Far North Focus
December 2017
Some get the job done, and some don’t. See page 8 for how get help when it comes to this.
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The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
Far North Focus Who’s Who for 2017/18 Chairman
Warwick Woollams
w.woollams@gmail.com
09 407 7494
Vice Chairman
Murray Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 409 3823
Secretary
Peter Slawson
netherfields@kinect.co.nz
09 407 3066
Treasurer
Robyn Mackay
wmackay@vodafone.co.nz
09 406 1955
Club Captain
Naomi Mason
vinomi88@gmail.com
09 408 1376
Editor
Peg Hills
comstockdowns@gmail.com
09 406 1077
Communications Officer
Ruth Reid
r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz
09 4060 392
Welfare Officer
Margaret Wallace
johnandmarga@actrix.gen.nz
09 407 8251
New Member Liaison
Murray Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 409 3823
Beaded Wheels Scribe
Dave Duirs
dave.duirs@xtra.co.nz
09 406 1288
Area Rep North
Ruth Reid
r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz
09 406 0392
Area Rep South
Warwick Woollams
w.woollams@gmail.com
Committee
Warwick Woollams, Murray Cormack, Dave Hills, Cecelia O’Dell, Robyn Mackay, Peter Slawson, Winston Matthews, Graeme Moore, Paul Sullivan, Vince Mason, Mike Pooley, Margaret Wallace
Building Officer
Peter Mason
09 406 1409
Club meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at the Aurere Clubrooms at 7.30pm.
CLUB CLEANING ROSTER 2017/2018 During the month, and preferably before the main calendar event, please give the clubrooms a thorough check over, as in: Clean the toilets and hand basins, check kitchen, window ledges etc, and sweep the floors. Window cleaning, washing walls etc will be done at working bees. Note any required maintenance and pass on to the Building Officer- Peter Mason, ph 406 1409. If your date doesn’t suit you, please swap with someone else. For any other enquiries please contact the Club Captain.
December: Rosco & Raewyn Pennell July
N & V Mason
January
M & L Pooley
August
C& M Ilton
February
M & M Baker
September
R & W Mackay
March
M & M Cormack
October
Everyone– working bee
April
B & D Francis
November
G Moore & M. Cornwall
May
P & K White
December
R & R Pennell
June
I & D Kemp
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Calendar of Events 9 December
Christmas run
Ruth & Robyn
6 January
Autospectacular
Everyone
21 January
Summer Picnic
Margaret & Claude
10 February
Whangaroa Run
Murray & Gloria
March
To be Arranged
14 April
Brian Parker Memorial Rally
Peter & Cecelia
8 May
AGM
Everyone
13 May
Mothers Day
Winston
June
Molloy Trophy Rally
Warwick
July
Annual Luncheon & Prizegiving
PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR PETS TO ANY CLUB EVENT This is firstly for Health and Safety reasons, and secondly because places we visit may not welcome strange animals.
CHRISTMAS MEET AND GREET WHERE: WINSTON’S GARDEN (Next to the Museum at Aurere)
WHEN: SATURDAY DECEMBER 9TH, 10.30AM Bring your morning tea– hot water available
FUN & GAMES GYMKHANA FOLLOWED BY POT LUCK CHRISTMAS LUNCH Meat supplied– please bring a salad and/or a dessert.
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The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
From the Chair……. It seems like our Club has excelled itself again with the catering and hospitality for the Far North Tour. It has been reported that participants enjoyed the meal provided and particularly the surroundings at Winston Matthews Museum. Also quite a number turned up at the Club Rooms on Sunday morning for morning tea and reasonable business was done in the spare parts department. Thanks to all those who assisted with this event. Financial returns make it a very worthwhile effort. Many of the visitors stayed on after the weekend and visited Peter Matthews Collection and on the Monday took the drive up to the Cape - a great extension to the Far North Rally.
