As 2009 winds down and I conclude my term as Club President, I’d like to thank the Club’s 2009 officers, all you Club  members who volunteered for one job or another over the course of the year, and all you members who participated in our activities.  Collectively, you made the Club’s 2009 activities happen, you made them fun, and you made them successful.  Without your efforts, we wouldn’t be able to continue conducting or participating in the activities we do.   The Club’s officers work throughout the year on the responsibilities they have agreed to shepard.  However, we also rely on other members volunteering for a wide range of jobs, including obtaining charity auction item donations, organizing and hosting monthly activities and meeting places, helping to put on the Portland All British Field Meet, organizing amd producing Northwest Meet and Rendezvous events, producing artwork for Club events and donations, posting items of interest on the Club web site, etc., etc.  The larger events we host periodically, such as the Northwest Meet and the Rendezvous, require many people and many months of concerted commitment and work to successfully complete.

The Club had a very busy and successful year year in 2009.  We began planning for the 2010 Rendezvous to be held in Eugene next June.  Healey was the featured marque at the Portland All British Field Meet, where we staged a successful, if wet, central display that included the first North American showing of Steve Pike’s two Healey Bonneville Replicas and a 100S, along with all the other fine Healey specimens folks loaned us.  We also handled our normal ABFM responsibilities of managing participant registrations and counting the Peoples’ Choice votes in a timely fashion for nearly 50 different car and motorcycle categories.  We also hosted the 2009 Northwest Meet, which was extremely well attended and was enjoyed by everyone who attended.  We raised funds and provided charitable donations to several worthy Oregon organizations.  Finally, we were able to experience a wonderful variety of activities and trips during the year.  

I hope you found our 2009 activities as enjoyable as I did.  A club like the AHCO is only as good as the participation of its members in its activities.  Since I became a member of the Club, a scant five years ago, my participation and volunteer efforts have resulted in great fun, good friendships and technical contacts, wonderful tours of some of Oregon’s best sports car roads, and many opportunities to learn about a wide variety of subjects, often well beyond DMH and his vehicles.

For those of you already active in the Club’s activities, thank you for your time and efforts this year.  I encourage your continued help in supporting the Club’s activities.  For those of you who haven’t participated or volunteered in the Club’s activities, I encourage you to try it if possible.  The Club can’t continue to do the things we do without the participation of its members and we can always use more help in keeping our club running and continuing to do interesting things.

Thank you all for your help and support during my term as your President.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and looking forward to 2010.

 Jeff

People began arriving before noon on Sunday, December 6^th, for the annual Austin Healey Club of Oregon Christmas Party.  Some folks actually drove their Healeys since it was dry, including two brave, but frozen souls, who travelled sans top.  Perhaps Santa will bring them one for Christmas.  The Eastmoreland Golf Club had recently been re-modeled and now was beautifully bedecked for the holiday season – ready to greet Healey Club folks.

We had two hours to have some Christmas cheer, mix, mingle, meet new people, and catch up with old friends, while also bidding on (and sometimes winning) some great silent auction items.

At 2:15 pm, The Eastmoreland staff served a delicious brunch, featuring prime rib, eggs benedict, fruit, salads, and a variety of desserts.  Many folks, out of the 56 or so present, went back for seconds.  There was more food than you’d think we’d ever eat, but by the time people went back for seconds, it was pretty well gone.  It was good stuff!

With the meal over and drinks replenished, our President, Jeff Mach, shared a few words.  Jeff thanked everyone for coming, thanked everyone for their volunteer efforts, and thanked the 2009 officers for their service this past year.

Then, it was time to start the oral auction.  As usual, Tom Monaco served as grinch auctioneer, with Jeff as his right hand man.  They took us through lots of great items with precision and a generous amount of humor.  There were many good bargains had among the silent auction and oral auction items, the proceeds from which will benefit the Club’s charity fund.

What a day!  We acquainted ourselves with members whom we’d not met before (some of whom have belonged to the Club for many years) along with some brand new members.  We shared many laughs, had a delicious brunch together, and left with some nifty auction items.  The event came off without a hitch and the party was a rap by 4:15 pm.

Despite the fact that the Club has several good photographers, they either didn’t attend the party or left their cameras home, so no publishable photos of the event have surfaced.  Bet that won’t happen again!

Here are a few comments left by party-goers:

Thanks so much for the great banquet – Bruce and I had a wonderful time and am so relived that you and Skip helped me find my purse!  I set it at the wrong table (that was before the wine!).  – Bruce & Kerri Harding

Enjoyable afternoon, nice people and good brunch — we recommend the Healey Christmas Party and Charity Auction.  – Michael & Wanda Hartfield

Great party, we really enjoyed ourselves.  – Dick & Gerry Lynch

Beautiful venue, great food, met a lot of fun people, & the auction was a blast.  – Brian & Kerry O’Boyle

I had a wonderful time! Jeff and co. organized the timing so we had  2+ hours to mingle and participate in the silent auction. Brunch was next with mouthwatering goodies. The oral auction ended the event and only took a half an hour. (Thanks, Tom for cutting the time down. It was perfect!) The Golf Club had their usual Christmas glitter all around: 3 decorated trees, classy new black chairs and wreathes (what seemed like) everywhere. A terrific way to start the holidays! A big thanks to Jeff and the Charity Committee.  – Jan Whittlesey

