President

July was the first month of our club’s 44th year. Some thought that with the challenges we faced the SCVCC would only be a memory. Wring they were. Our club is still here and growing. We are inducting new members almost monthly. We are experiencing excellent turn-outs for meetings, events, and get-togethers. Your board members are doing a fine job, but it is you, the membership who we all have to thank. You clearly have other things you can do on Thursday evenings and on weekends, but you can do them in any old car. Corvette events and Corvette friends add that extra zest we seem to enjoy. Keep it up!

July is also an important month for our country. We celebrated our nation’s 246th birthday this past month and our community witnessed a terrific showing by the SCVCC in the SCV July 4th Parade along the streets of Newhall. It was the best turn-out of Corvettes AND spectators I have witnessed. Thanks to all who participated and to those who watched.

Our Taste of the Town took us a bit out of town to Acton and the La Cabaña Restaurant for another delicious get together. Our Antelope Valley members had an easy drive while we in the SCV had decisions to make, the traffic on CA-14 or the several backroads. I chose the latter and enjoyed the easy and scenic drive. The attendance was excellent, and the food was too. For me, the evening still held another bonus with a top-down drive home enjoying the balmy summer temperature. All in all, the Acton choice was one I enjoyed.

As we come into August, we still have some hot weather ahead. We have Movie Night at the Shavers’ on the calendar. It is always a fun time enjoying a summer activity with friends, so I hope to see many there. The beach is close too and there is no excuse for not grabbing a friend and heading out for cooler air and an enjoyable drive out on the 126. If you have an idea for an event, don’t be bashful, put together your plan and present it to Activities and let’s make it happen.

As of this writing, a few still have not renewed their membership for the 2022 – 2023 club year. I encourage you to do so and keep active with the club. If it has been some time since you turned out for a run, come and join us. Your Corvette was made to be driven. Speaking of Corvettes, who read this month about which Corvette colors were the biggest sellers for the 2022 models? Corvette Blogger published the article and reported Torch Red, Arctic White, Hypersonic Gray, Red Mist, and Black as the top five colors. Having owned four red Corvettes, I concur with the report.

Have a great August. Fire up your Vette and do something, even in the heat. Smile and look forward, October is not far away.

Mike

It’s July.  2022 is half gone, but like a cup, there is half remaining too.  We are beginning a new club year, 2022 – 2023.  Our club is also another year older as we are now in our 44^th year.  Even with the challenges we have all faced during the recent past, our club remains strong and is again moving forward.

We have concluded our club elections this past month and your board is eager to represent you and assure that the SCVCC remains vital and focused.  The world and time we live in continues to hand us all challenges and the club is experiencing the same issues.  Things are costing more.  We all like nice things and your board will assure those remain.  Does increases and co-pays will be discussed as prices continue to rise.  We all know that drill every time we pump premium into our Corvettes.

June though was a great time to be a SCVCC member.  We started the month with a road trip, which we have not experienced in many months.  There was a great turnout for the Monterey Coast Corvette Cruise from June 2 to June 5.  The final blast of cool weather before another hot summer was delightful.  The Monterey Coast Corvette Club put on yet another splendid event and several of our members brought home trophies as well.  We all looked great sporting our special clubwear designed for the trip too!

Our annual club picnic at Steckel Park on June 18 was additionally a fun time to caravan, socialize, play, and even eat.  The weather was ideal, the barbecue was delicious, the raffle and games were fun, all with Joe Ramieri and his band providing music throughout the day.  Thanks to our set-up team and to all attendees for again making this a special club day.

Our membership numbers remain high with virtually no one leaving our membership as we enter the new club year.  Additionally, we are again adding new members almost monthly as interest in our club is evident throughout our community.  I urge everyone to get to know all of the new members who have recently joined us and make them feel welcome.

Some are still holdouts in providing updated roster information with your renewals.  Even one letter wrong in your email will cause information to not reach you.  Please help us out by making sure all of your information is correct and up to date.

Your activities team continues to provide us with us with many opportunities for runs, gatherings, and events.  You DO NOT have to be a board member to plan OR lead a run.  Present your idea to Activities and we can follow YOU on a run too.

If you have not yet renewed your membership for the coming year, please do so soon.

