Marlin Owners Club

[JONORacing]

Hi All,

As some of you may be aware there is a club for all Marlin owners which runs events throughout the year.

www.marlinownersclub.com

I was wondering what your views are on the club. If you are a member what bits do you like/dislike. If your not a member is there a reason why not, and what would make you reconsider joining.

The more information you can give the better,

Thanks for the help

Jono

[peterux]

..

[denniswpearce]

Originally Posted by JONORacing

Hi All,

As some of you may be aware there is a club for all Marlin owners which runs events throughout the year.

www.marlinownersclub.com

I was wondering what your views are on the club. If you are a member what bits do you like/dislike. If your not a member is there a reason why not, and what would make you reconsider joining.

The more information you can give the better,

Thanks for the help

Jono

Jono,
I also refrain from using any of the social networking sites, but use the MOC site and this site. As a new MOC member I find this site an invaluable aid and help from Marlin owners and builders alike. Most of the guys here find this site more user friendly than our site, heaven knows how long its been in existence but it is showing its age.
Some of the MOC members have decried the mag and it too is showing the signs of age but a good mag costs a lot of money. I belong to the BMAA (British Microlight Aircraft Association) and I know their glossy mag costs a bomb for its members. So a significant increase in our fees would have to happen to get a glossy mag, plus good editorial staff. Not decrying our guys at all for their efforts and yes we do need a mag for non pc members. I don,t know how many members we have but the BMAA has 4500 members and I pay about £70 annual membership. So what can we expect for our small membership fee, certainly not a glitzy mag, but maybe we have an IT guru in our midst who could help us with a new website.
Just my few thoughts for now.
Dennis

[Steve Green]

I think it must be a tie between Peterux and me as to who gets banned from the MOC first. But after re-reading this I think I will be in the lead.
It would be interesting as we are both active MOC forum users, me not so much here as another forum dedicated to my donor, a Morris Marina.

My personal thoughts are as follows.

I think the Marlin Owners Club consists of two prime factions.
Primarily the longer standing members who use the club as an extension of their social lives as they built their cars some time ago. Because it is such a personal relationship they resist all change to what they clearly think is their club.
Secondary are the people like me, the mechanics. Those who have bought old Roadsters and later models and those who have built cars like the Sportster and 5exi, and are working to keep them through IVA and on the road.

Sadly, despite the MOC constitution stating that they encourage the improvement of the standard of kit car construction by providing facilities for the exchange if news and technical information between the members and between the Club and those companies manufacturing kits based upon the designs originated by Marlin Engineering, Plymouth, they have failed the Sportster and 5exi owners to the extent that few bother to post anything on the MOC forum. (peterux is a notable exception)

There is also a propietorial attitude over the ownership of the MOC forum. Despite the fact that the MOC is well funded, some members pursue non members to the point of embarrasment. Sometimes to the point of witholding information or parts until the non member finally gives in and joins, or worse moves on to other forums that are more welcoming.

The public image of the MOC is the web site and forum, not Stoneleigh or any other public meeting of Marlin Owners. The web is there 24/7 rain or shine. Currently there is a delay in the implemetation of a new forum. This leaves the 10 year old version, that in its infancy was a revalation, looking very old and not allowing most of the facilities like editing and PM's that are standard on current forum/bb software. This again discourages new membership.

This (rant?) is not intended as an attack against the MOC though it might sound like it to some. In my early years as a member, my car would not have been on the road without them, quite possibly being scrapped as a dead loss. There is a wealth of information available from established members and I make regular contributions to the forum and club mag, Pitstop. These are not the actions of someone intent on destroying the MOC, rather someone with a passion for his Roadster.
But, and it's a big but (sorry for the inuendo) without encoraging new members and broadening its appeal, the club will gradually decline as there is a limited stock or Roadsters and Berlinettas.

Finally, the Marlin Owners Club apperance on Facebook, with all the problems that Peterux implies, is not in my opinion beneficial to the MOC. The danger is that it becomes a white elephant, or worse, dilutes further the content of the defined MOC forum.

The MOC is in the hands of it's committee.

[artyis200]

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[NigelB]

When I started on my Sportster last year I fully intended to become a member of the MOC. Ater a number of posts, and no replies I decided i was unwelcome and I could see no value in membership at all. My impression is that the MOC is a dinosaur with its apparent inability to attract new members leading to its inevitable extinction.

With the welcome and camararderie given by Madabout with a core of contributors only too willing to respond and offer the benefit of their experiences (and without the pressure to pay a membership fee) I fail to see the relevance of the MOC. Perhaps being a non member I am unable to see what membership has to offer but I (and probably many others) will not join an organisation where they are made to feel so unwelcome.

