VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions VCCA Musuem

As a member of the VCCA for a couple of years now,and a guy that likes Chevrolets alot, I don't know where or if the VCCA has a physical address, or a musuem that my family and I can visit,to see relic's of the start up of VCCA and the G & D? Thanks Lyle

There is no VCCA Museum. However, there is a VCCA Library and it is maintained by the AACA. To view the library collection I believe that you have to contact the AACA.

Go here for the library:
http://www.aacalibrary.org/collections/vintage-chevrolet-club-of-america/

Chuck Gibson and I just finished writing the April President's message for the G&D. The focus of this message is to inform the VCCA of our VCCA collection and to give some specific details about our collection. The VCCA owns a modest literature collection of Chevrolet materials. It has been housed for a number of years now in the AACA Library located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We pay the AACA an annual fee to maintain OUR collection and to provide access to the collection to VCCA members.
My goal as the President for several years now has been to encourage our members to consider donations to the VCCA collection. It is my belief that the VCCA should be THE PLACE to find information about every Chevrolet produced. Period. It will take all of us to support our library, donate materials to it, etc.
I have said many times that I probably have one of the most complete collections of 1940 Chevrolet literature and materials. At some point, my 1940 collection should be donated to the VCCA Library. In the entire VCCA, we probably individually own most everything that was ever produced for every year since our beginnings in late 1911.

dtm
the prez

Never knew the VCCA had a Collection in the AACA Libarary !! maybe i did but forgot...

Very Cool to know, and If i have any spare Chevrolet Literature I will surely Donate it to the Library... Next time I am up in Hershey will have to visit the library. Last time was too busy running the fields looking for parts ( lol )

While the VCCA does not have a museum, if you get the chance attend an Anniversary meet. It's better than a museum as all the cars are being driven and the owners are more than willing to talk about them. Anniversary meets are held once every five years and the next one will be in 2016.

Dave,
If you truly want to increase the Chevrolet literature collection owned by the VCCA it is necessary to register as 501C3 organization. That way people can take the value of their donations from their income taxes. If the VCCA is not a qualified organization then it is not legal to deduct for tax purposes.

I tried several times over the past 20 years to get the VCCA Board to register only to be told repeatedly there was not enough interest to get it done. I hope you are successful in both efforts (more donations and registering).

There are a number of VCCA members that would rather see some of their collections go to a repository dedicated to providing restoration and preservation information to Chevrolet restorers. So far that is the AACA or sell the material so at least the heirs benefit from the money.

Does this now mean that the VCCA library will be available to VCCA members without charge? I have been told every time I inquired that I had to pay an hourly charge if I was not an AACA member and only a VCCA member.

Also tried to get interest in a VCCA museum where members could volunteer and also display some of their cars. That was dismissed more than once out of hand as too expensive and not something the VCCA would want to do.

A few years ago I donated several manuals, books, literature etc. to the VCCA library, I was notified by the AACA that any extra manuals, books, literature etc. that was the same as literature already on file would be auctioned at a once a year auction.
My question is: Will the income from those auctions of VCCA literature go to the VCCA or AACA?

The VCCA Library is NOT a Lending Library. Therefore ALL materials stay in the building. Because of this, the VCCA does not benefit by owning duplicates. Duplicates are sold by our Library Committee for the benefit of the VCCA Library. Any sale of duplicate literature does not go into the general fund of the VCCA. FYI. The AACA in no way benefits from us selling duplicates. The VCCA Library Collection is solely owned by the VCCA.
Visiting the VCCA Library is FREE. We pay to have our literature housed and maintained properly in the AACA Library Building in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The VCCA does not hire a VCCA Libraian. Having the AACA Librarian do research for us, costs money. Specific questions on the VCCA Library should be directed to the VCCA Library Coodinator, who is listed in the G&D every month.
As far as a 501C3 goes, I have minimal knowledge as to all of the hoops that we must jump thru in order to become a 501C3. Yes I have heard the discussions before on 501C3's, but that is not my area of expertise. I am very open to having a roundtable discussion with various members of the VCCA and the board as to the pros and cons of becoming such a designation for the VCCA. Someone, somewhere would need to do necessary groundwork in order to make this happen.

dtm

The VCCA library collection is free to view if you drive to the AACA Library in Hershey, PA. If you can't visit in person, then you can have VCCA materials copied by an AACA librarian for a fee. To do that, go to the AACA Library web site and fill out the form there for an estimate of the fee.
For many years now, car clubs have not been allowed to be 501(c)(3) organizations. The VCCA is a 501(c)(7) which is tax exempt (we don't pay income tax) but donations are not tax deductible.
The VCCA could set up a separate organization as a 501(c)(3) library and/or museum foundation so that donations to that organization would be deductible on your tax return. The cost to set up the 501(C)(3) foundation would be substantial, which is why it has not been done.
Those of us in the west were not thrilled that the library collection was moved to the east coast but at least the collection is accessible and it is being preserved. Prior to the move, regular VCCA members could not see it or know what in it.
If members are really serious about wanting to donate materials suitable for the library, then we could ask to board to set up the 501(3)(3) foundation.
Talk of a museum is premature. Museums typically don't bring in enough to cover their expenses so the VCCA would be on the hook to make up the shortage for an indefinite time. Then, there is the all important question of where in the USA would this museum be located?

I did investigate the website for the VCCA library housed with the AACA. After viewing the video of articles that relate to the VCCA, it doesnt make me want to go to the library. I want to see cars,trucks memorabilia things that interest Chevrolet enthusiasts. What kind of objects are considered worthy of library or museum? I do agree with Chipper in finding away to compensate donors,heirs of donors of materials or iron in the future. Who knows what might be donated or offered to the VCCA. Question of where would be a good location "Joplin MO." that way I could work there.
Thanks Lyle

The word "Museum" is misleading some here - it is a library being discussed. You won't find cars and trucks at a library.

The "Museum" idea is a nice one, but it's not cheap to run a museum! If you decide to charge admission, you get into grey areas that may or may not effect our status as a non-profit organization. Museums need employees that need to be paid… more not for profit stuff involved there. Maybe an idea would be for us to affiliate ourselves with a place like the Sloan Museum, or GM Heritage Centre. Allow them to cover the expenses, have our members donate or loan items for a period to keep displays fresh, and allow our members a huge discount to visit.

One could consider the upcoming 55th Anniversary National meet a traveling museum of sorts.

Lyle, this would be a great meet to take your family to.

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/334981/1

Cheers, Dean