On Saturday, October 21 MAFCA celebrated its 67th annual anniversary. I went back to the first Restorer newsletter published May/June 1956 for some “current” information about the beginnings. Originally MAFCA was formed as the Model A Restorers Club of Southern California, with Art Miller as president, and was part of the Model A Restorers Club of West Hartford, Connecticut which was formed in 1952. Mr. Art Grow gathered 15 members and met on October 1955 to start the process of forming a MARC regional club in Southern California. By late 1956 there were 34 members centered in Southern California. The 1st Annual Award Dinner was held at Sailee’s Restaurant. Located across the street from NBC Burbank, the restaurant was noted for hosting television luminaries and stars. 
On October 21, 1957, the MARC SC spun off from MARC became Model A Ford Club of America. First mention of the current MAFCA logo is in Nov/Dec 1958. The 3rd Annual Business Meeting lists 1,086 members. With a yeoman’s amount of work done between 1956 and 1958, MAFCA was establishing itself as a stand-alone club with a growing membership. From these 15 members and one chapter, as of December 2024, membership has grown to approximately 10, 550 in the U.S. and 283 Internationally. With 245 Chapters, MAFCA is now the largest car club in the U.S. dedicated to a single model automobile.
On another note, with five open Board of Director positions and only four candidates, there was no voting for the 2024 nominees. Dave Krill, Sherry Winkinhofer, Happy Begg and Will Langford are automatically elected to the board. They will meet at the National Awards Banquet in early December along with returning Board members Paul Shinn, Ed Tolman, Bill Truesdell and Chet Wojcik, Jr. to be sworn in as MAFCA’s 2025 Board of Directors. Once sworn in, this new Board will seek an additional appointee to assume the vacant, ninth director’s position. Take a moment and welcome this new Board of Directors to their new positions. I am confident they will work diligently to make 2025 another successful year.
MAFCA once again had a presence at the Hershey Swap Meet in Hershey, PA from October 8 – 10. Office Manager Sandra Aguirre along with myself, Chet Wojick, Jr., Doug & Nan Linden, Kay Lee, Ed & Monica Tolman, Bill & Laura DeVore, Jim Blaszczak, Elaine Bullard and Wayne Champagne led the charge manning the tent and providing daily seminars on relevant Model A topics. Thanks to each of them for making Hershey 2024 a success for MAFCA.
Enjoy your fall touring and remember to “keep it between the white lines”.
Robert Bullard