Had a good time at Xmas party.  We stayed as long as we could, but I was on call that day, and sure enough, I got called in.  – Jeff & Lisa Brown

We had a great time.  It’s good to get to know fellow club members outside of tech sessions and road trips!  – Dick & Kappy Lenahan

I thought Jeff and the charity committee did a great job putting together the Christmas party, meal, and auction. It went very well and was enjoyed by all that attended, I’m sure. Thank you to each and every one of you. It was a fun day.  – John Meyer

Here’s a hearty Thank You! to everyone who helped stage the event!   This was our 1st AHCO event and we really enjoyed ourselves, met a lot of really nice people, ate good food, thought the golf course was a great place & just had a great time.  We enjoyed the auction & think you have picked some really deserving charities to help. We are looking forward to the next event.  – Don & Sharon Slaybaugh 

The AHCO holiday party was well organized providing a friendly social  environment for making new/continuing former acquaintances while at  the same time providing outreach to the community at large and a  monetary contribution to the needy during this holiday season.  – Del Allen

As the out-going president of Oregon Mini Society – and an AHCO member – I have to say that the AHCO tradition of a Christmas Party / Auction for Charity is what inspired our club to begin such a giving tradition!  These clubs aren’t here for “profit”, and the moneys we do accumulate need to be put to good use.  Our OMS Christmas party has become such a sharing event, with the annual Oregon Food Bank drive plus donating a percentage of our holdings to two local charities.  In addition we do a gift exchange and pot-luck dinner.  My hat’s off to the AHCO Charity Committee for their hard work in gathering and then auctioning off those items!  The money garnered will certainly help someone in need this Holiday Season!  PS . . . the grub and companionship were excellent, too!  A good group of car folks!  – Craig House, President, OMS and Portland ABFM Committee Member

Thanks for your efforts to put on another great AHCO holiday party!  Good friends, good food, good venue, great auction (silent and oral).  Happy holidays to all!  – Bob & Jean Bennett

Thank you for all your hard work. It was a great event and we really enjoyed ourselves.  – Rick and Iva Curry

AGAINST THE CLOCK

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=81585

“Several shots of BMC cars being loaded onto a plane at Ferryfield airport. The cars are an MGA, Raleigh Pathfinder and Austin Healy. Plane takes off. Aerial shots as we fly towards France. Brief shot of people in cabin.

At Le Touquet airport the plane taxis to a halt and cars are unloaded. Drivers including Ron Flockhart and Marcus Chambers come down the stairs of the plane. Customs man checks under the bonnet of one of the cars. Drivers check maps for the route to the Montleri (sp?) circuit near Paris then set off. Shots taken from inside cars as we drive along roads, in heavy rain at one point. At Montleri, mechanics work on cars. C/U of weather dials measuring the strong wind and rainy conditions on the track.

Several shots of Ken Woolton (Warton?) getting into MGA and driving around the tracks during trials. Men watch and take notes and timings. At the end of the trial, team leader Chambers waves Ken in – he has held a consistent average speed of 100 miles an hour for the hour, in spite of the bad weather conditions. Mechanics check tyre pressures and seal the engine for later examination. Raleigh Pathfinder is next on trial, driven by Bob Porter with his wife and two others in the car for the ride. He zooms round the track and is signalled to go slower for this endurance test.

Austin Healy on trial, driven by Ron Flockhart in bad weather conditions. Then the Austin Westminster, driven by Chief Superintendent John Gott of the Hertfordshire Police. He comes in at the end of the trial and is given a pat on the back. Gott takes the Wolsey 2 on the next trial. Shots of mechanics and others smiling because the last car came in with time to spare, while Gott has a well-earned cup of tea!

Various shots of men making official checks on the car engines. C/U of certificates for the cars. End titles – ‘Produced by Associated British Pathe For The British Motor Corporation’.”

Also check the speed run of a Sprite at Bonneville Salt Flats in 1959

The meeting on Jan.9th will be at the Carter’s house at 16173 SW Dekalb St. on Bull Mountain. Tom Monaco will lead a hands-on tech session entitled “The Proper Way To Replace a Rear Axel Seal”. It will begin at 11:00 and last to about 1:45. We will then go to Max’s Grill and Pub in Old Town Tigard for lunch at 2:00.(12562 SW Main St.) Following lunch our meeting will convene in the private room at Max’s.

Please join us on Sunday, December 6, from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm, at the Eastmoreland Golf Course, for our annual Austin Healey Club of Oregon Christmas Party.

Help us re-live the Club’s events and accomplishments for the year, thank the outgoing Club officers and member volunteers for their efforts this year, welcome the Club officers for 2010, and generally usher out 2009 with a final festive get together.  We’ll also auction some fun items to help replenish the Club’s charity fund.

The party will feature a buffet brunch with prime rib, fresh fruit, assorted pastries, chef’s choice salad, potato salad, tortellini curry salad with shrimp, eggs benedict, French toast, bacon & sausage, country potatoes, and assorted juices and coffee.

The cost is $10 per person.  Because of limited seating and payment for the meal, you must sign up and send your payment to Jeff Mach before Friday, November 20, 2009, if you plan to attend.

The Eastmoreland Golf Course is located at 2425 SE Bybee Blvd in Portland, which is located here.

Hope to see you there!