About Us
The
Great Lakes MVPA is a 501(c)3 (not-for-profit) organization
that is dedicated to the preservation of historic Military Vehicles.
We have a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Newsletter
Editor and Membership Chairman. We do not have a Board of Directors
as we have always felt that every dues paying member should have
the ability to vote on every issue that comes before the members
at our General Membership Meetings.
All Officers' positions come up for election every two years. Great Lakes memberships come up for renewal January 1st of each year and can be prepaid in advance for as many years as the member wishes. Our General Membership Meetings are held four (4) to six (6) times per year and are open to anyone who wishes to attend. We attempt to move the meetings around the State of Michigan to allow each member an opportunity to attend meetings without having to travel great distances each time. We also try to hold these meetings at members homes, places of business or at locations that contribute to the knowledge the members need in the restoration of their vehicles.
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A-Company follows the bylaws handed down from Great Lakes MVPA.
We have a Company Commander and a Executive Officer/Company Clerk.
Although we do allow non-GLMVPA members to participate in A-Company
activities, you must be a member in good standing with Great Lakes
to :
- attend Great Lakes sponsored events,
- have a vote in club business, and
- hold a position of authority on our staff.
Our newsletter is published bi-monthly (more or less as needed) and we meet every three months at the Royal Diner in Troy, MI (15 mile and John R). All interested parties are invited to sit in at a meeting.
In order to bring your vehicle to any event you must have proper vehicle insurance! Our insurance company insists on this. There are many ways to get low-cost insurance for your military vehicle. If you don't know where to start looking for insurance, are having trouble acquiring insurance, or are looking to change insurance companies, go over to Olive-Drab and see what they have to say (scroll down, the top of the page is ads).
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The Great Lakes MVPA sponsors three major events every year to give our members a place to display their vehicles, use their vehicles as they were built for, off road, and fun weekends to spend with other people who are interested in the same endeavor. This year we are adding a fourth club sponsored event, Wolcott Mills:
- Spring Trail Ride - Generally held near the end of April
at Ft. Custer, in Battle Creek Michigan. This trail ride is usually
on trails that are wet and muddy.
This weekend is a Club Event, you must be a member in good standing of Great Lakes to attend, and pre-registration is required.
Vehicle insurance required.
- Salute To Veterans Weekend - New this year and put on
by the Company A of Great Lakes MVPA. This will be a weekend of
displays, battle re-enactments, and period camping at Wolcott Mills
Metropark located at 63841 Wolcott Rd (Ray, MI), just North of 29 mile.
Scheduled for end of June.
- Great Lakes Military Vehicle Show / Swap Meet - Held
near the end of August at General Jim's Surplus / Jays Sporting
Goods in Clare, Michigan. This is a great event where you can buy
or sell military vehicles, parts and militaria or just spend time swapping
stories with other fantastic Great Lakes members.
This is a static display and everything military is welcome.
Swap Meet Spaces: Free to Great Lakes Members, $15.00 to Non-members
Free primitive camping for vendors & members bringing vehicles, or military displays
- Camp Grayling Fall Color Tour / Trail Ride - This event
we co-sponsor with the Michigan Museum of Military Transport. The trail ride takes place the
last weekend in September on the tank & truck trails of the Michigan
National Guard's Camp Grayling. What a great family weekend.
You must be a member in good standing of either Great Lakes or MMMT to attend this 3+ day trail ride.
Vehicle insurance required.
Our members also attend other local events throughout the year. Parades, car, truck, tractor and air shows which we try to have listed in our Upcoming Events page on this web site.
If you have an interest in Military Vehicles, please contact our Commander: Ed Kaminski or EXO: John Lind.
It saddens us deeply to see old military vehicles being towed to the scrap yards or rusting away in the back 40 when there is always someone who would love to rebuild them.
If You have a military vehicle to get rid of, would like to restore a
military vehicle, or are looking for a military vehicle to purchase, checkout
our Classifieds
and Military
Vehicles Magazine or MVPA