Let’s bite the bullet and fuel up those Corvettes with the high priced fuel and roll.  This is not the Prius club.  Our Corvettes are made to be driven and seen.  I am happy about the great interest in our SCV July 4^th Parade and look forward to seeing you there!

Save the Wave

Mike

Can you believe June is here already? 2022 is almost half over and Summer is about to begin. The school year is ending and there are graduations and those June weddings. It is also the month in which our club year 2021 – 2022 comes to an end. This is the month too when the results of our election for board officers is announced and we all find out who will lead our great club for the coming year.

I never purported to be a mind-reader, but as I sit at the keyboard I can’t help but believe that club year 2022 – 2023 will have the same board as the year past. Awaiting the results of the ballot count by our Inspectors of Election, my hunch is most of you did not vote. Just my guess.

We have 87 regular members on the roster and my hope would be 87 ballots, just the living members, would have been submitted. Silly me.

In our 44 years as a club, we have had 27 members who held the office of President, an average of about 1.6 years per person. While our by-laws specify no term limits for board offices, there has been some talk of instituting a change to limit time in board positions. The advantages and disadvantages of term limits might be a good topic for business meeting discussion.

Among our 87 current members, there are just 15 who have served on our board, 11 of them are presently serving and I predict those 11 will be elected to another term for 2022 – 2023.

If I am so elected, I will be proud to serve one more year. I hold as my belief however that while our board, with me included, may be doing a satisfactory job in keeping the SCVCC on track, among the remaining 74 members who have never yet served on the board, it is time for many of you to step up and assume a role in leadership.

I plan on making this my final year as President and there will likely be other vacancies after this term. Let us have a smooth transition in a year by more of you becoming involved in board functions in the coming month and let’s see your name on next year’s ballot.

With that said, enjoy our Newsletter reading about what we did in May and what’s coming up. It is terrific we have so many participating in the Monterey Coast Corvette Cruise this month. We have been cooped up too long. The club picnic in June will be another treat and just after that we will again participate in the SCV July 4th Parade. All of these things are only part of what is in store in the coming months. If you haven’t taken part in a run in a while, now is the time to re-join us for some Corvette fun.

As a reminder too, it is time to renew your membership for club year 2022 – 2023. Renewal forms need to be filled out and provided to Membership Chair Judy Woodings and your dues payment goes to Treasurer Dennis Monden.

Hope to see you on our special June General Meeting night, WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2022.

Save the Wave

Mike

April showers bring May flowers as the saying goes. So too in our Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club. We started the month with a great turnout at our monthly business meeting at Santa Clarita Lanes with 60 in attendance. You can read all about it in the following pages here in our gazette, but I want to mention a couple highlights. We haven’t seen Fred and Teresa Zullo in some time but they both joined us in April, giving me the opportunity to present Fred with his overdue 10-year pin. The other special moment in the meeting was welcoming Sarah Stokes to our club as an honorary member and naming her as Club Baker for treating us all with her homemade cookies.

Following Easter, April included a well-attended Taste of the Town at Red Lobster where I especially enjoyed the fish and chips. A great call by Activities once again. On 4-23, we had nineteen Corvettes and even more people eager for the mystery run show up at our start point at Kohls, off CA 14, to sign in and roll northward to our unknown destination. Nineteen Corvettes caravanning on a Saturday morning was a beautiful sight. With a quick pit in Mojave, we changed course to westbound CA 58 and into Tehachapi where we had a room reserved at Big Papa’s Steakhouse and Saloon. No fish for me that day, the burger was terrific! We are definitely more than drive and eat though and local attractions were scheduled for after lunch. Both the Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum and the Tehachapi Loop, one of the 7 wonders of the railroad world, were suggested stops. Tehachapi is a great destination, centrally located, 100 miles from everywhere.

May is here though and we are starting the month with participation in the annual Home and Garden Show at Central Park on May 1st. A week later, we are invited by Bunnin Chevrolet Santa Paula and GM to an introduction of the 2023 ZO6, lunch provided too. A run to The Old Place on May 15th has limited space and sign-up are closed. Then once again we will conduct a food drive to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry at Sam’s Club on May 21st. Come join us for this worthy cause.

There is even more to put on your calendar. The Monterey Coast Corvette Cruise is coming in June as is our club summer picnic. The Santa Clarita July 4th Parade is back. There will be plenty to do in the summer months and be sure to mark December 10 on your calendar for our Christmas party.

