What To Do During the Long Winter

While many clubs have comprehensive winter programs, we know there are many others wondering what to do in the long winter months. Some clubs seem to dry up when those dark and cold nights appear, so we’ve put together the following list of suggestions on Indoor club activities that might be of interest to your members.

Games Night

Get out those neglected playing cards, checkers and darts and organize a progressive games night where everyone has a go at everything. Accumulative best scores will give you the winners. You also play games on bro138 for some interactive fun.

Slot Car Night

Beg, borrow or steal the kids’ slot car racing set! Organize races on a elimination basis over, say, 5 laps, with the Grand Finale over 10 laps (depending on the size of the track you can put together). You’ll be amazed at the often killer-competitive spirit the most docile of club members will develop!

Tabletop Technical Sessions

How about tearing apart an old SU carburetor or generator into pieces on a table where everyone can familiarize themselves with the parts? Why don’t you get the most knowledgeable technical person in your club to run through winter maintenance procedures for your cars? There’s no better way to learn how things work than by having all the bits spread out in front of you in a nice warm room, so open your garage doors and start having technical sessions! This is also a great time to inspect your garage doors to determine if you need to seek professional garage repair or garage door spring replacement services.

Driving Skills On Home Computers

There are many good programs available where you pit your skills against a computer. Whether it’s Formula One or off-road, there are programs to be found to buy or rent. All you need is a PC, Atari, or Macintosh, and a joystick, then you’re off and running! Keep scores posted and/or organize elimination rounds.

Inter-Club Quizzes

Seek out your local rival marque British car club and challenge them to a quiz. One respected member from each club then gets together and compiles a list of questions to be put to members. If an MG club challenges a Triumph club, try questions that are 25% specific to each marque and 50% general knowledge to give everybody a chance.

Photo Contest

Here’s an old standby that everyone loves. Have members bring their shots of events, activities, current project cars and proudly show them off to each other. Do the judging by popular vote and print the winners in the next edition of your club newsletter. If you don’t have a newsletter—well, there’s a great winter project!

Above all, get members involved in winter activities. So many club people seem to hibernate during the long, dark nights, when they should be spending even more time than usual together. Involve everyone: take the kids bowling and have a go yourself. To paraphrase someone else—the club that plays together, stays together.

By Ken Smith