CVC March 2013.pdf

It is interesting how a 10 to 15 year period can
drastically change the demographics of Central
Valley Corvettes. When Pam and I joined in 1997
there were over 100 members and as I recall only
two retired people: Jim and Dorothy Gregerson.
While the rest of us toiled at a career or
entrepreneurship, the Gregersons alternated time
between homes in Ahwahnee and Lake Havasu.
Remember how they came all the way home early
from Arizona just to attend our monthly meetings?
Now it is 16 years later. We have gone from 2% of
the membership retired to 60.5%. Of our current
roster of 78, that means 47 have retired and just 31
continue to work for a living. At this rate, the
numbers will rise even more dramatically in the
coming years. That’s because only 18 members are
under the age of 60. In fact we have just three
members in their 40’s, with 15 in their 50’s. A
staggering 41 people (53% of the entire club) are in
their 60’s, while 18 people (the same number of 40
and 50 year olds combined) are in their 70’s. At the
top of the list is Ed Kroeker who will be 82 in late
March.
As to those 31 still working (39.5%), all of the 18
people under 60 still have jobs, 12 of the 41 in their
60’s are still employed and one of the 18 people
70+ still goes to the office. When you throw us all
into one bag, the average age of Central Valley
Corvettes has increased to 64.87 years.
In 1997, we only had a handful of people in their
mid 60’s as our oldest members. Today the mid
60’s is the clubs average age. Partly as a result, our
membership rolls have been trimmed by 27% and
the number of activities is down by 40%. Recalling
2000, CVC had 45 runs that year. It was rare to go
more than two weeks without an event. Now we
are lucky to have 25 to 30 runs and some months go
completely devoid of excursions.
There is not a lot we can do about turning back our
biological clock, but it is not too late to rejuvenate
our mental state of mine; start thinking about
planning a run or an activity. Get the Corvette out
when the occasion presents itself. Think of ways to
recruit younger members. If we don’t, I’m afraid
we will end up becoming nothing more than a knife
and fork club.
Craig