Car Club President Apparel Program

The car club president carries the apparel program as part of the role. Done right, the program funds the club treasury, builds member identity, and creates milestones members work toward. Done wrong, it creates inventory headaches and arguments about design. This guide is the four-tier structure that consistently works for clubs from 20 to 200 members.

The Four-Tier Structure

Apparel programs that scale long-term run four distinct tiers:

• Member tier: Standard club apparel. Tees, hoodies, hats, sweatshirts. Open to any member. Most-ordered tier by volume.
• Officer tier: Embroidered polos and quarter-zips. Reserved for elected officers (president, VP, treasurer, road captain, secretary, sergeant at arms). Distinguishes officers visually at events.
• Lifer tier: Premium varsity-style jackets and limited-edition outerwear. Reserved for founding members, lifers (5+ years), or annual award recipients. Smallest distribution, highest meaning.
• Event tier: Annual show shirts, cruise night apparel, and event-specific drops. Open to attendees of the specific event. Generates the largest single-event revenue.

The tiering is what gives the apparel program structure. Members see the next tier as something to work toward instead of seeing apparel as flat.

Why Tiering Matters

A flat apparel program (everything available to everyone) has no progression. Members buy the tee, maybe a hoodie, and stop. The tee they own is the same tee the new member who joined yesterday will buy. Nothing distinguishes the founding member who built the club from the visitor who showed up last week.

A tiered program creates progression. The new member sees the officer polos and the lifer jacket as future goals. The founding member wears the jacket as visible recognition for years of service. The structure deepens the club identity and gives members reasons to stay engaged across years.

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Decision Rights: Who Picks Designs

The most common source of apparel program conflict: who decides on designs. The structure that works for most clubs:

• President or designated apparel chair: Final design approval. One person owns the call so designs do not get watered down by committee.
• Officer input: Officers provide feedback on officer-tier designs (the polo they will wear). Their input matters because the officer wears the polo to events.
• Member input via vote or poll: For member-tier designs and event-specific apparel, an Instagram poll or club meeting vote provides input. The president still has final approval but uses the input to inform the call.
• No design by committee: Avoid the situation where eight members redesign the logo by Slack message. One person owns the design, others provide input, the design ships.

Treasury Management Across the Tiers

Different tiers should carry different markup strategies based on their role in the program:

• Member tier: Low markup ($3 to $5 per piece) or at cost. Member-tier apparel is for member access, not for treasury revenue.
• Officer tier: Mid markup ($5 to $8 per piece). Officers expect to pay for their own apparel, and the small markup funds officer events and meetings.
• Lifer tier: High markup ($15 to $20 per piece). Lifer-tier apparel is awarded but not free. The markup funds the lifer recognition program itself (banquets, awards).
• Event tier: Highest markup ($10 to $20 per piece). Event apparel funds the events. Annual show shirt revenue often covers the show's operational costs.

Revenue Tracking and Reporting

Most car clubs report apparel revenue once a year at the annual meeting or banquet. A simple tracking framework:

• Monthly order count and revenue by tier
• Quarterly comparison to the same quarter last year
• Annual summary at the banquet showing tier breakdown and how the apparel funded club expenses

Four-Tier Annual Revenue Math (60-Member Club)

Tier	Pieces Sold per Year	Avg Markup	Annual Revenue
Member (tees, hoodies, hats)	150	$5	$750
Officer (polos, quarter-zips)	20	$6	$120
Lifer (jackets)	5	$18	$90
Event (annual show)	200	$12	$2,400
Total	375		$3,360

Frequently Asked Questions

Should member-tier apparel run at cost or with markup?

A small markup ($3 to $5 per piece) is the most common approach. Member-tier apparel is for member access more than treasury revenue, but a small markup covers the program admin overhead. Some clubs run at cost to maximize accessibility.

Who has final design approval in a car club apparel program?

Best practice: the president or a designated apparel chair has final approval. Officers and members provide input via vote or poll, but one person owns the call so designs do not get watered down by committee. Avoid design-by-committee at all costs.

How should the annual show tier price relative to member tier?

Annual show tier typically runs $10 to $20 markup vs $3 to $5 for member tier. Event apparel functions as both club identity and event funding. The higher markup covers show operational costs (permits, venue, awards, food).