Nominations for our board positions election for 2022 – 2023 will conclude at our May General Meeting. This will be your opportunity to assure the club continues to have great leadership in the new year. Ballots will be available in your email, and I urge all to vote during May. Your new board will be announced at the June Meeting. This is your chance to help shape things for our club in the months and years to come. I have enjoyed being in leadership on your board since 2010 and look forward to you sharing your talents and assuming the reins in the years to come.

I hope to see you all at Santa Clarita Lanes at our May General Meeting and on the road too. Our Corvettes are made to be driven, and hey, Save the Wave!

Mike

Spring has sprung and our club seems happy about the change of seasons, fewer restrictions and some even welcome the return of Daylight-Saving Time. I could do without the latter since it is my belief that no matter how you view the day, there are still 24 hours, no more, no less.

February seemed to fly by quickly as it always does and just 28 days from the February General Meeting, we gathered again at Santa Clarita Lanes for the March Meeting. Our numbers grew again with 63 in attendance to enjoy getting together and to tend to club business. I am grateful for the hospitality of Santa Clarita Lanes for our meeting location. It seems like longer, but 12 months ago we were still meeting remotely via Zoom. What a wonderful change.

March brought us St Patrick’s Day falling on our Taste of the Town social held at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. There was plenty of Kelly Green around the table as we enjoyed our pasta with a good number of attendees.

Just a couple days later, we had an exceptional turnout for our caravan to Arcadia and the Santa Anita Park Day at the Races. Thanks go to Don Ceo for arranging a fun day at the races, horse that is. Our group was afforded great seating in the clubhouse area on an especially gorgeous spring day. There was a full day of camaraderie, fun and even some wagering. If you weren’t there, be sure to check out the pics in this month’s newsletter to get an idea of what you missed.

We all love surprises, and in April, we are looking forward to a Surprise Destination Run on 4-23. Be sure to let Karen know you will be attending!

As always, this is time of year we all need to do our part to keep our club running. Membership renewal for 2022 – 2023 will be here soon, but even sooner will be elections for our board for the coming club year. Now is the time for nominations for all board positions. Consider running. Nominations need to be in, to our secretary, by April 30th with elections in May.

Keep track of your email too, since from time to time something extra may pop up for a run or event that was not scheduled. Also, don’t just let your Corvette sit in the garage between events. Get together with friends for an impromptu run somewhere. You have the added sunlight again and gas is not yet $10 a gallon, so do it!

Have a wonderful April and
Save the Wave!

Mike

There was plenty to do in our shortest month of the year. We were off to a great start with sixty-two in attendance at our February General Meeting at Santa Clarita Lanes. We added another tough with some video highlighting our past events. Let us know if you think it is worthwhile and if you can contribute items to put on the screen, please do so. Thanks to Chip Colwell for contributing for this venture.

I must say, Jimmy Webster and his crew out-did themselves with the 2022 edition of Jimmy’s Poker Run. The 83-mile route was well-planned and a delight to drive with the rest of you. The final gathering at Don Redding’s hideaway was perfect and our thanks go out to Don Redding and of course to Tom Tomlinson for getting us the invitation to gather there and enjoy the property.

After our planned TOT met with a glitch from the ownership, our activities team again came through with an excellent evening out at Maria Bonita’s. You can always count on our team AND Maria Bonita’s. Then throw in time together with club members recognizing 2-22-22 as a special date and then gathering once again for Advance Auto Parts Grand Opening and there you have a fun month.

Our runs and events are important to help keep our club active and interesting. Your suggestions for activities are welcomed and I urge you to even organize and lead an event in the coming months. If I can do it, you certainly can.

I must mention an issue regarding events here since some events involving vendors and money do require our club to make commitments regarding how many attendees will be involved. If we do not meet the number we committed to, it costs the club, all of us, some money. If we have last minute no-shows, even if we know and don’t expect to see you at a function, the vendor still expects the number from our guarantee, and the club ends up paying. Therefore, prepayments for attendees in those type events will be required as necessary.

Each year, at this time, we start to think about membership renewal and board elections that are not far off. Details of both will be coming soon. Membership numbers have been growing and we hope to keep our numbers up. It is time too for you to consider filling a board position in the coming term. The salary is not much, but wearing the dangle is reward enough. Think about it.

