Director’s Thoughts for March 2013

As you have read in February’s newsletter about DAF 2013, we have a pretty darn good start in the planning & organization for this event. Hopefully, each day there will be an activity of which fellow BUICK enthusiasts will very much enjoy during the 3-day event. As each time I talk to Shirley Schaffer about Buick car registrants, there are more & more registrations being mailed to her. This is GOOD!! Besides the mailings, I have been receiving phone calls & e-mails from many other National BCA members about the show. I provide them w/ verbal answers to their inquiries, or invite them to visit our web site, www.buickfreespirit.org, for further information. Again, this is GOOD! Be sure to get YOUR registration in very soon!

As March & April rolls around, inside/outside car markets/shows are beginning their season. Coming up on the first Sunday of March is the 46th Annual Hamburg Swap Meet & Car Corral hosted by the Ontelaunee Region AACA. Although it is a 1-day event, those mem- bers are in it for the full weekend. They put on a nice indoor/outdoor meet. As Clarence & John vend, I, of coarse, go for the fun, enjoyment, & the entertainment for the day. Everyone seems to have a good time! Whenever you become involved w/, or participate in a club, chapter, association, etc., everyone needs to work together in a team effort. Besides, if you did not want to have fun, then you wouldn’t have joined up w/ that particular club, chapter, association, etc, right? Stay alive & active while you can. Enjoying the hobby is the name of the game. 

On March 10th, don’t forget Daylight Savings time starts. Turn your clocks ahead! Spring ahead! 

On March 17th, which is the day St Patrick died, many Irishmen & Irishwomen will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Did you know his real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). Did you know, originally, the color associated w/ St. Patrick was blue? Did you know that more than 100 St. Patrick Day parades are held across the U.S.; NY City & Boston are home to the largest celebrations? Did you know, botanists say there’s nothing uniquely Irish about the shamrocks except their color-green. No matter how you celebrate it St. Patrick’s Day, take a moment to remember a man of faith & spread it to a now cheerful & strong-spirited Ireland. To those who are Irish, HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY! 

“Free Spirit” Meeting Minutes, February 5, 2013

Director, Sally Getz, called the meeting to order at 7:25pm. There were 14 members & 2 guests present. Sally introduced guest speaker, Robert (Bob) Duld, of the American Red Cross. Bob is their Regional Chief Administrative Officer. He talked to us about how important it is to have volunteers. The Red Cross of the LV has 14 FT employees. There are 1200 other team members, all of which are volunteers. He explained that the criteria for keeping their charter is, 1st, to provide services to the military, & 2nd, to respond to disasters. He commended 2 of our own members, Ed & Isabel Lenny, for their dedication to the Red Cross. Bob’s lecture was interesting & enjoyed by all. 

Motion made to accept meeting minutes of January by Dolores Kennedy, seconded Shirley Schaffer, so carried. Treasurer’s report for January given by Clarence Getz, motion made to accept by Shirley Schaffer, seconded by Dave Brady, so carried. 

I. COMMITTEE REPORTS

A. Historian-no report
B. Kempton-awaiting Kempton flyers from the printer for distribution @ Hamburg meet in March. Show contract has been received & signed.
C. Membership-new members, Eric/Sherry Breiner of Palmerton, Pa. 
D. Newsletter-1 new advertiser obtained, & 1 returned advertiser.
E. Programs-guest speaker for March meeting=Mary Ann Snell, �Estates & Elder Law.�
F. Publicity-February’s meeting has been advertised as usual.
G. Technical-no report
H. Ways-n-Means �2 shirts have been sold, 1 jacket has been ordered. 

II. OLD BUSINESS

DAF 2013-to date, Shirley Schaffer reported that 73 Buick’s have registered. There will be another BOD meeting @ Dave’s on March 20th. More information will be reported to the membership as projects are confirmed. Annual chapter picnic is Sunday, June 16th, Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie park. Annual �Holiday Gathering� is Tuesday, December 3, Starlite Diner & Lounge. Watch Calendar of events for chapter tours being planned.
Next month the guest speaker will be Mary Ann Snell. She will present a talk on �Estates & Elder Law.� This sounds like it will be a most interesting talk. 

