else like that you might consider incorporating as a legal not-for-profit. This of course involves paperwork, annual filings with the government, and all that stuff but it opens the door for tax-deductible donations from both individuals and area businesses. A club that has plans of growing needs to be doing something more than just setting around to attract new members and "doing something" typically involves the spending of money. Based on our club's 45 year experience having the ability to solicit tax-deductible donations from outside sources goes a long way in keeping a positive balance in the checkbook. The pre-requisite to legal incorporation would include drafting a set of bylaws and establishment of a governing body. If you do any of the above activities then insurance for your club would also be something to consider and should be considered mandatory if you hold a public show. This puts the club as the responsible party instead of you as individuals if something bad happens.

Insurance get familiar with it.

Lot of ways to go here and there is a lot of good advice already posted.

Yep insurance is gonna be a issue if you do anything formal like a show. Add Steam or active exhibits (Threshing etc) and insurance becomes a HUGE issue, it is doable but you need to keep it in mind.

I have been involved in a local show for about 40 years including 6 on the board. Politics will be a problem anytime 2 or more people get together to do something, not gonna get into that anymore than just saying it, it just is and feelings can be rubbed raw if allowed to fester.

One of my personal pet peeves is equipment donations, This isn't involved in the politics end at least from my view but here goes on my thoughts. Be VERY careful about accepting any equipment. It is the worst place to send Grandpas old tractor that he bought new and waxed every night before tucking it into bed every night. Stuff owned by such clubs will be treated like a rented mule. Everybody uses it and not a soul will do anything to care for it. Local show has a Oliver 70 that just amazes me. Only fluid that is attended to on that tractor is the gas and yet it continues to keep going. Same show has had stuff donated and it usually winds up in the "junk" row, maybe not right away but it will find its way there eventually unless someone takes it under their wing. I have done this with one of the grain binders and another guy took care of a Model AA ford truck but there is tons of iron there that isn't cared for other than moving it to mow . My advice is don't take a donation unless the club can make use of the piece. One other thing set a policy that any piece belongs to the club to do with as the board chooses including selling it.

Sorry for the rant but this has been my experience. BTW I am still active in this club so at the end of the day I still consider involvement rewarding.

JM2CW

jt

I would suggest you contact the national EDGE&TA, (Early Day gas Engine and tractor Assn.) as they may have some ideas how to administer a club and they offer cheap liability insurance.
Another place for admin. ideas is the national IH Collectors. (IHC Club).
They demand that you set specific rules and by-laws to become a member of the national. I believe they provide insurance, too.
And all the other things people have suggested. Be sure you involve the ladies!! One club I knew had a place at their annual show where the ladies could sew, knit, spin, weave and show off their talents. My wife and her friends come to our annual show and demonstrate their spinning wheels. They catch a lot of interest. When you do an annual show, be sure you provide entertainment for small children. We have a kiddie barrel train and a small kiddie pedal powered carousel. One year we even provided a sandbox with some toys for kids to play in. If you have something for little kids to do, they won't be nagging at their parent to go home.
At some of our monthly meetings, see if someone can give a demo on how to do something. A friend gave a demo on how to take a carburetor apart. I once gave a demo on using Loc-tite and Heli-coils.
But most of all make it FUN!!!!
We have our monthly meetings at the local REA building. It's free and no one has to get their house/place ready for company.
Once a year we have a potluck and once a year an ice cream social. The two best attended meetings!!!
Just a few things we do. Good luck!!!

My son works at the sawmill at their show. Each day they take a skidloader bucket of sawdust and dump it in a pile. Then they throw a lot of coins in the sawdust and let kids hunt for the coins....littlest kids first for a while, then older kids.

I'd go slow at first just have a get together and talk,listen to everyone's ideas.Most Southerns are usually satisfied with a lot less organization than Northern folks for
some reason or the other.The more organized it is usually the less fun.You fellas (and gals) could do things like go visit collectors or salvage yards as 'club' events.A group of us used to
go up to New Holland PA every year to the Beilers auction in Feb was a fun trip.

I Agree. If you try to do anything more the Insurance will cost a fortune. Then you try to do something to raise funds to pay for it and no one shows up to do the work !

"If you have something for little kids to do, they won't be nagging at their parent to go home."


Excellent point. Our club owns three pedal tractors and a pedal pulling sled. At every little town festival we put on pedal pulls for the kids. At the big summer show,we have garden tractor games to involve the teens.

Has to be entertaining and fulfilling . Old tractors Or any other topic is just an excuse to socialize.
A social club that also fundraises for a worthy cause will attract and keep members .

Hello Grandpa Love, I belong to an antique tractor club that is, in my opinion, very successful. This club is located in suburbia south of Denver CO. The name of the club is Front Range Antique Power Association. It is a not for profit corp. It has existed since 1983. It has over 200 members. I have been a member for about 6 years. I am the club secretary. The club is unique. It has a close relationship with the Denver Botanical Gardens Chatfield Farm. The Farm is located on 300 plus acres of land that is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and is excess land to a flood control project. The club has the exclusive possession and use of a shop and storage building on that property. The club participates in a number of activities conducted by and at the Farm. These activities include Lavender Fest, Pumpkin Fest, Corn Maze and Christmas Light display. There are also private events such as weddings, anniversaries, corporate retreats, etc. etc. etc. At these events we provide barrel train rides and hay rack rides. The club gets paid for each of these activities. We also pick corn with our antique corn pickers and plow and disk fields with our own equipment. We also do off site events including parades, tractor displays, etc. We do barrel train rides for grade schools, churches and others. We have far more requests for our services than we can do. We have a web site that you can go to for more information. You can also email me if you want even more info. Our web site is: www.frapa.us.com.