President’s Message
Is Winter Over Yet?
Seriously, this has been the hardest winter we’ve experienced in memory. My West Coast friends are in a pretty severe drought, and anyone outside of the very southern parts of the United States is ready for it to warm up now. Fortunately for my 300SDL, I walk to most places or use public transportation. As I write this message, the temperature outside here in Chicago is -15 F. I wouldn’t even attempt to take my trusty Mercedes-Benz out there; I don’t want to get stuck with a tank full of frozen diesel and definitely don’t want my car to get messy. And so I reflect on why we go to these great lengths to preserve and care for our cars. Well, in a nutshell, this is what enthusiasts do – or don’t do. But when good weather comes along, we are always ready to enjoy our cars and as the thaw starts, get ready to enjoy your car and events scheduled through the MBCA.
It seems like a long time before the auto-appreciation season will be upon us, but your fellow sections have worked hard to put a robust event calendar together. In the pages of this issue of The Star, you will see a variety of regional events. This year, we are sponsoring more and shorter regional events to better serve members, and I encourage you to attend as many of these as you can. Each brings a specific history and friendly members who will welcome you and your car to their section.
Two months into my tenure, it is important for me to publicly lay out what my priorities are for the MBCA under my leadership. The first priority is to instill a financial rigor such that the club is well-positioned to be a profitable entity over the long-term, with reserves replenished and an operating structure that reflects 2015 norms that are characteristic of the MBCA.
The second priority is to invest, and hopefully over-invest in member services. I am encouraging section leaders to host as many regional events as possible to serve the membership base. These events are and will be featured on the events calendar at www.mbca.com – it’s easy to stay up to date on newly scheduled happenings that will gather Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts together from multiple sections and regions.
As I recently celebrated the holidays with other sections – the fun part of the job – I reconnected with people I have met or corresponded with during the last 20 years. It’s remarkable how I have been able to reunite with fellow members I haven’t seen in 10 years and reminisce on the fun we had at (insert event here) as though it were yesterday. And so you can understand why priority No. 2 is so important to me. I have been the beneficiary of the MBCA’s long history in supporting events and want to step on the accelerator to ramp up these events in the coming year. Hopefully, you will make plans to attend at least one of these gatherings this year. In the meantime, stay warm, and start detailing your car so it looks 100-percent when you pull up to an MBCA function this spring and summer. But more importantly, enjoy your car with fellow enthusiasts as the roads clear – myself included.
Terry Kiwala
Is Winter Over Yet?
Seriously, this has been the hardest winter we’ve experienced in memory. My West Coast friends are in a pretty severe drought, and anyone outside of the very southern parts of the United States is ready for it to warm up now. Fortunately for my 300SDL, I walk to most places or use public transportation. As I write this message, the temperature outside here in Chicago is -15 F. I wouldn’t even attempt to take my trusty Mercedes-Benz out there; I don’t want to get stuck with a tank full of frozen diesel and definitely don’t want my car to get messy. And so I reflect on why we go to these great lengths to preserve and care for our cars. Well, in a nutshell, this is what enthusiasts do – or don’t do. But when good weather comes along, we are always ready to enjoy our cars and as the thaw starts, get ready to enjoy your car and events scheduled through the MBCA.
It seems like a long time before the auto-appreciation season will be upon us, but your fellow sections have worked hard to put a robust event calendar together. In the pages of this issue of The Star, you will see a variety of regional events. This year, we are sponsoring more and shorter regional events to better serve members, and I encourage you to attend as many of these as you can. Each brings a specific history and friendly members who will welcome you and your car to their section.
Two months into my tenure, it is important for me to publicly lay out what my priorities are for the MBCA under my leadership. The first priority is to instill a financial rigor such that the club is well-positioned to be a profitable entity over the long-term, with reserves replenished and an operating structure that reflects 2015 norms that are characteristic of the MBCA.
The second priority is to invest, and hopefully over-invest in member services. I am encouraging section leaders to host as many regional events as possible to serve the membership base. These events are and will be featured on the events calendar at www.mbca.com – it’s easy to stay up to date on newly scheduled happenings that will gather Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts together from multiple sections and regions.
As I recently celebrated the holidays with other sections – the fun part of the job – I reconnected with people I have met or corresponded with during the last 20 years. It’s remarkable how I have been able to reunite with fellow members I haven’t seen in 10 years and reminisce on the fun we had at (insert event here) as though it were yesterday. And so you can understand why priority No. 2 is so important to me. I have been the beneficiary of the MBCA’s long history in supporting events and want to step on the accelerator to ramp up these events in the coming year. Hopefully, you will make plans to attend at least one of these gatherings this year. In the meantime, stay warm, and start detailing your car so it looks 100-percent when you pull up to an MBCA function this spring and summer. But more importantly, enjoy your car with fellow enthusiasts as the roads clear – myself included.
Terry Kiwala
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