Vintage Bird Words Oct.—Dec

Vintage Bird Words Oct.—Dec. 2014 WWW.VINTAGEBIRDS.COM ANNUAL DUES $15.00

President’s Report We are approaching the end of summer and while much of the country has been hot we have had a cool summer in Central New York. We have had many nights in the fifties and I can only remember two days above ninety. That made for good sleeping weather for the rally Jim Miller we had in Oswego. No one was too warm at night or worried about air President (607)898-4626 conditioning. [email protected] We had a total of 93 RVs in Oswego with 20 of them Bluebirds. 16 of the 20 were Vintage Bird members. Through Steve Pappas' hard work Shane Fedeli 1st vice President all four of the others have said they would join our chapter. Steve was Webmaster aided in this by national FMCA President Charlie Adcock offering [email protected] non FMCA members a free first year. On Sunday of the rally the Vintage Birds manned the griddles and Steve Pappas cookers and turned out breakfast for about 150. We had pancakes, 2nd Vice President scrambled eggs and sausage and the crew pulled it off without a (973)-764-7409 problem. If you have never cooked for 150 in a parking lot it was a [email protected] challenge. I want to thank all that helped after I volunteered the group. They did a great job from set up until the pots and pans were Jane Gesse clean. Secretary There are several rallies coming up, Tom Sorrentino has a two part (423) 667-9488 [email protected] rally in New York and then Shane Fedeli returns to Hershey. I have been to rallies hosted by both and I am sure you will enjoy them. Fol- Jim Hamrick lowing them is the annual business meeting rally that will be hosted Treasurer, Parliamentarian by Jim and Nell Hamrick in Rome, Georgia. This rally is being held at (706) 232-2486 a large air show that promises to be exciting and different. It is not too [email protected] late to sign up so contact Jim at 706-232-2486 and join us. Immedi- ately after this rally is the WOG rally and then the Family of Friends Sue Marino rally so make an adventure of the trip. National Director We are still looking for a few people to form a social committee. It (321) 431-5874 would be good to have some people from different areas and age [email protected] groups to keep us up to date on what's going on and help plan future

Andrea Dixon, Editor events . If you are in contact with a lot of members how about volun- [email protected] teering for this? We also want to find out who would prefer to get the newsletter via email. This would save trash in your coach and reduce the chapters biggest expense. For those that are full timing it would not be waiting for you somewhere. I was told by one person it was one of the few pieces of mail they get. Please let me know with a good email address if you would like to get the newsletter by email. I hope to see many of you in Rome. Jim Rallies, Rallies Rallies!!! If you ever wanted to get out and meet other owners- these are the best places to do it! We have several rallies planned over the next several months. Here are just a few to whet your appetite! More will be posted as they become known. If you are interested in hosting a rally near your hometown or at a special event, contact me at 717-645-4912 or via email at [email protected]

September 11-14, 2014- Taste of New Paltz- NY Food and wine festival. Ulster Co, Fairgrounds. Con- tact Tom Sorrentino at 914-403-5958. It's centered around the Taste of New Paltz Food and Wine festival. http://www.newpaltzchamber.org This is an event that's on Sunday Sept. 14th. A lot of the local restaurants sell sample tastes of their specialties. There is also a lot to see and do in the area- you could easily spend a week there seeing something different everyday

September 15-21, 2014- Croton Park, NY- NYC Feast of San Genarro- Indoor and outdoor dining at 35 of Little Italy 's most famous Italian restaurants. More than 300 licensed street vendors selling interna- tional foods. Day trips to West Point Military Academy, Manhattan, NYC museums, Camping with full hookups at Croton Point Park along the Hudson River north of NYC. Contact Tom Sorrentino at 914- 403-5958

September 25-27, 2014- Tri-State Antique Truck Show- Winchester, VA- Over 300 Antique Trucks and Tractors on display. Held Annually at the Frederick County Fairgrounds in Winchester, VA. Contact Barry Grim at 717-577-4642 or Shane Fedeli at 717-645-4912.

