Presidents Message

The month of May was an active month for club members. In addition to our monthly meeting, Taste-of-the-Town at the Olive Garden, and our Surprise Breakfast run to Mama’s Table in Valencia, the Activities Committee planned two events for the member to choose from. There are two Northern runs that are taking place at the same time. Club members had the option of a run to the Monterey Peninsula Corvette Club’s bi-annual car show event in Monterey, or to go to Sacramento to see not only the State Capitol, but the State Railroad Museum, and the American Automotive Museum. After that the run continues to the Napa Valley to visit, and sample, the fruits of the vine at some wineries, and see the beauty of the Napa Valley before returning to Santa Clarita.

Our Activities Committee works hard to put together events that will appeal to everyone, and the options are intended to have the member pick what best piques their interest. The summer months are usually a challenge due to summer school vacations, family events, and personal plans.

It’s amazing the number of people that have turned out for events during the past six months. Our most recent event, The Surprise Breakfast Run, had 27 Corvettes, and 57 people. Now, don’t take your shoes off to count, but realize the numbers do add up. Believe it or not, a few came in “tin cans”, but who cares? The food was great, the staff was accommodating, and the socializing was wonderful. The restaurant even turned their TV’s to the Indy 500 Race for us to watch. Good food, good friends and the Indy 500. What more could you ask for? A little side note; for the first time in history of the Indy 500, the “Pace Car” (a new ZR1) had more horsepower and was faster than the race cars competing.

The election of the club’s 2018/2019 Board of Directors was tabulated and the results are in. Everyone was re-elected, and the Bylaws and Standing Rules changes were approved unanimously. The newly approved changes to the Bylaws & Standing Rules will appear on our clubs web page after June 1st and will become effective July 1st. These changes were needed so that the clubs Board of Directors could more effectively run the operations of the club, and to eliminate previous conflicting wording between the Bylaws and the Standing Rules.

I would hope that every member has looked at their picture on the web page and has checked out the “Events” tab to see the upcoming activities of the club. Just click on the “Events”, and when it opens, a list of upcoming events is on the right side of the page. Not only will you get the next three months of events, but future planed events being considered for the membership.

The Fourth of July Parade in downtown Newhall has the theme “You’re A Grand Old Flag”. Don’t forget to be part of this fun event and decorate your Corvette in true American Style.

The September 29th Car Show planning is progressing well. Together with our 40th Years Anniversary Celebration, 2018 is proving to be a great year for our club. The proceeds from the car show goes to the Santa Clarita Coalition, which aids, trains, and prepares separating veterans to gain a career as they assimilate into civilian life after serving their country.

Our web page is truly a work of art, and a plethora of club information. This new web page has brought our club into the 21st Century, and the info/tech future. It is ever evolving and will be our clubs portal for all we do. Thanks goes to Mark Ware and Steve Turkheimer for their devotion and dedication to this monumental web page task.

Dwight

The month of April started like any other month with our Business Meeting, but that’s where common ended. Members brought their Corvettes to the meeting, and had pictures taken with them standing with their cars. Our webmaster, Mark Ware, wasted no time in getting the pictures uploaded to our web page (SCVCC.org) for all the world to see. But just after getting the pictures posted, Jeff Hernandez and Moira Moe got a 2018 Carbon 65 Edition Grand Sport. Needless to say, we are happy for them and the car is beautiful. After the May Business Meeting, their picture with their new Corvette will be posted on our web page. Be sure to check it out. Additionally, any member wanting a re-take picture should bring their car for a new picture.

Our first April event to “Live Steamers” was unfortunately canceled for a number of reasons, but our Activities Committee will be looking for a date in the future to reschedule that exciting outing.

Our monthly Taste-of-the-Town was held at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) in the Bridgeport Shopping Center. 37 people turned out for the event, and CPK will be sending our club a check for 20% of our club’s total bill to be donated to the charity of our choosing. Thank you CPK for a great event, and your generous donation.

