WBCCI DC Unit Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 2

The Capitol Times Newsletter
The Official Newsletter of the Washington DC Unit (Unit #170)
Volume 1, Number 2
November 23, 1999

Hello all WDCUers, much has been happening since our last email newsletter and I hope I can update everyone with this post.

As everyone knows, we had our first meeting over the November 4th to 7th weekend in Shartlesville, PA and what a time it was. This Rally was originally the 2nd Annual Vintage Airstream Gathering but with the granting of our provisional Unit status, it was a joint Rally of the VAC and the WDCU. I have enclosed a listing of the 30 folks who attended. We started the weekend with 11 WDCU members and 1 WDCU affiliate member in attendance but left the Rally with one more Unit member and 7 more affiliate members! We have continued to grow since then where we now have 23 Unit members and 10 affiliate members (a Unit membership listing is attached). But even more than the numbers was the excitement and congeniality. The weather was great and folks were out of their trailers and socializing and having a ball. We had the VAC mandated social hour every evening complete with munchies and other goodies. Everyone pitched in to help make the weekend a big success. Linda Moore took many photographs and has sent them to the VAC web master for future posting onto the VAC web site. We had an open house on Saturday morning followed by our first Unit Business Meeting (meeting minutes are attached) in the afternoon. That evening we had a pot luck dinner. The evening was finalized by a rather unexpectedly welcoming and flattering ceremony by our honored guests, Region 2 President Wilson Yerk and his wife Cindy. We also had quite an International guest list with Charter Member #13 Anthony Slocock coming over from London while Affiliate Member #7 Doug Rowbottom came from Ontario. The weekend was a big success and Sunday came much too early. The weekend also provided the stage that many VACers have experienced in the past and that is that folks were out and about. Children were running around and playing. And folks of all ages just basked in the enjoyment of the 'streamin' lifestyle that Wally originally experienced and wished the club to fulfill.

Since our first Rally, the Washington DC Unit has continued to be busy. Ruth Baldwin sent the full Unit membership listing into WBCCI HeadQuarters such that we should all have the WDCU membership (actually it will say 170 to denote Unit #170) marked in the Y2k WBCCI directory. All members are paid in full and shall be in the directory. We also sent in our listing of Officers and our planned Y2k activities so they too should be in the directory. I also have sent in four copies of our Unit approved Constitution and Bylaws such that the WBCCI Legislative Committee can review and we should be in a position for consideration of permanent Unit status at the January WBCCI International Board Meeting. Wilson Yerk has added our Unit onto the Region 2 homepage (http://region2.wbcci.org) complete with our Officers listings and our Y2k planned activities (more on activities later in this post). Our full Unit has also been signed up into the WBCCI email listing (http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/8798 and then follow the link to Region 2).

Now in terms of activities there are several updates from our previous communications and since our Unit Business meeting earlier this month.

  1. The Cherry Blossom Rally for April, 2000 in Washington, DC. Right now this Rally is still rather tentative. Harley Muse and Tom Howarth have spoken with Mr. Robert Brown, Parking Manager of the D.C. Sports & Entertainment Commission in Washington, DC about hosting the Rally at the RFK Stadium parking lot. While Mr. Brown discouraged this spot, he has offered to let us park at the adjacent DC National Guard Armory. This is a gated site with relatively easy Interstate access and easy Metro access. Harley and I are set to meet with Mr. Brown at the Armory next Monday morning (November 29th, 1999). This is the same site that the circus stays at. We will not have utilities but will have water access and 24 hour security. The dates being offered for this Rally are Thursday, April 13th to Sunday, April 16th, 2000. In parallel with this possibility, WDCU Charter member Ray Brett, a retired DC policeman, is looking at other possibilities within the District. Ray has also contacted a former associate about the possibility of being able to drive our trailers around the Capital Building early on one of the mornings for a group photograph. As we gather additional information about this Rally I will update accordingly. Something to realize is that the time frame we are considering is typically a glorious time of year to visit DC. There is something quite unique and stunning when the cherry blossoms are in bloom in downtown DC, particularly around the Jefferson Memorial and other well known sites of interest. Tom Howarth and Harley Muse are the points of contact (POC).

  2. The Region 2 Rally for May 25th to 29th, 2000 at the Kutztown Fairgrounds in Kutztown, PA. This will be the first opportunity for our new Unit to be integrated with all the other Units in our Region. There is both a full Rally and a weekend Rally price. I have attached the flyer notice for this. This Rally will also feature special VAC parking and an Open House. Don Perry (203/869-1180, don-dee@airstream.net) is the VAC POC and will direct the parking. The WDCU will coordinate a Saturday VAC open house.

  3. Joint Rally with PA Unit for Aug. 4th to 6th, 2000, at the Penn Wood Airstream Park, Limestone, PA. Tom Howarth is the POC.

  4. International Rally for June 28th to July 5th in Bismarck, ND. We are going to need a Unit Bulletin Board to represent our Unit, I need a volunteer. There will be more details about this event in forthcoming newsletter posts.

    Also, for International, Region 2 President Wilson Yerk has sent me the following post,

    Every International Rally we promote the next International Rally. This year at Bismarck, Region 2 will promote the Sioux Falls Rally because next years President is Craig Lundberg, and he is from Region 2. Region 7 will join us because Bismarck is in Region 7. Cindy and I are requesting each unit to make two signs, 1- with the name of Cadillac Michigan and the year 1966 preferably in blk, red and white. 2nd sign-portraying something in the area of Cadillac Michigan or the state of Michigan. Craig and Carol wanted all the past International Rallies represented. We gave your unit the rally that was held in Cadillac Michigan and the year it was held there. We couldn't get any more information on that rally, so we thought something representing the area. We thought your unit could get together at one of your rallies before International and do the signs together. This is what they call a work rally, it can be a lot of fun. I'm sure when you all ! ! get your heads together someone will come up with an idea for Michigan. Those who are coming to the International could bring the signs with them, (if no one in your rally is coming, we will take the signs for you). All the units will meet on the 30th of June before the evening program behind the stage. After the announcements we will carry the signs, run around the auditorium, if possible with noise makers, and we have it set at a certain time for balloons will fall from the ceiling. You don't have to have a lot of people there, whoever is available, because when all the units get together there will be a lot of people. Its just a fun thing to do. Also if any of your unit is coming, which I hope they are, if possible that night wear a costume representing that area or wear the colors red, black and white. That is the colors for that International Rally in Sioux Falls in 2001.

    So, I NEED HELP in pulling this off. Please contact me if you can help.

  5. Newport News Folklife Festival & Installation Rally for Oct. 7th & 8th, 2000 at the Newport News Community Park in Newport News, VA. Garnett Horner is the POC.

  6. Joint Rally with Vintage Intraclub Northeast Gathering for Nov. 2nd to the 5th, 2000 at Sandy Point State Park, MD. This is a rather recent update. John Gilliland and Harley Muse are the POCs.

So, that is where we are as of today. Hope to hear from you all and Have a Great Thanksgiving.

Tom Howarth Editor, The Capitol Times Newsletter

Tom Howarth Editor, The Capitol Times Newsletter

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