Minutes from last month’s meeting:
34 brave members ventured out on a night better suited for fireplaces and hot chocolate than Indiana roads. Their reward was a ham dinner with twice-baked potatoes, vegetables, and salad from the Firefighters, as well as an assortment of desserts from club members.
Along with the dinner and fellowship, we had a 50-50 drawing and a selection of door prizes to win. Tandy Nicodemus won $41.00 in the 50-50; Rose McClure won a Mustang bra; Bob Moore a die -cast model; Wendy Rynbrand won a $25 gift certificate to Applebee's; Jim Schmidt and Neal Lewis each won a one year club membership.
David Yoder was announced as the winner of the 2008 ‘Pumper’ award. David is the first three time winner of the award and the first to win the award in consecutive years.
The other item of note from the evening was the presentation of a $500 check to Firefighters Union 362 for the Hoosier Burn Camp for children injured in fires. This money comes from the proceeds from this year’s car show.
Earlier in the day, ‘Elf for a day’ Howard Barrett delivered 82 toys to the Toys for Tots collection point at Concord Mall. Howard had coordinated the collection from members at the October and November meetings. Marines and local Firefighters helped unload toys from the many vehicles lined up in front of the mall. This was the seventh consecutive year that the club has supported Toys for Tots.
Howard Barrett (4th from left) helps unload the club’s ‘Toys for Tots’
Treasurer’s Report: December 2008
Income 50-50 Drawing $32.00
Club Sales: Apparel 176.14
Memberships 120.00
Total Income $328.14
Expenses
Donation: Firefighters $500.00
Pavilion Rental for Picnic 55.00
Engraving (Pumper Award) 5.35
MCA Discount 20.00 One Year Memberships 30.00
Jim Schmidt, Neal Lewis
Total Expenses $610.35
Net Income -$282.21
This Month...
10 Blair Knaak
12 Howard Barrett
17 Elizabeth Pasternak
17 Diane Reed
17 Marion Williams
29 Curly Long
Membership Anniversaries
None this month
Membership Dues
November
Matthews Chris
York Steve
December
Sarul Terry & Theresa
January
Knaak Blair & Sharon
Oram, Jon
Stickley William & Patricia
Wachs George & Shirley
Happy Anniversary!
4 Terry & Theresa Sarul (39 years)
If I missed your birthday or anniversary, please let me know. Thanks!
Car Show Calendar
January 17-25
Detroit Auto Show, Cobo Hall
February 13-22
Chicago Auto Show, McCormick Place
April 16-19
MCA 45th Mustang Anniversary Celebration, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL
May 15-17
32nd Annual INSAAC ‘Spring Fling’, Brown County State Park, Columbus, IN
June 5-7
‘Race to Indy’ MCA National Show, O’Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis, IN
June 13
28th Annual West Michigan Mustang Club Car Show, Tony Betten Ford, Grand Rapids, MI
July 3-5
‘American Stampede’ MCA National Show, NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NC
August 27-30
‘Western United States National’ (MCA), Airtel Plaza Hotel, San Fernando Valley, CA
Cruise-In Calendar
As soon as you hear of a cruise-in being scheduled, let me know. I’ll list every one I hear about.
Question of the Month
If you could have any three Mustangs in your garage, which three would you select? Let me know either by e-mailing me at art51059@aol.com or bring your answers to the meeting. I’ll share
My First Mustang
He looked south. He looked north. Then he crossed the intersection. "Alberto" should have looked south one more time, but he didn’t. He was driving a red Toyota pick-up. I was riding a Ninja ZX11. My motorcycle was no match for his pick-up. I lost, performing a full gainer over his hood, landing on my helmet, pitching around on the road for about seventeen minutes, finally securing a place in the ditch, right side extremities all splintered and busted asunder, cognitive gears frozen in place.
In the E.R., under the influence of morphine and pain the size of Chicago, I made a promise to Idella: "No more motorcycles." In a blink, she agreed. The accident happened on May 23, 2002. Recovery encompassed nearly a year: surgery; wheelchair; crutches; more surgery. Finally I felt well enough to consider the space in my life that had been inhabited by a mixed breed of hotrods: two Roadrunners, a Camaro, an El-Camino, a Charger, a Kawasaki KZ 900, and three Ninjas. (But never a Mustang.) Now what? I needed another "go faster," but not a motorcycle. I had a promise to keep.
