I was one of the founders of our antique farm machinery club, the Southern Illinois Antique Power Club. We had our 19th annual show this last weekend. I've had the pleasure of seeing several young people go from children to adults with children of their own in this club. Unfortunately, several of them have drifted away due to their jobs, or just lost interest. We find its a challenge to recruit young members and we're losing older members all the time to failed health or death.
What has my knickers in a twist is the following: We had a brief tractor parade up to the city park. My daughter, who is a very responsible, level headed teenager, had her first opportunity to drive her 8n Ford in a parade. Now, I'm not one to let someone unfamiliar with a tractor drive it, and certainly not in a parade, but she has driven it for a few years now, at home and in parades, and is a very concientious, careful operator. We were pacing an unstyled JD B at a blistering 4.5 mph when my daughter had a problem shifting the Sherman tranny. She tried a couple of different combinations, trying to find the best speed to not lug down the engine, but not go too fast either, and just hadn't found the combination she wanted yet. I was behind her, probably making her nervous to boot, after having given her explicit instructions on a safe following distance, and paying attention to what was in front of her. (She knew all of this, but I'm a dad, and its my job.) Of course, she knew not to shift unless the tractor was at a dead stop, and this evidently didn't sit well with our visiting representatives from a MASSEY HARRIS club who were immediately behind me. THREE of them gunned their engines, and passed both me and her, cutting in sharply in front of her just as she began rolling again and giving her a clearly dirty look in the process!
These three weren't kids. They were older adults, at least 50 or better, who should have known better, and had a bit of patience. If doing so wouldn't have jeopardized MY job, I might have jerked one or more of those "adults" off of their perch and given them what for. Descretion is the better part of valor, so I bit my tongue, and told my daughter not to worry about it and go on.
I've always taught my kids to help those who need help, and they exlemplify that philosophy daily, at home and school. These adults' behavior was inexcusable. Later in the same parade, my daughter and I stopped to help a man who's JD B was having tranny trouble, and although we couldn't fix it, and had nothing to tow him with, we did make arrangements for him to get a ride back to his truck. That's what this hobby is supposed to be about, not about being in a hurry to get somewhere.
Guess I just had to vent. My daughter, who was there helping mow the fairgrounds before the show and picked up after the show was very disillusioned and upset. I had to really work on her confidence to get her to drive the return trip, and then, we took an alternate route back to the fairgrounds.
She's always looked forward to our club meetings and I hope she sticks around and stays involved. I'd love to see her as a club officer some day, that is, unless some arrogant jerk convinces her to look to other activities. I've done damage control with her, and by writing this, hope to prevent someone else from acting the same way. If you are remotely interested in keeping this hobby alive, treat the younger members well. You never know when YOUR tranny may go out and may need their help.

I approve, in all respects, the actions you took in respones to idiot operators.
We as a group need the discipline to reduce brand competition, grandstanding, and arrogance against others. There is no shortage of voids into which common sense can be funneled.
As a university professor, the hardest element in teaching is the building of character on unused scafolding. Thanks for going the extra distance to clarify to your daughter, the reality of bad adult behavior, and why she needs to have the resolve to trancend the idiots in the world. JimN

A lot of clubs have a no passing rule, if violated you're out of the parade. Sounds like some rules need to be made and enforced. I applaud your restraint, not sure I could have been that pleasant.

Sounds like you need to go over the rules again and up grade them. Some one doing that should be kicked out or at least told they can not drive in a parade for a year or more. These old tractors at best can be hard to make work right and having some one that knows better and does that makes it hard to get the young people in to it I would prefer to kick out 5 older people then to have one young person leave because of that
Hobby farm

