What a great way to start the meet and tour season! If you enjoy old cars then Mobile was the place to be on March 16-18. The weather was beautiful and so were the antique vehicles. The azaleas were in full bloom and it was a perfect time to be on the gulf coast. With about 160 vehicles on the show field and the southern hospitality provided by the members of the Deep South Region, everyone really enjoyed the meet.

There are fifteen more national meets and tours on the calendar for the year. The activities are scattered all across the country, so bring your family and friends and make AACA the place to get your kicks in 2006.

It’s not too early to think about next year’s activities, either. A meet is scheduled in Puerto Rico for March 1-4, 2007. Think balmy temperatures and sunshine! Why not put that on your calendar right now.

While you are traveling this summer, be sure to visit the AACA Library and Research Center in Hershey, PA. It is a real treasure trove of information for restorers and historians. And while you are in Hershey stop by the AACA Museum. Although it is only three years old, the museum has already be recognized by the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. as an affiliate. Exhibits change regularly so there is always something new to see.

Did you know that approximately 4000 new members joined AACA last year? Although that sounds like a lot of new members, the club is losing about the same number of older members each year. Make a commitment now to recruit at least one new member for AACA for each year. Be sure to share AACA with your friends and family this year and really have fun with those old cars!

The 2006 season is well underway. Last year’s Region Committee had a lot of seminars and information for the attendees of the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The Deep South Region hosted a very successful Winter Meet in Mobile, Alabama, and as this Rummage Box is going to press, there is a Central Divisional Tour in Texas and an upcoming Western Division Meet in Tucson, Arizona. The entire calendar is on the website or in your Antique Automobile Magazine. I hope this will prove to be another exciting year for AACA and you will attend as many events as possible to increase your enjoyment of this great car hobby. If you and your Region/Chapter have not had the pleasure of becoming an active Region, maybe this will be the year for you to apply to host a meet or tour in the upcoming years.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the new editor of the Rummage Box, Bruce Wheeler, is doing a great job giving you submitted articles to use in your local newsletters. However, this issue will be the last printed copy you will receive unless you notify Bruce that you are unable to download future editions from the AACA website link. Also, if you are interested in having one of your articles in the Rummage Box, Bruce will let you know how to contact him with this information as well.

A complete list of everyone on the Regions Committee is listed on the website and we are all ready to help you in any way possible. Development and Support is now part of the Regions Committee and they are working hard to support all our Regions/Chapters.

The deadline (March 1st) has passed for the Officer Report Form (ORF) and the Roster Report Form. Please check to make sure your club’s secretary has submitted these as they are needed to ensure open communication between your club and National Headquarters.

If I may be of any assistance throughout the year, please feel free to contact me at:
 

Sharon Lee
Vice President -- Regions
340 Old Plantation Trail
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
(864) 834-8683

sllee@mindspring.com

Mark your calendar and start planning. 2010 will be an important year for AACA, your region or chapter and you personally; it will be AACA’s 75th Anni¬versary! That’s right our Diamond Jubilee.

Plans are now underway at a Naational level and at our Host club, the Kyana Region. The event will be based out of Louisville, Kentucky, from June 27th to July 3rd, 2010, so it will be easily accessible to most of our members.

We’re planning an unusual event with some different activities that should please all members of your family, and be affordable for everyone. Louisville is a central location with a lot of fun things to do and see.

Planning is still in process, so we can’t provide too much detail at this point, but we wanted to let everyone know about the event and to get you and your club to start planning as well. We want this to be an old car event and want to encourage everyone to drive and bring their old cars.

Activities will include antique car tours, a casual “cruise¬in” type event for everyone, a very special “Opus” car display to cap off the week long event, plus much, much more. In addition to setting aside the date and time, we’d like your club to begin thinking about creating tours to the event.

Take your maps out, figure out a route and maybe you can plan a trip to the event. Your club or group may even be able to hook up with other clubs traveling the same route!

Look for additional information in future articles and in our AACA publications.
 

Remember:

It’s not the journey that’s important;
it’s the people you meet along the way!