Plymouth Coupe which was restored by Club Members many years ago. The vehicle was donated to the Club by the family of the late Brian Parker and has not been used for some time. Vince Mason, who had a lot of involvement with the car, many years ago, still felt a long connection with it and made an offer to the Club of $6,000.00 for the vehicle which was duly accepted. It is pleasing to know that the car is to remain in the district and who knows, we may see it on the road again sometime. Club events continue to give us opportunities to take our old vehicles out for a spin. The Dunny Run last weekend, organised by Northland Branch members was a pleasant drive in the country. I had no idea where we were and thought at one stage we may end up in Dargaville. However to my great relief we finished the run in Kaikohe at the Monument which was a great outlook stop for our lunch. Being now over 30 years old my 1986 Toyota Hilux Farm Truck is eligible for VCC events. This was fortunate, as the Model A Ford is not on the road at present and I was able to use this vehicle for the Dunny Run. It was very well suited for the inevitable gravel country roads – no mud this time just dust.
Those of you who have read through the minutes of the November Branch meeting will have seen reports from Murray Cormack in regard to Health and Safety issues. We have covered most of the requirements suggested by the VCC Management Committee and a folder is now installed in the Club Rooms to record check ups of the Club Rooms and other Club activities that are deemed to be relevant under H & S schedules. H & S considerations are now an integral part of Rally and event planning, with a check sheet to be recorded and filed for Club events. Its not a big deal as the check sheets are simple to fill out and makes organisers stop and Coming up in events is our Christmas Gymkhana think for a few minutes to ensure we are doing our and Lunch followed in the New Year by our major best for the safety of our members on the roads. event – the AutoSpectacular. Of course we want to have as many of our Club Vehicles on display as We have recently had a booklet printed covering the possible so please check your Rego's and WOF's so National VCC Rally Rules and Interpretations along you are in a “good to go” mode on Saturday 6 Janwith guide lines for those planning rallies. These uary 2018. booklets will be available from the Club Secretary, Club Captain or myself. We hope that these will We look forward to seeing you all there. All the help to better understand the VCC's standard form best for the Christmas Season. of instructions – even straight line navigation! Warwick th
Over the last two to three months we have circulated information regarding the disposal of the 1929 No details are available yet for the January run. We will circulate them as soon as we are able. Save the date– Sunday the 21st.
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Club Captain Reporting….. Hello everyone!! Report time again!! How time the Club. Again I must put in our apoloflies. gies for not being able to attend as we will be down in Whakatane for a surprise 60th I would like to thank Ernie and Beryl Dawes for birthday. This is a chance for Vince to catch up setting a very successful Dunny Run last Sat- with family and friends he hasn’t seen for many urday. I heard it went really well, over ground years and in an area that we have never been to. I wish you all a wonderful day and lots of we haven’t gone over before, so Well Done. fun. It is always a lovely time together. Unfortunately Vince and I didn’t make it, as our beautiful Overland decided to give up on Tem- The Autospectacular is well on the way to bepleton’s Hill. We left Kaitaia at 7.40am, head- ing organised and we look forward to seeing ing for Kawakawa. Our Overland drove beauti- many members on this day, helping where fully up the Gorge, nearly to the top in top there is need and having fun. This is our big gear. We were so happy that she was driving fund raiser so please make an effort to come so well, then all of a sudden she died going up and help out. It’s always a good day for our Templeton’s Hill. No spark, no go!! A kind local families. Lots to see and do. We do appreciate man towed us back to the Mangamukas, all your help. We will be praying for good where our daughter met us with our modern weather. car, and the Overland was towed all the way back to Kaitaia. How sad! I’m looking forward On January 21st, Claude and Margret Ilton to reading all about the Dunny Run in the Fo- are organising a relaxing fun day out at the cus. Congratulations Rex and Sandra, for win- beach, so bring your grandkids and friends and ning. just relax. I guess many of you have heard that we have Well as I finish off my report, I would like to bought the Club Plymouth, so in time we will wish everyone a very special and happy be attending rallies in this car. Christmas, also a wonderful happy New Year. May God keep you all safe and well. Our next event will be the Christmas rally on the 9th December at Winston’s place by the Christmas Greetings Museum. This will be a Christmas pot luck lunch, so please bring a Christmas type main– Naomi salad and a dessert. Meat will be supplied by
Far North Tour Sunday morning– some prowl happily about the parts shed, while others just wait.
