DIVISION TOURS - PLAIN OR FANCY

[R W Burgess]

Boy, has John Saylor started something. Here is an old Rumbox article from AACA President, Ed Baines. I never met Mr. Baines, but because of the Board's decision at the time, small regions and chapters can host events. Read the reasons how below!!!!

 

 

Ed Baines 
President, AACA

While we have the Founders, Glidden, Vintage and Reliability Tours, the Touring Committee felt we had the need for shorter and less expensive tours, so the Divisional Tours were born.

First, let's examine the reasons for the formation of these tours. The plan is to have the Regions or Chapters hold the tours for only two or three days, so they might attract:

• Younger families or anyone who could not take off a whole week for touring.
• Families that would welcome a less expensive tour than our traditional five day tours.
• Members whose automobiles are perhaps more suited to a shorter two day tour than a longer and more demanding five day tour.
• Having the tours in each Division, members would cut down on their travel time to the tour, and maybe eliminate a nights stay in a hotel. The guess was that the tour would attract members from within a 150 mile radius.
• The first time tour person/family can get their 'feet wet" to see if they really like touring.

Let's say that you would like to conduct one of the Division Tours and you belong to a small Region or Chapter and you would not have a lot of help conducting the tour. Here is how you could put on a "bare-bones" tour -- no frills, simple and inexpensive.

• No goody bags
• No banquets (no getting dressed up)
• Meals "on your own"
• No tour book, just have tour directions on typed sheets
• No car/door banners

Saturday

7:00 AM to 9:00 AM Hand out registration envelopes with tour directions and tour plaques. 9:00 AM Tour Begins. A 50 to 100 mile scenic tour with several interesting stops along the way. 7:30 PM ice cream social on the parking lot or in the hotel (Or a porch light parade).

Sunday

Again, a 50 to 100 mile scenic tour with several interesting stops.

The tour described above is truly a "plain Jane" tour, like buying a new car without accessories. While there would be nothing wrong with running the above tour, a few "accessories' could be added. Maybe a Friday night hospitality hour or a Saturday morning breakfast. A banquet on either Friday or Saturday night would be possible.

Being able to be versatile is the beauty of conducting a Division Tour. You can make it as plain or as fancy as you want. But a word of advice, don't try to compete with a five day tour. It is designed to be a two or three day tour, keep it simple and inexpensive. In reality, a Division Tour should be an expanded version of a Region or Chapter "week-ender".

Who could be invited to participate? Again, versatility! Conventionally, any car 25 years of age or older, or how about a Model '`A" tour or cars from 1929 to 1942. You can be versatile but don't be too limiting or you may end up with 25 cars instead of the 40 to 100 you probably should have.

Finally, I've tried to reason why people go on tours, and I've decided it is mainly for two reasons— antique cars and friendships. On the old car side, it is the enjoyment and challenge of driving an antique car on a tour. The thrill of driving through a small town and having people admire your car, and especially the guy who stops mowing his lawn so he can wave and smile at everyone as they pass. You think you can read his mind, for he is surely thinking, "Boy, that looks like fun, I wish I could do that". Friendship is hard to describe, but it is a powerful force that makes a tour so much more fun. We enjoy being with friends we don't see everyday and having new friends because we are with people who share our love for the antique automobile hobby. The combination of these two ideas are probably the basis for any successful tour— have everyone do some driving but arrange time for some hand shaking, story telling and reminiscing.

[R W Burgess]

This is my favorite Terry Bond!!!

 

 

Body Bags and Bandaids

Terry Bond
Assistant Vice President, Publication

Body bags and bandaids - sounds like the scene of a large-scale disaster, but what I've described is the area surrounding my favorite chair in the den. It's where I sit to read all of the AACA Regional publications coming in for our annual Newsletter contest.

The "body bag" is the little plastic envelope that the post office uses to wrap what's left of your newsletter after automatic sorting equipment is finished acting like an office shredding machine. I have noticed one common trait among newsletters received in "body bags". They are all folded over and secured with a staple. It seems that there are two problems with this process. First, that nasty little staple frequently jams up the sorting often leaving behind only the outside page, or half of it in the equipment and causes the newsletter to self-destruct, with the address intact. Who knows wher the remainder of the newsletter goes? The other problem is that the two open ends of the newsletter are prone to getting folded back to at least the point where the staple holds everything together. From there, the newsletter again tends to self-destruct.

You've put a lot of work into your newsletter and you deserve a fair chance at any recognition for your efforts. You can help make sure your newsletter gets properly judged by using a round sticky label to hold it together instead of a staple. Better yet, use two - one at each corner and lessen the likelihood those hungry post office sorting machines will catch an open corner.

OK, so what about the bandaids? Well, if you stop using those staples, I won't keep poking holes in my finger tips when I try to open those newsletters!

[Terry Bond]

Geez Wayne, you bring back some great old memories!

Ed Bains was my "Big Brother" during my first year on the Board of Directors, and I certainly remember the discussions that led to Divisional Tours.  Ed was a great AACA President and I learned much from him in the short time we served together.

 

I did get a lot of comment on my "Body bags and bandaids" article.  I think it's one of the shortest things I've ever written!

Terry