Latimore Show 2018–In Review

Saturday, June  9th —

A very special show this year! After weeks of what seemed like endless rain, the sun finally broke through. Flooding meant having to move things from the racetrack up to the museum, but the new location seemed to work in our favor. A round of applause is due to co-chairs Ken Buohl and Bob Shultz  for their quick thinking and leadership.

The feature car was Chevrolet’s Camaro, and attendees were also treated to a World War I Centennial presentation of war era military vehicles provided by members of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association.

There was something for everybody—old and young alike as kids got to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Mattel Hotwheels with a Hotwheels Classic Car Show & Race Challenge. 

As always, many thanks go to all our volunteers, the York Springs Lions Club, and the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing . Without your hard work and support, the day would not have been possible. You really pulled through. Great job!

To see more photos, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GettysburgAACA/

2018 Spring Tour/Poker Run

 

April 28, 2018 — Hosted by Karl and Mary Krouch

Fog greeted us in the morning, but Mary Krouch had a talk with the weather, and by 10:00 it was blue skies. The poker run started at Carlisle Country Market where everyone got the chance to do a bit of shopping, grab a cup of coffee and their directions (along with the first card) before heading out. We had the best turnout on a tour in years with over 70 people signed up!

The next stop was Carlisle Cemetery where we were met by Kelly Krouch from the Daughters of the American Revolution. In historic costume, Kelly told us the story and legend of “Molly Pitcher” (aka Mary Ludwig Hays), an American patriot who served during the Battle of Monmouth. 

After the cemetery, we went on a leisurely drive past a watercress pond and the 1720 stone home of James Letort who was a French-Swiss fur trader and the first settler of Carlisle.

Our third card was picked up by the swimming pool in Boilings Springs before driving to Leidigh Road where we all gathered around a Sycamore tree estimated to be between 300 and 350 years old. At over 9 feet across, it took 11 of us to circle the tree.

After another jaunt along back roads, we arrived at our final official destination: Citizen’s Fire House in Mechanicsburg. Poker hand winners received prizes, and Karl and Mary even had “loser” door prizes from local businesses. We then all tucked in to a delicious hot turkey lunch cooked up by the firemen and did the two things our club does best: eat and talk!

After lunch, Karl and Mary extended an invitation to everyone who came out to stop by their house and “toy shed” to see their car collection! It was a great way to end the day just before the storm clouds moved in. 

Many thanks go to the Krouch family, DAR, and the Citizen’s Fire House for working so hard to make the day an incredible success. Thanks are also due to everyone who signed up. We hope to see you at the next event!

~Photos courtesy of Christina King and Angelica Yost. To see the full album, visit our Facebook page.

It’s Carlisle Weekend!

 

Most of you reading this probably already know about Carlisle. The city itself is host to several automotive themed shows and auctions throughout the year, but there’s one event in particular that takes place every spring which car enthusiasts on the east coast (and around the world) flock to. We don’t even refer to it by name. Months in advance, you’ll hear people simply ask, “You going to Carlisle this year?” or “Will I see you at Carlisle?”

It’s the Spring Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet, Corral, and Auction, and I’ve been going with my mother and grandfather almost every year for nearly 20 years. School and work has been missed for this pilgrimage (shh!). Indeed, for the antique “automophile,” the car hobby can become a sort of religion, and Carlisle is one of it’s sacred (though smaller) sites.

We jumped in the truck around 5:45 am Friday morning, empty backpacks and wish-lists in hand. Our arrival time was a little before 8:00 on this particularly chilly day, though, having braved snow and rain in years past, all we needed were cups of hot caffeine to come up with a plan of attack and get going. My parents headed in one direction, my grandfather and I in the other.

Whether you’re searching for chrome work, tools, accessories, books, new or original parts, an expert, a rare find, or a new obsession, Carlisle has it all. Over the year, we’ve found all of the above and then some, and yesterday was no exception. Some of our finds included parts for a ’72 MGB and a ’16 Overland, license plates, sanding tools, shop coats, rags, kneeling pads, an MG expert, and so much more.

After 2 trips back to the truck to empty our backpacks, we finally called it quits at 3:30. Despite having split into groups, all of us ended up trekking up and down every aisle, not wanting to miss a thing (at one time I think we estimated this to be about 9 miles but if anyone has an exact distance, my aching feet would love to know).

April 22 is the last day of the meet for anyone who hasn’t made it there, yet. As for me, I’m taking a day to recoup, and pretty soon I’ll be planning ahead for 2019!