Winston’s yard is a great setting for these Northland Club cars
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February 10th
THE FAR NORTH TOUR
Whangaroa Run
From the kitchen, many thanks to all of you who came and helped with the preparation and serving, and particularly with the clean-up; that’s always the part that takes the longest. Thanks also to those who spent time at home before the event. There’s quite a bit goes on that no-one sees.
Organisers: Murray and Gloria Cormack As part of this run a 90 minute boat cruise on the Whangaroa Harbour has been arranged.
It all goes to make for a successful evening and we know our guests appreciate what we do.
For sight-seeing purposes the only licensed passenger boat available has a maximum capacity of 8 people per trip. The club has organised two trips with a subsidy of $15 to members, giving a net cost of $30 per head. Depending on interest a third trip could be organised giving a maximum of 24 people. Booking is essential as this is a peak holiday time. If you wish to go on this 10 February run including the boat cruise, please pay $30 per head to the FNVCC Kiwibank account number 3890010577961-00. Please show your name in the payment reference. Our Treasurer Robyn will make one payment to the boat cruise operator. th
We all know what Mike’s been up to. Many hands soon get through a bag of spuds.
Entries will close on the earlier of 24 paid entrants or the 10 January. The boat cruises are available only to members. th
The remaining part of the car run will be fitted around the various boat cruise times. All enquiries to Murray or Gloria 09 4093823. Full house
A photo of the boat involved is shown.
Mission accomplished– well done guys.
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The Dunny Run
Saturday 25th November It was great to see a fine collection of cars for the start of the annual Dunny Run, with just on forty people enjoying a catch-up with their morning tea. A light shower as we set off fortunately did not continue, and the slightly overcast conditions were ideal for the drive. From Kawakawa we headed through Moerewa, then turned left and began heading through country, parts of which were all new to some of us: south-west through Pokapu, Matawaia, Punakitere Valley, Tautoro, Otaua and then back to Kaikohe. It was a great drive. With the lack of recent rain the mostly unsealed roads were fairly dusty, but in good condition with good visibility. It was interesting and unexpected to see a lot of flat land tucked in behind all the hills. A relaxed picnic lunch at the Monument Domain in Kaikohe followed this most enjoyable run. Commiserations to Naomi and Vince whose car could not quite make it to the start line. They missed an excellent day out. Thanks Ernie and Beryl Dawes for a wonderful outing. The winners on the day were Peg and Dave, and Rex, Sandra and Stephanie. Murray and Gloria
There was fresh green grass and welcome shade for our picnic, and a view forever from the Monument Reserve in Kaikohe. The Hone Heke monument was at the top of the walk, and there were some lovely old trees on the way
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Welfare Report, from Margaret Wallace Murray Baird continues to battle with his health, and ended up in hospital this month. He is home now, and is improving a bit, and is as comfortable as possible, thanks to June's unstinting care of him. A card was sent on behalf of the Club to let him know we are thinking of him, and hoping he has a good summer. Mary Macgregor is home now after a knee operation to straighten her leg, after her original hip operation left her with a twisted knee. She is very happy to look down and see two perfectly straight legs now! She is still on crutches, but improving daily, and we wish her well in her recovery.
Hopefully everyone stays well and healthy over the coming summer months, but if there is anyone who needs a little lift in spirits, please let me know. My phone numbers are 09 4078251, or 027 298 7322, or email johnandmarga@actrix.gen.nz Thanks Margaret
CLUB SHIRTS AVAILABLE: THE CATERING COMMITTEE Mike & Lynn Pooley
Winston Matthews
Dorothy & Dave Duirs
Colleen Brownlie
Margaret Cornwall
Raewyn Pennell
Dave & Peg Hills
Margaret Ilton
Contact Ruth- see her at a meeting, call her on 09 406 0392, email her at r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz There will be samples at the Clubrooms to try on for size. Cost is $30-$35 dollars, depending on size.
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