Under The RadarThe Monthly Newsletter of Corvette Super Sports

Volume 52 number 3March 2011

Corvette Super Sports is a car clubmade up of Corvette owners with a passion for a finedriving machine, with the goal to participate in andsupport auto-related activities, such as: car shows,auto-crossing, rallies, drag racing, caravans, cruises,parades, etc. We support (N.C.C.C.) NationalCouncil of Corvette Clubs, National CorvetteMuseum, several social, civic, and charitableorganizations. CSS is incorporated as a non-profitorganization in the County of Orange, California.

We welcome guests to our meetings on firstTuesday of each month at 7:00PM at"SIZZLER" Steak, Seafood & Salad Bar 1401N. Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92835(Harbor Blvd. at Brea Blvd.)

Corvette Super SportsCharities, For many years, CSS hasbeen a major sponsor for our two mainCharities; H.I.S. House TransitionalShelter and CHiP's for Kids.

HIS House is a 4-6 month program forhomeless men, women, and children toprepare for and secure employment,education and permanent housing.

CHiP's for Kids began with an individualCHP officer that spread like wildfire withintheir own departments. To reach out in thecommunity to help abused, orphaned, andseriously neglected children. CorvetteSuper Sports was introduced to Hillview

Acres Children's Home though ourinvolvement with the CHP. Hillview bringshope through a safe therapeuticenvironment, to help children regain trust, aplace to heal and away from seriousemotional disturbances.

Through our volunteer and club events suchas car shows, visits, work/clean upday, donations, garage sales, CorvetteSuper Sports donated not only many hoursthroughout the year but also monetarydonations. HIS House and CHiPs,combined, have been recipients of $5000each year. We hope that this will continuewith our SUPERSPORTS member’s efforts.

Charity Donations

Corvette Super Sports was blessed during2010 to have provided venues that attractedmany participants. From our activities, wewere able to donate $10,000 to our charities.

HIS House $3,500 CHIPS $2,000 Hillview Acres $2,000 Council for Aging $1,000 Navy Relief Fund $1,250 Ronald McDonald House $250

Corvette Super Sports believes that it is our duty to participate in other Corvette Club’sactivities to support their charities.

Corvette Super Sports' Charities

These are the organizations and programs our members support ... because we believe in "giving back" tothe communities in which we live ... and drive ... our Corvettes.

H.I.S. HouseHomeless Intervention Shelter

P.O. Box 1293, Placentia CA 92871714-993-5774

Visit "Charity's Closet" Thrift Shop

CHiPs for Kids and its support ofthe Hillview Acres Children's Home

Club Liaison and CHiPS for Kids Coordinator: CHPOfficer Donnell Holmes

Who’s Who at Corvette Super Sports

Officers Board of GovernorsPresident: Cindy Orrico Donn Donna StewartVice-President: Diane Wiest Art HuhtaSecretary: Ginger Girvin Roger BaconTreasurer: Marge Huhta Ron DeBartolomeisNewsletter: Geoff Girvin Vicki KumpWebmaster: Doug Mariani Linda NorrisN.C.C.C.: Joe Orrico

ChairpersonsClothing-Shirts: Shirley Jones Sergeant at Arms: Ron DeBartolomeisClothing-Jackets & Hats: Shirley Jones Trophies/Awards: Tom CuccioSocials: Geoff Girvin Dealer Rep: Cindy OrricoCharity: Bob Reed Car Show Chairman: Cindy OrricoRaffle:Meeting Hostess: Linda NorrisMembership/Hospitality: Donna Stewart

Banquet: TBD

Phone Committee Chairman: Donna Historian: Pat & Jan WorksStewart

Don’t forget the Board Meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM. The meetings’ venue willbe changed each month to add variety. Board meetings are open to all members. We encourage you toattend and welcome your comments pro and con.

Come to a board meeting and you too can be pictured here!

The March Board meeting was held at Mimi’s Café In Anaheim

March March (where did it go??.

Madam Pres

Hi Everybody!!!Happy News for me is that I am finally acertified HAM. Well you all knew that anywaywhenever you let me get a microphone in myhand. But this is actually better. I passed theAmateur Radio Exam and received my HAMradio license. From now on you can call meKJ6NIG. (Nice Inspiring Girl).

March turned out to go just as fast as Februaryeven with more days. Our planning for the CarShow, the Invitations for the Drive-in-Movienight and the social events for the month haskept every one busy.

Let’s start with the Car show. This year, it'sa privilege to have our car show at ourSponsor, Connell Chevrolet. They are veryexcited to join in this event and have madegreat contributions to our show. This yearwe will have an All Corvette Show (theonly Real Car) In addition, I decided (after I getClub approval) that we would have a fifty-fiftyraffle where the grand prize will be a truck full

of cash. A Model Truck, stuffed with cash.Now this should be interesting to see how manyraffle tickets "I" buy! Cash works for me!

