August 1999

Hello Everyone,

By the time you all read this we would have already left for the caravan and Labor Day festivities in Bowling Green at the NCM. As I write this I remember attending the Grand Opening events for the NCM. I was so excited to be a part of something like that. Even though I couldn’t drive my Corvette up there, I WAS there! To see all of the great Corvette people in one place was an awesome thing. I firmly believe that there are certain things in life that should not be missed, and being a part of this Corvette family is one of them. If you couldn’t make this trip, we will have lots of updated info for you in the newsletter and on our web page. I’m sure there will be a picture or two for your enjoyment!

Everyone remember, our first meeting in September has been moved to accommodate the trip to Bowling Green. So write it down, September 9^th is the first meeting and September 23^rd is the second meeting. There will be lots of stories to share and I can guarantee at least one embarrassing moment!!

We are taking names for our volunteer list for the Ecklers Reunion. Our club has agreed to sponsor a game tent to make this event a little different this year. We are trying to gather enough people to take shifts both Saturday and Sunday. Let me know if you would like to join in the fun!

Also discussed at the last meeting, which by the way, was pretty slim!!! Is that Board nominations are going to be taken at the first meeting in September. If you would like to run for one of the Board positions just let me know and we will get you signed up.

We were holding off advertising renewals until we can make sure that NCCC doesn’t raise the price which in turn would put us in the red as far as member costs are concerned. As soon as we find out, we will let you know. There is a regional meeting on September 26^th, we should be able to get started right after that. So get your checkbooks out! Joan will no doubt have more information for you on the costs.

Just a note: Jon & Pat Gardner & I have finally gotten our 2000 order into GM! It’s been a long wait and I almost didn’t make it through, but worth it! We are hoping for an October delivery date, just in time for Homecomings, Ecklers and the Keys trip. There may be a gathering to celebrate this monumental event, so check the events calendar closely, or call the VetteLine to keep up to date with what’s going on!

If you haven’t checked it out, please do. Our web site www.cfca.net, is out there for all of you to enjoy. Hutch and Susan have done a great job! Remember this will be "The Best Year Yet!"

Save the Wave

Lisa

Hello everyone and Happy Labor Day!

I am happy to announce we have our first new member of ‘99-2000. Please join me in welcoming David Valdez, member 107! David will be joining us on the caravan to Bowling Green in his ‘99 Red Coupe. Welcome Aboard David!! I have had several inquiries from the CFCA web site so I anticipate our membership will continue to grow. Remember, if you refer someone to the club and they join don’t forget to report that on your points sheet.

Shirt Update - Tanks

I have the tank top shirts in. For those of you who placed an order please come to the September 9th. meeting and pick them up. I also have tank tops in inventory for those who did not get in on the original order. My inventory looks like this:

Ladies

Caribbean Blue 1 medium 2 large

Yellow Haze 2 mediums

Black 1 medium 1 large

Ash 3 mediums

Black 3 mediums 4 large

If you are interested in purchasing a tank top, let me know prior to a meeting and I will bring it with me. They are $12.00 each.

Shirt Update - Cutter & Buck

Unfortunately, the Eckler’s C&B shirts were not ready when anticipated but I should have them by our first meeting in September. I will let the folks who placed an order know when they are available.

As everyone knows, the caravan to Bowling Green is right around the corner. After 16 months of planning I can hardly believe it is here! I took a tally of everyone in CFCA who is planning on going and that total came out to 36 members. WOW!!! That’s incredible... Out of 36 members, 16 of us are NCM members. Out of 16 NCM members, 5 of us are lifetime members. I am really proud of everyone supporting an organization thats sole mission is to make sure the Corvette never dies. How cool!

As Lisa stated in her article, renewals are right around the corner. We should find out in our Regional meeting in September if the dues will be raised or not and will keep everyone informed. As far as NCCC is concerned our membership for 1999 sits at 106 members. Anyone who joins after Sept. 1st. is considered a "carry over" and counts towards next years membership. Keep an eye on the upcoming newsletters and the CFCA Web site for more information on renewals.

My goal back in January was to get our club membership up to 100 members. It has only been done 4 other times in the past 26 years. I still cannot believe I reached my goal in May. I have a lot of you to thank for that! Keep up the good work everyone. Some of you have asked what my next goal will be. Well, I would LOVE to see us hit a 90% or better renewal rate. In fact, that will be my next personal goal!!! YIKES...:) I still have lots of CFCA business cards available so if you need more of them to hand out just let me know.

