The MG Club of St. Louis January 2010 Newsletter Volume 23, Issue 1 www.stlouismgclub.com

For Members in Good Standing With The MG Club Of St. Louis

Lead Story Headline

Newsletter Highlights

HERE’S A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE NEWS IN THIS ISSUE. MORE DETAILS ON THESE TOPICS BEGIN ON PAGE 2. WHAT’S INSIDE We had a pretty nice fall and there  We went night rallying on Page 5 seemed to be something going on every just to tempt the Prince of Darkness. Chairman's Message 2 weekend. Kathy Kresser submitted a fine Spur-of-the- 3 series of articles covering quite a few of  If you are tired of driving yourself Moment Drive these events. They are really nice to look around and are in KC you might want By Kathy Kresser back on during winter. to look up the fellow from Page 7 British Invasions 4  Ranney Dohogne indulged his own  There is a Spur of the Moment drive By Kathy Kresser to wine country on Page 3 curiosity about some of the forgotten marques on Page 8 Night Rally 5  Page 4 details two British Invasions, By Kathy Kresser both involving heavy food A Touch of British 7 Charm in Kansas City Tip on navigating this new format: There are hyperlinks throughout the newsletter. Click on anything in blue to move to Other Marques 8 that location. By Ranney Dohogne

Editors note: Schedule of Events 10 Moving to an all electronic format has allowed me to lengthen the newsletter as needed. There has been a steady stream of articles since I began editing the newslet- November Meeting 13 ter, please keep it going, there is always room. Minutes

General Account 15 COMING UP IN THE FEBUARY EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER: Financial Report

 There are still some remaining arti-  Our T-Series Registuar Charlie Key cles about the fall touring season. writes a technical article on oil seals.

 Don Gatheman gives us a blow by blow  Of course there will be Party reviews description of his trials with a wind- and there is a Tech session to cover. shield wiper motor.

Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Chairman’s Message Bob Bentzinger

Happy New Year!

When I was elected Chairman for 2009-10, I started searching for new activities to enhance the regular monthly meetings. I came up with the idea of the ―mini‖ tech session. My concept of the mini tech is a 5 to 10 minute presentation at the meet- ing which relates to our LBC’s. Everyone is welcome to participate. Perhaps it is an explanation of how SU carbs work, a simple way to improve engine performance, an improvement to the electrical system, or a solution to a problem encoun- tered while working on or driving the ; in short, any subject relating to our . I got the idea from some of the articles I’ve read in our newsletters.

At the November meeting, I kicked things off with my presentation about the uses of diodes in LBC’s. I talked briefly about how they work and their uses in alternators and control circuits. I also touched on the use of light emitting diodes (LED’s) to replace incandescent lamps and reduce power demands on the electrical system.

At the December meeting, Don Gatheman gave a short presentation about how to include an inexpensive audible warning device in the turn signal circuit to prevent driving miles with the blinker on. This is useful in daylight hours, when the turn signal switch doesn’t reset properly, or for those of us whose hearing is marginal (due to age and/or riding around in a noisy LBC). Bob Horzmann also gave a short presentation on the advantages or replacing rubber suspension bushings with those made of other materials such as urethane.

We have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the club and I hope this mini tech idea allows more people to share that knowledge and perhaps sparks new ideas for improving our LBC’s. Also if you would rather not give a mini tech at the meeting or have trouble making it to the meetings, I encourage you to put together a short article and send it to Todd for inclusion in our newsletter.

Our traditional holiday party, dubbed the ―Christmakah‖ party is coming up this month at Bully’s in Columbia Illinois on Saturday January 16, 2010 (check the Hotline, website, or this newsletter for further details). I would like to see as many of you there as possible for the festivities. If you’ve never taken part in the ―Rob Your Neighbor‖ gift exchange, you’re in for some great fun and it won’t cost much (gift limit is $10).

Also our first full tech session of 2010 is coming up on Monday January 18 at All British Car Repair. We will be working on converting the MGB rear drum brakes to disc brakes.

Get a good start to 2010 by making a resolution to attend more Club activities!

