Director’s Thoughts for April 2014

April – When you think about the month of April, what do you think of? Many of us think about April Fool’s Day, Income Tax Day and Easter. There is more to April than playing pranks, filling out tax forms, dyeing eggs and eating jelly beans. This year I am thinking about SPRING! I know that officially, the first day of spring was March 20, & March certainly did come in like a lion. April originally came from the word Aprilis’ meaning “to open”. When April arrives our hearts are usually full of thoughts of renewal & fresh beginnings. These are the days when the sun is shining. It may bring us April Showers, but the warm showers are refreshing and invigorating because we know the sunshine will return soon. In April, small animals that were hibernating usually come out, the birds fly back northward to settle & bees & butterflies begin to gather nectar. Because of the nice warm weather of April, amateur athletes begin to go outside while professional baseball begins. People usually do huge spring cleaning & lawn cleanup. It won’t be long before we see those early signs of spring. What a welcome site that will be after this cold, hard winter. But, most of all, I can’t wait until those ‘April Showers’ wash all that salt off the road so I can get my beloved Riviera out of the garage & take her for the first ride of the season. lt seems like only yesterday that I purchased my Riviera & joined the “Free Spirit” Club, & here I am, Director. I have found this club to be friendly, informative & helpful. Most of all, I am very thankful for the many friends I have made. We are all very lucky to have a club where the members all do their part to make this the active club that it is! 

Don 

“Free Spirit” Meeting Minutes, March 4, 2014

Director Don, called the meeting to order @ 7:30 pm. There were 22 members & 1 guest present. Tonight’s guest speaker, Ms. Tracy Trapp, Senior Community Director of March of Dimes, (MOD), Bethlehem, Pa. 

In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt organized, “Foundation for Infantile Paralysis” stemming from the polio epidemic of those times. He strongly appealed to the Americans to not only save their dimes, but to then send them to the White House to raise $$ for this very important & much needed cause. Mr. Eddie Cantor, a Vaudevillian, changed the name to “March of Dimes Foundation”. The #1 threat to babies = premature birth. The $35 raised by the MOD, 0.76 of every $1.00 goes to research on ALL birth diseases & defects @ a molecular level, ex. Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, etc. Currently, within the last 4 years, l out of 8 babies are born prematurely. $$ also goes to the Pertussis Campaign (Whooping Cough). Do you know that the Pertussis vaccine you received as a child Wears off over time? Yes, it does, therefore if you have an infant in your home, you should really talk with your Dr. about being re-vaccinated. Lastly, $35 also goes to grant $$ to other local associations. The MOD provides support to those families of premature births from an emotional aspect. If medical equipment or the like is needed in the home, the Easter Seals Association provides that service. While there are 7 offices within Pa. (Danville, Lehigh Valley, Pike County, Quakertown, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport), there are 5 chapters (Erie, Harrisburg, Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, & Pittsburgh) in PA to provide services. The MOD’s biggest job is FUNDING! In the l970’s, “Walk America” was the last walk in the US. In 2004, the name was changed to “March of Babies”. There are over 6,000 participants every year for the walks. There are 5 places in which to participate in these walks: Danville, Lehigh Valley, Pocono, Tioga County, & Wilkes-Barre. The MOD have raised over 50 million dollars by their fundraisers. Hats off to the March of Dimes!! 

Motion made by Dolores Kennedy to accept meeting minutes of February as printed in the March newsletter, seconded by Dave Brady, so carried. Treasurer’s report for February, motion made to accept by Shirley Schaffer, seconded by Isabel Lenny, so carried.

• I. Committee Reports
  • A. Historian – “Get Well” cards signed for Kathleen Duckett & Erno Nemeth.
  • B. Kempton – Flyers were handed out to members for distribution.
  • C. Membership – 1 badge was sold.
  • D. Newsletter – No report.
  • E. Programs – April presenter – Lester Clore, rep from the preservation group of Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem, Pa.
  • F. Publicity – Don reported Kelly Haas resigned as chapter Publicist. In an e-mail to Don, she thanked all members for their support. Any volunteers?
  • G. Technical – no report
  • H.Ways and Means – 2 more chapter BUICK blankets were sold: Ventura, California, & during the Hamburg Meet, along with 3 rulers & 4 yardsticks.
• II. OLD BUSINESS
  • BCA & J. C. Taylor award donations fund has been received.
  • Tours:
    • April 9th Stacy Sterner will be taking the chapter on a tour to Martin Guitar, Nazareth, PA. Reservations due by March 30th.
    • July 19th will be Turkey Hill Tour with Sandy Sylvester.
    • August 8-10 will be weekend overnight tour to Huntingdon, Pa with Sally Getz.
• III. NEW BUSINESS
  • 2016 National – A planning meeting is being held May 5th. Due to limited seating, Don Sterner & Sally Getz will attend this meeting.
  • Buick Club Brunch – Received e-mail invitation for the “Free Spirit” Chapter to join the Buick Owners of Maryland & Metro Chapter’s for “Buick Club Brunch” @ Killarney’s House Pub, Davidsonville, MD, 10am-2pm. Please contact Hank Reus, Jr, dankerus@comcast.net, 410-499-6196 of your intentions to attend.
• Motion made to adjourn by George Grossman, seconded by Dave Brady, so carried @ 9:30pm.

