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December 2016 - Volume 97
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Happy New Year from AACA Headquarters
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As 2016 comes to an end, be sure to take some time to reminisce about all of the wonderful moments you shared with family and friends this past year. With the most recent list of celebrity losses and the passing of several AACA members, 2016 has definitely taught us that tomorrow is not promised.
Remember those folks who made a difference in your life in 2016 (good or bad) and use the lessons learned to be a better you. Life is made up of people, events and decisions. 2017 is a time to start fresh. So, surround yourself with good people, be active and engaged and choose to make 2017 great.
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HELP!
Annual Meeting Seminars for the Ladies Needed!
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As we were finalizing the Annual Meeting seminar schedule, we realized that we don't have any seminars specifically for the ladies. At this point, we are in desperate need for someone to present a seminar and are hoping our plea here in Speedster will be answered.
In the past, we have had lectures, crafts, hands-on activities, history lessons, etc. Really, the sky is the limit! Most importantly, we want the session to be entertaining and enjoyable.
Please, please, please contact me ASAP if you are willing to present/coordinate/have ideas, etc.... Stacy Zimmerman, 717-534-1910,
szimmerman@aaca.org
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2017 AACA Annual Meeting Registration Open
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 The 81st AACA Annual Meeting will take place February 9-11, 2017, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If you have never been to an AACA Annual Meeting in the City of Brotherly Love you are missing a great time. The trade show, car exhibit, educational seminars and the awards banquet are just a few of the highlights you'll experience during the meeting. We look forward to seeing each of you in Philly!
Registration is open, so click here to download your registration form.
The seminar schedule is currently being finalized and will be available soon.
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Regarding the AACA Museum Letter You Received
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Judging from some of the calls and letters we have received, some people are confused, concerned and perplexed regarding the letter our board sent out to all AACA members. We will have a more in-depth article in our January/February issue of
Antique Automobile
magazine, which will help you understand the situation better.
This change in our policy towards the museum will affect few people. The museum has published the fact that they will continue to give AACA members free admission. That will be appreciated by those who are able to visit the museum. We would advise you to be sure you have your membership card with you and be ready to show it upon entrance. After donating over a million dollars to the museum and providing numerous other benefits (including starting the museum), this seems like the responsible thing for them to do.
We have been asked if we can provide a couple sentence answer to what the real issue is. Yes we can, and here it is...
The club asked for some type of legal affiliation/ownership in the museum for our members. This was our most important and non-negotiable goal during the merger discussions, but it was turned down by the museum over and over again.
There are numerous documents going back to 1993 that show the club's original intent in starting a museum. The fact that it HAD to be separated at the time as a 501 (c) (3) charity was a technicality. The club was the one that started and made the museum a reality. Many individuals and various donors were also involved. Put very simply, the museum would not exist today if it were not for the club, and thus you, our members.
Members are free to support the museum if they wish, but at least now they know it is NOT affiliated with AACA. Members can now make an informed choice with their philanthropy and our board is not a party to misleading any donor.
While this is a tragic and sad finality to what we used to call the AACA Family, it means that we will be able to spend more time towards giving our members more for their membership. We will renew our efforts to provide more benefits to a club that is already the best value in the hobby.
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History Repeats Itself (Part 2)
(Part 1 was published in the October 2016 Speedster)
On November 16, 2016, my brother and I climbed into a 1917 Maxwell Model 25 in Newark, New Jersey, and started a cross-country trip just like our Grandfather did exactly 100 years ago. With about 10 months of planning and prep work behind us, we were finally hitting the road to relive the transcontinental trip documented by our Grandfather CW Tuthill and PG Scull in 1916. We had an accurate record of his trip through 36 towns and 12 states ending in Los Angeles, California. Our route included the Lincoln Highway, National Old Trail Road and Route 66. Like our Grandfather, our goal was to complete the trip in 10 days and 16 hours. Unlike our Grandfather, we had a chase vehicle and trailer driven by our good friend John Brasca.
We figured with better roads we would have the advantage and optimistically figured on doing around 330 miles a day. At the end of day one we had only done 225 miles. Traffic getting out of New Jersey and a tire that went bad (yes, a new tire) were major setbacks. From that point on we were "chasing Grandpa" trying to catch up to him.
We thought day 2 we would make up some of that mileage, but we ended up having to stop coming down from the mountains in Pennsylvania when our brakes started smoking. Last thing we needed was for the kerosene soaked wood wheels to catch on fire. We also took a roadside pit stop to adjust the tension on the clutch. We pushed on until dark and found we were already a day behind Grandpa.
We quickly realized that to catch Grandpa we would have to drive all night. Given the traffic on the road and since the Maxwell did not have the brightest lights, for our own safety we decided not to drive at night. So, we adopted a plan that put us on the road early in the morning, drive during the daylight hours, then trailer the Maxwell to the next town. On a good day we would drive over 200 miles during daylight, but some days only did 120 miles - always chasing Grandpa's pace.