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Spur-of-the-Moment Drive have traded the car using the Cash for Clunkers program. It was obvious she knew much more about horses than classic By Kathy Kresser cars.

The weather was too perfect for Sunday, November 8 to not We started looking at the surroundings, thinking of building drive a . After all, it could be the last of the sum- bonfires because we are wondering where was the tow truck. mer-like days until 2010. A small group of cars – one MG Finally, Darla Bridges hears a low rumble and spots a truck Midget, one MGA, one Triumph TR3, and one Ford Mustang rounding the corner. It looked like a tow truck in the dis- traversed the hills and curves of St. Charles County in search tance, and she was stopping that tow truck regardless of of a winery. You know, wineries are hard to come by in this where it was headed. It was the expected truck and he area! quickly loaded the car.

About ten miles from the winery, a car experienced a me- The day was great for top-down, pedal-to-the-medal driving, chanical problem. You guessed it; the Ford Mustang, not a the countryside was open for viewing and the private picnic British car, totally lost its steering ability! Fortunately, the in a very private location was a great ending to what could ace driver Bob Bridges barely maneuvered the car into the have been a disaster. middle of a farm house driveway without incident.

Well, as the saying goes, ―found on road dead‖ fit the de- scription to a T. After placing a summons to a tow truck, we examined the options on the winery/picnic idea. Three, two -seater cars with eight people – not good. The driveway was wide enough to park the cars, the owner didn’t have a prob- lem with our presence, and there were big, flat-topped rocks to use as tables; so we picnicked in the driveway while wait- ing for the tow truck. Fortunately, we had wine with us and didn’t need the winery for supplies. Food was great, wine was superb, company outstanding, and location, location, location.

Being standard time, the light of the day was beginning to fade as we are still waiting and waiting for the tow truck. The owner joined us after we had been camped in her drive- way for over two hours. She suggested to Bob that he should

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

British Invasions tures on The Back Page) involved driving - and food, of course. It was a multi-cultural invasion with British cars By Kathy Kresser visiting French towns and eating German food. The Renault Wurstmart (a church sausage dinner) in Renault, Illinois, was the lucky spot. The group of MGs met Sunday morning in Columbia, Illinois, and drove along the bluffs and all On Sunday morning, October 18, the Donuts Drive-In on around to Renault. Tickets for dinner were purchased, and Watson Road was invaded by British cars. For a change, the with an hour and a half wait, the group of twenty drover sunny and dry morning provided a good start to the day as through Prairie du Rocher and to Fort Chartres, returning to well as the healthy, sugary, greasy donuts. The hood of Bob the church. Pork sausage, potatoes, veggies, homemade Bentzinger’s MG GT served as the breakfast table – only Bob apple butter and delicious homemade desserts were con- would allow greasy bags of donuts and steaming hot coffee sumed before heading home. Blazing fall colors added to cups to rest on his car. Thanks, Bob, but I wonder why he the backdrop of the drive. doesn’t complain.

Thanks to all those who participated and Janel Demick, MG Part of the enthusiasts extended the invasion to Sackman Events Chairperson, for organizing these invasions. Those Field, Columbia, Illinois, for the Fly-In/Car Display. Club who attend will tell you they are fun! Join the group for the member, Brian Demick, elected to fly-in with his father-in- next invasion. law. Aircraft were landing and taking off throughout the day. The classic planes, newer planes and light planes shared the field with classic cars and motorcycles - a terrific turnout of toys.

One caught my attention - the white 1954 Chevro- let Corvette with red interior. In fact, Darla Bridges and I both lusted for this car, but our respective husbands told us to keep on lusting because it wasn’t in the game plan.

The light aircraft were amazing. There is barely a seat for the pilot; it is an open-air cockpit and looks scary on the ground, let alone in the air. Carol Mangles was keeping a close watch on husband John, because the daredevil in him would jump at the chance to fly in one of these gadgets.

Boys and their toys – it never ceases to amaze me!

Another British Invasion on Sunday, October 25, (see pic-

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Night Rally ters guided us through Missouri Research Park. Firstly, I was surprised at the number of businesses in this park and By Kathy Kresser secondly, I liked the Novus building. All four sides are clear glass from ground to the top. Everyone enjoys a window office.

