Last year at this time, we were all excited about the upcoming nice weather so we could all enjoy cruising in our Crossfires. Apparently, that enthusiasim has dwindled considerably. Perhaps we should take one step back and and take a closer look at the situation.

Was there any nominations and election of club officers? Not that I can recall. It was more of a non-chalant meeting of the minds coming up with a reasonable alternative for getting together. A couple of people wanted to take the lead in organizing things, and that happend. Basically we managed to get enough people to meet and enjoy each others company through a mutual respect and love of a particular brand of motor vehicle. That part went well for the Newport event that I attended. Unfortunately attendance dwindled for the other get togethers.

Do we have anything that actually indicates that a club exists? I know there was much talk about a "logo" and we did spend considerable time coming up with one. What did we do with the choice for a "logo" for the club? I would say, basically nothing. Yes, I saw a few Crossfires with the N-E-X stickers on them but not every person had one. If you're going to do things as a club each and every member needs equal access to any thing related to that club.

Did we ever have any type of attire made available to club members with our "logo"? Not that I know of. Without the common bond of simple things like T-shirts or other attire, and even a membership card, we do not have a club. What we have is a get together of people with a common interest if and when they feel like joining together.

I missed the Cape Cod Cruise due to a death in the family. I still remember the wonderful fruit basket that arrived at my home compliments of the people who frequent this forum. My family was thoroughly impressed with your kindness and it will not soon be forgotten. That was an excellent example of a nice thing for club members to do. What I remember from reading about the CCC was that it was a good time and enjoyed by all who attended, but it seemed to stray drastically from the game plan. That is perfectly okay to do, but shows a lack of organization. If a cruise is meant to be non-chalant, then just say that. We will meet at point "A" and we'll drive somewhere together with the intention of coming together at point "B" at a later time in the day. There is nothing wrong with doing that. You don't have to be bumper-to-bumper the whole ride.

I was on the Newport Cruise and enjoyed the experience. It was great meeting many of you face to face. The Newport trip was well organized. We had a good meeting place. We had two great destinations, Bellcourt Castle and Colt State Park. We had a super cookout with a wide variety of food to satisfy everyone. The only negative comment I would have relates to safety. You cannot just stop in the traveled part of the way to let people catch up. You endanger yourself and other motorists. If someone gets in between the "Parade of Crossfires", so be it. Do not attempt to cut them out or force them to take evasive action. It isn't worth getting your Crossfire damaged or being liable for causing a crash.

Interest has dwindled in the cruises and one must step back and ask why. The first thing that comes to mind is our following have lives beyond their cars. I don't think people are just sitting at home waiting for the next Crossfire Cruise. They have relationships, other interests, family matters, etc. This must be respected if you expect to keep a following.

The best way to plan the next cruise is to throw a few suggestions out there and wait for a response by those who are interested. If the response is low and slow then so be it. Go with what you have or come up with an alternative idea. It's one of those "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time" type of things.

That is my "two-cents" worth. Favorable comments and opposing opinions are welcomed. This can work through the efforts of a minimum amount of people, not necesarily the majority. It cannot become a "tug-of-war" within the group. Hopefully, the enthusiasm can be resurrected and enough people will participate to make it fun.

Bob