~Angelica Yost –Webmaster, age 28

Covered Dish Dinner 2018

 

This year’s covered dish (potluck) dinner was held at the East Berlin Community Center on Sunday, March 11. After everyone stuffed themselves silly, we were treated to several rounds of Bingo–with prizes–while our food digested.

Another treat was in store as members were asked to dig up their old photos, car or club related, and show them off. Quite a few people did just that and filled up several tables with their pictures. It was great to hear folks share their memories.

Many thanks to Ron Green who organized the event, and to everyone who pitched in to make the day a success by bringing prizes or food, helping with set-up/clean-up, or helping with the raffle or Bingo.

Annual Dinner 2018

This year’s annual dinner was once again held at the Lower Allen VFW Post #7530 in Mechanicsburg, and it was a wonderful venue. Everyone got to enjoy a cash bar, light hors d’oeuvres and a buffet dinner.

Afterwards, the official induction of officers and board members took place, and the President’s gavel was passed from Ron Green to Annette Yost. Ron graciously served for two terms, during which time he worked seemingly tirelessly to bring our club’s bylaws and other records into the twenty-first century. He steps down to take a much needed rest as the Gettysburg Region welcomes its second madam president.

Congratulations is also in order for Carol Barlup and Pat Buckley who were presented the 2017 Outstanding Service Award for all their contributions to the club over the years, including the many hours they put into handling registration for the Founders Tour. Thank you!

Guest speakers for the evening included AACA Museum Executive Director Jeff Bliemeister, and AACA National Executive Director Steve Moskowitz who came out despite having just had surgery. Many thanks go to both for taking the time to come out and speak with us about the exciting goings on at the museum and headquarters.

During the social gathering and after dinner, entertainment was provided by magician David Pepka. This was a unique treat as David does sleight of hand with cards and coins. He even performed a card trick that fooled Harry Houdini! This allowed the audience to not only get up close with the magic tricks, but also take part. W are very grateful to Karl and Mary Krouch for inviting David to our shindig and making sure the night ended with a bang.

Sundaes at the Movies 2018

 

We kicked off 2018 with our annual ice cream social on Sunday, January 21st at the Dover Fire Hall. Our gracious hostess Roxanne Vandermark Hess did a wonderful job organizing the afternoon (and this was her first time hosting this event, too!).

In addition to the raffle and slideshows created by our photographer Ken Meyers showcasing all that we did in 2017, including the Founders Tour, there were a few new surprises. First, members were invited to wear a hat, be it old, new, or even silly. And boy did some people really deliver!

Second, we were treated to a recently unearthed treasure. Gettysburg Region member Fred Gable has been in the club since the very beginning, and as it turns out he had taken a home video back in 1953 of one the region’s very first meetings. The video was sent to the AACA Library where the librarians were able to digitize the film. As a result, both the library and our club now have a DVD copy of the short film which captures moments from the board meeting, a trip to the Gettysburg Battlefield, and even some friendly racing games between the members. Fred made sure to come out to the social on Sunday and, along with Don Barlup, provide insightful commentary. Many thanks are due to Fred, Don, and the AACA Library for helping preserve our club’s history.

Our next event will be our annual dinner featuring the installation of officers. Hope to see you there!

Penn Tech Tour – Photos!

 

Here’s a look back at the tour of Penn College’s Automotive Restoration program on November 4th.

This was a special treat organized by Jim Yemzow and was open to members of the GRAACA, Harrisburg Area Volkswagen Owners’ Club, and Selinsgrove’s Volkswagens in Pennsylvania. Many thanks are due to program instructor Roy Klinger and student Vanessa Mathurin who took the time to show us around and give demonstrations.

Photos are courtesy of GRAACA member Pat Shaffer. To see more, visit our Facebook page.

Summer Tour 2017: A Huge WOW of Fun!

On Saturday, August 26th the GRAACA held it’s annual summer tour. This year, tour planners Jerry Black and John Sayler had something very unique in store: a trip to the private estate of Irenee DuPont, Jr.

Mr. DuPont, who is 97 years young, has owned a 1936 Olds for 81 years now. He an his wife were delightful hosts and had a few surprises for their guests. Apart from their personal collection of antique cars, they also fired their pipe organ. GRAACA member Pat Shaffer wrote a few comments after her visit:

“That was not what I expected. Whoa!!!! Super fantastic. I just wanted to stay in the little room and listen… it was a huge WOW of fun, and interesting.”

Many thanks are due to Mr. And Mrs. DuPont for opening up their home to us. 

Pictures are coming soon!