AACA
AACA Spring Nationals 2023 update
2023 AACA Eastern Spring Nationals : 5/18 – 20, 2023
Hosted by Gettysburg Region AACA
Gateway Center – Gettysburg, PA
We are around 5 months away from celebrating our Regions 70th Anniversary Meet. The Region’s tradition has been to mark each 10 year anniversary by hosting a National Meet. 2023’s date will be May 18 – 20 at the Gateway Center in Gettysburg. All chairperson positions have been filled, plaque design and brochures have been completed, and we are working on the shirt design. Our theme will be celebrating our living AACA National past Presidents and/or their spouses. We will showcase the Swigart Museum’s 1947 Tucker Prototype, the “Tin Goose” in the hotel lobby.
A list of chairpersons and their contact information is listed below. Our most vital and treasured assets are you, our Gettysburg Region members. Please call a chairperson today and volunteer to help. An hour or a day is important and needed. We look forward to welcoming our fellow AACA members to our 70th Anniversary Spring Nationals. With your help it will be a successful event.
Happy Motoring,
Don Barlup & Karl Krouch
Chairperson – Don Barlup: (717) 877-4766, pullman1914@aol.com
Co-Chairperson – Karl Krouch: (717) 576-7241, krouchs@msn.com
Chief Judge – Dr. J. Stanley Stratton: (717) 460-8371, stanlotties@pa.net
Registration Chairperson – Sue Gingrich: (717) 582-8681, suzie-q@centurylink.net
Field Marshall – Bob Channell: (717) 465-7356, usgrant1863@outlook.com
Banquet Chairperson – Bill Sangrey: (717) 609-5983, wsangrey@embarqmail.com
Club Merchandise Chairs – Stew & Sarah Gardner: (443) 794-8893, stewandsarah@comcast.net
Flea Market/Car Corral – Howard King: (717) 660-8206, kings32chevy@gmail.com
Trophy Chairperson – Tom Zinn: (717) 688-4051, trzinn@comcast.net
Publicity Chairperson – Karl & Mary Krouch: (717) 576-7241, krouchs@msn.com
Finance & Budget – Allan Maybee: (717) 731-9726, amaybee@verizon.net
Trailer Parking – Butch Saltzgiver: (717) 637-0332, cell (717) 877-8711
Security – Bob Channell & Don Barlup
Program – John Sayler: (717) 796-1895, jsayjr@juno.com
Program Advertising – Deb Sherwood: (717) 697-0411, debe14t@aol.com
Tours – Jerry Black: (717) 334-3638, jerryblack@onemain.com
Signs – Fred Gable: (717) 476-7245
Hospitality, 50/50, Raffle – Pat Shaffer: (717) 258-4964, ltlcow17@comcast.net
Annette Yost: (717) 660-8000, akyost52@gmail.com
Photography & Meet Write-Up – Angelica Yost: (240) 651-9071, gettysburgregionaaca@gmail.com
Cruise Night – Tom Dawson – Chesapeake Region
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.
Update from National AACA
AACA UPDATE: EVENT CANCELLATIONS & NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS SHUTDOWN
AACA and its affiliates will continue to monitor issues related to the coronavirus, as well as abiding by CDC and other governmental agency recommendations. Our members are our utmost concern, and we will work diligently to keep you informed of changes to scheduled events as they arise. As such, we have two new developments that we would like to notify you of…
The AACA Western Spring Nationals and Founders Tour in April have been canceled. The Phoenix Region will process refunds as soon as possible. AACA, this region, and their volunteers put a lot of effort into this dual event and are deeply disappointed in having to make this decision. As in all our affected events this year, if there is a possibility of finding a safe and suitable new date the club and regions will explore those in the future.
In addition, we are also sad to announce that the AACA Central Spring Nationals in Auburn in May has also been canceled and will not be rescheduled. AACA always enjoys putting on this great event for our members and, along with RM Auctions, deeply regret this turn of events. Registration checks will be returned as soon as possible, and judges’ reimbursement will take place shortly.
As you may or may not be aware, the National AACA staff is working under difficult circumstances at present. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has ordered a statewide shutdown of all non-life sustaining businesses in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, therefore our national headquarters and library are in fact closed. The majority of the staff are doing their best to work from home, so please be patient with our response times to your calls, emails and mailed requests.
We are hopeful that our normal schedule can return beginning in June, but all of that remains to be seen. As stated, your health and that of our nation is the most important factor in all our determinations. We wish you all the best in this very trying time for all of us.
Summer Tour to the 50th Swigart Museum Meet
—August 9th-10th, Huntingdon, Pa.
The Gettysburg Region AACA is planning an overnight tour to the 50th Swigart Museum Car Show hosted by the Allegheny Mountain Region AACA at the Swigart museum in Huntingdon, PA.
Mark you calendar for Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th, optional Sunday, August 11th if you want to tour the storage buildings.
You are responsible for your own reservations and schedule for traveling, below are several driving routes. You can enjoy the weekend of festivities beginning Friday evening and ending Sunday with a tour of the storage building or just attend the show on Saturday.
The drive to Huntingdon using back roads is very scenic and relaxing or you can travel Route 22/322 west from Harrisburg or the Pa. turnpike west to Route 522 N. to 22/322 W. My favorite route is Rt. 641 W from Mechanicsburg, Carlisle to Rt. 522 N to 22/322 W.
This route will take you over two mountains with lots of scenery and little traffic with a nice lunch & rest stop at the intersection of 641 and Rt.75 at Spring Run, Pa. Follow 641 to Rt. 522 at Shade Gap and continue north to 22/322. Turn left toward Huntingdon and the Swigart Museum will be on your right about four miles before getting to Huntingdon.
Check your old fashion maps for the best route from your location and enjoy the trip.
The schedule of events and registration form are in the July/August issue of The Gas Buggy or click here: http://www.swigartmuseum.com/2019Meet.pdf. Contact Bob Shultz @ 717-766-0457 or bobshop120@gmail.com with questions or information.