We experienced several repairs on the road like adjusting the valves, fixing an exhaust manifold leak, replacing failed bearings in the radiator fan and maintaining clean points and plugs, but it was all part of the adventure and nothing was a show stopper. By the last few days of the trip, we figured we worked all the bugs out and the Maxwell ran well. At 35 MPH, the 21 horsepower Maxwell ran like a top.
We stopped at some of the same locations our Grandfather visited including Lamar, Colorado, the cliff dwellings at Walnut Canyon and the Grand Canyon. We rode on old parts of the Lincoln Highway, the old dirt Santa Fe Trail, the original dirt entrance to the Walnut Canyon National Park and even a dirt road through part of Cajon Pass where I almost bounced out of the Maxwell.
We arrived in downtown Los Angeles at Hope and 11th Street, the location we had for the Maxwell Dealership, 13 days later unable to match our Grandfather's pace. We grew to have a greater respect for our Grandfather's accomplishment and returned home with very fond memories.
A full account of the trip day-by-day with pictures and videos can be found in our Maxwell Chronicles webpage here.
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FINALLY!! New AACA Merchandise Website Up & Running!
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After almost 3 years of hard work, the new AACA online membership renewal and merchandise website is finally up and running! Yes, it took way longer than we expected, but we are so excited about the final product. Not only does the new site allow you to easily renew your membership, it also keeps track of your order history, allows you to create a wish list, processes payments immediately and automatically calculates shipping costs for you.
- First things first... In order to use the new site, you MUST use your 6-digit membership number and pin number to "RETRIEVE YOUR ACCOUNT" from our database. It is super-important that you "RETRIEVE YOUR ACCOUNT" and NOT create a new account. Once you "RETRIEVE YOUR ACCOUNT," an email with a temporary password will be sent to you.
3. Using your email and temporary password, you can now log in as a "REGISTERED CUSTOMER." All of your information will be retrieved from our database and your AACA store account will be created. You should no longer have to enter your name, address, etc. (unless your contact information changes) when you log in to renew your membership or purchase items. 4. At this point, check out your Account Dashboard and make sure all of your information is correct. If it's not, you should edit the information now. Then click on Account Information and scroll to the bottom where it says Change Password. Go ahead and change your password to something you can remember and hit save. You will now use your email and this password to log in to the store. We are still working on adding new merchandise to the new site, so be sure to check back often.
Now, it's time to do some shopping!
If you have any problems trying to use the new site, or do not receive the email with your temporary password, please call AACA Headquarters and we will help you... 717-534-1910 (between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST).
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You are Running Out of Time to Renew Your AACA Membership for 2017!
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Your AACA membership runs on a calendar year from January 1 through December 31. If you have already renewed your membership for 2017, thank you!! If you have not renewed your membership yet, please take a few minutes to do it now. Renewing your membership only takes 5 minutes and can be done one of three ways...
- Renew online - be sure to follow the above instructions and RETRIEVE YOUR ACCOUNT first! Once your account is set up on the new site, you can renew online with your credit card.
- Renew by mail - fill out the form that came with your November/December issue of Antique Automobile magazine, provide payment in the form of a check made out to AACA or your credit card information (VISA, MasterCard & Discover) and then mail it to AACA, 501 W. Governor Rd., Hershey, PA 17033
- Renew by phone - call AACA Headquarters (717-534-1910) and any of the staff here would be happy to take your renewal over the phone with a credit card payment (office hours: M-F, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time)
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Do You Know a Military Veteran Who Would Like to be an AACA Member?
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The Military Sponsorship Program is available to all of the Military Veterans that have proudly served to protect our homeland and freedoms. With this program, AACA is extending a limited number of complimentary 2017 memberships for first-time AACA applicants. More information on this program and an application can be found on the AACA home page under member information and drop down to Military, or simply
click here.
These complimentary 2017 memberships are for first-time AACA applicants and are limited by the funds available for this program. These complimentary applications for membership are intended for individuals who have a genuine interest in the antique car hobby
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Which former AACA President had a direct, family connection to the founding of the American automobile industry?
or scroll all the way to the end of the
Speedster to find the answer.
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Membership Recruitment Tools Available
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We now have
TWO cool car cutouts available from AACA Headquarters to use in membership recruitment.
The
1957 Chevy car cutouts list membership benefits and contact information on the front and talk about why someone should join today's AACA on the back. These cutouts are available to all current AACA members.
The NEW 1964 Mustang car cutouts were especially designed for AACA Regions and Chapters. While they also list membership benefits on the front, the back has a shorter message and has plenty of space for Regions and Chapters to put their local contact information and website. These cutouts are only available to Regions and Chapters.
(Available starting December 15.)