III. NEW BUSINESS

Winery Tour=An invitation was received by the �BOOM� Chapter of MD & the Mason Dixon Chapter of BCA to join them in a Winery Tour, May 25th. This day tour will visit the Seven Valley’s Vineyard & the Four Springs Winery both of which are located in Seven Valleys, PA (near Glen Rock). The event is pay as you go w/ cost including both Wineries anticipated to be $20 pp. Lunch will be held @ Glen Rock Inn w/ separate checks. Also, a member of BOOM chapter is looking for a 1940 Buick. If anyone knows of such a car, contact Sally Getz. DAF 2013-a retired real estate display rack was found by Clarence Getz. W/ a little tweaking & a coat of paint, Clarence will make it into a display rack for old car ads to be used @ DAF. This will help to give the tent a showroom effect There are 48 slots on this lazy susan display. Clarence will search for different ads to represent as many years as he can find. If he needs help in finding some ads, he will let us know @ the monthly meetings. 50/50 Drawing= ticket cost=$2.00. Shirley Schaffer was the recipient of this months prize, a �Buick Parking Only� sign, something anyone of us would love to own. Congratulations Shirley! Motion to adjourn made by Sandy Sylvester, seconded by Alice Schaffer @ 8:50 pm., so carried. 
Respectfully submitted by: Stacy J. Sterner, Secretary

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

Please �Welcome� Eric & Sherry Breiner into the Buick family. Their address is 180 Clayton Curve, Palmerton, Pa 18071. 610-826-7512, eckman1@ptd.net. They are the proud owners of a 1987 Buick Grand National. Be sure to give them a warm BUICK welcome when you meet them! Also, be sure to add them in your membership roster.

Why Insurance Premiums are Increasing

Insurance premiums are a function of these factors: the perception of future risks, recent catastrophic claims & the return available on investment. Hurricanes (like Sandy) & other disasters factor in, such as the Colorado Springs blazes earlier this year have also forced large payouts. Even the devastating Japanese earthquake & tsunami from 2010 affects insurance premiums in the US, since insurance companies routinely purchase re-insurance coverage from very large companies. These reinsurance companies, such as General Re, have been increasing their rates. In addition, jury awards & settlement costs in a variety of commercial fields have put pressure on insurance company reserve funds.

Yes, insurance companies are just like you: they assess the risks they can cover, & then buy insurance themselves to protect themselves against very large but unlikely events that would overwhelm their reserves. We saw a similar tightening of the property & casualty insurance world across the board, in 2001, following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The direct costs themselves were significant, but reinsurance companies also increased their rates then, in order to cover their own risks & ensure clients were protected in case of acts of war, nuclear/chemical strikes, etc. Fortunately, their worst fears weren’t realized, but prudent insurers are in business to cover the worst case scenario, & so they had to plan & set premiums accordingly. 

Fast forward to today though, & we have a different phenomenon @ work. Re-insurers had just started to climb out of the substantial capital shocks of 2008 & 2009 when they got hit w/ the Japan tsunami, which put pressure on capital pools. But as they work to replenish their reserves, all insurers, all over the world, have been forced to reckon w/ a new reality: low interest rates. Insurance companies make money in 2 ways: bringing in premiums & investing the �float.� Normally, insurers break even or even run a slight loss on premiums. This keeps premiums affordable, but is only possible because they can invest their accumulated reserves @ a profit. 10 years ago, an insurance company could get 5-6% on a portfolio of Treasuries. Now that same insurer struggles to get 2-3% on a AA-rated bond portfolio, & US Treasuries-the traditional mainstay of conservatively-run insurance companies, may well be generating a � real return after inflation. Something has to give. That’s what we’re seeing now, Actuaries have no choice but to increase premiums to cover anticipated payouts in light of the new lower interest rate environment. To do otherwise risks insolvency, which does no service to the insured at all, & even defeats the purpose of insurance. The tightening of the reinsurance market, combined w/ adjustments to account for the lower returns on assets, is now making its presence felt on Main St. Aggregate commercial insurance ratios increased for the 5th consecutive quarter, & by 5% in the 1st quarter of 2012 alone. That’s the biggest increase we’ve seen since 2004.

The 2 lines responsible for the largest increases, according to a Towers Watson survey, were the 2 segments most vulnerable to jury award & medical cost increases (workers compensation), & increased reinsurance costs from mega-disasters & lower interest rates (commercial property insurance), respectively. Insurance markets tend to cycle along w/ other industries. As reinsurance pools of capital get replenished, or as interest rates rise, allowing carriers to generate more revenue from the �float� rather than rely so much on point-blank premium collection, rate increases tend to moderate, & new carriers spring up to compete for business.

So if you are seeing rate increases, it’s more a matter of prudence in the face of risk & low returns on capital, which affect all carriers everywhere. As a result rates increase to make sure there are enough in reserves to cover future claims. No one is exempt, & it’s a bigger issue than any single insurance agency, carrier, or insurance line.