Lighten up MOC. Welcome and embrace all those with an interest in Marlin, move with the times and perhaps it will be a pleasant place for us all to meet.

[sueroedel]

"good editorial staff" - trying not to take that personally.

[Patrick]

I've been a MOC member for years, I like getting the mag which is always an interesting read. I drop in on the website ever so often and also like to say hi at Stoneleigh most years

[Sarboy]

Hi Guys,
Arthur is being a little unkind about the MOC.
He was reminded that to join the club would be a good thing but very few posts reminded him. He did get a lot of positive advice and assistance from club members when he reported the purchase of his Berlinetta.
At the moment we (members) pay for the MOC web site so he was gettinga lot of useful information from us for free at our expense. I must say that I am delighted to help a fellow Berli owner but it should not be all one way.

[artyis200]

i could post lots of negativity about the marlin owners club from emails receved of there members,
but i have decided to removed my posts not because they are incorrect in any way , the reason for it is i can't be bothered getting in to another argument on this forum as well as the MOC , I don't think its fair on madabout members, you don't need the crap on here as-well, its not what i came on here for SORRY CHAPS!!!!

[peterux]

I agree, lets stick to the kitcars here as its a 'build' section of this forum and leave the discussion about the MOC website to its own forum.

[Steve Green]

I think perhaps that the user who started this thread should come clean, a tell us what his connection is with the Marlin Owners Club.

Perhaps we surprised him with some of the personal opinions expressed,

[JONORacing]

Originally Posted by Steve Green

I think perhaps that the user who started this thread should come clean, a tell us what his connection is with the Marlin Owners Club.

Perhaps we surprised him with some of the personal opinions expressed,

There is nothing to hide but anyway;

The simple question was to see what people on this forum thought of the Marlin Owners Club, as they are mainly Sportster & 5EXi Owners, due to there being not many of these models within the Owners Club as well as trying to ascertain why this is.

JONO Racing is a family run privateer race team, as it states very clearly on our website, which consists of Jono, Mike & Julie Coombes. Mike Coombes is one of the Sportster Reps for the Club and both Jono & Mike are members.

Sue Roedel asked our opinion on "The Club" which we gave to her and we said we would find out what other people thought.

This was not intended to be a push anyone to join the Owners Club, it was simply to ask peoples personal opinions.

JONO

[Steve Green]

After asking the question a few months ago, the MOC has decided to implode.
Two Committee members have resigned/forced out by the Chairman with no consultation with the membership.

I get no pleasure from watching events unfold. The Committee are acting as an autocracy, completely against the published constitution.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Steve Green

After asking the question a few months ago, the MOC has decided to implode.
Two Committee members have resigned/forced out by the Chairman with no consultation with the membership.

I get no pleasure from watching events unfold. The Committee are acting as an autocracy, completely against the published constitution.

Steve

You have been very vocal in your criticism - now do something about it!

Find out the facts, report the committee members individual positions, and then organise a campaign to force an EGM on which everyone can vote for what they believe is right.
I am saddened to see the loss of Sue Roedel as a very good editor. And I do not understand the Chairman's decision to "go it alone", far less whether he is empowered to do so.

My own view, based on previous comments on this very thread, is that the MOC offers nothing to Sportster and 5exi owners, because it has not embraced them. And if it does not improve the website and generate more new members it will sadly die a death by a thousand cuts. We need a new and much improved website, (search by tech tips, easy to attach photos latest comments to the fore, more published tech tips, etc) and this should be as professionally prepared as the club can afford...........look at Marlin's own company website for quality of presentation. In fact, a marriage of Marlin's ability to present professionally via the web, and the MOC membership's warmth and willingness to share information would potentially make for a very good site indeed.

[peterux]

Originally Posted by peterux

I agree, lets stick to the kitcars here as its a 'build' section of this forum and leave the discussion about the MOC website to its own forum.

please.....

[Steve Green]

Mike, I have offered my services to the Committee in the past and they have been rejected.
I am also on record that I am willing to stand on the MOC committee and thank Peterx for his support.

I agree this should not be in a Build area thread but I felt it was worth making users here aware of the whole story.

If events warrant it I will start a campaign thread in the appropriate places on several forums.

The current Marlin Owners Club forum does not require registration, If you have any thoughts please post them there. The input of all Marlin marques is essential if the club is to survive.

[Sorton]

I find it impossible to connect to the old MOC web site. Is this just my failure or has the new site started under a new address?

[Patrick]

There were issues a few years back which meant some users needed to connect via a web proxy to see the site. I'm currently able to connect with any issues.

[denniswpearce]

I think it must be something on your pc Sorton. I can get in to the site easily enough