October 6-12, 2014- Antique Auto Club of America annual Fall meet and show- Hershey, PA- Week-long rally centered around the largest Antique Car show in the world. Day trips to Lancaster county (Amish culture), guided PA State Capitol tour, National Civil War Museum and Hershey’s Chocolate of course! Contact Shane Fedeli at 717-645-4912.

October 17-19, 2014- Wings over North Georgia rally- Rome, GA- Largest Air Show east of OshKosh, WI. World-class air performers, competitors and special guests from around the globe. Event also in- cludes a BBQ competition. Annual Business Meeting for Officers and interested members. For more information, see www.wingsovernorthgeorgia.com Contact Jim Hamrick at [email protected]

October 22-26, 2014- Wanderlodge Owners Group rally- Pine Mountain, GA. This is the largest gather- ing of Bluebirds anywhere and the best opportunity to see such an assortment of coaches and meet so many great owners. In addition it is the best place ever to have access to face to face technical help or any other questions. This is your opportunity to see an example of almost every model made and ask owners any question you may have. Contact Pine Moutain Campground for reservations at 706-663- 4329 or visit their website at http://www.rvcoutdoors.com/pine-mountain

March 13-14, 2015- Panhandle Pioneer Rally- Blountstown, FL. Based around annual spring festival- Panhandle Folk Life Days featuring demonstrations of various aspects of the lives of Florida's pio- neers. http://www.panhandlepioneer.org/about.htm For more information, contact Richard Ramsey at 850-447-1700

October 11-17, 2015- Table Rock, SC- Autumn rally in the hills of South Carolina near Table Rock State Park . Tour of the BMW facilities, Pickens County Flea Market. Annual Business Meeting for Officers and interested members. Some potlucks and outings to local restaurants. Rally to be held at Palmetto Cove RV resort. For more information, contact Ross or Karen Dover at 864-979-0870 or [email protected] PLEASE SUBMIT THIS SHEET WITH ANNUAL DUES PAYMENT OR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

(CHECK ONE)____MEMBERSHIP DUES PAYMENT _____MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

______First Name (Please Print) Middle Name Last Name

______Spouse/Other First Name Spouse/Other First Name Spouse/Other First Name

______Street Apt. No/Box City State Zip

(_____) ______(______)______Home Phone Cell Phone

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______Coach Make, Model. Year FMCA Number

>>>ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION<<<

______Preferred Name for Badge One Preferred Name for Badge two

REMIT TO: Vintage Birds Contact Jim Hamrick, Treasurer 318 East Fourth Street E-mail [email protected] Rome, GA 30161 Telephone (706) 232-2486

Membership Applicants (First year dues and initiation fee) $30.00

Membership renewal (Please Circle) 2013, 2014, 2015 year(s) $15 per year $______

Check Number______Amount Remitted $______

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Note: FMCA dues must be current for Vintage Bird membership to remain in good standing.

BY LAW CHANGES FOR MEMBERSHIP VOTE OCTOBER 17, 2014

ITEM I Add to Article III MEMBERS: [Necessitated by approved motion October 19, 2013, to establish an Associ- ate Membership category.]

4. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP (a) Associate Membership is granted on request to a member who no longer owns a qualifying coach. An Associate Member shall remain in good standing with FMCA and Vintage Bird Chapter. Membership fees shall be the same as for regular membership and shall not be used to circumvent the FMCA requirements for members in good standing. An Associate Member shall neither serve in any elected office nor have Chapter voting privileges. An officer converting to Associate Membership status may complete a term of office to which elected. No benefits other than receiving the Chapter newsletter and attending Chapter rallies shall be available to an Associate Member. Vintage Bird Chapter membership numbers remain unchanged with an “A” placed after the number (ex.: 7654A).

ITEM II Add to Article III MEMBERS: [At least six members received Honorary Membership in prior years. However, no criteria are included in the By Laws for bestowing the title or privileges granted. The requirements below are the procedures currently followed.]

5. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP (a) Honorary Membership may be bestowed by the Chapter on members who provided outstanding service to the chapter while holding full membership in the chapter. (b) The Executive Board presents nominations for Honorary Memberships to the Chapter at a scheduled business meeting for vote by the membership. (c) An Honorary Member is granted lifetime membership without payment of Chapter membership fees. The status of FMCA membership is not a criterion. (d) An Honorary Member in good standing with FMCA shall be counted by the Chapter as an active member. A member not in good standing with FMCA shall be counted as inactive member. (e) An Honorary Member shall neither serve in any elected office nor have Chapter voting privileges. No benefits other than receiving the Chapter newsletter and attending Chapter rallies shall accrue to an Honorary Member.

ITEM III Add to Article III, Members: [Necessitated by an October 19, 2013, motion independent of the above-proposed changes.]

6. Newsletter Subscribers

(a) Members no longer meeting membership requirements may subscribe to the newsletter. (b) The annual fee for newsletter subscription is fifteen dollars.

6. Dues and Fees (a) Renumber paragraphs as appropriate. b) Section 4, paragraph (e) [Membership cancellation is addressed in the Standing Rules.] (c) Paragraph (c) [FMCA Dues are the responsibility of the member and are neither collected nor forwarded by the Chapter.] Remove “… and any unpaid FMCA ….” (d) Paragraph (e) [Change provides opportunity for member recruitment.] Remove “… and the membership cancelled ….”

ITEM IV Add to Article IV Officers: change Section 1 and renumber remaining sections. [To include a list of officer positions.]

1. Chapter officers include President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, National Direc- tor, Alternate National Director. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined into one position at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Change Article IV Officers, Section 2: [Change of term limits]

1. Change first paragraph replacing the first sentence to include the following: The President, First Vice President, Second vice President, and Secretary shall serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, with each term being two years (four years maximum). The National Director and Alternate National Director, subject to the same nomination and election process as other officers may serve an indefinite number of terms. (c) The Treasurer, subject to the same nomination and election process as other officers, may serve an indefinite number of terms. (d) The Secretary and Treasurer offices, when combined, are subject to the same nomination and election process as other officers, except that the officer may serve unlimited terms.

2. After replacing the first sentence with the above, make a new paragraph beginning with : “Should an officer, other than the President ….” and ending with “… and until an elected member assumes the position.”

ITEM V Article VIII AMENDMENT OF BY LAWS AND STANDING RULES: Section 1 By Laws, paragraph (c) [to change inconsistency in votes needed to change By Laws and votes needed to approve a motion.] Replace “… sixty-five percent …” with “…a simple majority vote ….”

Additional information since last newsletter ROME GEORGIA VINTAGE BIRD RALLY

Jim and Nell Hamrick, Rally Hosts

706-232-2486 [email protected]

RV parking is still available at the Rome Rally featuring Wings Over North Georgia. The air show is the largest east of Oshkosh and features many of the same participants. In addition to the continuous air shows, ground air- craft and exhibits abound.

Simultaneously, other events and venues in the Rome area offer modern-day insight to histori- cal Rome and Cartersville. The rally and air show schedules permit sufficient time to explore and enjoy.

GENERAL INFORMATION

CATERED MEALS A ND BUSINESS MEETING

FRIDAY - Carpool to the Berry College Alumni House for 6 o’clock dinner and Business Meeting at 7 o’clock.

Dinner served in the Living Room. The Business Meeting is in an adjoining room. The meeting is open to all Vintage Bird members even if not partici- pating in the rally dinner.

SUNDAY - Dinner -- the same location, same time. ALUMNI HOUSE LIVING ROOM

TOURING THE CAMPUS

Founded by Martha Berry 1902, Berry sits on the world’s largest college campus and boasts historic buildings and homes of many architectural styles. Sites include one of the world’s largest wooden overshot water wheels, historic chapels, and miles of mountain trails for hiking and biking. Several feature films including “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Remember the Titans” were filmed on the magnificent campus.

