I am Dennis Arntson, the modern-day vice chairman of St. Cloud Antique Auto Club. I examined the item posted on May 28 in the St. Cloud Times titled “Pantown Brewing Co. Will get a visit from namesake car during a fundraiser Wednesday,” I was retaken by what I read. Many of our club participants have felt the same way as I do. This is my first time writing to the St. Cloud Times, and I strongly experience the need to get the correct information out to the public.
Ray Maier, our cutting-edge president, has thus far apologized to some participants of the automobile membership for what he says turned into being “misquoted” and remarks being taken “out of context.” I am not right here to discredit everybody worried about the procedure of manufacturing this article; I want the public to recognize the reality of our car club.
First, I want to present Ray Maier’s credit for being obsessed with doing everything he can to get our club’s notoriety, and I understand he has spent lots of time and power on this enterprise. That is surely his assignment, and I recognize fantastic matters can end up of it. But shifting on from there, this is where the story is wrong: The St. Cloud Antique Auto Club, the “Pantowners, “is NOT inside the method of dissolving, and Ray Maier DID NOT save the club.
The membership develops annual finance and keeps paintings within its price range. The Pantowners has been a colorful vehicle club for forty-eight years. Many energetic members show up month-to-month for our general conferences and activities, volunteering to work activities, and I understand that will remain so. We take pride in our organization, the matters we do inside the community, and, in particular, our annual automobile display. This is “always at the 1/3 Sunday in August.” Our automobile display, Minnesota’s biggest one-day automobile display, and swap can fill the Benton County Fairgrounds.
Ray’s assertion “(The club) has gotten a reputation, properly-deserved, of being a set of old white guys with plenty of money” is improper. Our club is open to every person (in step with our bylaws. This is “inquisitive about the targets or motive of this non-profit organization”), and we keep bringing in new members almost monthly, irrespective of their stature inside the network.
However, as with many vehicle golf equipment throughout Minnesota and the nation, it is true that interest in antique cars has faded because the average age of club individuals will increase. For this motive, as Ray has stated, the Pantowners have made adjustments to interaction with younger generations during the last several years.
Our car show was once open best to 1979, and older cars, which we recognize, may not excite many younger humans. Therefore, we’ve modified many classes to include vehicles up to 1984. We have added training for rat rods rear-wheel pressure motors as much as 1993 and a changed contemporary muscle class from 1994 to 2019. We have introduced a kids award application, and we’ve dedicated contributors whose purpose is to get younger human beings interested in the automobile interest, if now not our membership.
“We have a handful which can be like, ‘Why are we converting stuff? It’s been excellent for forty years!’ And it’s like, ‘Well, you will be lifeless in 3 years, so your opinion would not rely upon,'” Maier laughed. This quote from Ray Maier, a reference to our older membership, isn’t always the perspective of the St. Cloud Antique Auto Club’s Board of Directors or the general membership. As the current vice president and board member, and beyond the president, I recognize that the board and clubs available club do not feel this way. We understand that everybody has an opinion, and each idea is a part of any decision-making system through the board.
That being said, as with any corporation, there will be disagreements with decisions made along the way. The membership will now and again know its “founding fathers” for supporting making this membership what’s it today. I recognize other statements within the article that club participants may have an objection to. However, this isn’t the time or area to address those problems. I am proud of this membership, and I consider this membership. I have been a lively member for the last 14 years and will keep to it.