The WESTERN ROUND-UP is the official publication of the Western Pennsylvania Region, of the Antique Automobile Club of America and is mailed to all members of the Region in good standing the week preceding the regular monthly meeting. The meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month, excluding the months of December and January. The meetings are held at the American Legion Post 982, (Pipetown) Hall, Latrobe, PA 15650, starting at 7:30 p.m.

All copies must be in the hands of the Editor by the first of each month in order to be published. Any items contained herein may be reproduced, if proper credit is given. All articles submitted for publication may be edited for length, grammar, accuracy and composition and will be used solely at the discretion of the Editor.

Region dues are $10.00 until March 1, 2002 for Individual membership and $12.00 after that date. Joint membership dues are $15.00 until March 1, 2002 and $17.00 after that date. You must include your National card and National number. Dues should be mailed to Tom Milligan, Treasurer, R.D.2, Box 449-S, Greensburg, PA 15601.

Visit Our Web site: http:/www.aaca.org/westernpa

Happy New Year! 2003 is here…. The next Western Pennsylvania Region meeting is February 18, 2003.

Thanks again to Mike Kosko for submitting articles for the Round-up. I must apologize for the tardiness of this issue, but with any luck, 2003 issues will be more timely. I have the February cover already to go. Now to work on the inside parts….

2002 is already history, but it has left so many great memories that Connie and I will remember for a very long time. Our club had such a great year due solely to the people who make up our membership roster including all the new members who immediately became active in our meetings and functions.

The great monthly newsletter by Mark DeFloria and articles from Ed Vance, Mike Kosko and many other members have indeed kept all members informed and up to date on all the clubs many activities. Thanks to Al Terek, Bill Stump, Gary Cooper, Al & Sally Wircik, Brian Henderson and Joe Swezev who helped arrange and participate in the programs for each of the meetings and Debby Sheetz for the delicious desserts served after each meeting.

Thanks to Jim and Barb Emy and Dave and Debby Sheetz and all those who sold tickets to make our car raffle such a great success and to Dan and Carol Calabrace for the best car show ever.

Thanks to John and Vickie Kuhns and their family for putting together the Annual Meeting and the great Christmas Party with 133 people in attendance. Thanks to Debby Sheetz. Tom Milligan, and Mark DeFloria for the great summer picnic. Thanks to Paul & Elinor Carey. Dave & Debby Sheetz. Don & Mary Ann Brant, Tom& Dodie Ulishney and all their families for a very successful Progressive Dinner Tour.

A special thanks to all who arranged and attended the wonderful tours we - had throughout the year: Connie Schifano, Dave Reese, Vince & Janice Altieri for the Covered Bridge Tour; Bill & Debbie Rusnock for the Frick Museum Tour; Don & Mary Ann Brant, Connie Schifano, Bill & Debbie Rusnock for the Don Pyle Museum Tour; Al & Sally Wirick and Frank & Mary French for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame bus tour; Mark & Sandy DeFloria and Tom & Irene Milligan for the Fall Foliage Tour. Also thanks to Jim & Fran Peppler who worked on a candy factory tour that was cancelled due to the factory not being open on weekends.

It’s difficult to remember everyone who should be recognized for the great year we have had but I’d like to again thank my wife, Connie for all of her help and patience, the Board of Directors and all the members for making my year as President an unforgettable event in my life.

Connie and I will continue to be active members for many years and look forward to participating in all of the activities and the fellowship with you who share our hobby of vintage, antique, and classic vehicles and memorabilia. THANKS AGAIN!

I have been in AACA Western Pa, for a few years now, and remember when our monthly meetings were held at the American Legion in downtown Latrobe, I have written articles for the Round-Up.

I’ve lived in some rough places and I’ve met some strange people in my 48 years, so it’s nice to be in your car club, where the atmosphere is genteel, conservative, interesting, reliable, and nostalgic.

I don’t know if I can keep writing. I don’t know if my Round-Up editor will keep printing me. I don’t know if I can keep my membership going. I don’t know if I’ll be alive next month. As Socrates once said, all that I know is that I don’t know. But if I do nothing more, I am pleased as punch to have written some articles for you.

Any compliments you have given my writing are deeply appreciated, and I have poured those compliments into my increased determination to be the best historian I can be. Sincerely, my writing for you has been a sterling treasure for me, an oasis of hard work and pure delight. Blessed is who has found his work. Let him ask no other blessedness.

Speaking of ideal jobs, wouldn’t it be great to an Automobile Restorationist, and fix up and restore the interiors, mechanics, and bodies of old cars, in your own garage, your own business, every day? That would be a cozy labor of love.

Clubs require of their members time and money, of course. I admire you fellow members for your efforts, and I also revere our clubs officers. I don’t know how they get it done, where they get the to do it all.

