GRAACA Board Meeting
Our first board meeting of 2022 with our newly installed officers will be on Tuesday, February 15 at 6:30pm. Held at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing. All members are welcome to attend!
AACA Annual Convention Changes!
2022 AACA Annual Convention Moved to Gettysburg
AACA Annual Convention, February 10-12
Wyndham Gettysburg, 95 Presidential Circle, Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 339-0020 Dial 0 and ask for the AACA rate
The Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia Hotel has been a great partner during the past several decades in supporting our Annual Convention. The management and staff have worked with us well and we looked forward to being able to put on our traditional convention this February. However, multiple recent issues and mandates within the city of Philadelphia instituted on January 3rd have severely impacted the possibility of holding our event in that city. After several serious discussions by the AACA Board of Directors, it was decided that even at this late date, it was best to find an alternate location. If you made reservations at the Sheraton in Philadelphia, you will need to cancel them – the phone numbers for the Sheraton are 215-448-2000 or (800) 325-3535.
As such, we are moving the convention to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the same dates. We will be based at the Wyndham Hotel and Courtyard Marriott, where we have held several successful events in the past. Our plan is to host the very best convention possible despite the challenges of the move and using a smaller hotel. We will still have seminars, trade show vendors, First Lady’s breakfast, AACA merchandise, Region Presidents’ Dinner, membership meeting and, of course, our Saturday-night awards gala.
The hotels have given us a great rate of $118 plus tax and there is NO parking fee at either hotel. The Wyndham is where most of the activities will take place. BWI (Baltimore) airport is about 1½ hours away and MDT (Harrisburg) airport is about 1 hour. Philadelphia is 2½ hours from Gettysburg.
The phone number for the Wyndham is (717) 339-0020 Dial 0 and ask for the AACA rate. The hotel is located at 95 Presidential Circle, Gettysburg PA 17325. The phone number for the Courtyard is (717) 334-5600 and ask for AACA rate. The Courtyard is at 115 Presidential Circle and is located just a few steps next door to the Wyndham.
We have been and are still in the process of calling all those already registered with us and the hotel in Philadelphia. We are also calling all the national award winners. A revised registration form is now available to all NEW participants – click here to download it. For those already registered and now planning to attend in Gettysburg, we will simply move your registration to the new venue. (Reminder: you will need to make your own hotel reservations though.) For activities that we offered in Philadelphia but are not able to offer in Gettysburg, refunds will be made onsite at the convention.
We sincerely hope that this change does not cause undue hardships for members to attend. For those who wish to come for the day only, you can register now or on the day of onsite. However, we would prefer to know sooner than later for planning purposes.
Again, we deeply regret having to take this action, but we did it in the best interest of our membership. It is not easy on the club or its members but as we have proved in the past, we will make lemonade out of lemons.
REMINDER: You must be a paid 2022 AACA member in order to register for the Annual Convention. If you need to pay your dues, please call AACA National HQ at 717-534-1910 and we will renew you over the phone with a credit card.
Trains, Planes & Automobiles
On Saturday, May 22nd, the Gettysburg Region met at the Northern Central Railway station in New Freedom, PA for a very special event organized by Bob and Martha Channell. Region members showed off their cars and got to spend the day catching up with friends and meeting some members of the Blue & Gray Miniature Aircraft Squadron who were gracious enough to bring out some of their planes. The club is located about 4 miles east of Gettysburg on Cavalry Field Road and their events are open to the public.
Although it was hot, attendees got to cool off with some ice-cold orangeade offered at one of the food trucks available. Another way to beat the heat and get out of the sun was to purchase a ticket for a ride on the train! For anyone who missed out on this opportunity, don’t worry. You’ll have another chance on the Summer Tour.
Many thanks go to Bob and Martha who worked hard to put this event on. Thanks should also be extended to Blue & Gray for joining us for a fun time. More photos are on our Facebook page.
Latimore Valley Car Show 2021 in Review
Festivities resumed this year at Latimore Valley Fairgrounds! Our annual car show took place on Saturday, June 12, and despite having gray skies in the morning, it was an overall success. with 122 cars on the field.
Attendees got to experience some new things this year. Lunch was provided by the York Springs Lions Club and Rock-It Pizza & Subs food truck from Newberrytown. Also, the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing hosted a valve cover racing event at our show. It was a hit, and there’s talk that attendees might get to take part in the fun at Latimore again next year.
Latimore Valley Car Show!
Less than a week away!
Our annual Latimore Valley Car Show is Saturday, June 12th. Yes, that’s next Saturday!
- Check out the wide array of antique cars
- Spend some money in the flea market
- Enjoy delicious treats provided by the Lions Club and food trucks
- Stop by the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing
- Take part in valve cover racing (or cheer on the contestants)
We hope to see your there!
