Thanks Curtis. To preface my remarks, I just attended Mayberry Days in Mt. Airy, NC. I looked forward to it very much, but the reality was disappointing. I will take the lessons from that experience and address them to whatever MTD planners are monitoring this site.
The 50th Anniversary Celebration should be well adveritsed - nationally. People have to have lead time to make reservations and travel plans, plan time off from work, and finish up special projects for this event. Events should be planned out so that everyone has an opportunity to participate or attend, meaning again, there has to be communication and the event site(s) have to be large enough to accomodate the people attending.
I would incorporate a visual and written history (maybe a book - exclusively about Cub Cadets) of Cub Cadet, using participant and company displays of all the models from the Original to todays models. Of course, there should be a parade, with national news media outlets invited, and various Cub Cadet models should be driven in the parade, mabye pulling floats or wagons/carts. Invitations to local high school and college bands should be sent, with the incentive of being shown on national TV. Concerts, movies, dances, and the ability to mingle and talk with MTD execs, workers, planners, etc, would be greatly appreciated - everyone needs to be involved in some way. MTD agreeing to incorporate some of the most promising suggestions from participants into future models would be the Holy Grail to some of us?
There has to be something to occupy people at all times. Women, children, and the men, should all have something to do - being bored is not what one wants to remember! Tours of the assembly plant, garden tractor pulls, garden tractor races, Cub related arts and crafts sales, trade booths, trading and sales of Cub Cadets (local licenses made available - if necessary), mechanical how-to and show-me clinics by the mechanics at MTD or members of the Cub Cadet community. MTD could preview future models and provide opportunities for everyone to try out today's new machines.
If there is a Special Anniversary model, it should be shown at the event. Let everyone get a look, a chance to salivate over it, and place an order.
My idea of a Special Anniversary model would be to reintroduce one of the Super Garden Tractors of the 90's, with hydro, diesel, full deck/front/rear hydraulics, metal hood instead of the plastic originals, 50th graphics, three point or category 0 hitches, etc, in yellow and white. I doubt MTD would reproduce an IH model, but they have the tooling and equipment to build a 90's model Super.
I want to participate, but I need feedback in order to do that, as does everyone else. Please, if anyone from MTD is monitoring, just let us know and give us some comments on what things you are looking at and which things are not going to be done.
John-David Reaves
ROLL TIDE