Young Drivers Admit to Nodding Off Behind the Wheel

Younger drivers are more likely to drive while drowsy. 1 in 7 licensed drivers ages 16-24 admitted to having nodded off at least once while driving in the past year as compared to 1 in 10 of all licensed drivers who confessed to falling asleep during the same period. Young drivers age 16-24 were more likely, by some 78%, to be drowsy at the time of the crash as drivers age 40-59. 1 in 6 deadly crashes involve a frowsy driver, making it 1 of the leading contributors to traffic crashes. Sleepiness slows your reaction time, decreases awareness, & impairs your judgment, just like drugs & alcohol. People who are very sleepy behave in similar ways to people who are drunk. Recent analysis found that while 8 of 10 people view drowsy drivers as a serious threat to their own personal safety, many admit to driving while extremely drowsy themselves. In fact, 30% of licensed drivers reported having driven in the past 30 days when they were so tired that they struggled to keep their eyes open. Unfortunately, sleepy people often overestimate their driving abilities & most drivers underestimate the risks associated w/ drowsy driving-that’s a dangerous combination.

While there is no guarantee that drivers will recognize when they are becoming tired behind the wheel, signs of drowsy driving can include:

• -trouble remembering the last miles driven or missing exits & traffic signs
• -difficulty keeping your eyes open & focused
• -yawning frequently or rubbing your eyes repeatedly
• -drifting from your lane or off the road
• -daydreaming or having wandering, disconnected thoughts
  All motorists are urged to stop driving & find a safe place to pull over if experiencing any of the drowsy driving symptoms. To remain alert & be safer behind the wheel:
• -get plenty of sleep (@ least 7 hrs.) the night before a long trip
• -avoid traveling @ times you would normally be sleeping
• -schedule a break every 2 hrs. or every 100 miles
• -avoid heavy foods
• -travel w/ a companion & take turns driving
• -avoid medications that cause drowsiness or other impairment
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
  MARCH 2013 (WEATHER PERMITTING!)
  1-3 � Atlantic Show, Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ
  3 – 46th Annual Hamburg Swap Meet & Car Corral, Hamburg, Pa. 610-262-9718
  5 � Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100 & 78, 7:30 pm. Join others for supper @ 6:00 pm. Guest speaker is Mary Ann Snell, �Estates & Elder Law.� This will be a presentation you won’t want to miss!
  20-24 – 16th Annual Greater LV Auto Show, Stabler arena, Bethlehem, Pa. 610-758-9691

  APRIL 2013 (WEATHER PERMITTING!)
  2 � Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100 & 78, 7:30 pm. Join members for supper @ 6:00 pm. Guest speaker will be Mr. Chris Ritter, head librarian of the A.A.C.A. Library, Hershey, Pa.
  24-28 � Spring Carlisle, Carlisle, Pa. 717-243-7855
  27 – 3rd Annual Cool Cars Show, A.A.C.A. Museum, Hershey, Pa. mtsherrick@yahoo.com
  28 � Automotive Literature & Gas Station Memorabilia Show, Leesport Farmers Market, Leesport, Pa.

  MAY 2013
  7 � Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100 & 78, 7:30pm. Join members for supper @ 6:00pm. Guest speaker will be a rep from Gift of Life of Lehigh Valley
  19-23 � 12th Annual Brass in Bucks County, Reading, Pa. jim@bigflatsrivet.com
  30-JUNE 1 � AACA Eastern Division Meet, Carlisle, PA. pullman1914@aol.com

  CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”1939 Buick Parts � Owner’s Manual, 6 hubcaps; pr tail lights & shock absorbers; head light lens. Chuck, 410-876-3517,crgraf1@verizon.net. Can send photos!

  1956 Buick Century 4 Dr. Riviera, PS, PB, AM/FM radio conversion, next to NEW COKER wide whites w/ rubber nubs. Rear air shocks to supplement the BUICK ride! Original unrestored BUICK! Also comes w/ large tote of NOS & rare items worth about almost $1,000 if sold on E-Bay. Shop manuals, showroom sales brochure & a file of all records of maintenance. Trim=633. Paint=BMB or 8M8. Acc:F S. Body= #530. Style= #56-4639. Model= #56-63. Vin=6C3005072. $14,000 but is subject to discussion. Bob @ 1-570-606-8061,bobs0825@msn.com

  1988 Buick Reatta Hardtop � Red w/ British Tan interior. Original owner, excellent body condition. 120K miles. 2008 inspection & registration. New tires, ps, pb, ac, pw, power seats. $3,000.00. Contact Toni 610-797-7900

Used it to haul children to school? 
Need to earn money to keep her running great?

Why not consider joining Avon and keep your baby in fantastic shape!

Mary Lacy, Ind. AVON Sales Rep.
639 W Tilghman St. Allentown, PA 18102
www.youravon.com/marylacy
610-820-9188