|
Enjoy these pictures and narrative from Kewaunee, Wisconsin --- our Summer meeting - July 8 - 9, 2016
click on individual pictures to enlarge
|
Our 2016 ASCOA Summer Meeting was a fun weekend, underscored by good Wisconsin hospitality and great weather. The summer weekend was planned and coordinated by member Gary Bogenschutz # 1818. Gary is from Egg Harbor, WI and belongs to the Lakeshore Area Vintage Snowmobile Association. They hold an annual show at the Lake Michigan shore front community of Kewaunee. Well, a couple of years ago, Gary suggested that this would be a venue for an ASCOA summer show. In fact, it was a perfect venue for our July 2016 ASCOA summer show.
Typically, our shows are coordinated by our club regional directors but this year it was member Gary. Great job, and I ask you member-readers if you might nominate a local spot or event for an upcoming meeting. Think about it. In an upcoming newsletter, we will publish a guide on how to sponsor an ASCOA meeting. We encourage your ideas. Our goal is to plan winter and summer meets three years in advance.
The July 9th show was held at the shoreline, next to a large government dock and lighthouse. Sleds were displayed on city streets. The Lakeshore club members had a great food tent, and arranged to have our Saturday morning membership meeting at a local pavilion building, festooned with a “Welcome ASCOA” banner. They were great hosts. Club members greeted every truck and trailer with an offer to assist with loading/unloading of our old iron. The event also featured a car show and kids rides in a kicked-back environment. But it was the location and weather that were the icing on the cake. You see, a slight wind off Lake Michigan kept temperatures moderate and the fresh air was relaxing to the max! Many of us took a stroll down the long navigational pier to soak up the atmosphere — blue skies, sea gulls hovering and ocean breezes. Oh, and there were some old snowmobiles to look at, as well. Several of our ASCOA membership took home trophies. See accompanying photos for a sense of the laid-back scene.
Our club also conducted some business. The annual Saturday morning meeting was our official Annual General Meeting, with officer elections and all. Four changes in the guard are noted. Your new President is Dave Guenther. Vice President is John McGuirk. Karen Reid, from Ortonville Michigan, will assume Treasurer/Membership Director duties and Gary Lindstrom is your new Minnesota Director. Jerry Wanty will now be called "Club Historian".
The headquarters hotel was in Green Bay, some 25 miles away. This is because there was no hotel large enough to accommodate our attendees near Kewaunee. Saturday evening, we dined at a great Green Bay restaurant that offered us a private room. Around 50 of us enjoyed an all-you-can-eat meal of chicken and ham served “family style”. This means bowls and plates of food, passed around just like it was Sunday back when we were kids. In fact, it tasted like Mom’s cooking as well. Dessert too. Immediately following, we had a very lengthy and profitable live auction. Special thanks go out to Ken Mueller (member # 418) who had cajoled corporate donations out of three of the four manufacturers, in addition to many personal contributions. Rodney Dragan showed up with another treasure from his father, Anton’s basement — the last of the Ski Doo tin cab miniatures! Needless to say, it was the top bid for the evening. Vice President Jerry Wanty’s home-made wine was the usual big hit. I believe that each bottle garnered $ 30, or more. In short, it was a very busy and productive evening, adding dollars to our club coffers.
While not an official summer meeting event, on Friday afternoon many of the “early bird” arrivals got a chance to visit a dairy-barn museum of 200 old snowmobiles in nearby New Franken. Later that afternoon, at the “cracker barrel” social hour, I overheard some reviewing their cell phone pictures, commenting that they had never seen that brand before. Wow, even the experts were stumped! And NO, none of these 200 machines are for sale.
Typically, our shows are coordinated by our club regional directors but this year it was member Gary. Great job, and I ask you member-readers if you might nominate a local spot or event for an upcoming meeting. Think about it. In an upcoming newsletter, we will publish a guide on how to sponsor an ASCOA meeting. We encourage your ideas. Our goal is to plan winter and summer meets three years in advance.
The July 9th show was held at the shoreline, next to a large government dock and lighthouse. Sleds were displayed on city streets. The Lakeshore club members had a great food tent, and arranged to have our Saturday morning membership meeting at a local pavilion building, festooned with a “Welcome ASCOA” banner. They were great hosts. Club members greeted every truck and trailer with an offer to assist with loading/unloading of our old iron. The event also featured a car show and kids rides in a kicked-back environment. But it was the location and weather that were the icing on the cake. You see, a slight wind off Lake Michigan kept temperatures moderate and the fresh air was relaxing to the max! Many of us took a stroll down the long navigational pier to soak up the atmosphere — blue skies, sea gulls hovering and ocean breezes. Oh, and there were some old snowmobiles to look at, as well. Several of our ASCOA membership took home trophies. See accompanying photos for a sense of the laid-back scene.
Our club also conducted some business. The annual Saturday morning meeting was our official Annual General Meeting, with officer elections and all. Four changes in the guard are noted. Your new President is Dave Guenther. Vice President is John McGuirk. Karen Reid, from Ortonville Michigan, will assume Treasurer/Membership Director duties and Gary Lindstrom is your new Minnesota Director. Jerry Wanty will now be called "Club Historian".
The headquarters hotel was in Green Bay, some 25 miles away. This is because there was no hotel large enough to accommodate our attendees near Kewaunee. Saturday evening, we dined at a great Green Bay restaurant that offered us a private room. Around 50 of us enjoyed an all-you-can-eat meal of chicken and ham served “family style”. This means bowls and plates of food, passed around just like it was Sunday back when we were kids. In fact, it tasted like Mom’s cooking as well. Dessert too. Immediately following, we had a very lengthy and profitable live auction. Special thanks go out to Ken Mueller (member # 418) who had cajoled corporate donations out of three of the four manufacturers, in addition to many personal contributions. Rodney Dragan showed up with another treasure from his father, Anton’s basement — the last of the Ski Doo tin cab miniatures! Needless to say, it was the top bid for the evening. Vice President Jerry Wanty’s home-made wine was the usual big hit. I believe that each bottle garnered $ 30, or more. In short, it was a very busy and productive evening, adding dollars to our club coffers.
While not an official summer meeting event, on Friday afternoon many of the “early bird” arrivals got a chance to visit a dairy-barn museum of 200 old snowmobiles in nearby New Franken. Later that afternoon, at the “cracker barrel” social hour, I overheard some reviewing their cell phone pictures, commenting that they had never seen that brand before. Wow, even the experts were stumped! And NO, none of these 200 machines are for sale.