Our last event, the “Pismo Beach Run” was a total success. It was an impressive sight when 43 people in 22 Corvettes converged on the beach community. When our caravan rolled into the Kon Tiki Inn parking lot, it looked like a well-orchestrated ballet. Well, maybe not that great, but more like a coordinated feeding frenzy for that special parking spot. In the end the parking lot looked like a Corvette dealership.

The month of May brings our annual election of the Board of Directors and Committees which will lead their club for the upcoming year. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of voting, especially this election time. On the ballot will be some bylaws changes and clarification changes that is intended to improve the club operations for the future. All members are asked to read the changes and vote.

Our web page (scvcc.org) is ever changing and will be our club portal for nearly everything in the future. Be sure to look at the page often and become familiar with it. Remember, our web page is just like Costco, if you see something on it today, it might not be there tomorrow, so check it often.

Dwight

March was a month that turned out to be better than expected, given the weather forecasts that kept changing daily. Fortunately for us, all the events we had planned, took place between rain storms. The week of St. Patrick’s Day brought nothing but rain, and even Dallas Raines predicted rain for the 17th, which just happened to be the three Corvette clubs BBQ hosted by Santa Paula Chevrolet. Two days before the run, most of those who had signed up had canceled because of the forecast of rain, but Saturday morning arrived with clear skies, dry roads, and a comfortable temperature. 19 Corvettes and an Arizona registered Tin Can showed up at the starting point. Needless to say, the BBQ was a tremendous success.

Saturday morning on the 24th, 37 people and 19 Corvettes gathered at the Walmart parking lot for what would turn out to be another beautiful run to the coast, and lunch at Brophy Brothers Restaurant in Ventura, with a beautiful view of the harbor. Ron and Joyce Bergmann led the procession, followed closely behind by Jeff and Leeann Carley, our tail gunner for the trip. Well, maybe not so closely, there were 17 other Corvettes in between. Everyone had a great drive, and an unbelievable view proving California does have hills that are green, and lush.

Just a few points to remember:

Be sure to get your election nominations form to the club Secretary, Ron Bergmann, by April 15th.

Thursday, April 5th, starting at 5:00 pm is club picture day, so bring your shiny Corvette for a picture that will be posted on the club’s web page, you may want to wear your club attire for this photo, yes you will be in the picture with your Corvette.

Start using the new web page SCVCC.org and get comfortable with it. It changes frequently with news articles, video showing, and featured events. Also, it will become the club’s main portal for sign-ups, or cancellations for events, renewal of membership, and dues payments, and other club related information. Any board member can be contacted directly through the web page under the club officer’s tab.

September 29th is our 40th Anniversary, Club Car Show for charity at Route 66. Be sure to mark in on your calendar. This year’s charity event is for the Santa Clarita Coalition, Adopt-A-Vet.

Lastly, due to conflicts at our meeting location, the June meeting will be moved to Wednesday, June 6th. Mark it on your calendar.

Dwight

February has been a good month for the club with an increased number of participants in our runs and meetings. The Activities Committee has worked hard to plan outings that appeal to everyone, and to vary the experiences. There is, and will always be, a common thread when the Activity Committee plans events, and that is food. Our Vettes need fuel, and so do their owners. No matter where we go, plan to eat.

Our most recent run resulted in 27 Corvettes, one (very nice) tin can, and a total of 54 people taking over the patio of the Ladyface Restaurant in Agoura. The drive was enjoyable, the weather was perfect, the food was outstanding, and the camaraderie, unbelievable. Thanks to Ray & Loraine Kemple who jumped ahead of the caravan and took some fantastic pictures, and footage of the string of Corvettes driving through the canyon.

Plans for our 40th Anniversary Car Show have been put in motion, and the date will be September 29, 2018, at Route 66 Classic Café in Canyon Country. Our last show was a tremendous success, raising money for a worthy charity, and this year’s event could surpass the previous amount with the effort and dedication of our members. Mark your calendars, and plan for a great event.

