September 2020
Over the past year there have been some hiccups with regard to E31 Chapter renewals and new memberships. As the former membership chair for the E31 Chapter, I received several emails from members who had problems with renewals. I even alerted the Non-geographic E30 Chapter about the renewal issues we were experiencing, I am happy to report that this issue may now be behind us.
Here is the latest information from National:
From BMW National- NonGeographic Renewal Membership
When it comes time to renew your membership to the E31 Chapter, the process differs slightly from renewing your membership at a traditional geographic chapter. At the time of renewal, the CCA website will default to the geographic chapter based on your home zip code.
We’ve heard of at least a handful of instances where membership renewals have been errantly processed to the geographic chapter rather than the chapter(s) you’ve chosen previously. So to help ensure your renewal gets processed correctly, when you renew on the BMW CCA website, there are two possible methods depending on how your chapter membership(s) should be selected:
- If the E31 Chapter is your Primary (or only) chapter, remember to uncheck your geographic chapter and select the E31 Chapter.
- If the E31 Chapter is a Secondary chapter and you have a geographic chapter as your primary, simply remember to select the E31 Chapter in addition to your Geographic/Primary chapter.
You also have the option to call the National Office to process your renewal, or to have them correct an improperly processed renewal. If you call in your renewal, simply tell the helpful folks at the National Office which chapter(s) you prefer to be associated with and that is it!
The National Office can be reached at 864-250-0022.
Behind the scenes, webmaster Bob Bennett has been working to refresh and update our E31 Chapter webpage. The changes are forthcoming; I am sure you will be pleased with his work and the results. As a non-geographic chapter, I feel our website should be more engaging with Chapter members.
Newsletter editor, Roger Wray, is currently working on the next newsletter which will go out to members in early October. We are always getting good reviews from National and other Chapters regarding the E31 newsletter layout and content. Thanks to Roger for the good work in this position since the Chapter inception! Roger has recently agreed to take on additional E31 Chapter responsibilities; look for an update on this in the October newsletter.
International websites– most of you are aware of the 8Coupe.com website. For those not familiar with the site, there is a wealth of information that can be found there about E31 production. When you have a moment, visit and enjoy. www.8Coupe.com
The 2020 Photo Contest deadline has come and the time for entries has ended. A lot of really great photos were received- so thanks for your participation! The next step is to present all of the photos to the judges at the National office. Standby for the results!
West Coast BMW Events: 2020 SoCal BMW Vintage Event presently on a hold status
Last week I received an email from Jeff D’Avanzo, one of the organizers of the 2020 SoCal BMW Vintage Event, with an update re the event for this year. Usually held in November, this event is presently on a hold status awaiting further word from LA Parks & Recreation and the event permit. With Covid-19 issues, it is understandable. Kirsti and I attended this event last year, and really enjoyed ourselves. SoCalEights had a fantastic turnout of E31’s – I even came home with two event t-shirts. If that is not validation of a great event, I don’t know what is! Hopefully the 2020 event will be given the green light- and I will update everyone as soon as we know more.
East Coast BMW Events: 2020 The Vintage – Rescheduled & Relocated
The new date is Saturday October 24th at a new location- the BMW Plant Spartanburg in Greer, South Carolina. Check out The Vintage website for complete details and registration. This is a very cool event for classic BMW owners and enthusiasts, and not to be missed. More info at: www.atthevintage.com