The Commander Studebaker Drivers Club Volume 49 Issue 5 May 2017
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Potomac Chapter The Commander Studebaker Drivers Club Volume 49 Issue 5 May 2017 Steering Column Steven White Part One: Fun Never had I taken such a road trip and learned so much about the Po- tomac Chapter SDC members and about Studebakers. Pat and Larry Merhaut planned our caravan to the 53rd Annual Studebaker Drivers Club Meet in South Bend and they were our intrepid guides across Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and into Indiana to the home of our cars’ manufacturer. We had a fun group along for the ride with the Merhauts: Ron Hoff, Donna and Bob Johnstone, Ruth and Darrell Carr, and me. We met in Hancock, Maryland and left on a glorious Sunday, April 30, morning. I had the joy of following right behind Pat and Larry for most of the trip. Their ’62 Lark Convertible was easy to see through some of the most severe rain- storms I’ve encountered on the road. We made to Indiana after some excellent dining stops including one in Napoleon, Ohio – Spengler’s Res- taurant and Pub. Larry found this unique eatery by asking a local citizen where a good place to eat could be found. Of course the fine gentleman responded and took us down an alley to the rear entrance to Speng- ler’s. I got “two on rye” while others had fine sandwiches, soups and salads. The “two” in my sandwich were cased hot dogs and they were very tasty. We frequented other establishments of fine cuisine but it is Spengler’s that is most memorable. Larry took us up South Bend’s main street (US-31, IN-933) at the end of our trip west. I realized that I would be driving down and up that street when I saw one of the names of this thoroughfare – South Michi- gan Street. I stayed at the north end of the street where it is known as North Dixie Way. (Continued pg. 2) President: Vice President Treasurer Secretary Activities Director Steve White Chris Kidwell Mike Farris Murray Welsh Terry & Shirley McDaniel 17801 Farley Farm Road 3303 Sallisbury Avenue 4313 Landgreen Street 24121 Ridge Road 580 Welltown School Road Rockville, MD 20855-1661 Sparrows Point, MD 21219 Rockville, MD 20853 Germantown, MD 20876 Martinsburg, WV 25403 301-977-2627 443-224-8379 301-460-4341 301-253-3723 304-263-3915 (hm) [email protected] [email protected] david.farris @verizon.net [email protected] 304-671-6704 (cell) [email protected] Membership Historian Web Master Editor Nadine & Mike Farris Ed Lemanski Bob Johnstone Lynda Welsh 4313 Landgreen Street 7875 Red Jacket Way 12161 Holly Knoll Circle 24121 Ridge Road Rockville, MD 20853 Jessup, MD 20794 Great Falls, VA 22066 Germantown, MD 20876 301-460-4341 301-776-9893 703-450-0754 301-253-3723 ndfarris [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] (continued pg. 1) Highlights of the Meet were going to the Studebaker Museum, snapping a picture of my Avanti II in front of the Avanti B&B – see photo 1, attending the swap meet and parking with the other Studebakers at the fair- grounds, participating in the Studebaker Parade from the fairgrounds to downtown South Bend (you may want to check the videos on YouTube), and seeing so many of our members including those who were in our caravan. I had a chance to talk with the others in attendance– some briefly and some at length. I met Jeff Bradel, saw George Hamlin, talked with Paul (SDC Atlantic Zone Coordinator) and Karen Johnson, had en- joyable discussions with Marty and Jenny Long, rode with and drove Frank Philippi (he is not only one of our members but the president of the DelMarVa Peninsula Chapter), and talked with Larry Pugh. Frank and I spotted Larry zipping around the track at the Proving Grounds in one his fine ’62 Lark Cruiser. The most fun activity for me was the one I waited the longest for – driving my Avanti II on the Studebaker Proving Ground Track (now known as the Navistar Proving Ground) on Saturday, May 6. Frank accompa- nied me as we enjoyed going two laps around the track with 14 other Studebakers. We waited for what seemed hours because of a one and a half hour delay of the scheduled start (see the Studebakers in the lot – Photo 2). It was worth the wait. I had never driven on a banked track and it was thrilling to be up on the top lane looking ahead at the other Studebakers not to mention the drivers in my rear view mirrors who would have loved to pass me but were forbidden to do so by the SDC Meet rules and by the awesome acceleration of the Avanti II. Part Two: Business I attended the SDC Chapters Officers Meeting on Thursday, May 4, and, still being new to the office of the Potomac Chapter president, was doing my best to attend