Have you participated in a night rally? If not, you really should do it next year. Roads that are familiar during the day become totally unknown at night. Finding answers to The majority of the rally drivers returned to Fox and Hound rally questions is almost a joke for most of us. One cannot for dinner. Drinks and dinner arrived, conversation contin- see anything other than headlights in your face. And did I ued on and on and then we realized Bob and Walt had not mention the deer crossing the road? Seriously, night rallies returned. Finally, they entered the restaurant; at least they are fun and interesting as everything takes on a new per- finished the rally. I think they thought there was a prize for spective. being last.

The rally started in Chesterfield Valley for a drive through Everyone enjoyed the event, laughed at the missed turns, St. Charles County. Most people on the rally thought they made wild guesses on rally questions, and looked forward to knew exactly how to arrive in St. Charles County. Well, the next rally. Tip of the hat to Robert and Simon; we ap- there is more than one way to skin a cat and more than one preciate your time and energy to keep us entertained. way to plan a rally. Many people missed the first right turn of the rally, thus missing several rally questions. Some par- ticipants called others to find out: Where is Edison Road?

Rally masters Simon Dix and Robert Rushing found great twisty and scary roads to travel at night. They borrowed a few ideas from Bob Horzmann who has planned many a rallies. After several road signs with squiggly lines, one wonders why the highway department bothered to post the warning. The entire length of the road is twisty, hilly and curvy. I totally understand why Simon offered caution on these roads. When he and Robert were mapping the route, one turn was nearly missed and Simon could only see the tops of trees and the edge of the road fast approaching. His thoughts included, ―This is going to hurt.‖ Fortunately, Robert pulled the car back under control and continued at a slightly slower pace.

Avoiding as much of Interstate 64 as possible, the rally mas- UK’s Lucas Ltd. to Build Electric Car

One of the United Kingdom’s most enduring brands will proceed with plans to Written by: build the quintessentially British electric vehicle. Lucas, the world leader in Josh Davidson faulty electrical components, has determined after decades of deliberation to finally push ahead with plans for an electric vehicle wholly of its own design. joshua.davidson2 @gmail.com

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

The Lucas electric car, to be called the “Prince” in homage to the company’s founder, Joseph Lucas, who died in 1902, tak- ing with him to the grave his secrets of how to make working electrical parts. Since that time, the company has been awarded more wisecracks than any other.

Lucas has led in many important innovations since, counting the first intermittent windshield wipers, the first self-dimming headlights, and the first anti-theft starter interrupt devices among its several inventions. The company has also long ex- tolled safe driving practices, as exemplified by its motto: “get home before dark.”

Lucas’s EV will be based on a design originally conceived in 1968. The company had intended to build the EV in the 1970s but the plans were thought destroyed when the company’s then-chief engineer’s car caught fire. The blueprints were recently rediscovered in fine shape in a back room, after having been overlooked for decades due to poor lighting.

Why is there no death penalty in England?

Lucas makes electric chairs.

I don't know anything about this other than the club was asked to be on the watch for this vehicle.

My name is David Stevens and my telephone # is 952-484-7760. I just had a 1965 Black MGB convertible sto- len from an out building on my father-in-laws farm in Northfield yesterday. The VIN# is CHN3255560. It is in rough shape as the restore had not started. No top and no front bumper. The tires were flat so I don‟t know how they moved it, It may have an Alabama rear license or a “‟Redstone Arsenal” sticker on the bumper. Could you please alert your members in case someone tries to peddle this car. Any help would be greatly ap- preciated.

Blessings, David

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

A Touch of British Charm in Kansas City This may be of interest if you find yourself in KC in need of transport. http://londonscarriagekc.com/

Most of us know of the London Taxi. This model of London Taxi was in service from 1958 - 1997. However, this is no ordinary London Taxi.