To be great, a club seems to need 3 things: 1. devoted members, 2. friendly, generous, imaginative, and wise leadership, 3. money, in whatever way it can best be raised. I trust and pray that we have these 3 things now, and will have them in the future.

I think we have the best club in the United States. I believe we can keep it going for 50 more years.

And so I make my holiday endearment. I wish for you and your loved ones a heartwarming Christmas, an illness- free New Years, and above all, the quintessential enjoyment of your old cars and trucks.

The January Annual Meeting of the Western Pennsylvania Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America was called to order at 4:15 PM on Sunday, January 27, 2002 by President Mark DeFloria. Fifty-three members were in attendance at the meeting which was held at Dino’s Lounge, Route 30 West, Latrobe, PA. Mark welcomed all members and recognized all past Presidents. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. A motion was made by Gary Wiegand to accept the minutes of the January 2001 Annual meeting as printed in the Round-Up. It was seconded by Tim Smith. All voted in favor.

Tom Milligan read the final Treasure’s report for 2001. Ron Underwood made a motion to accept the report as read, seconded by Gary Wiegand. All voted in favor.

( continued on page 9)

(continued)

A moment of silence was held for the following members who have passed away in the last year; Jack Clark and John Kopcho of Latrobe, Melvin Williams of Madison and Charles Simpson.

Al Wirick and Herb Miller were in charge of the election. The committee previously nominated Tim Smith, Debbie Sheetz, Tom Milligan and Mark DeFloria. Asked for nominations from the floor, there were none. A motion was made by Jim Heatherington to close the nominations which was seconded by Ralph Shearer. All voted in favor. The membership was also instructed to vote for the winner of the Robert Levin Award. The award is given to the member or members who contributed the most to the Western Pa Region in 2001.

A brief reorganization meeting took place after dinner, and the following was announced to the membership:

President Charlie Schifano

Vice President Debbie Sheetz

Treasure Tom Milligan

Secretary Mark DeFloria

Safety John Kuhns

Publicity Dan Calabrace

Sally Wirick made a motion to have the ticket stubs from the 2001 Chance car destroyed, which was seconded by Susan Heathington. All voted in favor.

Awards were given out to Debbie Sheetz, Mark DeFloria and Tom Milligan for their service on the board for the past 2 years.

(reprinted from the Winter 2003 Rummage Box)

I have had the pleasure this year of attending all the National Meets and Tours. It takes a lot of hard work and club participation to sponsor an AACA National Meet or Tour, but the satisfaction of a job well done is worth the effort. Thanks to all of you who put forth this effort.

The Veteran Motor Car Club of America sponsored the Glidden Tour^® this year and they did their usual outstanding job. I would like to thank them for sharing the Glidden Tour^® with AACA. Another exciting event this year was the Reliability Tour, held in Gettysburg, PA.

What made this Tour unique was that it was co-sponsored by the Gettysburg Region AACA and the Horseless Carriage Club of America. All of the Divisional and National Tours were outstanding, but the reason I mention this one is because of the cooperation between clubs. I believe this is the wave of the future. What a great way to get our name out to collectors and meet new people in the hobby. This is easily done on the Region and Chapter level. The next time you have an event, why not invite the local Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Cadillac Club, etc., to participate in your Meets and Tours? The friendships you will form will be good for your Region or Chapter, and good for the hobby.

In closing, when planning your activities for next year, don’t forget to support our youth programs, our Library and Research Center and the AACA Museum, Inc.

(Reprinted from the Winter 2003 Rummage Box)

The Regions/Chapters Seminar, one of the many informative sessions scheduled during the 68th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia on February 7 and 8, will feature three separate topics. These include such ideas as a new club house, an antique auto activity day and registration as well as judging at the local level.

The Scranton Region has recently acquired a clubhouse, joining a number of Regions and Chapters owning their own meeting hall. This trend has been increasing over the years. Many other groups would like to own their own facility but have not enjoyed the means or the opportunity to purchase one. Joe Verrastro of the Scranton Region will be available at this Seminar to provide details concerning the new Region clubhouse.

Many Regions and Chapters have difficulty finding a person or persons within their group who will volunteer to be the Registrar for the vehicles at their local car show, or who will be Chief Judge. Imagine what it must be like to handle these matters for the Hershey Fall Meet. Marie Lesher, Chief Judge for Hershey 2002 will be pleased to explain the process and how to make it easier for those on the local level to conduct a judging event.

The year 2003 will mark the 34th year that the Sugarloaf Mountain Region has been hosting an Activities Day Meet. It has grown to be a very popular event and draws folks from throughout Maryland, as well as Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia and other states. Car games of all kinds, good food, a flea market and a car show -- all in one day, and fun for all. Ernie Screen will provide recent pictures of the event and ideas on how to organize a similar activity for your Region or Chapter.

