Orange Dot

[kuhner]

This year at Hershey the sheet that I put in my window had a bright orange dot on it. Came out of the packet this way, wasnt a sticker placed by a judge. Any idea what it was for? Cars around me did'nt have one. ANy one else have one?

greg

[Guest greg72monte]

Greg,

I inquired about that myself, was told that the first time

Preservation vehicles get the dot, to differentiate them

from repeat Preservation.

Greg

[Jay Wolf]

That is what I was told. I has a first time Preservation vehicle and I had a dot

[Guest]

That's it. It simplifies the work in the administration office, but serves no purpose on the field where the judges are concerned. ~ hvs

[Restorer32]

Sounds like some sort of secret code to me.

[kuhner]

Thanks.

[Guest]

Restorer ~ You're right! It is a secret code and now you've blown its cover. Years ago the dot was green but THEY found out the code. Then it became red and that too was outed. Now the secret of orange is revealed as a sinister code to the judges not to talk football in the presence of certain preservation cars. These cars secretly root for the Orangemen of Syracuse.

[Guest]

OK --- So I lied.

The real truth is that those preservation cars whose judging sheets bear an orange dot really belong to the followers of William of Orange. The identifying dot allows judges of Irish descent to take their revenge.

[6219_Rules]

Howard, I kid you not...on St. Patty's Day my mother would dress me in Orange.

When I complained that the kids would pinch me, she told me to pinch them back...harder!!

[Guest]

Randall, are you originally from the Boston area? Where I came from the major significance of St Patricks Day was that everyone drank green beer, got drunk and threw up in the streets. Charming custom. ~ hvs

Does anyone know why God invented whiskey?

hvs

[6219_Rules]

LOL no. My family is Scot/Irish...Protestant Irish...so I guess my mother thought it was funny or maybe she was serious. She doesn't recall now.

[Guest SalG (Sal Grenci)]

HVS, My sister graduated from Syracuse U. law and she informed me some time ago that the school was trying to say the orange represented the citrus and not skin tone and no one bought it since Syracuse is way north of the Mason Dixon line.

[Guest]

Sal ~ Seriously, can you find out the origin of the term "Orangemen?"

I'm curious and am disinclined to accept all the politically correct or revisionist BS that is being given out these days.

hvs

[Restorer32]

Let's start at the beginning. I can't help with "Orangemen" but I can tell you the origin of the word "orange". It is an English bastardization of the Hindi word "narang" which is the term for the fruit.

[Guest]

Howard, Orangemen are members of the Grand Orange Lodge which was a fraternal Protestant organization founded in Ireland in 1795 to commemorate the victory of William the third over the Catholic Irish supporters of Catholic James the second at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. William was from the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and married to James daughter Mary. The origin of the name Orange in the dynasty comes from the name of a French noblewoman who was the wife of William's ancestor who founded the House of Orange-Nassau. the Orange Lodge was once a very powerful organization in Canada and lodges were established in every town virtually.

[1937hd45]

Dave, Thank you for the info, you can never have too much trivia!

[Guest]

Dave ~ Thanks for filling in some of the gaps in my knowledge of English History.

I wonder how it ever became associated with Syracuse University, or if the Syracuse "Orangemen" name really has any connection to the organization you mention.

I do not see how a name with controversial religious overtones could survive as a school nickname in these times. I believe one of the high schools in Baltimore had to drop their nickname "Crusaders" as it offended some peoples sensitivities. ~ hvs

[Guest]

Restorer ~ Word origins can be a fascinating subject. I imagine you have also given us the origin of the Spanish word for orange. ~hvs

[Guest]

Howard and 1937HD45, Your welcome. Without digging up my Rand McNally's to look up where in New York Syracuse is located it may in fact be a reference to the Dutch origins of the name. The House of Nassau-Orange is still the Royal family in Holland and of course much of New York was at one time a Dutch colony.The colour orange is still seen all over Holland as a symbol of it's people such as sporting events etc. The origins of the Grand Orange Lodge was religious of course but also political since the lodge was very monarchist and in favour of a British presence in Ireland and the colonies. In Canada it existed as a foil to the French-Canadian largely Catholic populations in Quebec and the prairie provinces where the mixed blood Metis people were predominant in the 19th century. I recall as a kid large Orange Lodge parades in which hundreds marched on every July 12. It was a very powerful political force in Ontario much like Tamanny Hall. I suspect that the religious origins of the Syracuse Orangemen are largely forgotten if they, in fact, existed at all.

[Guest]

Thanks again Dave. Syracese is in west central New York state slightly north of a line between Buffalo and Albany and about equidistant between the two cities. It is quite a way west of the Hudson river, but the Dutch influence could well have extended that far west. After all, New York was once New Amsterdam and the school probably has Dutch origins.

Boy is this far afield from automotive discussion.

hvs

[Guest]

Howard, The dutch had many trading posts throughout what is now New York not just the Hudson River so maybe? Back to car talk before we get banished!

[1937hd45]

Dave, I wonder if this all has something to do with New York counties Orange and Nassau getting their names while Henry Hudson sailed around on his ship "The Half Moon"?

[Guest]

Orange and Nassau definitely have Dutch origins. Hudson sailed for Holland when he explored New York so you are likely right. I used to know Roy Chapin Jr. when he was board chairman of American Motors. His father started the Hudson Motor Car Company and was a very early pioneer in the business. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands at one time was the principal shareholder of the company.

[novaman]

Howard, I don't know if you remember Elon College (in the town of Elon College). For years they were the "Fighting Christians". Now that they have gone high class on us, they are now a university, the "Elon Phoenix", and the town is now called Elon.