It may look it, but it has many more fea- tures that differ it from a regular London Taxi. This vehicle was one of 100 London Taxi's that were imported into the USA in 1986. This one happens to be No: 49 in the line up. What differs it from a regular Lon- don Taxi is that it doesn't have the regular ol' diesel engine as those ol' engines would- n't meet the USA standards. It has instead Out the Back Garden with the wee beastie 2.3 Ford Mustang engine, and gearbox that was fitted at the Detroit, Michigan plant. The taxi It still has the jump seats, but they also sport the velour seating. This is an extremely rare vehicle, is also fitted with a luxurious interior, and air- and one sure to be noticed on the streets of Kan- conditioning which is definitely not a standard item sas City soon. I was lucky enough to purchase this used on UK taxi's. It features electric windows for the rear cabin passengers, and velour seating. vehicle from an attorney in Ohio who has owned the vehicle for the last 7 years, and was still reluc- tant to part with the vehicle. However, I'll be stay- ing in contact with him, and he'll be seeing the vehicle put back to it's former glory as there are a The Driver few areas that need some help on the taxi. My name is Ray, and I’m an import direct from

Wimbledon, SW London. I’ve been a taxi driver, and a chauffeur on the streets of London for many, If you're getting married, and looking for a touch many years, and now ready to drive you to your of British in your wedding then why not hire this special event in one of England’s most iconic vehi- ol' British classic along with a classic ol' British cles. In my time, I have been lucky to drive many famous, and not so famous people along the streets bloke to drive it. of London, and beyond.

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Other Marques Ranney Dohogne

One of the things that has mystified me during my 40+ years of ownership of my is how forgotten Sunbeams and the other cars of their parent company, Rootes Group, seem to be. This is evident in the parts supply chain where most American British part suppliers don‟t even offer parts for Sunbeams. Even our own club inadvertently left the Sunbeam logo off the circle of marques on the back of the car show T-shirt when that design was first used. I suppose this is primarily the result of the relatively small amount of Rootes Group vehicles that were sold in this country. Alas, the dilemma that has led to this article to educate everyone, including myself, about what the Rootes Group had to offer.

I have always been confused by what seems to be an endless litany of cars made by the Rootes Group, and the research of the company to write this article has somewhat helped clear that up for me. It turns out that the Rootes Group was pretty much the General Motors of England with a lot of different brands and models. It originally started out as an auto distribution company and in the late 1920‟s took over the struggling and Humber (including ) car companies. It added Sunbeam, and in the 1930‟s. Commer and Karrier primarily made utility vehicles. The downward slide of the company pretty much started as a result of worker strikes between 1959 – 1961. It never recovered financially, and even the takeover by the Corp. in the mid „60‟s couldn‟t avert it‟s eventual demise in the late „70‟s. Chrysler sold it‟s interests in the company to in 1978, and as far as I can tell, Peugeot only made a car under the Talbot name for a while.

Some of the names of the cars manufactured by Rootes Group you may have heard of, but most are unusual and probably unknown to most people on this side of the ocean. Here are some of the names:

Hillman Minx Sunbeam Talbot

Hillman Husky

Hillman Avenger Humber Sceptre Sunbeam Tiger

Hillman Imp Humber

Hillman Wizard Humber Pullman Sunbeam Stilleto

Commer Cob Sunbeam Venezia

Singer Gazelle Singer Chamois

Singer Hunter

In case some of you wonder what some of these cars look like, a few pictures follow. I have left out the familiar Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger. In spite of their somewhat goofy sounding names (at least to Americans), the Humber Super Snipe and Commer Cob are nice looking cars.

I have always thought the Sunbeam Talbot was a nice looking car. It was the car in which Cary Grant drove Grace Kelly around Europe in the movie, “To Catch A Thief”. If you remember, Conrad Rolschen used to show one of these at our car show, but the car now lives somewhere in Pennsylvania.

The Sunbeam Venezia is another nice looking car. It was built on a frame with an alumi- num Italian body. There were only 145 made and I have personally seen 2 of them at our annual Sunbeam United. I would love to have one, but there is probably no telling what a restored one is worth.

Hopefully this article gives you a greater understanding of this once formidable British marque. Too bad it and the other lost British marques are gone. They certainly added something to the automotive world by creating unique automobiles.