However, to quote Jennifer from a car show thatshe managed in Pahrump last year, “My event,My rules”.

Now for the Drive-In-Movie. We had a greatmovie planned for May 7th at Connell Chevrolet.We had the movie Grease for showing. The ideaand thought into this was super, however, at thistime, we were unable to get enough cars to makethis happen. Maybe those dumb gas prices or thethought of being out in the cooler weather.However, I don't want to give up on this yet....maybe try again in warmer weather? Maybeshow Cinderella (where my name originatesfrom - HA!)

The social events for the year are based on thevoting that each of you cast at the Januarymeeting. Geoff has folded them into thecalendar and you can see the entire list later inthe newsletter. Geoff has worked all of the topvote getters and the HomeLand Security trainingevents into each month. Remember, forHomeLand Security, Geoff has decided that thetrophy at the end of the year is based on the totalnumber of confirmed kills of clay pigeons. He isalso quoting Jennifer with “His event, His rules”,so lets get out there and participate.

As always, I give extra thanks and extra specialthoughts, prayers to our Service Men andWomen! God Bless America – Now andAlways!

Keep on Saving the Wave!!!Respectfully,Cindy OrricoPresident – 2011

CSS NewsThe Social events for April 2011 are:

4/9 Mullen Auto Museum – Oxnard

The Club events for April 2011 are:

4/23 Inland empire super 7 Rallye.

The other events for April 2011 are:

4/30 Homeland Security Prado Shooting Range 9am

Please help us keep our records up to date.Now you can use the new combined Membership Application/Change of Information form to let us know of

changes and updates to your addresses (postal and email), phone numbers (including cell numbers), Corvettemodel(s), etc..

If you have an idea for a Club Outing, Mystery Run, and Caravan to someplace special for lunch, we want tomake it easy for you. There is a Cruise Planning form on the Web site for submissions of your ideas.

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."Albert Schweitzer

Corvette Super Sports Local News

A Special Interview:

Bob Reed, our new CharitiesChairman interviewed the ownerof Connell Chevrolet. Thefollowing is that interview:

CONNELL CHEVROLET INTERVIEW2.23.11

As you all know, Connell Chevrolet in CostaMesa has graciously agreed to be the primarysponsor for Corvette Super Sports. As a clubmember, I thought it was important tounderstand Connell and the people that make ittick. I sat down with General Manager, WayneDoddridge for a one-on-one to learn a little moreabout the business of selling cars and whyConnell is not your typical dealership.

Upon entering their lot, it seemed like most carlots; people scurrying around, salesmen beingpaged over a loudspeaker, a pleasant receptionistto greet you. One thing that I noticed that youdon’t usually see in the new auto malls was atrophy case full of years of achievements. I sawyear after year on these trophies followed by theword “excellence.”

Tell me a little about the history of ConnellChevrolet.

Connell started as Miller Chevrolet in NewportBeach in the 1950’s. Mr. Connell was theGeneral Manager for Miller Chevrolet until1958 when he purchased the store and it becameConnell Chevrolet. In 1964 the dealershipmoved to its present location. In 1965 my dad,Paul Doddridge, went to work for Mr. Connell as anoffice manager. By 1974, dad became part ownerof Connell Chevrolet. In 1989 dad acquired thebalance of the business. It is still owned andoperated by my dad. In fact, he and I carpool towork almost every day.

What impact has GM’s chapter 11reorganization had on your dealership?

That was a scary period of time, not only for thecompany, but also for our country. But we seemto be going in the right direction now. Chevrolethas the best cars with the Cruze, Camaro,Corvette and the new Volt. The improved qualityof the cars has really made a difference.

What is the biggest change you have seen inthe car business in the last 2-3 years?

The volume of cars being sold has droppeddrastically. When you sell less, you have to besmarter on how you conduct your business. Thedays of selling 30 cars to the same person overtheir lifetime are gone. It was a lot differentthen.

The Chevy Volt was recently introduced.What challenges has this new technologypresented for you and your staff?

This is truly an American made car! As you havenoted, it has garnered many of the industry’s tophonors. The Volt is revolutionary in its designoffering extended driving ranges coupled withthe new GM commitment to quality. Ourtechnicians, of whom 70% have been with uslonger than ten years, have been trained in theVolt’s repair and maintenance, but beyond that,our sales staff must fully understand thetechnology so they convey its value to potentialbuyers. As part of bringing back that personallevel of service, we invite buyers back in so thatwe can answer any question they might have sothat they can fully appreciate the features of thevehicle.

Has the introduction of companies likeCarMax changed the way you do business?

