President’s Message
------------------------------------------------MAY 2009---------------------------------------
What a great turn out for the May Tour! If the wind didn’t blow us off track then it was our inability to read directions. Oh Well we all ended up at the at the same place at the right time. I was beginning to wonder if we should drive through Scott County Park, it said horses today and I was driving 454and so were others! It was a good run for us to work out the bugs on our vehicles that have been in storage for a long winter nap.
The car season has definitely arrived and it’s about time. If you look hard enough you can find a car event somewhere every weekend. As I write this I am looking forward to the bus trip. 41 members are trekking to Dearborn and Hickory Corners for some interesting collections and good fun. We’ll have lots of stories to tell when we return I’m sure.
One of our duties is to get the word out about our club and the National Club. One of the ideas brought up at the annual meeting was to donate your Antique Automobile Magazine to your local library with a label inside containing contact information for our club. If you would consider doing this labels can be provided.
Plan on joining us for our Annual Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast June 21st.
Mary B.
-------------------------------------------April 209----------------------------------------------
President’s Message
What a great crowd we had again at the Spring Potluck and the roar of the crowd as the cars zipped down the track took us all back to the kids we once were and the kids that were there found a new side to the grown-ups that they probably didn’t know. Thanks to the Benson’s. The Hoaglunds, and the Nelsons who came early in the rain and helped me set up for the potluck and those that helped me set up for the potluck and those that helped Fred put the track together!
“On the Road Again” is on! We have 37 confirmed people to go on our bus trip to Dearborn and Hickory Corners. That is far short of the bus capacity of 54 but enough that we don’t’ want to cancel. If you have a friend or relative that still would like to go we can take reservations up to the time of departure as long as we can still get hotel reservations. We put out survey sheets on the tables at our fall banquet and each one suggested this particular but trip. We had hoped for a full bus but since we haven’t met our goals I would like to suggest a donation of $10 per person to help pay for the bus plus whatever you want to give for the drivers tip. If you care to help just bring it along when we board the bus. We have a great time on our bus trips and still hope more will join in.
I have looked at my Model T; it says it’s time for spring let alone me. The weather changes to 60 and I’m ready to take it out of storage and the next day it snows! I must admit that I’m getting a bit impatient. Hope to see you at the meeting where Chuck “Velie” Hoaglund has a great presentation for us and of course the cake and ice cream.
Mary B
-----------------------------------------March 2009--------------------------------------------
President’s Message
What a month this has been. We had a fantastic Show and Tell where even several of our new members participated. How great is that! Thanks to you the club and your generosity I attended the National Meeting February 13th and 14th in Philadelphia. I was accompanied by son and now Board Member Fred Bartemeyer Jr. Flights were on time even though the east was having big winds the day we landed. I think it is important to for you to know what goes on at a National Meeting. Every day is filled with seminars. Some are geared for officers and club business and a few seminars are geared toward the hobby itself. I attended those mostly geared toward the club, while Fred attended some of the others.
Meeting start at 8 each day, they give you a half hour for lunch and end at 4:15 so it’s a very busy and long day. My first session was Region and Chapter Officer Training. Here they went over what our duties were, how to encourage participation, volunteerism, and get a plan of action started. Ideas were also presented on how to finance the club and activities. Next I went to Automobiles-Objects of Art. This turned out to be a lecture on automotive art, drawing, paintings, castings, models ECT. Not quite what I thought it would be so half way through I ducked out to the Trade Show. My 11:30 session was split between Region/Chapter Activities and Publications. Per the conversations at publications we have a great publication that earned an Award of Merit for Jim and Kaye Scott. HURRAH!!!
The afternoon brought AACA National Activities the “How To for National Activities”. We have a well seasoned crew for our upcoming Nationals and this seminar was directed at those regions that had never hosted a national. The economy was at the forefront of these discussions and where cost cutting. Measures could come to play. Next I must admit I attended the seminal on the Model T Fords. Elmer Fox of Pennsylvania tells some interesting info and answers any questions that might be asked. We are spoiled in this region because we have great experts here at home.