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

1963 Singer Gazelle 1963 Hillman Minx

1954 Sunbeam Talbot 90 1955 Humber Hawk

1965 Commer Cob Van 1965 Humber Super Snipe

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Schedule of Events—Check www.stlouismgclub.com for Latest Info

Annual MG Club Holiday Party

Bully's Smokehouse, Columbia IL

$10 PER PERSON, LIMITED SEATING, sign up early

Saturday January 16, 2010

5-6pm cocktails, cash bar

6pm dinner

www.bullysmokehouse.com

Attendance prizes, raffles, 50/50

Also, our ever popular *Rob Your Neighbor* Gift exchange, $10 limit DEADLINE - January 11, 2010 or when capacity reached.

Mail checks to: Janel Demick

1028 Lexington Drive

Columbia IL 62236

For more information, call or email Janel at mgod- [email protected]

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

The Triumph Club sponsored Polar Bear Run for 2010 will be held on:

Sunday, February 14, 2010.

Cars will depart from Chesterfield Commons in Chesterfield Valley. Meet at the the very back part of the Target Store park- ing area, near the out-lot Mexican restaurant. The drive will be 1.5 hours.

Gather at 12:30 p.m., first car out 1:00 p.m.

The drive will end at Tom and Ann Stark's Home

16 Brazillian Court, Ladue, MO 63124.

(314-993-5314)

Bring a dish.

Any questions, please email or call Chris Kresser 636-394-3012.

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

GOF Mk XXXII July 1-3, 2010 Sawmill Creek Resort 400 Sawmill Creek Drive Huron, Ohio 44839 Hosted by the Ohio Chapter, NEMGTR

Yes, it's GOF Central, Ohio style, on wonderful Lake Erie. A few highlights include a Lake Erie sunset dinner cruise and an enjoyable drive around his- toric Marblehead Peninsula on our scenic rally/tour. Just down the road from world famous Cedar Point, the 235 acres of the Sawmill Creek Resort will be GOF Central headquarters for 3 days of fun by the lake.

This is also the North American Triple-M Regis- ter's annual focus event, so, those colorful 1930's MG's will be visiting in abundance with their Fabu- lous Triple-M Bibulous Gallimaufry Shenanigans. All this is right on Ohio's north coast playground within easy reach of major highways.

Whatever route your MG takes, be ready for a warm Buckeye State welcome in 2010!

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Hi Don, Janel & Fred,

The MG Club of St. Louis is invited to the 2010 Tucson British Car Roundup!

The dates for the Tucson British Car Roundup will be Friday February 26th through Sunday February 28th. There will be early registration with snacks and refreshments on Thursday night February 25th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. We do have a full day of activities planned for Friday with a start time of 8:00 am and for those that arrive a little later a start time of 10:00 am.

The car show is set for Saturday morning, February 27 at the Trail Dust Town, which is up the road from this years host hotel, the Ramada Inn on Tanque Verde. On Saturday afternoon, there will be other events such as a Funkhana, a Mini Golf Tournament, and a drive to Mount Lemmon. The Roundup Banquet is Saturday night.

Sunday will end the 2010 Roundup with awards at the buffet brunch.

A registration form and schedule of events has been posted on our web site. The web site link is: http://tucsonbritish.com/ Roundup.aspx.

If you have questions, please contact:

Sandy O‟Harra, Registration Chairperson 520-297-4584.

Email: [email protected]

 Jan 11—Regular monthly club meeting. 7:30 PM at the St. Louis County Main Branch  Jan 16—The annual St. Louis MG Club CHRISTMAKAH holiday festivities at Bully’s in Columbia, Ill.  Jan 18— Tech Session at All British Car Repair. Easy (hopefully) MGB rear disk brake conversion. Starting at 7:30 PM.  Feb 8—Regular monthly club meeting. 7:30 PM at the St. Louis County Main Branch  Feb 14—Polor Bear Run  Feb 15—Tech Session at British Cars of America  Feb 28— 14th Annual all British swap meet and auto jumble by Chicagoland MG Club

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

St. Louis MG Club Meeting Minutes

December 14, 2009

Chairman Bob Bentzinger called the meeting to order at 7:32pm.