Companies like CarMax have had little impacton our business. They have perfected the art ofbuying a car, something that dealerships havedone for years, but never promoted. While theuse of the Internet has created a more educatedbuyer, it has also driven down the cost of thevehicles but it has also expanded our selling

area. Internet sales have also made it harder tocreate a sale on a personal level. Connell wantsto do the right thing for you; we are not thestereotypical dealer. We are not that fast Eddytype of store!

What sets your dealership aside from otherChevy dealers when a club member is lookingto purchase a new vehicle or if they come infor service?

We offer members and member referrals specialpricing on new and used vehicles, plus a 15%discount is extended to all Corvette Super Sportmembers on service. Our goal is to create ahassle free environment for buying andmaintaining your automobile!

It may seem like a dumb question, but do youown a Corvette?

Not right now. Though I wish I did. It is prettytough to have a Corvette with six kids and a dog!I have owned several ‘Vett’s over the years,including a one of a kind 1981 that was madeinto a convertible by a company named Flint. Itraded that for a 1985 Corvette that belonged tomy mom. Yup, mom drove a Corvette!You now have monthly car shows. What dothey bring to you as a dealer? What does itbring to you personally?

It is a great way to build that personalrelationship that I mentioned earlier. Besides,it’s a fun thing to do! Barrett Jackson will againhave their car show here the weekend beforetheir auction. In August, we are looking forwardto the Corvette Super Sports car show.

Thank you for your support of CSS, especiallyfor the sponsorship of our Drive-In MovieNight and the car show in August. Whatmemories do you have of going to the drive-in?

Our favorite date, with my now wife, was goingto the Hwy 39 drive-in. We would stop and get apita sandwich at a local Greek place and sit inthe bed of my pickup and enjoy the show. Like alot of other people, I used to get close andpersonal in the trunk of a ’59 Studebaker whenwe would sneak in to the Fountain Valley drive-in.

Wayne, on behalf of all of the members ofCorvette Super Sports, we thank you andConnell Chevrolet for your continued supportand for a peak “behind the curtain” to see how asuccessful dealership is run.

CORVETTE SUPER SPORTS –GENERAL MEETING

General MeetingTuesday, March 1, 2011

Sizzler Restaurant – Fullerton, CA

Officers in Attendance: Cindy Orrico, GingerGirvin, Dianne Wiest, Marge Huhta, GeoffGirvin, Joe Orrico

Board Members in Attendance: Art Huhta,Vicki Kump, Ron DeBartolomeis, DonnaStewart,

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 by our“Sergeant at Arms,” Ron DeBartolomeis. Therewas a quorum in attendance.

Happy News Kathy Baddley’s son, daughter-in-law

and grandkids are coming for 4 weeks. Marcia Lynch’s son was assigned

Commander of Grand Lakes NavalTraining Center.

Dave Alciatore’s son and truck movedout.

Lynn and Rick Miller’s son is now adetective for Newport Beach PoliceDepartment.

Ron and Karen DeBartolomeis’s son,Ronnie is getting married Nov. 20th.

Doug Lyons and Jackie Brinley are nowengaged. CONGRATULATIONS!

Joe and Cindy Orreco will be on a cruisein April and will not be here for the nextGeneral meeting.

Geoff and Ginger will be in Hawaii andwill not be here for the next GeneralMeeting.

Donna Stewart’s last day of treatmentwill be March 4th. HURRAH!

Joe’s son-in-law is going to Guam. March 12 is daylight savings.

Cindy gave Doug Mariani an award forbeing such a great website master.

Guests- Robert and Erin

Kudoso Ron DeBartolomeis for volunteering to

be “Sergeant at Arms”.o Jay and Marcia got their picture on the

website.o John and Michelle drove all the way from

San Diego to go bowling.o Art Huhta for finding a permanent place

for our Board Meetings.

Movie Night Send in $25 for tickets and window

sticker reservations. May 7th at Connell Chevrolet

Birthdays: Tom Cuccio, Don Prichard, CarolBacon, Pat Works, Teresa Cruz, RonDeBartolomeis, Bert Wiest

Anniversaries: Ginger and Geoff Girvin, Ronand Katie Kennedy

Upcoming Events

March 27 Cal RodsApril 10 Victoria Garden Car ShowApril 10 Walk for Kids, Race forCureApril 15 Corvettes of BakersfieldApril 15-17 Gamblers ClassicApril 23 Inland Empire Super 7May 1 Temecula Valley CarShowMay 14 OC Vettes, HuntingtonBeachMay 14 Corvettes of San DiegoMay 15 Plastic FantasticJune 4-5 Pahrump, SpringMountainJuly 8-10 Big Bear BashJuly 16 Corvettes of So Cal

Aug.3-6 Hot August Nights, LongBeach

SocialGeoff Girvin announced the club will do amission run to Mission San Luis Rey and SanJuan Capistrano on March 12th.