Since Gary and I have joined CFCA we have had the opportunity to do so many things that we would otherwise never have had the chance to do. We have driven on the track at Daytona twice, we have met Elfie Duntov personally, we have become members of the National Corvette Museum, we have volunteered our time to help those less fortunate than us and most of all, we have met some of the greatest people we have ever known, YOU. You are what being a members of a club like this is all about. We have made so many treasured friendships during the past couple of years it is incredible. We have shared all the good times and some of the bad, but that is what being a family is all about. We not only have our love for Corvettes in common but so much more. If you have not been out to a meeting or an event lately, please join us soon. We would like to be able to meet ALL of our members.

Till next month -

SAVDWAV

The truth is out there… you just have to know where to look.

I was searching for the truth. I knew it was here, somewhere on this small tropical island nestled between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. The sun was dead overhead as I stepped into the cool, crisp office environment of the Holiday Isle office. I was on a mission. Kinda like that fellow on the X-Files…

The young lady behind the counter asked if she could help me. As I approached the counter, I said "I heard there was a fire". She said "Yes, it was horrible. The flames, all the people running around, the smoke and all that screaming, I was crying…" I interrupted with… "just the facts ma’am". While the lady was trying to compose herself, she said "I’m sorry its just that… do you have a card or badge or anything?" I replied, "I’m the Governor." I showed her my card. You know, the one indicating 15% off at any Hooter’s, the one on which the CFCA logo is boldly emblazoned. She said thank you.

I continued my questioning. "Do you think it was those Ford people, maybe Mustang fanatics or something?" "No", she replied. "Must have been GM honchos trying to create a diversion and slow down C5 orders" I said. Again she replied "no, it was Snapper grease." Excuse me? "Yes she said, from the kitchen, cooking fish and all. What’s left of it is out back if you want to see it."

I stepped back out into the hot Florida sun. As I was walking past the three big plastic fish, the painted plywood board with the heads missing from the muscle man and woman, past the tourists with cameras and the endless rows of young ladies in their Tee back bikinis, I could feel the burn in my belly and the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

Actually the burn in my belly was a yearn for a cold Coors Light. Something to quell the previous night’s excesses. However, the newly opened beer was no comfort as I gazed at the ruins. The blackened pillars presented themselves as up-stretched arms asking why…. The Rum Runner Bar and Grill had burned in it’s entirety. So many questions.

Could CFCA get beyond this tragedy? Would our Florida Keys trip be a wash because of this? Would Rusty throw away his whoopie cushion and fart slippers in his anguish and dispair? I can see Hutch wandering aimlessly as if searching for something to believe in. Maybe I’m only remembering him searching for a lost radio last year. Would Betty Ashe find Don’s empty wallet, and only wonder if he had purchased an old rusted barge to float a Rum Runner replacement?

I just did not know what to believe. The lady behind the desk said something about a fire in the kitchen that got out of hand. But I don’t know. After so many Oliver Stone movies, I’m convinced that it must have been some conspiracy or plot against us Corvette people.

My search revealed some answers and provided a small measure of comfort knowing that CFCA’s journey to these tropical islands will not be ruined by this tragedy. The hot Florida sun does this sort of thing every now and then. It deals us a hand and we have to know how to play the game.

Let’s Party Down…….

Jon

Randy Stone was the Newsletter Editor and in his article he reported that while on vacation he had purchased some 24 toy Corvettes to add to his collection, which at that time was approaching 500! (some things never change).

Membership Director (Eric Raymer) reported the membership was at 74 and growing.

The Governor (Mary Doty) report was centered around whether the Florida Region should put in a convention bid to host the 1996 NCCC Convention.

In the Competition report for September 4th and 5th was the announcement of the Grand Opening of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green!

Reading through these old newsletters is so much fun. Although most of the names I don’t recognize, the topics of the articles are so similar to what they are today. (humm, what does that mean?) The newsletter in ‘94 was 16 pages long and had 3 full page advertisments in it.

Stay tuned next month, you never know what I’ll uncover from the archives of the CFCA Review!

9/5 Ken Sullivan 9/20 Cap Richards

9/22 Jessica Dragonetti 9/29 Moe Boetto

9/29 Gerald Darnell

9/6 Al & Betty Lou Loun 9/9 Viktor & Christina Mikkelsen

9/10 Jerry & Tina Smith 9/18 Rusty & Nina Williams

9/22 Rudy & Debbie Rudolph 9/27 Scott & Tammy Stephan

See, it wasn’t Zora - IT WAS AL SOWASH !

We had an overwhelming response to the contest
(well, actually her’s was the only response).

The winning entry was submitted by Brenda Showe

Brenda’s now the proud owner of a 1:34 scale red ‘57 Corvette.