View through the Star – February 2024
by Rubin Howard, President MBCA Peachtree
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – 2024 will be MBCA Peachtree’s best year ever. We are going to have another incredible calendar of local events and destination drives. Before you begin to skim this text, I will mention some key words that might peak your interest. Amelia Island MBCA display with dinner, Track day at AMP, Concours cocktail party, awards ceremony, tech sessions, and more. Planning for our Star Summit regional event (October 3rd – 7th) has begun, and we are excited to see this event come to fruition.
I would like to address an email regarding the MBCA National dues increase to $85/year. First of all, I hope that every member of Peachtree sees the inherent value of being a member of MBCA Peachtree. We do our best and are proud to say that we are an enthusiast-run organization that leads with passion first into all of our events, fundraisers, educational experiences, performance driving, and of course the friendships that are built along the way. We are supported by a Board of Directors, numerous volunteers, and backed by a variety of generous sponsors who believe in our abilities. The dues increase was outside of the purview of MBCA Peachtree. This was a decision made by the national MBCA board, with the intention of reinstating member rebates to sections and providing financial stability of the organization. While this is an increase to you as a member, at least a portion of your membership dues are coming directly back into our Section’s treasury. Nationally, the MBCA is revitalizing its website and user experience in order to create a better infrastructure for members. Locally at MBCA Peachtree, we are continuously thinking of ways in which we can add value to our members. I am sharing this information with you, since I believe that transparency is an important value in a non-profit organization such as ours. I see a light at the end of the tunnel; or shall I say I see a shining silver star at the end of the tunnel.
If you have not heard about Star Summit, MBCA Peachtree’s regional event for 2024, please continue reading on. Star Summit is a regional event that intends to attract an audience from across the entire Southeast and beyond. It dawned upon me that Atlanta is such a great place for car enthusiasts, so why not invite everyone to see exactly what makes this hidden gem so special? We have a stable climate and perfect infrastructure for hosting a large event such as this one. There is something for every member and every Mercedes-Benz owner at Star Summit. RBM of Alpharetta is our title sponsor for this event. They will host our Friday evening cocktail reception at Halcyon where they can enjoy the carefully curated display of Mercedes-Benz automobiles for the evening. After the event, we hope that many of the cars will sit in place until the morning for the Concours d’Elegance which will be followed by the Concours d’Elegance awards dinner reception that evening. Sunday morning will encompass a destination drive through North Georgia, followed by lunch and a tech session. If you are a track enthusiast, stay the long weekend for our track day on Monday at Atlanta Motorsports Park. We have never hosted a track day at AMP before. If this peaks your interest or you are one of our sponsors and you are reading this, email me to discuss more.
MBCA Peachtree is working hard towards re-establishing our presence at “The Amelia” formerly known as The Amelia Island Concours weekend (first weekend in March). We will be reintroducing our dinner at the Crab Shack which has always been a fan favorite of Amelia Attendees. If you would like to show a car at the Radwood event, this is an excellent experience. If you are unfamiliar, Radwood is a themed and curated display of 80s and 90s automobiles. We are hoping to enter this event with a large presence of MBCA members. More to come on this!
These are some exciting updates that will be additional value added to your membership. I hope that you can appreciate our ambitious goals for 2024. If you had thoughts to help us improve, or are interested in assisting us; do not hesitate to contact us via email. All feedback is valuable (good or bad) since this is OUR club. Thank you for your devoted interest to the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Peachtree Section.