to everything discussed. Frank and George were in the audience too and I will turn to them to supplement what I learned from the discussions. Don Cox of Oklahoma chaired the meeting. The main themes were about marketing to members and pro- spective members, the exchange of ideas, and zone meets. The introductions of the panelists were rather rap- id so I am at a loss to provide you with each speaker’s name with their topics, other than that of the Chair and the SDC president. Bob Canada from the South Central Region, James Bell of the Pacific Can-Am Region and Carl Thomason, past president of SDC, completed the panel. The speakers said we should consider con- ducting a survey to learn what kind of activities we should schedule and see if any new ideas are submitted. We could include those SDC members who have not joined our local chapter. SDC president, Tom Curtis, addressed the major theme of marketing. He said the best resource for attracting new members was the following article “For the Love of Studebakers” written by Curt Devan, Newsletter Editor for the Mid-Missouri Chapter: http://www.northstarwheel.com/resources/ ForTheLoveOfStudebakers.pdf. The Commander is the monthly publication of the Potomac Chapter, Studebaker Drivers Club. Subscription is by membership to the Potomac Chapter at $15.00 yearly. Canada/Mexico $20.00, all other countries $25.00. Direct all membership correspondence to the Membership Director. Direct all correspondence relating to The Commander to the Editor, who retains the right to edit or modify any contribution. Deadline date is the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. The Commander is also an internet publication. The Potomac Chapter is an officially chartered chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club, Inc.; its by-laws were approved, and charter granted by SDC in June 1967. Membership is recruited from the States of Maryland, West Virginia, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. And those from other areas wishing to join the chapter are welcome. (continued pg 1 and 2) I hope you all take the opportunity to read Curt’s article. We should consider scheduling a meeting with the Potomac Chapter Board and discuss any ideas that the article inspires and then have a full meeting for further conversation and action. There was considerable discussion about having an SDC site for use by chapter officers for the exchange of ideas. This would be separate from the current SDC Forum because of the multitude of topics on those pag- es. Marketing ideas such as a prize for most mileage on your Studebaker during the year, promotional giveaways for new members, and interaction with community events were mentioned. The Minnesota president said they created wooden Studebaker nickels as a promotion and found that they were popular. Updating SDC Chapter information on the SDC site was recommended and I did so a few days after I re- turned home. All I had to do was provide the new officers’ names and contact information. The last topic of discussion was zone meets. I know that our chapter has hosted very successful ones and they entailed considerable time and effort. One of the officers at the South Bend meeting was not pleased with the lack of support from the SDC in his chapter’s coordination of a recent zone meet. Apparently there is information available but it is not easily found. The Zone Coordinator was recommended as the prime resource. Some speakers referenced available written material and other resources. I will close with the idea of an SDC and an SDC chapter’s mission. I thought I could find a mission state- ment online but was not successful. A mission statement describes how we fulfill the club’s responsibilities to our members while a purpose statement describes why our club exists, that is, the business we are in. The purpose statement also provides focus. I had to research those differences online and I believe they are intertwined. The SDC does have a purpose statement and it warrants repeating here: “As stated in the Cer- tificate of Incorporation, the purpose of SDC is to encourage the acquisition, restoration, maintenance, and enjoyment of all cars and other vehicles built by Studebaker or associated with the Studebaker heritage, including Studebaker, Garford, Flanders, EMF, Erskine, Rockne, Pierce Arrow, Packard, and Avanti; and to increase communication and fellowship among those persons who are interested in these vehicles.” The following is from the SDC website describing the Club: “The purpose of the Studebaker Drivers Club (SDC) was, and continues to be, to honor the Studebaker automobile and all of the Studebaker-related products.