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Promote Your Region Activities
By Bo Croley |
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Promoting your Region’s activities is an effective way to attract new members and to keep your local community informed about the old car hobby and opportunities for fun and fellowship. Effective public relations requires time, effort and planning. Does your Region have a public relations chairperson? If not, consider appointing one. Ask your chairperson to develop a public relations plan at the beginning of each year. Use your Region’s activity calendar to identify the dates that your event information should be released. Whether you are planning a meet, tour or a monthly meeting, be sure to contact the media at least a week in advance with information about your event. Always remember to include the five “W’s” in your media release: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Identify your target media and your target audience. Developing a message and finding the appropriate way to deliver it determines how effective your efforts will be. Consider some or all of the following:
Limit your public relations releases to one page. Be concise and explain your activity as accurately as possible. Consider asking a Region member with writing or media experience to assist you. Photographs and videos can often improve the chances of your release being used by newspapers and television stations. Sell your story to the media. Be persuasive, persistent and friendly, but not aggressive. Use the telephone, fax, e-mail, and postal mail. Try to establish cordial relationships with your media contacts, but be careful not to say anything that you wouldn’t want to read in the newspaper or hear on the air. Make this the year your Region steps into the limelight. You’ll be glad you did.
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When Touring, Make Your Library and Research Center One of Your Stops! By Marilyn Kaye Hunkins |
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If you are planning a first time trip or an annual pilgrimage to AACA’s Eastern Division National Fall Meet in Hershey, PA during October 10-13, make sure one of your stops will be to visit YOUR Library and Research Center. If you arrive on or before Monday, October 8, be sure to include the 14th Annual Literature Auction in your plans. The auction will take place at the Hershey Region Headquarters, 131 Museum Drive (next to the AACA Museum) in Hershey. Material included in the auction may be previewed on Monday from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. with the auction beginning at 10 a.m. Visit our website at www.aacalibrary.org beginning September 10 for a preview of the materials to be sold. Items included but not limited in the auction are books, sales brochures, periodicals, owners and shop manuals, and parts books. For further information, contact: Kim Miller The L&RC will offer extended hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 am to 9 pm during the Fall Hershey meet. Wednesday and Friday hours will be 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The L&RC will be closed on Monday due to the literature auction. Don and Micky Bohne have generously placed a portion of their automotive brass collection in the showcases at the L&RC. Be sure to stop in and see these fine examples of brass accessories as well as the L&RC’s vehicles also on display. The Bohne’s traveled nearly fifteen hundred miles on their way to the National Meet in Binghamton, NY (Micky is Chairman of Judges Records) to deliver their collection for this display. If you have an interesting display that you would like to loan to the L&RC for members to enjoy during their visits to Hershey, please contact Kim Miller at the address or phone number listed above. We would like to have a roster of display items to keep the cases updated on a regular basis. If you can help, we thank you. The L&RC Board members will also be at the L&RC tent in swap meet spaces C3F-5-7 on the Chocolate Field Wednesday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Here you will find magazine sales ads, books and a variety of other items. Cold drinks will also be available while they last. |
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By Myron Smith |
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Models car kits can be enjoyed by youth and adults. They are a good way to learn about the various parts of a car, how a real car is constructed, and learn to distinguish various years, brands and models of real cars by seeing them in miniature. An early designer and manufacturer of model cars was a company called Gowland & Gowland. Some of their models were sold with the Revell brand on the boxes and directions; and were called “Highway Pioneers.” They are approximately 1/32 scale and are referred to as 3/8-inch scale in the instructions. Most of these models have a 1953 copyright stamped in the bottom of them. Series One of these models included five models; a 1908 Stanley Steamer, 1900 Packard, 1903 Cadillac, 1903 Ford Model A, and the 1910 Ford Model T Torpedo. The only difference between the Ford & the Cadillac was the Cadillac had a back seat. The Cadillac was molded in blue, and the 1910 Model T was molded in Black.
Part of the fun in collecting is the quest to find things. Youth can share in this hobby by looking for models at rummage/garage sales, swap meets, flea markets, antique shops, auctions, from friends and relatives and of course today Ebay. Series 2 of Gowland & Gowland/ Revell “Pioneers of the Highway” also included five models. They were again 1/32 scale and included a 1908 Buick Model 10, 1910 Cadillac, a 1914 Stutz Bearcat, a 1915 Model T center door sedan, and a 1910 Studebaker electric coupe. I have three samples of these models to show. The 1915 Model T is molded in black and for many years I thought this was a highly inaccurate model because it has too many louvers in the hood, and had coach lamps by the doors. While this is inaccurate for the car, I later learned that the model must have been based on a genuine Ford rendering or, factory drawing.