ALUMNI HOUSE ROME RALLY UPDATE

Jim and Nell Hamrick, Rally Hosts

706-232-2486 [email protected]

At the same time of the rally, Rome will be teeming with fall activities from college football, arts and craft shows, riverboat tours to live music downtown. Don’t miss the Myrtle Hill Cemetery walking tour featuring live renditions by some of Rome’s most notable dead, and maybe Civil War Yankee as well. Nearby in Car- tersville, The Booth Western Art Museum, an affiliate with the Smithsonian, houses the largest exhibition space for Western Art in the country.

Eleanor Axon Wilson , the first wife of President Woodrow Wilson, buried in Myrtle Hill Cemetery, was a Rome resident before moving into the White House. She was an accomplished and noted artist. Berry College is honored to participate in Rome’s year long celebration of the life and work of the former First Lady. The capstone is an exhibition of her original oil paintings on loan from the Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, D.C., as well as several local pieces. The exhibit is included in the tour of the Martha Berry Museum.

A private tour of The Martha Berry Museum and Oak Hill honors the wisdom and insight into Martha Berry’s resolve to improve the plight of the disadvantaged mountain people starting at the family’s planta- tion, Oak Hill, and culminating in one of the south’s leading colleges. Berry sits on the world’s largest college campus, over 27,000 acres. Historic structures include homes and buildings of many architectural styles, the world’s largest wooden overshot water wheel, historic chapels, and miles of mountain trails for hiking and biking. Several feature films including “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Remember The Titans” were filmed on the magnificent campus. ENJOY ROME, BRING BIKES, MOTORCYCLES, CANOES, FISHING GEAR

Below is a list of new members.

Ackerman, Dan & Betty Horndon VA Block, Bill & Jane Wilton IA Bonter, Terry & Michele Rochester NY Bryan, Richard & Mary West Point MS Dill, Larry & Barbara Ribar North Fort Myers FL Eaker, Herman & Evelyn Cisco TX Grigsby, Bob & Susan Akron OH Henry, Doug & Joannie Howell MI Litsjo, Orvar & Lanni Issaquoah WA Merkie,John & Nancy Parker CO Reidenbach, Robert & Sandy Aruada CO Rigual, Rafael & Pat Oklahoma City OK Shilling, Gary & Molly Prospect Heights IL Trempe, Dana & Barb Iron Mountain MI Wernlein, Frank & Denise Woodbridge VA Yeaw, Gardner & Kathy Ridgewood NJ

