It 1993 when a group of car enthusiasts got together at what was then King’s Food host, a drive in restaurant with drive-up ordering and real, honest to goodness car hops. One of those car enthusiasts was George Masters, brought to Minot by the U.S. Air Force. “We met there for about 9 months to a year informally” according to George “and then some of us said that you know what, we should form a club. Other people said, nah we don’t need that because then you need to have officers and elections and dues.” The car club folks eventually won out as the group met at the Eagles Club and “we formed the Dakota Cruisers” shares George.

The first order of business was to create a logo “which was a nice care with the words Dakota Cruiser words and we had it copyrighted, and we elected a President and it was me back then, and 31 years later here I am, still the President” Masters says with a chuckle.

By George’s own admission, the club may have overlooked putting term limits on the Presidency “and over the years I just haven’t mentored someone to take my place. It seems that the club likes what I do, and so I just keep doing it.”

There are now officially 584 Dakota Cruisers members, “plus we had some sign up at the last car show, so I am guessing we are probably at 600” according to Masters “and we have 242 lifetime members.”

What having the large number of members means to George, and of course the car club in general is that you have a greater pool of members to recruit volunteers from. And the participation, especially during the summer, is pretty robust. “When I have a meeting during the summer I will have 80-90 members, or even up to 100 show up.”

So what is the focus of the Dakota Cruisers? “Well, we offer scholarships, usually $1,000.00 in locations mainly from Rugby west to anyone who is going to further their education in the automotive field, and it’s all handled through their guidance counselors. We send out about 50 letters, and usually pick out 3 to 5 students for the scholarships” says George. The club has a scholarship fund that allows them to continue to award the yearly scholarships. The club is also active in scheduling mini car shows at assisted living centers throughout the region “and we visit with the residents. We take them for a ride or let them sit in one of the cars and they can relate to the car they may have had, or a neighbor had. It’s a little treat for them, they all love that.”

The group also does their summer cruises at U-Haul on South Broadway. The first Wednesday of the month the club either goes to a small town and have cook out or meet at the Dakota Cruiser club house. On many Wednesdays you can catch the Dakota Cruisers on Broadway “but some of the guys don’t even cruise, they just sit around and shoot the breeze or go out for dinner. Sometimes we have 5 to 10 cars. Sometimes we have 50 cars, or even up to 100.”

On April 19th the group got together and took kids to a toy museum in Carpio. “You know we are trying to get the next generation interested in cars” says Masters “and what better way to get a kid interested than to take them on and event like that.”

A Trip Back Through The Years
Even though George Masters says he has retired from Masters Restoration, a business solely dedicated to restoring old vehicles, his southeast Minot shop is a tour unto itself. George was in the Air Force, and part of his shop is tempered toward both the missiles and B-52’s from Minot Air Force Base. Up close to the rafters is a window from a B 52, on one wall is a collection of coins and pins given to George over the years.

There are now 3 vehicles in the Masters shop. A 74 Super Beetle, a 57 Chevy, and his newest project, a 55 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hard top, and there are other cars soon to arrive. “It’ll be full” George says with a smile, and I know George to certainly be a man of his word.

If you are a car nut like me, you know that each and every car, no matter who owns it, comes with a story. The cars and the stories are what has made the Dakota Cruisers special for over 31 years. And of course, it helps to have someone like George Masters with a good idea and a vision of what it takes to keep the Dakota Cruisers on the road.