We have had quite a quarter: The Colonial Beach Tour w a visit at F&A Corvette and lunch, the Willing Warrior Corvette Event with over 20 MAC members and a fund in honor of a former Chairman, Jerry Duffy, the NCRS National Convention Road Tours arriving at the Convention in Hampton Roads, with a MAC table and volunteers that signed-up 6 new members, and we saw over 150 cars including Leman’s race exhibits, a 1967 L88 and L89, and to top it off an appearance of the GM Prototype 2025 ZR1 rated 1064HP. Then on to Corvettes at Carlisle with three days of the NCRS Gallery, Fun Field, Vendors and a MAC Tent with volunteers that signed up another 6 new members. And we’re not done for the quarter yet with our big judging meet at Turner Chevrolet in Harrisburg (a 2-day event) 13-14 September including ops checks, judging school and dinner the 1st night and judging the 2nd day, and our fall MAC “Patriot” Road Tour that starts at Mt. Vernon and ends at our Vice Chair’s house in McLean. Even with all this the year is not over with the upcoming Rockville show, the Frisco Regional (which I’ll attend), our Annual Meeting on Nov 2nd and Christmas party. Say that in one sentence! Some members ask, how do we do all this? It’s simple – it’s because of your support! When I planned MAC’s participation in the NCRS National Convention with several members - because it was held in our home territory I knew we should play a significant role and show our MAC presence. And we did. Members competed for a Duntov (John Essepian), a Founders (myself), National Top Flight awards (Jennifer Stefanic and Travis Foreman) and a Duntov display (Paula Franks), not to mention Sportsman and other displays. Our MAC table was fully staffed for 3 shifts (and more) over 4 days, and Bob Weber and family kindly hosted a “MAC Night Out” with guest speaker Richard Prince signing copies of his 70th Corvette Anniversary Book. Our members took away several 200+ point judging hats including Pat Callahan with a 400pt hat and Don Hooper with a 5 Star hat plus many of our members achieved 200 and 300 point awards. If it sounds like I’m bragging, I am – I’m very proud of our members stepping up and showing a strong presence in all these events. I particularly want to thank the volunteers at the MAC tables at the National and Carlisle events for their dedicated support.

I thoroughly enjoyed all these events, not only in my participation as a judge, and two-car owner at Carlisle and the Fun Field, but watching our members compete, volunteer, and excel in all these events. With all the fun and activities we experienced, I shared moments of reflection with friends and members from other clubs. One moment I’d like to share. Bill Sangrey, a senior MAC member and former chairman, was a volunteer at Corvettes at Carlisle. He established an NCRS Tent and Fun field parking, and it’s because of that I got lucky with a celebrity choice pick for my ’67 Coupe. Late one afternoon, while sitting with Bill and two senior DelVal members chatting, they asked me what we could do to keep our clubs growing and encourage younger generations to join us.

After fully participating and enjoying the accelerated pace of this quarter’s (and Year’s) activities, and all our clubs, Carlisle, and the National had to offer, the answer was right in front of me: 1.) We need to continue to support activities that appreciate everyone’s Corvette, no matter what class it is; C1 to C8. Regardless of whether it’s just purchased off the showroom floor, it gets a first coat of wax and hits the show field, or whether it’s that ’57 passed from father to son with 50 years of workmanship and Top Flight awards, our NCRS Chapters should continue to be a place where we regard and appreciate all year classes for their importance and contribution to our legacy and future. Younger members are buying C4-C8s, and we need to continue to seek opportunities to include them in displays, meetings, and events. I ask all of you to please encourage all C-types to our events including meets, displays, show and shines and road tours so we can continue to grow. And combined with that, 2.) We need to continue to support and appreciate the NCRS award program. Take for example, the Founders Award, which requires a Chapter Top Flight, an article submission, judging, a 500 mile trip each way to a Regional with an ops check, and a National Road tour with an additional 500 mile requirement. Over 30 years I have completed a dozen Top Flights, a Duntov and Sportsman Awards, and let me assure you, the Founder’s Award is a test of BOTH the driver and car after spending several 99 temp days in over 2000 cumulative miles of slow traffic in both the Regional and National trips and 8 months of late nights prepping my’73 for Top Flight. Let’s continue our welcoming traditions, as I’ve witnessed in so many of our events, of showing our long-time and new members alike that we appreciate and celebrate the NCRS award program, including Concours, Sportsman, Retro and displays (including C4-8 cars) along with Top Flight awards. If they earn an NCRS award, no matter what type, it is an important moment and deserves our recognition as we all have done in the past. If we continue to strongly support these traditions, reach out further to include the latest model Corvettes in our events, and seek out new and long term members, whether in chapter judging, road tours or show and shine events, we will grow. After participating fully in this quarter’s recent whirlwind of events, as an owner, judge, and guest, and seeing and speaking with many other owners, members, and volunteers, I know and have witnessed that NCRS and MAC has a big enough tent to celebrate and appreciate all Corvettes and Awards. I look forward to seeing all of you at the Turner Chevrolet Judging Meet and our next events - and bring those C4- C8s (along w C1-C3s of course) out for display and Concours reviews! We’ll keep the lights on and see you soon!