During the late 1980’s two MG enthusiasts from St.Joseph, IL (internationally known as “Frank & Ernie, MG Mechanics at Large”) began having a late autumn cookout for local MG enthusiasts in the Champaign area. Held at the residence of Frank (Dik Sleeth), this picnic would draw a dozen or so MGs and their owners each year. The idea of forming a local MG club was first kicked around here.

 

But it was at a national MGB convention held in Atlanta, Georgia in June of 1990 that Frank and Ernie sat at the bar of the Holiday Inn with Jerome Rosenberger and Ken Smith and the pressure was applied to formally organize what would become the POMGC (and of course become an affiliate of the newest MG Register on the block, the NAMGBR).

 

An application form was designed and printed; placed under the windscreen wipers of MGs found in the parking lots of shopping centers; mailed or hand delivered to friends and strangers alike. The club quickly grew in numbers and also expanded outside of the boundaries of Champaign/Urbana, to include Decatur, Springfield, Bloomington, Danville, Peoria, and surrounding villages. The POMGC currently has approximately 100 family memberships on its roster of “members in good standing”. 

 

Contests were held to “officially” name the club, to design a logo for the club, and to name the club’s newsletter. Justine Schoeplein, MGB Owner from Urbana, IL came up with the Prairie Octagon moniker that combined the prairie heritage of Illinois and the symbol of our beloved marque. Linda McCoy, MGA owner of Decatur, IL developed what would become our logo, a wire wheeled tyre next to the MG octagon standing on the shape of what had been the MG dealer signs of years past. John Schmale, MGPB owner from Mahomet, IL, won the “name the newsletter” contest with “Morris Matters”. 

 

Activities of the club have expanded to include tech sessions, caravans to British car shows, holiday parties, Sunday drives and “Natters n’ Noggins”, as well as “non-MG” related activities such as visits to productions of the Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Bloomington, visits to one of the few drive-in movies remaining in Illinois, trips to historical sites such as Lincoln’s New Salem and Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, or travels on “historic US 66” for the members to enjoy.

 

In the spring of 1992, the POMGC joined forces with the Central Illinois Triumph Owners Association to host the Champagne British Car Festival, an all British car weekend held in May of each year. The CBCF has become one of the more popular British car meets in the Midwest and draw enthusiasts from several surrounding states. Many of the activities started by the CBCF such as “High Tea” and the “Pub Crawl” have found their way into the schedules of other British car events. (Imitation is one of the best compliments one can receive!)

 

The Prairie Octagon enjoys its relationship with other British car clubs in the Midwest; many friendships have developed over the years. . . all of this precipitated by the antics . . and friendship. . of two MG nuts . . Frank and Ernie.

 

The POMGC was recognized as an affiliated chapter of the North American MGB Register in the summer of 1992.