The Best Made Plans . . .

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Published: 27 July 2017

. . . sometimes don't finalize as intended.  Now that all the events of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix are past, we're looking ahead to future events.  And, that's where the plans change.

The Third-Quarter Board Meeting has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 6, at the Brecksville Public Library meeting room.  This is going to be a very important meeting, as we must make a decision about the future of track events sponsored by the Chapter.  There are several suggestions to be presented and we would like input from those who have attended as students or instructors, from Club racers, and from the general membership before the Board votes. See the calendar posting for more information.

We've not planned anything for the remainder of August, mainly due to time constraints and other commitments for those of us who do driving events planning.  Additionally, we are working at transitioning our website soon to update our appearance and save the Chapter expenses.  Be on the lookout for our new format.

Mid-September will find us back in Amish country and exploring the dips and curves in roads around Millersburg; see the calendar for details.

Early October sends us through Cuyahoga Valley parks to a craft beer bar for a change-up from the traditional brewery visit. We shall have a second event during the month--an exclusive visit with ride-and-drives at a local dealership; we're finalizing those details now

November will cover a progressive food-shopping adventure which might help with holiday menus and which includes historic sights and sites.  We'll finalize our 2017 Board meetings that month as well.  And, as always, we'll end the year with a low-key meet-and-greet social.

As we transition into 2018, we'll debut a winter go-kart series to keep us off the streets and still "on-track."  So, plan on attending one of our remaining 2017 events and look forward to the upcoming year.

I WANT YOU

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Published: 21 April 2017

 With acknowledgement to James Montgomery Flagg who created the original 1917 Uncle Sam recruitment poster.   

It looks like Spring finally has arrived!  The 2017 event and driving season is starting.  And, I'm looking for you.

In fact, I WANT YOU!

I want to see you, meet you, have you come out to drives, car control sessions, car shows, and socials.

To keep up on planned events, there's a calendar listing on every web page which shows the next five items on our schedule.  However, did you know you can view all upcoming activities from the navigation at the top of the page?  Select Chapter Info; the last item on the drop-down is List All Chapter Events.  By using this link you can keep up with everything organized for the year.

An upcoming item I would especially like to see members attend is our Memorial Day Weekend High-Performance Driving Experience (HPDE) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course--one of the premier tracks in the country.

This event is an excellent opportunity for those who want to learn about their vehicles and gain valuable skills in how to handle these wonderful machines. We provide classroom discussion and training as well as on-track coaching with experienced drivers in the right seats of registered participants.

If you want more details about the experience, please contact a Board member.  Not certain if this type of event is for you?  Take a drive to the track that weekend, watch students (and club racers), ask questions.

We bookend the month of June with wineries--starting with a scenic drive to a new rural location and ending with a Gervasi Vineyard Cruise-In where we're the featured marque of the week.

July provides several weeks and weekends of opportunity to visit Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix activities which include car corrals, socials, and racing.  We've scheduled at least one group drive to Schenley Park for those who have never attended.

Plans for an August social similar to last year's 25th Anniversary are almost complete.  We'll debut a new type of participation-driving event in September:  Part scavenger hunt, part gimmick rally, part drive.

October combines fall leaves and unusual venues leading to a local brewery.  November will cover a progressive food-shopping adventure which might help with holiday menus and which includes historic sights and sites.

And, there will be some new events and surprises as we transition into 2018.  For example, we're investigating a go-kart series for the winter to keep us off the streets and still "on-track."

So, get the car out of storage, limber up your observation and driving skills, and meet me this year at an event.  I really DO want you!

Origins of Northern Ohio Chapter

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Published: 09 October 2016

When early BMW Car Club of America members joined the national organization in the mid-1970s, they became members of a local entity which was rather unique at the time. While most chapters were located around metropolitan areas, Ohio had one of the first—if not the first—statewide chapter, Buckeye.

After attending meetings and events in the Columbus area for a time, our lifetime member John Franklin contacted members in Cleveland, Akron, and other northeastern Ohio areas and created the Cleveland/Akron Area to have more localized events and management. At approximately the same time, members in the Cincinnati region also organized regionally as an Area within Buckeye.

Cleveland/Akron monthly meetings initially were held at the Franklin home and later in area restaurants. To pull members from Cleveland’s western suburbs, later meetings were held at the Elegant Hog—the current location of the Windham Hotel.

In the early 1980s, the Columbus Area turned over management of Buckeye Chapter to the Cleveland/Akron Area.  In the late 1980s-early 1990s, the Cincinnati Area became the managing force for Buckeye.

After Buckeye Chapter hosted their first BMWCCA OktoberFest, members of the Cleveland/Akron Area requested secession from Buckeye Chapter. The intention was to concentrate activities and governance in a more localized area, believing this would better serve local members. This request for secession was one of the first of its type for the national organization.

In late fall 1991 with agreement from the remaining Areas of Buckeye Chapter, Northern Ohio Chapter was formed, encompassing Ohio postal zip codes from 44000 to 44999, which corresponds to the northeastern quadrant of the state. The general territorial area covers from Castalia-Sandusky to Galion-Mansfield to Dover-New Philadelphia over to the Pennsylvania border and northward to the shores of Lake Erie.

25th Anniversary Summer Social Wrap-Up

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Published: 01 September 2016

Sunday, August 7, 2016, marked the Chapter's twenty-fifth anniversary social in the Waterside Room of the Emerald Necklace Marina in Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation. 

Old and newer members enjoyed a picnic buffet and the background music of Found Sounds’ steel drums. Door prize donations as well as some Chapter logo materials sent most members home with a memento of the day. Many lingered on the terrace outside the room or took a walk along the marina and the Rocky River before heading homeward, ready to start our next twenty-five years.

Particular thanks goes to the following for prize donations:

• BMW of Westlake for a custom detailing certification
• BMW Cleveland for a weekend with a 228xi convertible
• Dave Walter BMW for a weekend with an i8
  

Click for event photos.