You now get an hour or so to rest because on Friday evening the President’s Banquet is held. Region President’s eat free! After the banquet there is a silent and live auction to benefit the club museum. This goes on until the wee morning hours. Some neat stuff but out of my budget. Day 2 started with National Judging School which goes over the new changes to the rules and then refreshes everyone on current policies. Next session was Engaging Youth in the Hobby. This one is top on my priority list. Without youngsters in our hobby we will not continue to survive. If we don’t’ get youngsters interested in our hobby who will carry on out great traditions and wealth of knowledge. We as a club need to invest in our youth. Enough of my soapbox! After lunch it was Membership and Keeping the Old Ones Happy! This was a comical open forum on working together for the good of all members. Next came the General Membership Meeting. We are now over 16,000members strong with over 400 regions and chapters. For the first time in a few years the membership has gained new members. Over the last year they have developed a strategic plan to take us far into the future. They are talking to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) for some sort cooperative agreement where we might get access to their Patent’s Library that goes back to the inception for the automobile. That would be a wealth of knowledge open to the automotive industry for everyone to access. There was a discussion regarding how our National President’s are elected, as usual some pro and some con. The treasurer’s report showed a balance budget with expenses under control. Museum and Library representatives spoke on their financial stability, purpose and upcoming events. It was an interesting meeting. Last but not least was the National Awards Banquet, some beautiful cars winning some outstanding awards as our members did last year.
It is a very busy two days but something that or Region must have a representative at every year. We need to be aware about what is going on at headquarters and have our voices heard. We don’t live on the east coast where most Regions are concentrated, so it’s amazing how some down to earth Midwest reasoning can and needs to come into play. Many new friends were made and old ones renewed. One of our former Region Presidents Tom Oliver said to be sure and says high. He was manning the Museum Booth at the Trade Show and we had a great visit. Thanks for the opportunity and perhaps you will see in practice some of what I picked up soon!
Mary B
-----------------------------------------February 2009-----------------------------------------
President’s Message
What a great day for the Sloppy Joe lunch. The winter broke long enough that 47 members came out to talk cars and enjoy each others company! We had a trivia contest and I have to admit and error. One of the questions was “What was Henry Ford’s wife’s name?” it isn’t Mary it was Clara per the book I am reading “The Legendary Model T Ford”. I apologize!
Enclosed in this newsletter are the details of out next bus trip to Detroit-Henry Ford Museum-Greenfield Village-Rouge Plant and Hickory Corners-Gilmore Auto Collection. The bus is reasonable, the first hotel not only gives you a room, free breakfast, but also 2 passes for any two of the Detroit venues we will be visiting. That’s a deal! Although many of you have been to these museums Henry Ford says it changes displays often and the Gilmore is adding two new barns of cars this year. We have to start on Friday morning so that we have plenty of time to wander the vast museums we plan to see but will return Sunday evening! Sound like fun to me! Get your reservations in early, after March 1st we are opening the trip to other auto clubs. First come first serve, no refunds unless we would end up with a waiting list. Those that went on our trip last year had a really great time. Hope you can join us this year!
Events are starting to shape up but will still have a couple summer months free. How about some members stepping up and giving us some help! We are getting large enough that we need more members stepping up to help. It’s not hard; you have a lot of good ideas that need to be used. See you at show and tell!
Mary
The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village Website: www.hfmgv.org/
The Gilmore Auto Collection website: http://gilmorecarmuseum.org/
----------------------------------------------January 2009-------------------------
President’s Message
Happy New Year
Your Officers and all of the Board of Directors had a very productive meeting on Wednesday with many plans in the works for a very busy car season starting with a Sloppy Joe Lunch on the 31st hosted by your President! If anyone would like to assist in the table set-up, have questions for the trivia contest, please email or call me! If you leave me on my own it’s hard telling what could happen.
We owe a big thank you to Lois Frels for all her work on the fall banquet. There have been rave reviews on the meal, the program, and all the door prizes. Thanks to all who brought items for the silent auction and the door prizes . It was a fantastic evening. I am impressed that we already have 144 members that have renewed their dues for 2009 and we are welcoming 4 new members. The Youngquists and the Yorks. Welcome, please come and join our fun! We also lost a long distance member in Mary Heckman of Nashville, TN. They have been members for many years and in the few times I got to meet them they said they just enjoyed reading our newsletter. I am attending the National Meeting in Philadelphia in February. If you have any thoughts or concerns that you would like brought to their attention please let me know. And last but not least I would like to remind everyone that we are a club that enjoys older automobiles, this year 1984 and earlier. We are made up of many political and religious faiths, members that started this organization and new ones that want to learn and enjoy our hobby. With today’s busy schedules I realize that not everyone can attend every event, but let’s make everyone feel welcome so that our club can continue to grow, expand and have fun.
Mary B.