As a teenager, in the sixties, I itched for a 428 Cobra Jet Mach 1, which was placed beyond personal reach by insurance rates, a "compromised" driving record, and income. At the time of the accident, oldest son Kevin, owned a ‘97 Cobra. I drove it–and liked it. I began to notice a billboard on the north edge of Nappanee: a blue Mach1, slanted sideways, scalding tires. Hmmmm . . .
Son Kevin forwarded information and web sites on the testing and release dates of Ford’s new "horse." I spent time on the internet. I browsed magazine articles on the Mach 1, and test drove one at Nappanee Ford. The information I was accumulating seemed favorable. It was time to decide: Azure Blue; automatic; all the options. On April 30, 2003, I wheeled a new Mach 1 out of the Jordan Ford parking lot . . . and it rained all the way home!
The purchase of the Mach 1 has returned some unanticipated dividends: grandchildren clambering for a ride in "Pa Pa’s Mach 1;" joining Michiana Mustangs; attending cruise-ins and parades. And when I lust for the raw power of another Ninja (060 in three seconds, quarter mile in ten seconds, 170+ mph), Idella suggests I visualize the Mach 1 as a cycle with seat belts and air bags. (I try. It’s not the same.)
I like the gleaming blue vehicle with the shaker hood scoop that occupies the north side of my garage. Owning one last muscle car has been more fun than I anticipated. But, at the end of the day, what I am most grateful for is life itself. In 2002, doctors screwed, sewed and stapled me back together. But family and friends accompanied me through the long valley of healing and depression, by degrees, giving my "life" back to me. I am a lucky man. Thanks be to God. His mercies are new every morning.
Ruben Chupp
Ruben Chupp and his 2003 Mach 1 in the 2008 Bremen parade
From The Back Seat…
Changes
You probably thought you’d heard the last from me last month, and for the most part, you have. But I did want to talk a bit about some of the changes you see in this month’s newsletter and will see in future issues.
Starting this month, I’ll try to keep things in the same place each month. I’ve arranged the ‘business’ items at the front of the newsletter, since they’ll be here every month. Show reports, ’Pony of the Month’/‘My First Mustang’ stories, etc. will be next, followed by the Classifieds. Hopefully this, along with the ’In this Month’s Issue’ list at the bottom of the front page will make it easier to find things.
My intent with ’The Question of the Month’ is to provoke some fun thought and see what we come up with. Once I see how many responses I get I can decide how to format the results. I may list the answers individually, do a tally of the responses, a ’Top Ten’ list; I don’t know yet. This is still evolving. I’ll have a different question each month. If you have a fun question you’d like to ask members, get it to me for consideration.
Of course I’ll be begging for ’Pony of the Month’ and ‘My First Mustang’ stories. I have a few promises from last year that I’ll be trying to collect on; if you have not yet done so, please feel free to send me your story. Don’t worry if your spelling or grammar isn’t great; that’s my job. And if at all possible, please include a picture of the car with the story; it makes the story so much better. If all you have is a photo of your car (especially for ’My First Mustang’ stories) I can scan it and get it back to you.
I’ll throw out another possible topic for stories: ’The One that Got Away’. If you’ve had a Mustang that you let go and now wish you had back, or had one that you missed out on for some reason, tell us about it. I have to believe there are some interesting stories out there.
As stated on page four, I’ll try to have a complete list of shows and cruise-ins every month. If you know of any event in the area that you think we should know about, let me know.
Many of us participate in charitable events during the year for organizations both local and national. If you are taking part in an event, let me know a month or two in advance and I’ll list it. This does not make it an official club activity, but you may have individual members offer to support you or join you in your cause. If we don’t know about it, we can’t help.
I hope to have a few other additions to the newsletter in the next month or so. My goal is to use the newsletter as a vehicle to bring the club closer together. With your help, I believe we can do it.
Have a great month.
