RATTLES & sQUEAKS JUne 2020
The world is all upside down at the moment but hang in there!
chairmans report Hello to fellow club members from your Chairman. The club has kept ticking over during the lock down period with Ans receiving all correspondence etc and Steve and I paying the necessary bills such as power, water and vehicle insurance. Steve has also had last years financial records audited so we are following procedure as well as we can. It has been a fairly quiet period during the lock down with all of us hiding in our bubbles and the time has come to decide what to do with a bit more freedom. With the ability of having groups up to 50 people, it makes us think we should start having gatherings again. However, it is not as easy as it sounds as because our clubrooms etc are on the Kiwi North grounds, we need to follow some restrictions they expect us to follow as well as the Government regulations. If we want to consider having our weekly parts shed meetings at the moment we would also have to open the clubrooms for toilets as Kiwi North have advised the lower park toilets are not yet open due to a lack of resource to meet sanitising requirements after every use. If we open the clubrooms for us to use the toilets we will need somebody to monitor the usage and clean each time. This will include cleaning all contact surfaces including door handles, taps etc. We will need to supply all materials for this and will need pump bottles at a number of stations in addition to the normal hand washing areas. As well, we need to keep all contact details and monitor spaces between people as well and somebody needs to be responsible for all of this. You might think this is fairly easy to do between the club members, but we also have visitors and the moment you introduce the general public then we are open to more scrutiny. If we start Wed morning teas again, we have to have individuals serving people at their tables so no more putting the food out on the tables and having tea and coffee on the counter and we need to clean all surfaces before and after throughout the hall. There is quite a bit of work to do and costs to incur to be able to start Wed morning meetings again at this time. I personally feel we should wait for a bit more time until we get to Level one and hopefully less restrictions and make decisions then. I have asked the committee members what they think and as yet haven’t heard from many of them but so far the ones who have responded seem to feel the same way. Thanks to Donna and the distribution team the newsletter had continued and been distributed to all club members. The Far North Tour is still planned for the first week of November and the Venue and Caterer for the Sat night dinner are still booked so we are hoping by then we are able to get out and enjoy ourselves. Something we do need to think about now that things are getting back to a more normal situation is what we do about the AGM. We are required to give 45 days notice of that so we need to think about a date as we will need to get nominations forms etc prepared and distributed. Some of the present committee have indicated they will be prepared to stay on for another term but we will need some new committee members also. On a personal note, I have struggled with some health issues recently which are ongoing and as indicated at the last AGM I will not be standing for Chair again but will still be on the committee as immediate past chair as required by our current rules so at the AGM a new Chairperson is needed. The Chairperson is normally preferred to come from the current committee, but if nobody is prepared, then a financial club member can take on the role. In any case we will need to have nominations for Club Officers and Committee. Please think seriously about how you can help run our club. The club is in good shape financially and our membership is growing whereas many clubs are in decline. We need to keep doing what we have been but do it better and get even more involvement with club members and to do that we need fresh ideas. Everybody is capable of adding something to help; we just need you to do it so don’t sit back and think somebody else can do it, do it yourself. Keep well and if you have any questions, please ask. Regards, Ron Anderson
Secretary’s Scribblings Hi all, well here we are 7 weeks later and we are seeing some progress in the LockDown, we have managed to get through this, now up to the next stage. I don’t know about you all but Lou and I have been busy getting all the fruit, (Figs, Feijoa’s, Mandarins, Apples and Persimmons) picked, eaten and preserved. Baking was another activity that kept us nourished and occupied, I don’t know what the scale is telling me at this stage, have not checked lately. The first 2 weeks I stood on it to check, but I have not done so for quite a few weeks, oh well we can deal with that later. The first week of the Lock-Down I spend contacting all the members that usually get their newsletter sent through the mail. By phone I have informed them about the status of where we were while this was all happening and changing almost daily. I spoke to a lot of members I have never met or seen at club events, (but I have not been a member for that long yet) and had really lovely conversations with them. They were all glad to hear what was happening at club level, and accepted the fact that we had no way to get the newsletter to them at this stage. So this was a positive outcome for all of us. While on the phone I managed to get more e-mail addresses and that brings the newsletters for sending down as well. Because of this I was able to get our last newsletter from before the Lock-Down sent to a lot more members to, and everyone knew what was happening, I was really pleased with that result. When my computer crashed late last year I lost all the members e-mail addresses which was a real problem, but I spent my time well in this Lock-Down, one nice Sunday I parked myself in front of the laptop and punched them all in, I only hope they are actually typed in correctly when I need to send things out to you all. VCC Facebook page: Rosalie Brown has recently taken over an additional task within the club, namely administering the club's Facebook page. They have now added a Facebook group to the page. It is the club’s intention that the Facebook group will become an online community for members to interact with each other. The Facebook group is not limited to members of the club, it is a place for anyone who is interested in old vehicles to come together and share stories of our common interest and learn more about our club. It is a private group - so people need to answer questions to be able to join, this will add a level of security to the community. So if you use this forum, search on your Facebook page for: Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Group, and follow the instructions. I have already seen posts from local members. So join in and find out what the community is up to. Update VERO Insurance E-mail. Their VCC phone number remains the same – 0800 654 411 but their email address is now veropersonallines@vero.co.nz Cheers Your secretary Ans Schoenmaekers