Just a reminder that the election nominations form will be going out to every member in March. Be sure to ask the person you want to nominate for a Board position if they are willing to make the commitment before you put their name on the nomination form. Once the form is received, and completed, it must be returned to the Club Secretary (Ron Bergmann) by the April 15th deadline. Once the nominations forms have been verified, the forms will be given to the Election Committee for preparation of an official ballot which will be sent out via email in May. Cast your vote and make sure your ballot is returned to the Election Committee by May 15th for tabulation. The results will be announced at the June 7th Business meeting.

Additionally, we all will be voting on our club’s Bylaws & Standing Rules revision, so this election ballot is very important. Please be sure to participate in the process. Every member will be furnished with an electronic copy of the Bylaws & Standing Rules to review before casting your vote.

Lastly, at our April 5th Business Meeting, we will be taking club member pictures, so bring your shiny Corvette, and have your picture taken with your Corvette at the TPC. The pictures will be posted on our club’s web page in the Members section.

Dwight

DECEMBER 2017 – Well, 2017 has come to an end, and the year is now old news.  2018 has begun fresh and new, and with it a modern outlook for our club.  We now begin to celebrate the club’s 40^th Anniversary as a car club in Santa Clarita.  We’ve come a long way from the original 6 people who formed the club in last months of 1977.  I’m sure they never expected it to evolve into the club it is today.

The two major events that took place for our club in December were the Toy Run to Santa Paula Chevrolet, and our annual Christmas party.  The Toy Run was an outstanding success with more than 20 Corvettes from just our club alone.  We filled the bins to overflowing.  Giving back is what we do, and thank you to those who made it such a success.

As for the Christmas party, special thanks go to Deana Shaver, and her elves, who worked so hard to get prizes donated for our charity raffle, and thanks to the Tomlinsons who made every table centerpiece for the party, they were beautiful.  Everybody did a fantastic job at filling the truck with food for the Food Pantry, and those in need for the holiday are truly thankful.  The Food Pantry Drive has been a yearly project, and every year is better than the last.  Linda Butler is the driving force behind the drive, and has made it her commitment to provide the bags, print the fliers, get the word out to our members every year, and then to coordinate the truck to collect the donations.  Thank you, everyone.

The January Business meeting is going to usher in the year with event plans by the Activities Committee who has spent hours planning events for the Anniversary year, and will have something for everyone throughout the year to come.

The club will see a generational refinement, as the Board of Directors has worked diligently to make our club more user friendly, our communications more interactive, and to bring the operations of the club into cyber-world functionality.  Our club’s success is because we are not static.  We are ever evolving, we adapt to the changes around us, and we are active.  Forty years ago, six men met in a garage, talked Corvettes, drank beer, and raced around on the weekend.  Today, we are 100 Members, plus Associate Members, who gather together to socialize, talk Corvette, and take care of club business each month, but we are more than that.  We are a family who care for each other and help each other without hesitation.  Even more important, though, we give back to the community, and we are appreciated and respected in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This is by far the greatest car club, and it’s a result of each and every member actively participating to make this club what it is today.  So, for those with seasoned Corvettes, turn your key, for those with less seasoned Corvettes, push the button, and for those with new Corvettes, press the key fob and start the engines for a run into the year of 2018.

Dwight

NOVEMBER 2017 – It’s hard to believe that this year is coming to an end. I look at the calendar of last year, and I’m amazed at all this club has done, the events we’ve had, the places we’ve journeyed, and the sights we’ve seen. As I look back over the past year I’m proud to say that it’s been more of a large 12-month family event.

The year started off with concern of where we would meet as a club because of corporate greed, but we found a place, and we moved forward, as we always do. Our members have responded en masse to the wrath of Mother Nature to help those in need, and have done so willingly, and freely. Our members have come to the aid and assistance of our club family without a second of hesitation when one of us was in need, and we have all contributed to helping the community in which we live, helping those who need a hand. We all constantly work to improve the club, to make it better in every way possible, to avoid the mundane, and focus on the fantastic. That is what has made this club the success it is today.