1915 Ford Center Door Sedan Second is the Stutz Bearcat which was molded in yellow.
1910 Studebaker Electric Most of these models in my collection are not in the best of condition. They are very old and have not been well cared for as I did not like the scale and the lack of detail. I have, however, lately gotten a whole new appreciation for them now that I have learned they are so old and had a place in the model car industry. Shown below is another Gowland & Gowland model in this scale. It is of a 1910 Pierce Arrow which was molded in red. I do not know how many other models were made, but I have lately seen a 1907 Renault that is also listed as being from the Highway Pioneers Series.
1910 Piece Arrow For those interested in Gowland & Gowland models, they appear to be very affordable. I recently saw 3 of them needing some reassembly which could not garner the $0.99 minimum bid on Ebay. For more information, there is an interesting article about the 1910 Model T torpedo in particular, but also gives general information at http://home.wanadoo.nl/dwijsman/Invoegen/articlesinsert.htm. Hudson Minatures of Scranton PA started production of “Old Timers” model automobile series in 1947. While not the first model kit builder, they are attributed as being one of the major founders of the industry. Early versions of the models were made of balsa wood, cast metal pieces and paper, while later editions substituted plastic for some of the metal parts. Production of the models ceased in 1953 (demand was on the downturn because of cheaper plastic models), but a considerable inventory was maintained until 1958 when a warehouse fire destroyed the remaining stock. Most of the models were 3/4-inch scale, or 1/16 if my calculations are correct. The model line up included the 1904 Stevens Duryea, 1904 Oldsmobile, 1911 Maxwell, 1903 Ford Model A, 1900 Packard, 1911 Buick Bug, 1903 Rambler, 1903 Cadillac, 1910 Ford Model T (roadster), 1902 Franklin, 1906 Columbia electric, 1914 Ford Model-T fire engine, 1909 Stanley steamer, 1910 International Harvester, 1909 Ford Model T (touring car), 1911 Brush delivery truck, 1914 Stutz Bearcat, 1913 Mercer Raceabout, 1906 "Old 16" Locomobile, and 1914 Regal underslung.
Hudson Miniatures: 1910 Ford This 1909 Model T is considered one of the later versions because of
its use of plastic for the lights, radiator and wheels. This particular
model was mail ordered, and carries a 1949 postmark. It is a very
fragile model and I believe would be tedious to build. For
additional information, see the web site at:
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By Bruce E Wheeler |
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Most every AACA newsletter has an editor’s column. These contain a wide variety of topics, from personal experiences to club related matters. My editor’s column in our Region newsletter is titled “Bruce’s Fuel Stop”. The point behind the title is that, while stopping to gas up on a long trip, a fuel stop is often a good time to reflect on the status of the trip, where the journey has progressed from, and in which direction the journey will continue. In the same sense, in addition to any personal items I may include, I try to use the column to pause and reflect on the Region and its “journey” through the hobby, and give something for the club members to think about. In the past, I have addressed topics such as encouraging more active participation by members, stressing the importance to remember the elderly and less mobile members, familiarizing members with National, and others. The Fuel Stop is usually the most difficult part of each newsletter for me, as I always try to come up with something I hope is useful and the members can relate to. Another thing I make sure to do in the Fuel Stop is to thank any members that contributed articles, photos, and/or information in that particular issue. People appreciate the recognition and like to know their efforts are also appreciated. Keep in mind that this is only an example of how I try to use my editors column and each editor has his or her own ideas on how they want to use the column. However, there are some comments that I suggest for each editors column. 1. Keep it light and enjoyable reading. After all, your club is part of a hobby that is meant to be fun and enjoyable. 2. Refrain from using the editorial as a personal soapbox. I believe that the editors column should encourage unity as a club; not fracture the organization or alienate members. Besides, there are much better times and places that the club can discuss and hear all sides of any political or highly volatile matter. 3. Keep it a reasonable length. You don’t want to drive your readers to sleep. If the topic needs a lengthy discussion, write it up in a separate, full length article. 4. Use a variety of topics. I remember one non-AACA auto club newsletter I used to receive where the editor always rambled on and on about her darling, cute little dogs. Hey, I like dogs too, but it drove me nuts reading about hers in excruciating detail issue after issue. 5. Have fun with it. It is your show. The editors column is probably the one place you can best communicate your own thoughts and ideas. It gives a personal identity to the inanimate collection of paper that makes up the newsletter. These are just some thoughts that I hope will help. And as always…..
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