White Elephant Table at Latimore Show
A reminder for our members:
We are in need of donations for our White Elephant Table at the Latimore Valley Car Show on June 12.
The White Elephant table is a good way for the club to raise a little extra money. You can either bring them to Latimore on the day of the show–the earlier in the day the better–or contact Pat Shaffer at 717-258-4964.
If there is something of an unusually large value, please give her a heads up on that also.
With your assistance we can have a wonderful White Elephant sale this year!
GRAACA Spring Tour
Join us Saturday, May 8th for the GRAACA Spring Tour starting at Bill Wessels’ second Antique Car Barn just south of Dillsburg for coffee and donuts from 9 am till 10 am. View over 20 pre- and post-war cars in this collection that contains completely different cars than seen on the 2019 Fall Tour. We will then travel on two lane roads for approximately one hour through rural Adams County to our next touring site: The Gettysburg Battlefield. We can follow the battlefield auto tour at our own pace. We have allotted approximately two and a half hours to allow you to stop at the monuments and exit your cars for photos and time to read the plaques and information boards. Don’t forget to find our Region “logo”, at the Eternal Flame Peace Monument. We end the tour with lunch in Gettysburg at 2:00 pm. This will again be a slow pace tour and we encourage you to bring out your “oldest cars”.
Directions to Wessels’ (different location than previous Fall Tour):
From 15 South: Go past Bakers Restaurant in Dillsburg approximately 3.1 miles and make a left onto Old Cabin Hollow Road (M&P RV is across the road on 15). Go 1.4 miles on Old Cabin Hollow Road to a stop sign in Franklin Town. Make a right onto Baltimore Road / 194. Continue 2.3 miles on Baltimore Road / 194 and at the white Barren Lutheran Church sign (on left) make a left onto Mt Top Road (no stop sign). Continue 0.2 miles on Mt Top Road and arrive at Wessel’s on left.
From 15 North: Go past the EMMR Museum sign (has racecar on it) at Latimore Valley Road approximately 3.6 miles and make a right onto Old Cabin Hollow Road (M&P RV is across the road on 15). Go 1.4 miles on Old Cabin Hollow Road to a stop sign in Franklin Town. Make a right onto Baltimore Road / 194. Continue 2.3 miles on Baltimore Road / 194 and at the white Barren Lutheran Church sign (on left) make a left onto Mt Top Road (no stop sign). Continue 0.2 miles on Mt Top Road and arrive at Wessel’s on left.
Cost per person: $20 which includes coffee, donuts, lunch (final menu to be determined based on Covid restrictions still in effect in May) and a few door prizes.
Questions contact: Ron and Val Green at 717- 443-3903 or Karl and Mary Krouch at 717-697-9543. Send event registration insert to: Mary Krouch / 711 West Trindle Road / Mechanicsburg, PA. 17055
Physical Addresses: Bill Wessels’ = 150 Mountain Top Road, Dillsburg, PA (GPS Use = 150 Mt Top Road Dillsburg, PA).
Registration Deadline: Friday, April 23rd. Registration form in the March-April issue of The Gas Buggy Gazette.
Final Dues Notice!
FINAL NOTICE !!
If you’ve already paid your National & Regional dues for 2021, thank you and disregard this notice.
For the rest of you:
This will be the last reminder to renew your membership in AACA National and AACA Gettysburg Region. National dues should have already been paid, as they were due by December 31st You must renew with National to be a Regional member! Regional dues should be paid by January 31st.
National dues are: Regular $40, Student $12, and Junior $10
Make check payable to AACA and mail to:
AACA, 800 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033.
You can also renew online at www.aaca.org or call them at (717) 534-1910 and renew with a credit card.
Regional dues are: Regular $25, Regular w/1st class mail on newsletter $29, and Student $15
Make check payable to Gettysburg Region of AACA and mail to:
Ed Rogers, 200 Westview Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
MEMBERS DELINQUIENT WITH NATIONAL OR REGIONAL DUES AFTER THE 2ND OF MARCH WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE ROLES AND BE SUBJECT TO THE $10 “NEW MEMBER” INITIATION FEE!
TO AVOID THIS CHARGE, RENEW NOW!
If you have no desire to continue your membership, please notify Ed Rogers (717) 697-2009 or trotfan1@verizon.net or Jim Yemzow (717) 243-5810 or yemyak1@embarqmail.com
Also, if your address, phone number, or email address has changed this past year, use the above contact information to let us know so we can change our records.
Christmas Party & Sundaes on Sunday – Cancelled
Originally planned for December and January respectively, both of these events have been cancelled due to current restrictions on gatherings. Regrettably, we do not foresee these restrictions being lifted in the coming months. Thanks are due to Nancy Schaffer and Roxanne Vandermark Hess for doing their best to plan these events and keep up with guidelines this year.