The Vintage Motor Car Club of America

An update from the Technical Vice President, Steve Fitzgerald

- posted July 24, 2024

As VMCCA Technical Vice President, one of my responsibilities is to manage our awards program. Selecting award recipients has been challenging due to the limited number of nominations in recent years. I attended six tours, several of which had no nominations. One individual submitted almost a dozen nominations before the deadline. Many awards were given with only a single nomination, and none of the nominations were complete. Several awards received no nominations, and some sponsors withdrew their support. On a positive note, two new well-thought-out awards were added to the list. The awards forms are included in the tour books, and we are working to keep the forms up-to-date online.

I received only two nominations from one person for the 2024 Orphan Car Tour and none at all for the 2024 Chrome Glidden Tour. More nominations are crucial for the success of our awards program. Please submit your nominations by mail or email as the year progresses.

During the tours I attended this year, I sought opinions and ideas about awards. Many people reminded me that we are a touring club, not a show-and-shine club. The consensus is that our awards should focus on individuals’ accomplishments and contributions. Many of our awards already reflect this, and we have introduced a new award for an outstanding tour director on a national tour. Should we consider adding an award for regional tours as well? Many members have suggested recognizing the people who restore the cars we enjoy seeing rather than the cars themselves. We should acknowledge the efforts made to bring these vehicles out on tours. Some have expressed that any award should be given only if multiple nominations are received, similar to the awards for John Nikodym as "Mechanic Extraordinaire," Lyle Schultz for most contributions to the club, Randy Carlson as an Outstanding Regional Director, and Larry Bost for Best Owner Restored Truck. Each of these awards received more than ten nominations, while others had three or four, and most had only a single nomination.

We will likely discontinue awards that no longer have sponsors and consider dropping awards that have received no nominations for two years.

I value your input and ideas regarding our awards program. Your feedback is essential in shaping the future of the VMCCA. Please share your thoughts with me. I can be reached at 970-209-7814 or vtechnical@vmcca.org. Thank you.

Steve Fitzgerald
VMCCA Technical Vice President