Check out what is coming up in the weeks ahead. Check out the Three Months at a Glance and put the events on YOUR calendar. Those Corvettes need to be driven and in a couple of weeks we have that extra hour of daylight back and will have more time to enjoy the road again.

See you all in March.

Mike

As you read this, it is time to wish you all a Happy New Year 2022. The Christmas season flew by and we have completed another trip around the sun. The decorations have been stored and resolutions made and some already forgotten. The new year is here with hopes for a better year than the last as we look ahead .

A year ago, we were forced to forego our traditional club Christmas party at Sand Canyon CC but this December our Activities people forged ahead with plans for a 2020 party even though our regular location was again not allowing parties. We opted to gather at Knollwood Country Club for Christmas Party 2021 even as LA City dictated stringent restrictions. Our attendance numbers were nonetheless excellent as we gathered, dined and danced. Our party was a fitting end to a year in which we met our goal of meeting together, whether it was on Zoom or driving to Fillmore or now enjoying our now local site at Santa Clarita Lanes. You all did it, you kept us going for another year despite the challenges we faced.

December gave us other opportunities to gather as well. We enjoyed an excellent caravan to Bunnin Santa Paula Chevrolet to support their traditional Toys for Tots event. We joined with Ventura County Corvette Club and Redline Corvettes to donate toys to support the Matine Reserve event and also to enjoy the delicious burrito breakfast the dealership provided. Thanks to all who participated.

We also held our second food drive of 2021 at Sam’s Club to support the Santa Clarita Food Pantry. Your participation was outstanding and coupled with the generous donations of Sam’s shoppers, our contribution to the community surpassed our prior drives. Great job SCVCC!

I know you are all looking forward to what is planned for the months ahead. We have a run to Jake’s Roadhouse as well as a poker run on the calendar coming up. If you haven’t already signed up you need to do so. We will be meeting for Taste of the Town at Oggi’s Pizza and Brewhouse in January too.

I hope to see you all at our January General meeting on January 6th. Put it on your list of things to do and make attending our SCVCC monthly meetings one of your resolutions for 2022.

Happy New Year to you all,

Mike

2021 has flown by. Just 12 months ago, Bunnin Chevrolet Fillmore offered their showroom for our club monthly meeting site. Only 19.8 miles on CA 126 from the I-5 interchange seemed workable after seven months getting together on the Zoom screen. More virus concern brought our in-person meetings to a halt again in December and you all know the rest of the story. The point is, our club is great, keeping up with the uncertainty and not losing hope that we would get together again.

The 2020 lockdowns made our Christmas party a no-go this time last year with the prohibitions on gathering. Our club dues were less for those who renewed their memberships but December 2020 without a club party was not the same. Thankfully, our activities team stayed abreast of the mandates and have Christmas Party 2021 on our calendar. Many have signed up for this year’s event at Knollwood Country Club coming up on December 4. I am hoping for a wonderful evening out with all who can make it.

November found us continuing to enjoy the hospitality of Santa Clarita Lanes for our monthly meeting and many of us rolled again to Fillmore for their community Veterans Day events. We caravanned to the Veterans Day Parade on November 11 and returned On November 13 for the Veterans Car Show. It was great to see Mark and Cheryl Hooper take home the Corvette 1st Place trophy for their awesome C8.

Taste of the Town at Maria Bonita’s also had a great turn-out. If you have been hanging around at home, you should join us at our events and times together. We miss you and it’s a night to skip doing the dishes.

We are starting December with not only our Christmas Party on December 4, but also a run earlier in the day to Bunnin Chevrolet Santa Paula to join Red Line Corvettes and Ventura County Corvette Club for the Toys for Tots event there. Then just one week later, we will again spend our Saturday on December 11 accepting donations for the Santa Clarita Food Pantry at Sam’s Club. It is an enjoyable way for us as a club to make a contribution to the community. I urge you to join us helping others.

For those who have not yet signed up for the Monterey Coast Corvette Cruise, the event appears to still have openings. Check their site at www.montereycorvettes.com. Our club has many who have already signed up, but the event has a cap. Don’t delay if you are interested.