Hi
I know you took it personal, wanting to protect your daughter from these meat balls, but I think this is a good opertunity to teach her to ignore these kind of people. As the saying goes "there's one in every crowd" ( in your case 3 ) The way the world is today, if you say the wrong thing to the wrong person they might go home and get their gun. Just walk away ( I have to tell myself this on a regular basis ) There are just idiots all over the place and when we run across them and they rain on our parade we have to walk away, ( you cannot win an argument with an idiot, as they are too stupid to see things from another persons point of view.
I was going through the past few days of posts on this site and came across a few comments by some of these people that just wait for someone to ask a "DUMB" question or assign the wrong name to a tractor part, then they rip off a rude reply and insult the poor guy that asked what he thought was a legitimate question. This happened to me within my first couple of questions when I joined this forum back in June. I was insulted and was going to insult this guy right back ( I felt that I should not have to apologize for asking a question on this forum even if I did not use the proper noun name for the part I was describing) so after thinking things over, I decided to just ignore the wise guys and enjoy the help from the good people on this site. If we pay attention to the fools of the world it will take up most of our time and we wont be able to spend enough time enjoying our sons and daughters (and tractors). (I have 3 daughters, 1 son, 3 granddaughters, 1 grandson and 1 great granddaughter and I love em all even if only one of em can drive a tractor),(its one of the girls)
Bob S.

i am 18 i have 3 tractors my self not from a farming back ground just like doing it i am a commite member of the new zealand vintage machenry club i love the hobby but i gess for most young people its just not cool not all of the "older" guy i have struck ae pleased to have young people around some would never wast there time with what i thought where good questions (not knowing any thing) but i stuck with is and over time the have come around i am keen a go to most of the shows close and working days at the club grounds and i love it well that be my 2 cents worth.

I know she may not see it this way but it should "boost" her confidence, she is obviously a better person than the Massey representatives were. Glad all Massey people are not that way, I also commend you on keeping your cool, that is a great way to teach your daughter.
Pat in Wis

I live right beside a footpath used by a lot of local school children. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than when they ask questions as they pass. I firmly believe that unless we engage with them then they certainely wont wish to engage with us. Then it will die. For we of advancing years its nostalgia to a large degree, for them it is newness and that is to be encouraged. Yes they do ask apparently stupid and time wasting questions. So do I probably. Look after them and definitely don't be rude to them. Thats my pounds sterlings worth. MTF

You need to be commended for your "sportsmanship" concerning this matter. But, keep in mind, you can't fix stupidity or rudeness. LOL
Seriously, though, your club needs to adopt parade rules, and it should be passed out to every one who wants to participate and be enforced.
I would think common sense would prevail, but obvioulsy, as you and your daughter found out, is not there.
I would think, here is a young person, driving a peice of equipment, older than them, and something is wrong, maybe I should offer to help.
Jim

It is a good idea you kept reasonably calm. Those who wrote it is time to change the club rules for parade behavior are wise too.

Where in Southern Illinois is the club? I attended SIU and was not aware there was an antique tractor club anywhere around.

Because there are still a number of great people out there who take a great deal of time and trouble to help and encourage people new to this hobby. I grew up in the city and I bought my first tractor when I was 15 and someone I met through this board was kind enought to loan me storage space, trucking, and a lot of advice and general help. Now at 22 I've collected tractors both in England and Canada, met many incredible people, and at least in part because of my involvement in this hobby I have moved to the country and am now an apprentice heavy equipment mechanic. As you yourself have proven, there is still hope out there, sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper. Sam

You did the right thing, I would like to believe I would do the same.

There are just some jerks in all parts of the country.

Dad, You should be proud of your self and your daughter. Don't let a few dumb buts get to ya. You did right. I know it's hard to stay on your tractor and let it go. Just remimber others saw how dumb they acted. I was a true "Daddy's Girl" My dad was my hero. He could do no wrong in my eyes. He tought me I could do anything I wanted if I just tried. He has pass on. But my husband is still the same way with me to this day. Tomorrow he is taking me out to pick up my new tractor.