BOLD TYPE = NEW SINCE LAST NEWSLETTER

THINKING OF CHRIS & BOB GIFFEN

My wife and I first met Chris and Bob in Chula Vista, in March of 2003 when they were serving as First Lady and President of Vintage Birds. Never mind that Chris and Bob lived on the other side of the continent in Titusville, Florida where Bob worked for NASA, or that we lived on a ranch mid continent – we were connected by our Blue Birds and we were going to have a good time in California. Along with others, we went to Old Town in San Diego, explored Balboa Park, feasted at the Coronado Hotel and lunched in Tijuana, Mexico. It was over another lunch, this time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, that Bob first ventured a rolling rally tracing Lewis and Clark’s adventure of western discovery. I thought, “Who wants to spend the hot month of August wandering around out west;” as it turned out, the owners of the thirty two coaches that went on the most famous Vintage Birds rally ever. And there were some mis- adventures on the trip, one coach rolled over on a curve, but was righted and joined the caravan the next day – Blue Birds are tough, then an attendee broke her ankle hiking and had to be airlifted to a hospital. In honor of the Lewis and Clark rally, Chris crafted a special costume evoking the pioneer woman’s dress of the 1790’s. When the rally attendees returned with their tales, I thought, “Oh why did I miss all the action?” and it turned out to be a cool summer besides. Some of you may recall some time later, when we were all on our way to another rally, that the brakes failed on Lynn Chauncey’s coach and she plowed into Chris and Bob’s tow vehicle destroying the mini van. At a rally in Savannah, in November 2006, Bob talked me into becoming the nominating chair for the Vintage Birds. Although hotly challenged over the years, I was able to retain the position until 2013. A few years later, Chris and Bob hosted a Historic Florida rally covering the years 1820 to 1850 where Chris, and other women, presented a show in Blountstown, Florida of hand crafted fashions from the period. Then I recall the time Bob regaled me with his experiments to introduce hydro- gen to the intake of his Blue Bird. And it worked, with the byproduct being water. However, the whole process was too complicated to be practical and Bob abandoned his experiment. Now we are at the present. Chris is a cancer survivor, but while Bob visited her in hospital for a low blood count, since resolved, their garage and house caught fire destroying their vehicles and machine shop and they are now living in their Blue Bird for an indefinite period until the damage can be rebuilt. As a final parting shot I’ve been asked to remind all of you that while Bob made a number of successive right or left hand turns, he has never admitted to making a U turn. Bob Dilks The July 24-28, 2014 Oswego, NY Harborfest week end on the banks of Lake Ontario was a five day and night event of festival, food, fireworks and history held by the Vintage Birds, Pen-NY Mixers, Fingerlakers, and NY Centrals FMCA chapters and supported by the Oswego Board of Tourism, Camping World, Burdicks RV, and donations from local businesses. Temperatures and Humidity were climbing for those who arrived early on Wednesday the 23 rd , but an afternoon thunder burst brought with it cooling temperatures that set the stage for the duration of the festival. Wednesday night’s delicious fish fry dinner provided by our rally hosts Jim and Sherry Miller was further enhanced by the delightful entertainment of a local musician, Mike Place. After social hour with a medley of salads, side dishes, snacks, and dessert, the Mayor of Oswego and the Director of the Board of Tourism welcomed the group. Charlie Adcock, National FMCA President spoke for a few minutes followed by a drawing of numerous prizes and generous gift certificates provided by many local business and festival sponsors. At 7:00 PM, Harborfest officially began, along with a convenient bus shuttle service to all events. A special stop, which we all greatly appreciated, was added to the shuttle schedules to include our camping village. Our campsite easily accommodated the 93 motor homes that participated and we even had a dog park. The fair itself was spread out amongst the parks and thoroughfares of downtown Oswego. What seemed like a never ending list of events and entertainment appropriate for all ages, guaranteed a memorable carnival festival experience. Two parks had live music all day which we could hear from our RV’s and lasted late into the evening. Walking around, our senses were tickled by the easily recog- nizable smell of cotton candy and fried Oreos. No carnival would be complete without the amusement rides, funhouses, or bumper cars for those not driving a motor home. Even the NY Lottery had a booth that saw some winners. For the next three days, lunch, cool breezes, sun and lake views could be en- joyed along the Oswego Riverfront. The abundance of food consumed during the various pot luck dinners was exercised off while shopping and walking the miles of local stores and visiting the special booths that offered one-of-a-kind art pieces, homemade fudge and other custom goods. On Friday morning, seven adventurous Vintage Birders along with five of our other camping friends headed out on the waters of Lake Ontario in search of King Salmon. They returned with 12 Kings, a good day’s catch. Saturday, we had ringside seats for the tall ships War of 1812 re-enactment in the harbor and the 30 minute long continuous fireworks display that evening. Sunday, the last day of Harborfest started with a pancake, eggs, and sausage breakfast prepared and served perfectly by the Vintage Bird Crew and ended with a pizza party and ice cream social served by the NY Centrals. Oswego Harborfest 2014 had it all! Liliana Pappas & Kathy Yeaw

Andrea Dixon, Editor P.O. Box 1000 Paintsville, KY 41240

NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE

Review the mailing label on this newsletter to find the expiration dates of your dues. Please send the remittance sheet when sending payment to ensure accu- rate credit for payment. If there are any changes contact Jim Hamrick.