Officers present: Bob Bentzinger, Byron Golfin, Stefanie Barnes, Janel Demick

Members present: Mike Barnes, Chris Kresser, Don Gatheman, John & Carol Mangles, Bob Horzmann, Rich Berger, Rich Griffin, Robert Rushing, Simon Dix, Bruce Hamper, John Rau, Fred Houser, Lee Fox, Mike Fishman, Sterling Ellis, Charlie Key, Jim Kelly, Adam Key, Frank Lauryssen, Mike Tutass, Walt Murphy, Bob Strathman.

Minutes from November meeting:

Motion to accept as submitted: Bob Horzmann

Second: Don Gatheman

Passed unanimously.

Treasury Report:

General fund: $2,449.34

Events fund: $4,486.37

Projects:

 Simon Dix: His 1972B’s excessive oil use was due to issues with the #4 piston. Installed a new scraper ring and all seems well.

 John Rau: Gateway Plating rechromed his TR6’s rear bumper at a cost of $300.

 Rich Berger: Spent a day raising his GT’s engine by 1/8 inch to make room for the fan belt.

 Bruce Hamper: Requested photos of ―Midgets with Giants‖ and showed a calendar with these photos, such as a Midget with the Arch, a Midget with a monster truck, etc. Cars belonging to Lee Fox, Don Gatheman, and others are in- cluded. Calendar is available through Café Press website, linked from www.sprite-midgetclub.org.

Mini-Tech Sessions:

 Don Gatheman showed a device that buzzes to let drivers know their turn signals have not auto-cancelled. Radio Shack part number 273-0059; costs about $4.

 Bob Horzmann showed two different types of bushings: standard V8 bushings, and prothane bushings, which re- quire a lubricant to work properly. He share his opinion that the prothane bushings are superior to V8 bushings.

Frank Lauryssen brought in a solar-powered trickle charger from NAPA.

Old Business:

 Robert Rushing: Presented a plaque from NAMGBR to Simon for best MG Club newsletter.

 Chris Kresser: Reported on the SLTOA Holiday Party at the Feasting Fox. 26 representatives from the MG Club attended. All agreed it was a good party with good food.

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

 Simon Dix: 12 or 13 cars traveled through Chesterfield Valley, ending at the Fox & Hound Restaurant.

New Business:

 January Tech Session: January 18, 7:00pm at All British Car Repair, 2618 Woodson Road. Topic is a rear conversion on John Perkins’s car.

 February Tech Session: February 15 at British Cars of America, 2338 N. Lindbergh Blvd. Topic to be determined.

 Holiday Lights Tour: December 16, 7:00pm. Meet at Starbucks in South City – Kingshighway & Chippewa. Dinner to follow at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House.

 Chrismakkuh Party: January 16 at Bully’s Smokehouse in Columbia, Illinois. Cocktails from 5-6pm followed by dinner at 6:00. $10/person. Cash bar. Attendance prizes, raffles, and rob-your-neighbor gift exchange. Bring a gift in the $10-$15 price range.

 Annual Charity Donation:

 Our Little Haven: Nominated by Janel Demick.

 St. Louis Honor Flight: Nominated by Don Gatheman.

 Motion by Mike Fishman to donate $250 to Our Little Haven and $250 to Backstoppers.

 This was followed by much discussion and many different suggestions:

 Simon Dix: Don’t make any donations, but use the money to recruit younger members; the club is not set up to make charitable donations.

 Charlie Key: The club used to get out and participate in helping people, rather than writing a check.

 Motion amended by Mike Fishman to make one donation to Our Little Haven.

 Sterling Ellis: Stated he works for a charity, and said if clubs want to promote themselves it is better to participate in a charity event rather than writing a check.

 Janel Demick: Suggested tabling donation discussion until after the holidays.

 Motion to table discussion: Bob Horzmann

 Second: Simon Dix

Approved by the attendees

Newsletter: In order to provide a printed newsletter, the club will now have to pay full price for printing, binding, fold- ing, tabbing, addressing, and mailing. For the past several years, the club has benefited from Mike Barnes’s employment at a printing company and only paid for materials. Mike donated his labor and Stefanie folded, tabbed, and stamped the newsletters every month.