Check the Three Months at a Glance for what is coming up in the near future. Join us at an event, a social gathering or maybe just a cruise for ice cream. Get those Corvettes our on the road. They are made to be driven.

I, along with all of the board wish you and yours the best for a joyful holiday season…and Save the Wave!

Mike

The year is fleeting by much faster than the previous year of fear and restriction. Our club remains strong and we continue looking forward.

October has zoomed by without Zoom this year and we are about to gather for our fourth general meeting at Santa Clarita Lanes. Our numbers in attendance have grown and the location seems to suit our needs. Members have been happy to meet and catch up and the feeling of times past is coming back.

I am pleased to see everyone enthusiastic to be together as we meet for our monthly meetings and Thursday socials, but I have a request that will benefit us all. Once the gavel sounds to begin our business meeting, please, please hold the conversation until the conclusion of the meeting so all can hear the reports of the board and comments of members. While we once again have a location for meeting, the acoustics could be better and private conversation overtakes even our microphones. I hope to use the gavel only to open and close our meetings. Whewww, and thanks!

We began October with a delicious lasagna night feed at the Ceo home, even before our October meeting. Thanks went out at our meeting, but now, in black and white, Thanks Connie and Don for lasagna night #5.

The 2023 ZO6 was introduced in October and it will be interesting to watch for it to show up with some of our members, With a purported $90,000 starting price, there will surely be some interested in buying one, especially with optional carbon fiber rims to preclude the cracked rim problem. We will report when the first one arrives.

Our Activities team is working to make our Christmas/Holiday Party a reality this year. Arrangements for a December 4 party at Knollwood Country Club have been made and now is the time to RSVP via Evite. Do it now and mark the date on your calendar.

November brings Thanksgiving at the end of the month, but we can show our thanks to veterans on November 11 by supporting the Veterans Day Parade in Fillmore. It will be a great day to spend a morning.

Great news from your board. Our Newsletter Editor Scott Gregory is back on board with this month’s newsletter. Additionally, the board unanimously approved Donna Nolan’s appointment to the Quartermaster position. Welcome Donna, and to paraphrase one of our members, “Bling It”!
Let’s have a great November together and be sure to welcome the many new members that have joined us lately.

Mike

Sixteen months after California was ordered to cease gathering, our club emerged from virtual and temporary meeting situations to what appears to be a very satisfactory meeting location. This past month we gathered with 56 attendees in the Vincenzo Room at Santa Clarita Lanes on Soledad Road for our August General Meeting. Parking was great, food and beverage were available, there was plenty of seating and there was excellent air conditioning on a hot summer day. Our attendees were surveyed and an abundance of favorable responses were noted. Our next step will be for the board to determine if this is indeed THE place. Will “Drive, Bowl and Meet” become our new motto? Come to our September meeting and find out.

With of our administrative membership and board election business for the new club year complete as well as the search for a meeting location likely done as well, it is time to fire up our Corvettes and get back on the road. In August, many of us enjoyed an evening out for a pleasant outdoor movie night that topped off a potluck dinner. A terrific way to spend a “hot August night”. Out monthly Taste of the Town was also well attended with good company and good food in Oldtown Newhall. If you missed these events, you missed some good times. I say let’s keep it up and keep getting back together as we are doing and make sure our club remains the place to be as we roll into our 43rd year.

September 11th took on an important meaning twenty years ago and it remains to be seen what this year’s anniversary will bring. Currently our Activities team has a run to the Reagan Library planned for that day this month with lunch at the Junkyard following. Hope and pray this will be a happy day for us all. Other local events will commemorate the day if you cannot make it on the run, even a free Patriot Day Car Show and Breakfast sponsored by KHTS at the Higher Vision Church parking lot on the Old Road from 8 AM to Noon. Later in the month, several members will head to Arizona for the Prescott Vette Sette Car Show as well. There’s plenty to do so, I say fire up those Corvettes and let’s see one another in person again.

The newsletter was once again put together by the substitute editor and thus far there hasn’t been any outpouring of help with articles or photos. Let’s make September the month that changes.

I am looking forward to getting together in our new local meeting site and anticipate our numbers continuing to rise. Be sure to mark September 2 on your calendar and join us at Santa Clarita Lanes for our next meeting. The meeting begins at 7:30, so come earlier if you can to catch-up with you Corvette friends.

See you there!

Mike