“Nothing endures but change.” –
Heraclitus 540-480 B.C.
Want to see the old iron hobby endure? Take a tip from the
fast-food chains: Mix it up.
Your neighborhood taco joint works with an arsenal of about 10
core ingredients. But every month a new banner waves out front,
it’s the same old ingredients assembled in a new manner … but it’s
enough to pull in the crowds.
What’s your club done lately to draw in new members? Sure, the
“same old, same old” is good enough for your tried-and-true
population, the ones who will be there through thick and thin. But
is the “same old, same old” pulling in new blood?
The good news: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Take a tip
from the Panhandle Antique Tractor and Engine Club in Idaho. That
group did nothing more than hold a tractor drive, and in the
process picked up two new members – a 5 percent increase in the
club’s membership rolls. What could your club do with a 5 percent
boost? At the very least, it’s more comrades in arms, more
likeminded enthusiasts and more manpower at your next show. Just as
important, it builds for the future.
Tractor drives, an increasingly popular activity all over the
country, are a perfect example of mixing it up. Same people, same
old iron; new venue. Such an event requires a bit of organization,
but otherwise the infrastructure already exists. For the
participant, the tractor drive ranks high on the fun scale, but low
in terms of time and labor commitment … and these days, those
latter two are important factors.
Tractor drives aren’t for everybody, won’t work in every locale
and they’re no replacement for your club’s traditional,
well-supported events. But they are a creative response to
“the same-old-thing blues.” If you’re hearing a chorus of “We’ve
never done it that way” or “We’ve always done it
this way,” think tacos: It may be time to mix it up!
Leslie McManus, Editor
lmcmanus@ogdenpubs.com