The monthly activities which draw nearly half the membership as well as guests and guests at every event are great successes because of the Activities Committee people who work tirelessly to come up with ideas, and plans, to make these events successful. There is something for everyone, and nearly every member attends one of the events each month. Our Special Events people go above and beyond to provide the best for our members and guests, raise donations from the community, and ensure our functions/events are a success. In the age of cyber communication, we are ever evolving, and our communications are on track to keep everyone informed.
Some will call it change, but it’s not change, it’s evolution. In 1978, communications was “Word of Mouth”, and today it’s “Cyberspace”. Who knows what communications will be 10 years from now?

2018 will usher in not only a new year, and as ever, excitement of what the future holds. It will bring with it progress and improvement. Our club is no different. We look forward with anticipation of the progress and improvement we will experience as a club family. The club of today is not the club it was 10 years ago, and it will be a different club 10 years from now. We are an ever-evolving club, and that evolution is what makes our club unique, exciting, and desired. 2018 marks our 40th year as the Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club, and the successes of the past will be our beacon to guide our progress for the new year and the years to come.

This club is a success, not because of the 13 club members on the Board of Directors, and those on the committees, but because of the other 87 members, the associate members, and those people seeking to become members that all make this club a success. In 2014 the Board of Directors focused on the operations of the club, it’s structure, its fiscal responsibility, and its moral obligations. The Board took a “Long Range Planning” approach as to where the club should be in the future, and started down the path. The path would not be easy, and may not be popular, but needed to be traveled. Because of that team effort, we are recognized by the community as an integral part of the City of Santa Clarita. Our club is sought after to be part of community events and activities, we are held in high esteem among other car clubs, respected by the business community, and coveted by the people we help.

Speaking on behalf of the entire Board of Directors, thank you for an outstanding 2017, and we wish each and every one of you a safe and joyous Merry Christmas, and a truly Happy New Year.

Dwight & Janene McDonald

OCTOBER 2017 – When this goes to print there will be only 61 days left in a year that has been flying by so fast. October was filled with our usual functions, but each one gets better than the last. With our business meetings averaging 85+ people attending, and our Taste of the Town averaging 40+ people dining, we are truly an active club. The Board of Directors, and the Committee people work tirelessly to provide something for every member, and by the turnouts, their doing it right. The Don and Connie Ceo end of summer celebration hosted at their home was fantastic, with over half of the membership attending, and our run to Vincent Hill Station, and the Aqua Dulce Winery was a tremendous success.

Over the past five years, our club has made many subtle changes to improve the club’s operation. We’ve made an impact in our community because of our charitable contributions, and with the upcoming 40th Anniversary starting after the first of the year, additional changes are on the horizon, ushering in an updated generation of the club. With the electronic age now an everyday part of our life, and essential to everything we do, our club is moving forward to stay abreast of technology, and ease of club operation, to better serve not only the membership, but those seeking involvement with the Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club.

The Board you elected thinks out of the box when it comes to car club operations, and if there’s a better way of doing something we try it. Had it not been for our Newsletter Editor, Mike Woodings innovative idea of bringing our newsletter into the 21st century, we would still be in a relative “Stone Age” publication. People really look forward to reading the newsletter every month. Deana Shaver has taken her Quartermaster position to new heights. She provides the members with high quality items, at a very fair price. Because of Deana’s dedication, we are the sharpest looking club on the road. Those are just two examples of Board members moving the club into a new generation of the SCVCC.

November and December are historically hectic months for everyone, and our club activities take that into consideration, so planning events is a challenge. Our annual Christmas Party is December 9th, so plan ahead and have those grocery bags filled for your donation to the Pantry. We’ve filled the truck every year, so let’s keep the tradition going.

Dwight

SEPTMBER 2017 – Thirty years ago, I was there when the City of Santa Clarita was formed and the Founding Fathers rolled out their model of what they thought the new city should be, and what their plans for the future would be. Over the year’s the city has made many changes from the original plan, and the city continues to evolve. Our club wishes the City of Santa Clarita a Happy 30th Anniversary.

