It all started in 1969. That was 40 long years ago. 40 years of hard work, fun, fellowship, friendships, hardships, turmoil, great competition, awesome trailrides, many late night repairs, so many campfires and so many other things that have made us a solid group. A group to be proud of, a group to be recognized as pioneers in the sport. How many of you have read the little blurb of the "History of EC4WDA" either in your Membership book or online?

The History of EC4WDA
Contact among eastern four wheelers began in 1965 when Pittsburgh's Triangle Jeepers held their first East Coast Four-Wheel-O-Rama in Wellsboro, PA. Other competitive and trailriding events followed and attracted many four wheelers. Those occasional camping weekends became annual events and ultimately friendships developed between clubs, families, and individuals.

Realizing the need to standardize running classes, rules and safety considerations, Triangle's club invitied Tri-County (Lisbon, OH) and Allegheny (Oil City, PA) four wheel drive clubs to send representatives to an inter-club meeting in February, 1969. The sixteen who attended the meeting formulated and approved the 1969 competition rules while discussing the need for an East Coast Four Wheel Drive Association (EC4WDA), set a date for the first meeting in State College, PA, inviting all known eastern clubs to send representatives.

Since that meeting in the fall of 1969, EC4WDA has grown to include membership encompassing eleven (11) states. The association is regionalized so club directors don't find it necessary to travel great distances for region meetings, which are held twice a year (Spring & Fall). The annual convention of all five (5) regions is conducted in November in Dubois, PA. The five Regions are region A, The Original, Region B, Atlantic, Region C, Mid-America, Region D, Northeast and Region E, Niagra.

EC4WDA was formed primarily to regulate competitive events. In recent years we have become involved in other organized four wheeling activities such as recreational activity (trail riding), conservation of resources, working together to prevent the closure of public lands, public and membership education, search & rescue operations, and getting involved with our local communities through a variety of community services.

So there you have it. That's how we got started 40 years ago. You know where we have been. Where we are going is up to us. We know what works for the EC4WDA. It may not be everyone’s "cup of tea" but it is what we are, it is what we are good at, and it is what we will continue to do.

Come to Somerset and join in the celebration this Labor Day weekend. You might be surprised at what you find!