 Todd Brown got quotes from various printing companies; if the club continues printing the newsletter for the club members who currently receive a printed copy, rather than an emailed copy, it could result in a $45 surcharge to those members in addition to their club dues.

 Todd Brown contacted other MG Clubs to inquire about their newsletter distribution practices. The ―vast majority‖ of clubs only have electronic newsletter via email or download.

 Motion: Bob Horzmann: Provide electronic newsletters, but allow those who want a printed copy to bear entire cost of printing/postage.

 Second: Janel Demick.

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

 Motion Amendment suggested: Simon Dix: Amend motion to ―Electronic Only.‖

 Amendment accepted: Bob Horzmann accepted amendment and called a vote.

 Motion passed unanimously.

Fred Houser will mail a letter, written by Club Secretary Stefanie Barnes, to those who currently only receive a paper newsletter via regular mail, notifying them that club newsletters will be distributed via email only starting January 2010, and asking them to supply him with an email address in order to continue receiving newsletters.

Attendance Prize Winners: Simon Dix, Janel Demick, Rich Berger

.Motion to adjourn: John Mangles

Second: John Rau

The meeting was adjourned at 8:50pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Stefanie Barnes

General Account Financial Report

By Byron Golfin MG Club of St. Louis Treasurer Statement of Income and Expense General Account November and December 2009

Beginning cash $ 2,390.26 Income Dues deposits 870.00 Other - Total Income $ 870.00 Expenses Newsletter Printing 103.30 Postage 51.48 Voice mail fee 30.84 Club Halloween Party 272.00 MG Car Club, LTD, Abingdon 102.05 Meeting attendance prizes 11.25 Meeting Room (Nov. Dec. plu 6 mo. Advance) 80.00 Total expenses $ 650.92

Ending cash $ 2,609.32

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Volume 23, Issue 1 The St. Louis Metro Gazette

Club Officers & Support Roles

Name Address Phone E-Mail

Bob Bentzinger 1129 Hudson Road (314) 524-6128 [email protected] Chairman St. Louis MO 63135-1424

Byron Golfin 152 Seabrook Drive (314) 469-7146 [email protected] Treasurer Chesterfield MO 63017-3616

Stef Barnes 4657 Varrelmann Ave. (314) 752-3869 [email protected] Secretary St. Louis MO 63116-2417

Janel Demick 1028 Lexington Dr (618) 401-5872 [email protected] Events Chairperson Columbia IL 62236

Fred Houser 544 Winding Trail Drive (314) 965-9320 [email protected] Membership Coordinator St. Louis MO 63131

Todd Brown 673 Augustine Rd. (314) 681-5597 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Eureka, MO 63025

Registrars Name Phone E-Mail

Pre-war Bob Horzmann (636) 227-3449 [email protected] T-Series Charlie Key (314) 428-9335 [email protected] MGA/Magnette John Mangles (636) 939-9338 [email protected] MGB/MGC Simon Dix (636) 240-6739 [email protected] Spridget Bruce Hamper (314) 822-4831 [email protected] Cars In Boxes Stef Barnes (314) 752-3869 [email protected] Other Marques Ranney Dohogne (314) 878-7766 [email protected] Historian Bob Bentzinger (314) 524-6128 [email protected]

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British cars head to French territory for German food.

Another fall tour, this time to the Wurstmart in Renault Ill. The best wurst you’ve ever had deep fried. And you might have thought our cars were dan- gerous!

Article on Page 4

Holiday Greetings

This one won’t be jumping out in front of any LBC’s soon

"The St. Louis Metro Gazette (SLMG)" is a publication of the MG Club of St. Louis and remains the property of the club. It is published monthly and is provided free to members in good standing and to officers of other British car clubs upon request. "SLMG" solicits articles from members and other sources. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Club, Club Officers, or the staff of the newsletter. Technical information is believed accurate, however, any repairs or mechanical advise is attempted at the readers own risk. The Club, Officers, or newsletter staff will not be responsible for any misinterpreted or incorrect technical information. If in doubt, consult with a certified technician. Articles may be reprinted by other car clubs provided that credit is given to author and ―SLMG‖

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