Keep some in your glove box and when you see someone with an AACA eligible car, talk to them about joining! Leave one on their windshield or seat! Help us get the word out about the best value in the car club kingdom!
Just contact AACA Headquarters at 717-534-1910 and we will send some out to you right away. Thank you to all of our members for continually promoting AACA!
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2017 AACA National Meets & Tours Activity Request Card
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A 2017 Activity Request Card was included with your November/December issue of
Antique Automobile
magazine. If you are interested in attending or would like more information about any of the meets and tours listed on the card, please fill it out and send it to: AACA Activity Request, 501 W. Governor Road, Hershey, PA 17033. Make sure to include your name, address and membership number on the card.
Online registration is now open for the following meet: Winter Meet (Ocala, FL). To register online,
click here
and log in with your member number and pin.
Please remember that your 2017 membership dues MUST BE PAID in order to receive information for 2017 events.
Correction: There is an error in the information for the Founders Tour listed on the Activity Request Card. Eligible cars for the Founders Tour are from 1932-1992.
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Florida in February? Count Me In!
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Check Out These Upcoming Meets & Tours
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From the AACA Library & Research Center
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AACA Library Update Webcast Episode 6:
A Boy and His Toys: The Making of an Engineer
The library has a new special exhibit of antique toys on loan from AACA member, Charles Emery. In this episode, we interview Mr. Emery about his childhood toys in the exhibit, including how his most cherished playthings helped shape him into the person he is today. Mr. Emery also shares memories of growing up, shows off some of his favorite toys and even demonstrates a few interactive play features. Be sure to watch the video to learn more about this exciting exhibit!
Interested in doing research with the AACA Library?
More information is available on our website.
Visit AACA Library
or
contact our head librarian,
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Don't Start the New Year Without Your Official 2017 AACA Calendar
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The AACA Calendar is always a hot item this time of year, so make sure to order yours before they are gone! This 13-month calendar runs from January 2017 to January 2018 and highlights National Meets and Tours in addition to moon phases, all Federal Holidays and many other observances. The best part of the annual calendar is getting to see the fabulous member cars showcased each time you flip the month. At a cost of $12 postpaid, these calendars also make great, inexpensive gifts for all of the car-lovers in your life!
To order, just call AACA Headquarters at 717-534-1910.
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Did You Get an Amazon Gift Card for Christmas or Chanukkah?
Make Sure to Shop Using AmazonSmile for AACA
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 Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the Antique Automobile
Club of America whenever you shop on
AmazonSmile
.
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com
, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to
smile.amazon.com
from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to
smile.amazon.com
to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Once you are signed into your account, search for Antique Automobile Club of America and choose it as your charity. Now, you are ready to shop & support AACA at the same time!
How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges.
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AACA Calendar Spotlight
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February 9-11, 2017
AACA Annual Meeting - Philadelphia, PA
Click here for the brochure
March 23-26, 2017
Western Spring Meet - Palm Springs, CA
April 6-9, 2017
Southeastern Spring Meet - Charlotte, NC
April 25-28, 2017
Western Divisional Tour - Sonora, CA
May 11-13, 2017
Central Spring Meet - Auburn, IN
May 26-27, 2017
Eastern Spring Meet - Huntington, WV
June 4-9, 2017
Founders Tour - Gettysburg, PA
June 15-17, 2017
Annual Grand National - Independence, MO
July 17-21, 2017
Vintage Tour - Wellsboro, PA
August 17-19, 2017
Central Fall Meet - Bettendorf, IA
September 17-22, 2017
Revival AAA Glidden TourĀ® - Hastings, NE
October 4-7, 2017
Eastern Fall Meet - Hershey, PA
Ocala, FL,
the Western Spring Meet in Palm Springs, CA,
and the Southeastern
Spring Meet in Charlotte, NC.
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Who Do You Contact at AACA Headquarters for What?
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Have you ever wondered who to contact for what when you call or email AACA Headquarters? Here is a list of the current staff and their responsibilities. By clicking on someone's name below, you can email them directly.
Naturally, many of the staff have the capability of answering questions in each other's area as we try to cross train as much as possible. Please don't hesitate to contact us anytime for assistance.
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Trivia Answer
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M.J. Duryea, who served in 1948.
He was the son of Charles Duryea, and the nephew of J. Frank Duryea. The highly-prized Charles E. Duryea Cup is still given "for outstanding effort on behalf of the Club on the basis of the value of the member's contribution to the general welfare of the AACA," and is presented in perpetuity by Marion and M.J. Duryea at the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. And of course, the Duryea automobile remains AACA's long-standing and well-recognized logo/emblem.
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The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the country's premier resource for the collectible vehicle community. Since its formation in 1935, the Club, through its national office, publications, and membership, aids individuals, museums, libraries, historians and collectors dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of automotive history.
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