In addition to the three speakers, a short update with highlights of the success of the youth programs will be presented. Detailed activities of various Regions and Chapters very involved with youth programs will be featured at the seminar in 2004.

The Regions/Chapters Seminar is composed of speakers from groups of AACA clubs throughout out the country. Ideas for old car fun is the basis for the seminar, and members having interesting topics to share are always welcome to participate.

For further information about this Seminar, contact

Earl Beauchamp, Vice President, Regions, or
Mary Jane Marine, Regions/Chapters Activities Seminar
PO Box 144
Sharptown, MD 21861.

(Reprinted from the Winter 2003 Rummage Box)

This issue of the Rummage Box marks the eighth and final issue that has been prepared and mailed to each Region and Chapter President and Editor during my current two year term as Vice President of Regions. We have managed to include a number of improvements in format, display, content and regularity during this time. As it turns out, we’ve even received more articles during this past three-month period than we have room for. The result is there will be something on hand to give the next person a head start.

We hope the Presidents are gaining helpful information from the Rummage Box and the Editors are passing whatever information they have room for in their newsletters, on to their members. Most of the information contained in the Rummage Box is intended to find its way to the general membership through the Region and Chapter newsletters, as there simply isn’t room enough in Antique Automobile magazine.

This past year Rummage Box Editor Brooke Davis and I have attempted to provide interesting content that can give individual newsletter editors around the country items they can easily include. Bob Blake’s monthly column is expressly provided for that purpose. The Rummage Box is also the avenue whereby various National Directors and Committee persons can relay information to the members of the Regions and Chapters. We are often surprised at national roundtables to learn that individual members have never heard of the Rummage Box. It isn’t intended merely for the individual reading pleasure of Presidents or Editors but, wherever possible, for the full membership of their Region or Chapter.

From a more personal standpoint, I have tried to make my article input to the Rummage Box during 2002 be an ongoing theme, providing encouragement to young adult members and their families to become more involved in the operation of our Regions and Chapters. My wife, Judy, and I have been actively involved members of AACA at the Region level since our early 20s. In those days attending the monthly meeting of the Chesapeake Region in Baltimore was our one night out a month paying a babysitter.

That was during the mid-1960s. Over these years we’ve made many wonderful, lifelong friends. I’ve wanted to get the word out to our younger families, who are the future treasure of AACA, that this hobby can serve them well for their current and later lives as it has Judy and I. Recently I was reminded of how time augustes on. In 1964 the President of Chesapeake Region, Ernie Gill, called and asked me to become Editor of the Chesapeake Bulletin for that year, thus starting me on one of the most satisfying journeys of my life. I was sad to see last month in the Chesapeake Bulletin that he had recently passed away. Many long-time Glidden Tour^® participants will remember Ernie and Althea Gill.

I hope my efforts with the Rummage Box during this past year, to encourage young adults, will result in several younger members gaining a similar lifetime of enjoyment from AACA and the old car hobby. Stepping up to the challenge of a leadership role in your Region or Chapter can do that for you.

In the last Rummage Box I reported on the establishment of the new National AACA Sentimental Tour for 1928-1958 vehicles. I’m pleased to report it is a young adult member, Patricia Paquette, with support from her husband, Leonard, who has stepped forward to chair the Tour for the hosting Bull Run Region in Northern Virginia, October 24-29, 2004.

(Reprinted from the Winter 2003 Rummage Box)

As I travel around to National Meets, I am frequently asked what does the National Awards Team do? How do you get to be on the Team?

The National Awards Team is comprised of 21 judges who have proficiency in one or more area of AACA judging. The Vice President of National Awards organizes the team.

The members of this committee work in teams of two whenever possible at the meets. Every car on the show field is looked at by one of these teams. The only exception would be the HPOF and DPC classes. Nominations are made for the appropriate awards at each show.

In December the team gathers in Hershey to view slides of the nominated vehicles. The slides are submitted by the owners, on request from the Vice President of National Awards. Ties are possible for a particular award. All winners are notified of their selection for an award that will be presented at the Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia in February.

At the beginning of each calendar year the members commit to attend various National Meets. This helps to ensure that each National Meet is covered. All Chief Judges receive a list of these judges prior to their Meet so they may make proper assignments.

The members of this committee have amassed a large number of judging credits, and miles traveled to meets in the pursuit of this hobby. It has been my privilege to work with such a dedicated and devoted Team this year. This is a very difficult job, to insure that the cars winning awards are worthy of an AACA National Awards badge. Also, there is a level of commitment to fairness I have never seen before.