Tuna,
Great story! I'm so jealous I couldn't go this year. I'd love to see photos of
your '49 Clipper.
Steve
http://www.AirstreamDreams.com
Robert C Townsend wrote:
> As it turned out, I arrived in Bismarck just before sundown on Friday
> evening. Got three different sets of directions to the rally site, and as a
> consequence spent nearly two and a half hours not locating it. Finally
> stopped at a firestation, and got turn by turn directions... found it, and
> returned to my hotel. Woke bright and early, drove out to the rally site,
> and promptly found myself chatting with Bill Scott. Got the scoop on the
> events at the exhibition hall, and directions thereto.
>
> Bill introduced me to VAC Prez Tom Reed, who took time away from preparing
> his notes for the VAC meetings that afternoon to show me his Clipper
> restoration photos...
>
> Drove over to take a look at the WilsonArt tricked-out Airstream... and
> spoke to the charming people - Jim Huff and Grace Jeffers - who masterminded
> this
> attempt to provoke first Airstream, now Thor, into incorporating some
> updated design concepts into their proposed 2001 16-footer... they've done a
> wonderful job.
>
> Drove over to the exhibition hall just as everyone was breaking for lunch,
> shot back to the hotel to get my paperwork, and copy of Burkhart and Hunt's
> book, and went up to the PR office and handled my WBCCI membership (Sierra
> Nevada Unit, despite Bill S's attempts to get me to join their DC cult...)
> Just as soon as I'd handed over my check, who should walk into the office
> but WBCCI Prez Ed Elmer... we chatted for a bit, and I headed downstairs to
> check out some of the exhibits... and then headed upstairs for the VAC
> general meeting -
>
> It was pretty terrific... and after the general meeting, I handled my VAC
> membership with Membership Chairman Dick Mumma personally... made a date
> with Bud Cooper for happy hour to go over his '48 restoration and frame-job
> (I'm planning a similar effort on my '49 Clipper) and hooked up with Bryan
> Burkhart.... had him autograph my copy of his book... and then we headed
> over to the rally site where Bryan connected with British television's (ITV)
> Matt Bennett, who was attending the rally and taping interviews with
> Airstreamers for a segment for an ITV series on 'caravanners around the
> world'...
>
> Met a passel of fantastic people, and was thoroughly exhausted and
> satisfied... that one day was well worth driving 1500+ miles in two days...
>
> as evening fell, heavy thunderstorms rolled over Bismarck... so i headed
> back to the hotel and fell into bed...
>
> Sunday morning, woke up and headed out into the weather... driving east
> toward Detroit (another pilgrimage) and just happened to follow Dr.
> Holzman's '1935 Airstream' as i pulled onto the freeway...
>
> Drove some 700 miles today (spending the night in Madison WI), and on to
> Detroit in the morning... can hardly wait to get back to Reno, so I can tear
> into the '49 Clipper....
>
> Thanks guys, for pointing me in the right direction...
>
> Tuna.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: terry tyler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2000 9:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [VAC] Bismarck Rally
>
> > Hi Cindy,
> >
> > You are correct, it is frustrating sometimes.
> > The most frustrating will be in Tuna's case
> > where he will be stopping there just as the
> > convention is getting over and people are
> > starting to pack up and leave.
> >
> > There is a always a registration chairman
> > at every rally. The bigger the rally, the
> > more likely there will be a registration
> > table with someone there between 9am & 3pm.
> > Because everyone is a volunteer, they
> > are looking forward to joining in the
> > convention activities just as soon as
> > the last person who is preregistered
> > has arrived.
> >
> > After that, visitors have to do as anyone
> > would do who is looking for someone in a
> > small town. Ask around. The most informed
> > people are those in charge of traffic
> > (the small town sheriff), those on motor
> > scooters delivering messages (the village
> > mailman), or those who are obviously part
> > of the convention (village residents).
> > These people can be identified by a ribbon
> > on their name tag. The ribbon is the symbol
> > of them having gone through the
> > registration process.
> >
> > In Tuna's case, registration has long
> > since closed down. For all practical
> > purposes, he'll be a day visitor and
> > on his own until he finds the vintage
> > group. Once there, he may find you and
> > you'll take him under our wing and
> > you'll introduce him to the right
> > person (if you were there).
> >
> > On the flip side, it's up to each of
> > us at the convention to notice which
> > people are not wearing name tags and
> > to offer our assistance to them. Some
> > may be convention goers who forgot to
> > put on their name tag, but mostly
> > they will be visitors.
> >
> > A fringe benefit of doing this is
> > everyone who isn't wearing a name badge
> > will quickly recognize they are being
> > noticed, perhaps not by everyone, but
> > enough to know a few people care about
> > them. Hopefully, this will reduce
> > some of their frustration and help
> > them enjoy the event and the club.
> >
> > I'm glad you guys are back on line.
> > We missed you. You bring up good ideas
> > that need to be discussed more often.
> >
> > Terry
> > =============
> > >This is still frustrating to me - no official place to
> > >send a wannabe to
> > >join up while attending or passing by the International
> > >WBCCI Rally!
> > >Hope you have an easier time than we did at a big rally
> > >in Florida. We
> > >had people who wanted to join and it was VERY difficult
> > >to find a
> > >contact who had the papers to do just that.
> > >
> > >Cindy(whining), #7494 WBCCI & VAC
> > >
> >
> >
