local AROC chapters

[Milanogold@xxxxxxx]

Greetings Alfisti!
        Read Rosso 75's post regarding lack of chapter activities in the
WashingtonDC area.Couldn't agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
        Bryan and I were at the club meet (sponsored by another club) at
Summit Point,watching our AROC chapter president doing laps in his new BMW
528or whatever the hell it was.Bryan had bought his car recently, and wanted
to get into the club events and the like.I'd had Alfie (87 Milano gold )for a
year at that point,and was looking to participate more actively in club
events.After seeing this, and the general snobbishness and rudeness of the
marque people holding the event, I decided Not to get involved. 
        The general impression I got of the DC area Alfa group at this event
was that they were of the  Alfa Romeo as automotive jewlery crowd.That's not a
group I really want to associate with.I am not wealthy,I am not one who has
disposable income for mega buck restorations so I can talk about them while
the car sits in climate controlled storage.I am not the type who enjoys the
vagaries of a red chardonnay versus a Merlot and all of that bs.The club
letter always advertises events like "Italian drive and winery tour",and
dinner at various restaurants once a month.First off,I don't have a
garage,second I am a teetotaler and abhor drinking and a "wine and drive"
borders on almost a total lack of sense.Period.My local chapter advocates
drinking and driving?
   I want club events where I can DRIVE my car;events where I can go and learn
to make it faster,stop better, etc.Neither Alfa that I own is a flower pot,
they are driven daily as Italian cars should be driven.Hard.I can talk about
it on the Digest (which has helped me more than you ever will know,
thanks).There are tons of info and educational things about Alfas coming
through on the digest daily;listening to a bunch of snotty rich folks talking
about their cars that they never drive in an expensive restaurant that serves
poor renditions of Italian food (my wife is full blooded Italian,I get the
real stuff at home) seems rather pointless. I hear about club events in other
chapters around the country daily through the digest(and there are some REALLY
great AROC chapters out there from the looks of it)  ;I've never seen one
event from the Capital chapter advertised ONCE.
          I know that "if you don't participate, you shouldn't complain",but I
have no desire to participate in events that are totally useless to me and
it's pretty obvious from what I saw at this event that I don't want any part
of my local AROC chapter.Forgive the venting,but seeing other chapters have
things like autocrosses and track time and the like makes me angry that I'm
stuck in an area with little interest or appreciation for such a fine marque
as Alfa Romeo.I'm stuck in an area with a chapter that would appreciate Alfas
more if they were more like Hummel or Lladro figurines (under glass for
neighbors to be impressed by).
Sorry for  the venting, not interested in flaming.Just a everyday Joe with a
love for cars.
Thanks, 
Terry and Sharon Akins
1987 Milano gold(Alfie)
1984 GTV6 (Vito)
1989 Toyota Celica GT (wife's car)
1973 Lincoln Continental 2 door (coupe) (Flower pot.If crushed, the steel
could be used for an entire city's worth of flower pots)
and other assorted bits of automotive flotsam and jetsam       

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