Next year, our club will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and like the city, change is taking place in our club. Our club is evolving, and change is a course of nature. As Corvette owners, we are acutely aware of change in the cars we drive. Some of us, maybe a good number of us, remember when the first Corvette rolled off the line in 1953. We have seen seven generations of Corvettes, and every time there’s a generation change some people are resistant to the change, but eventually accept it. The same goes for our club when it comes to change. Some of the old guard are comfortable with the club as it was in the earlier years, and don’t like change, and I can understand that. However, what would the Corvette be today if it never changed from the original production model?

I’m reluctant to use the term change when it comes to our club, but would rather say evolution. As recently as the past five years our club has evolved, and is a different model, but still an active club, so yes, we’ve changed/evolved. As the president of this great club, I take a lot of responsibility for what happens in the club, and I accept that, and I surly don’t want to be a Capt Edward John Smith. Fortunately, Corvettes are land locked so a drive to Catalina is out of the question

As I alluded to in my last “Driver’s Seat”, we are evolving, and although we may look the same, but we will be different. We are refining our look, becoming more in tune with today’s styles and the Corvettes we drive, and becoming a more up to date image as we celebrate our club’s 40th anniversary.

I want to thank everyone who donated clothing and money for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Some of you even went out a purchased new clothing and necessities to donate, and thank you for going above and beyond. Every piece of clothing was taken directly to Texas for distribution through a church in the devastated area. Deana Shaver was instrumental in finding the right person to accept, sort, categorize, and deliver everything directly to the church after the Red Cross stopped accepting clothing. Thanks go to Ed and Deana Shaver and their neighbors, Diane and Eric Green of for taking on this monumental task. For once, we know exactly where our donations went in this type of disastrous incident.

This month was fun filled, with a little something for everyone. Not only did some of drive and eat (something we’ve been known to do from time to time), but we actually had dinner and a live show at the Glendale Center Theater where “Footloose” was performed. There was our Taste of the Town at Marston’s in Valencia, and the run to Prescott, AZ, with a stop hosted by Tony & Kathy Munshi at their new home. They even offered to let the club members who drove to their home wash their cars in the driveway. Thanks Tony & Kathy, but a 6-hour drive-to wash-a-car?????

Lastly, with the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) just around the corner, and family get together events, our activities for November and December may be impacted, and for sure there will be no Taste-of-the-Town in December, but a great Christmas party to look forward to.

Dwight

AUGUST 2017 – As I sit to write for this Newsletter, I thought of how I remind those reading this of the events of the month, and on occasions, address club related current events. This time I decided that rehashing the month was unnecessary. Those who attended our events have already enjoyed the experiences, and those who missed the events lost out on some really fun times. I will however, mention that Mike McCloskey was involved in a very serious motorcycle accident this month. He’s recovering at home, and will be out of commission for the next three months, at least. We all wish him well, and a smooth and speedy recovery.

This past month was filled with some changes, and personal events. Several of our members are now, or very soon to be, new owners of new Grand Sports. Some may say it’s a change, but in reality, it’s an evolution. There are also changes in our membership roles, with some of our members moving out of state, and some leaving for various reasons. This club, as I’ve always said, is a family, and a social club of Corvette owners, and like any family, some move on to new adventures. We wish them all the best, and they will always be part of our extended club family. Our club may change, but it too is ever evolving.

As we start our fortieth year as a club in the Santa Clarita Valley, I can only wonder if in 1977, Dave Wells and a couple of Corvette owners thought that the club they formed in a garage, would still be going strong 40 years later. In the following years the club experienced growth, and decline in club participation, and at one point was down to only 6 members. Fortunately, inevitable change occurred, the club began to grow, and on June 2, 2005, the Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club became a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, officially registered with the State of California.

The Corvette has seen seven generation changes from the day the first Corvette rolled of the line, and our club has seen as many or more changes in direction and goals. Over the past five years, our club has evolved into an integral part of the Santa Clarita Valley, we are active in our community, and we give back to our community through active support and charitable contributions by our unselfish members.

A club is only as good as its people, and without hesitation, I can say that our club members, and those on the waiting list are the best of the best. I’m excited to be part of the evolution of this great club, and look forward to the inevitable changes, and what the future holds for such a great club.

Dwight