Every hobby has a**holes. It sounds like you handled it very well. Here are a few personalities I have run across in my many hobbies.....
1) The people that think we are all there to pay tribute to them.
2) There stuff is great(worth double market price), yours is junk(take it off your hands for a fraction of what it's worth).
3) They are the authority on everything, God help you if you question something they say.
4) Won't ever help newer or less experienced people.................This might be the biggest reason hobbies don't grow.

Thank you for your post. I was just thinking about this subject. I was blessed enough to be introduced to old tractors by my now-passed-on grandfather when I was about 15 years old. He was a picture of patience with me and taught me a lot more than just mechanics in the time we spent working on old tractors. I'm 23 now, married, and very addicted to the hobby. I still chuckle to myself (and feel very humbled) when someone asks me for any kind of advice on tractors when I consider that I didn't even know what an H Farmall looked like until we re-assembled it following my first paint/restoration job (the tractor was in pieces when we started).

My grandpa told me once how people were saying that the hobby would die, but that thought just kills me. Thanks for the reminder on why it's SO important to return the patience and kindness that was shown to me when I was the new guy in the crowd.

sgtbull: I think your over reacting about this. What difference if someone goes by you in a parade or tractor ride. I know any parades I've been involved in, that is the rule, if you don't maintain the pace, get out of the way because the pack is going by. Who cares what tractor is in the lead, it's not a race.

Another factor, tractor parades are much like trucking, your far better off with all the idiots ahead of you.

You say 'won't ever really help or advise anybody' Thats easy; most of the type you mention really haven't got a x@x@x@ clue what they are talking about. MTF

This is a fine hobby we have. There are many different levels to it from the show restorer to the person that is just trying to keep it running. We preserve history in the process, and keep old skills alive. Try getting a magneto reworked at your local car dealership sometime.
There are good and bad people in every level of society. No question about that. No avoiding it either. We"re just lucky that this forum has some really knowledgeable, helpful people who don"t mind taking time out to get you through a problem. I know my old SA would live pemanantly under the shelter ( or at the other end of the pasture) if it wasn"t for this forum. Thanks guys.

I agree with you 100% in what you did and how you felt about it all. I am 31 and my dad and I like most grew up on farms and now are into the hobby. I know I will be here in it long after I am dead. But I don't think I'll join a club around here because of things like that.. I mean some of these "older" :wink: guys have been in the club or started it and have it in there mind that, "that is the way it has been done before, this is the way its done". Nobody can say different I think younger people in the clubs can help the hobby grow more then before, because of there ideas.. Like making really attractive web sites for the clubs and looking after them, to get the clubs info out there for other people to see. They don't have to have a tractor if they don't want to but they can help.. But some of the older generation just don't want to see what the younger ones have in there heads and maybe show it all in a different light.. Hell if we all young and old work together old tractors might be on SPEED TV giving Barrette Jackson auctions a run for there money :lol:

My dad and I have talked about this very thing about 3 months ago.. Hell maybe we might start a club around here...

I have three daughters of my own, one of my fears is the idiots they will have deal with. As far as the hobby goes, I just sold my 1953 Ford Customline to buy parts for the "A", how bad is that? A fitting quote from Albert Einstein, " The difference between genius and stupidity, genius has limits."
Tim

Sgt. Rock:
"why this hobby may die...." (or, not die - and instead be taken over by rude people and idiots.) I don't mean to dilute your dramatic title, but I don't think it's going to die because your daughter couldn't find 2nd gear.
This is a microcosm of the whole world; more and more rude folks everywhere.
I am in several other organizations where the old folks are dying off and we cannot seem to attract the younger ones. The Colt Collectors Association, the Texas Gun Collectors Association, the National Skeet Shooting Association, the Winchester Collectors Association, as examples. For one thing, there are not a lot of young folks who can afford an old tractor, a 3/4-ton pick-up and an equipment trailer.
Everything has its day it seems - including marriage - based on some recent posts I've seen here on the forum. I don't like it and I wish it wasn't so, but the only thing I've been able to do is try to ignore it and go on with my own life and values, or get out of the way. Try not to have a stroke; and, good luck. I sympathize with you. mike