MEMBERSHIP & COURTESY CARDS
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Many car clubs in the 50's had membership cards printed. One of the first
things you got after joining that club was a membership card. Some had a space
where your "Member Number" could be entered and words like "This
Certifies That (your name) is a member of (your club). When you could afford it,
a plaque would be the way to let the world know what club you belonged to but,
until that time, these cards proved that you were indeed a club member.
Here is an unusual membership card for the girls club
associated with the Vampires of the South Bay in Southern California. Many clubs
had so called girls clubs but it's unknown how many had actual membership cards
like this one for the Vampire-etts.
Some clubs also had Courtesy Cards printed for their members. These cards
were handed out when club members assisted motorists or did other good deeds.
The purpose was to let the people on the receiving end know that they were
assisted by a car club member and the cards often had a place for the members
name. Clubs that had sponsors also included the sponsor's name on the card.
Below are some examples of these cards.
The Oilers Roadster Club of Carlsbad, CA was a member of the
SCTA and their courtesy card had information about "promoting better
understanding of organized hot rod activities" on the reverse side.
The Nebbishes of Big Bear Lake, CA handed out the cards below.
They stressed that "Hot Rodding is a Sport, Not a Crime" and urged the
receiver to contact their local police department to let them know how much the
service was appreciated.
The Car Clubs Associated was a group of clubs from the
Torrance, CA area. They had one card for all clubs with a space to fill in the
club and member's names. They also wanted the person being helped to contact the
Torrance Police Department.
The Coachmen Hot Rod Club of Central Falls, RI got a local
business, Modern Wheel & Brake, to share in the cost of printing their
courtesy cards. The reverse side had contact info for Modern.
The Headers from the Eastside of somewhere had their plaques
cast with Eastside Auto Parts. They may have sponsored this club or contributed
to the cost of making plaques for this club.
Around 1962, The Romans Hot Rod Association of Sydney,
Australia had business cards printed to pass out to prospective members. They
detailed the reasons for the club and had contact info if you wanted further
information.
The Gearlords Car Club in Auburn, WA also had business cards
printed to hand out to people looking for information about the club or
assistance from the club. Jim Dods was in charge of answering any questions or
calls.
If you have a membership or courtesy card from a club you
belonged to, send us a photo or scan of it so we can add it to this page.