nothing rides like a deere by “the Apprentice” “Would you like to come down to Waipu and give me a hand tomorrow”? The Apprentice would often help Ivan if he needed an extra hand with a job down in the workshop but a trip out was extra special as a ride in the International usually ended up with an adventure of some sort. We arrived at the farm shed, high on a hill overlooking Waipu Cove, the view was stunning. A pristine blue sky and the sea sparkling in the early morning sunshine. Parked outside the tractor shed stood the biggest green tractor I had ever seen, fair go this thing was huge. The front wheels were taller than me! We slid the canopy forward on the truck and put our overalls on. Ivan handed me a cardboard box “here you can change this but don’t damage the old one, we’ll wash it when we get back to the workshop then it can be used again”. “Right, got it”. I set about getting the tools I needed to dismantle the air cleaner and some rag for cleaning the dust out of the filter housing before putting in the new filter which was in the aforementioned box. It was then that I realized the air cleaner was sticking out of the tractor bonnet way up there……………! Not wanting to disturb the “Boss”, who had started to dismantle the back end of the tractor in preparation for draining the oil, I thought I’d go look in the shed and see if there was a ladder handy. No, nothing. Taking the new filter out of its box I shoved it down the front of my overalls and managed to zip them over it, then put the tools and rags in my pockets and stepped up onto the tractor cab steps. I shinnied up the side of the tractor, (using various mountings and pipes for hand and foot holds) then sat, straddling the bonnet in front of the windscreen. From here I bum-shuffled to the front where the air cleaner rose up out of the bonnet. Spreading a rag out I carefully placed the tools so they wouldn't roll away and put the filter behind me. Then set about undoing the air cleaner, taking out the dirty filter and with the words “don’t damage the old one” ringing in my ears I decided hurling it to the ground from this height wouldn't be a good idea so placed it behind me with the new one. I cleaned the dust, hay and seeds out of the housing and carefully put the new filter in place before reassembling the air cleaner. The owner drove up in his ute. “Oh, he’s got you working, has he”, he quipped as he walked round to the back of the tractor to have a chat with the boss. I wasn't taking much notice as, having lost focus on my now completed job I was just beginning to wonder how I was going to get down from my high horse. It was a long way down. I could have jumped off had it not been for the various solid metal linkages, arms and guards which stuck out from the sides of the tractor. To clear these meant I’d have to stand on the bonnet and that wouldn't have been a good idea - it was only designed as an engine covering after all. I hate to think how the dirty air filter - now residing down the front of my overalls would have fared with 80 kg of blubber landing on top of it from a great height. The owner walked toward his ute. He was a big man, well used to lifting heavy gear around but I was too proud (dumb!) to ask him to help me down. I heard tools rattling about in the back of the truck, the boss glanced in my direction as he turned. “How do I get down”? I asked hopefully. It was beginning to dawn on the Apprentice why she was here - after all you don’t keep monkey’s and climb yourself do you?! “Same bloody way you got up there, I suppose” was the short reply and with that he was gone grinning like a Cheshire cat. As usual he was right but climbing up is always easier than going down! I bum-shuffled backwards along the bonnet and after stretching a few ligaments and tendons, eventually made it down to terra firma once again. Job done!
Blast from the past
Calendar of Events 2020 All Branch events are cancelled until Further notice 15th National Model A Ford Rally 28th March - 04th April 2021 in Gisborne (Easter weekend). mailto:gisbornemodelafordrally@gmail.com
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2019 -2020 Office Bearers Northland Vintage Car Club Inc. Position
Name
Phone
Mobile
Chairperson
Ron Anderson
Vice Chairperson
Lou Schoenmakers
09 4346802
louans@hotmail.com
Secretary
Ans Schoenmaekers
09 4346802
northland@vcc.org.nz
Treasurer
Steve Cornwall
09 4025006
jensteve@xtra.co.nz
Assistant Treasurer
Keith Taylor
09 9460719
0211685928
keith.taylor55@gmail.com
Club Captain
Keith Taylor
09 9460719
0211685928
keith.taylor55@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor
Donna Nobilo
09 4376097
021437601
empiretroop@actrix.co.nz
Committee
Arthur Jenkins
09 4370955
Peter Meares
09 435 2002
petermeares@gmail.com
Allan Pearson
09 4376317
agpearson39@gmail.com
Lynora Reilly
09 4356366
trelyn47@hotmail.com
Trevor Reilly
09 4356366
Adam Young
09 438 7488
Bert Parrish
09 4389492
Lawrence Hillier
09 4346457
hillierlawrence@gmail.com
Allan Pearson
09 4376317
agpearson39@gmail.com
Peter Meares
09 435 2002
petermeares@gmail.com
Rob Hughes
09 4591171
poodlepalace@xtra.co.nz
Lou Schoenmakers
09 4346802
louans@hotmail.com
Hall Custodian
Trevor Reilly
09 4356366
Librarian
Lynora Reilly
09 4356366
trelyn47@hotmail.com
Motorcycle Rep
Adam Young
09 438 7488
youngadam111@gmail.com
Museum Delegate
Ron Anderson
VIC Inspector
Allan Pearson
09 4376317
Webmaster
Martin Salter
09 4371969
Parts/Vehicles
0275318969
0210737145
vcc.northland@gmail.com
trevorreilly47@gmail.com youngadam111@gmail.com
021411601
0210737145
0275318969
jubert@xtra.co.nz
trevorreilly47@gmail.com
vcc.northland@gmail.com agpearson39@gmail.com
0212242102
martinsalter47@gmail.com