Respectfully submitted: Sally Getz, Assistant Director 

• OLD BUSINESS
  • Martin Guitar Tour — Stacy set up this tour for Wednesday, April 9th. All reservations must be submitted to her by March 30th. Details in your March newsletter. Kempton – October 26, 2014. No changes for this year’s show. There was some discussion as to food concession. If we were to want to put up a table for food on the outside grounds, Sandy Sylvester volunteered to head up this project.
• NEW BUSINESS
  • 2016 National – An invitation was extended to attend a planning meeting on May 5, for the National Meet. Because of limited seating, Sally Getz & Don Sterner will attend this meeting. The planning committee is looking for volunteers to work. Don reported that he already signed up to help with registration.
  • MAHONING FARMERS MARKET LEHIGHTON, PA – Clarence reported that they are looking to have a car show. The question is, do we want to get involved in another show?
  • CHAPTER PICNIC – Sunday, June 8, 2014. HOLIDAY GATHERING — Tuesday, December 2, 2014.
  • TOURS – The following club tours were discussed. Watch your newsletters for final details:
    • April 9, 2014 — Martin Guitar Tour
    • July 19, 2014 – Turkey Hill Experience Tour – Sandy Sylvester will confirm with Turkey Hill on a specific time for our tour & lunch.
    • August 8-10, 2014 – Huntingdon, Pa (This is a 3 day tour that Sally Getz is trying to pull together. It is approximately a 2-2 1/1 ride to the destination).
• Motion made to adjourn @ 6:00pm by Sally Getz, seconded by Shirley Schaffer, so carried.

Respectfully submitted by: Stacy J. Sterner, Secretary 

• 1.) The car in front of you is taking a long time to turn left, & there’s no passing lane, you:
  • a.) Break loose w. a steady stream of obscenities. It makes you feel better.
  • b.) Whip around the car on the right shoulder – which is actually a bike lane.
  • c.) Wait patiently. It’s not worth the risk of collision – or the rise in blood pressure,
• 2.) You’re @ a 4-way stop w/ no light, you:
  • a.) Waive your right of way, motioning others to go first. Why is everyone honking @ you?
  • b.) Ignore others’ right of way 7 pull out @ the earliest opportunity. You snooze, you lose.
  • c.) Refresh your memory about who has the right of way – & then follow it.
• 3,) The light is green, you:
  • a.) Take your sweet time before moving despite the long line behind you.
  • b.) Gun it. Hold on to your hats!
  • c.) Pat attention & drive when the time comes.
• 4.) What is your approach to tailgating?
  • a.) I slow down when someone tailgates me — just to teach them a lesson.
  • b.) I tailgate others when they hang out in the passing lane – they need to learn!
  • c.) I do my best to avoid tailgating situations altogether, even if someone’s annoying me.
• 5.) You’re taking a sharp left, you:
  • a.) Don’t bother to signal. After all, you know where you’re going.
  • b.) Don’t bother to slow down — your passengers will just have to hang on.
  • c.) Slow down & signal, out of deference to those in & out of your vehicle.

How did you do?

• Mostly A’s: You exhibit some passive road tendencies. You may feel that you’re just minding your own business — but safe driving means paying attention to those around you, “The safest way to drive is to be predictable to others & to stay within the limits of the norms, which may vary from place to place, even from one street corner to another,” Leon James explains. Consider the “left lane bandit,” a personality type James coined to describe a driver who blocks others from passing. “This is very aggressive,” James says, “because it causes increased risk-taking on the part of motorists who pass on the right, often while being angry @ the driver who is blocking the passing lane.”
• Mostly B’s: Okay, you’re just plain aggressive to deal with the traffic around them. “Sometimes the culture takes over,” Vanderbilt says. “My first few days of driving in Italy, I was horrified – people came within inches of my rear bumper to get me out of their way. But after a few days I started driving that way too. It was sink or swim.” You may also be behaving territorially. The confines of your car are your territory, everyone else on the road is a potential threat to that territory. Remember: Everyone on the road has to work together to keep everyone safe.
• Mostly C‘s: What a model driver!! Good for you!! Consider joining the State Farm Drive Safe & Save program ~ drivers like you can get a big discount on your auto insurance.

• 1931 Buick Model 67,4-dr dual side mounts. Body=excellent condition,original interior Intake from later model with a downdraft carb. Floors with surface rust. $11,000 OBRO! Tom W 540-946-2661 , 540-471-9384.
• 1935 Buick Model 58, 2-dr Victoria, VERY RARE! Resto started 47 years ago, then stored 35 years. Surface rust on rear floor pans & inner wheel wells. Interior wood in good shape. $17,500 OBRO. Tom @ 540-946-2661.
• 1937 Buick, original Owners Manual, MINT condition! $40.00 610-489-1253 1960 Buick LeSabre Convertible, red color, 99% original, garaged x 28 yrs! Solid frame & floor pans. Int. intact w/ body in good condition. $8,000.00. Pics available upon request, mrsfink117@ptd.net.
• 1968 Buick Electra 225 Limited 4-dr Htp, Cameo Cream w/ black vinyl top & interior, excellent unrestored condition, 38K mi. All power, AC, 2nd owner, Old Cars Report valued at $12,000, asking $10,900. 610-530-1553, dwebster80@gmail.com
• 1972-79 Front Brake Rotors, Full Size Buick, new & US made w/ bearing races, $65.00/pair. kriebel12@verizon.net, 610-489-1253
• 1969 Skylark Convertible – kimberly.pavlick@scranton.edu
• 1981 Buick Regal V-6 with A/T, A/C, new paint, excellent interior. Runs Good! Rally wheels. Asking $5,500 OBO. Tom Sylvester, 610-366-7151

Used it to haul children to school? 
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610-820-9188