Treasurer Report M &M Fundraiser brought in $49. Send money to Marge Huhta for movie

night. After March 15, open to otherclubs.

Marge posted financials on the board. $1000 paid to CommCinema as deposit

for Drive in Movie Night. $200 donation to Drive in Movie Night. Discussion about selling popcorn at the

movie.

NCCCJoe Orrico stated there are new applicationforms.The NCCC Convention will be held in Chicagothis year.2012 Convention will be in Topeka, Kansas.2013 Convention will be in Bowling Green,Kentucky.NCCC new insurance is Brown and Brown andis great so far.

Websiteo Doug stated all is well with the site.

Businesso We received a certificate from Wounded

Warriors thanking the club for oursupport. Doug will post it and Cindy willput it up at Connell.

o Cindy thanked Sue, Mike, and Marge forgoodies.

o Dianne asked if anyone is sick let herknow so she can send a card.

o Doug shared John Kinds of So Cal hascancer of the Aorta.

Car Show Aug. 14, Sunday 9-1 at Connell

Chevrolet. Cindy will chair it. We will have T Shirts, trophies, Corvette

dogs, water, and cash Grand Prize. We need to vote whether it will be All

Corvettes or other styles. Cliff and Michelle will do registration. Save baskets so we can make raffle

baskets. Save cell phones to give to Connell for

fundraiser.

Past Events Bowling was fun. Geoff won a body

massager.

Wounded Warriors was a good time.Many prizes were won.

Vicki won the 50/50 raffle.Chuck Rosen won the dinner raffle.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:31pm.

Respectfully submitted by:Ginger Girvin, Secretary, Corvette Super Sports,2011

Birthdays & AnniversariesMonth-by-month list of birthdays and anniversaries celebrated by CSS members.

MARCH BIRTHDAYS MARCH ANNIVERSARIES

Tom Cuccio 3rd Geoff and Ginger Girvin 3/21/70Bert Wiest 9th Ron and Katie Kennedy 3/24Carol Bacon 14thPat Works 17thTeresa Cruz 26thRon J DeBartolomeis 30thAPRIL BIRTHDAYS APRIL ANNIVERSARIESArmando J Sanchez 04/01 Greg and Chris Glodery 04/21Jim M Cooper 04/05 Chris and Jennifer Spencer 04/21/91Jo Anna Buckingham 04/13 Ron and Karen DeBartolomeis 04/27/68Linda Norris 04/16 Rick and Lynn Miller 04/29Vicki Kump 04/17Lynn M Miller 04/17Jennifer Spencer 04/25Jay Lynch 04/27

Social CornerThe goal of the social chairman is to postthe events for the entire year so that ourmembership can plan accordingly.

Social events are defined as a caravan toa place of interest where we canparticipate in an adventure and have timeto talk with other members about recent

Car Show and Rallies that we haveparticipated in.

The Club event is defined as our clubparticipating in another Corvette Club’sactivities to support their charities. Thefollowing is our annual schedule will becompleted after the February GeneralMeeting:

Current CSS events can be found at thefollowing URLhttp://www.corvettesupersports.com

If you have a suggestion for a CorvetteEvent or a Social Event, please contactGeoff at GBGirvin@yahoo.com

Date EventFeb 5 Valentine BowlMarch California Missions and MuseumsMarch 19th Homeland Security Whittier Narrows 9amMarch 26th Vapor Trails Autocross LompocApril 9th Mullen Auto Museum Oxnard 8:30 am departureApril 23rd Inland Empire Corvettes Super 7 Rallye - YucaipaApril 30th Homeland Security PradoMay 1st Corvettes of Temecula Car showMay 7th Drive-In NightMay 14th Corvette Dreamin’ Mission BayMay 21st Corvette West Car ShowMay 21st Pomona Valley Corvette Assoc. RallyeMay 28th Homeland Security – TBDJune 4th CSS Highspeed Autocross – Pahrump NevJune 18th Peterson Auto Museum – Los AngelesJune 25th Homeland Security - TBDJuly 8th Bash B4 the Big Bear Bash – Garry and Shirley’s – Big BearJuly 8-10 Big Bear Bash – Rallye, Autocross, Car Show – Big BearJuly 23-24 Santa Paula Murder Mystery Dinner TheaterJuly 30 Homeland Security - TBDAugust 8th Gene Autry Museum – Griffiths Park Los AngelesAugust 14th CSS Car Show Connell ChevroletAugust 20th MacArthur Military Museum/Pt Fermin LighthouseAugust 27th Homeland Security - TBDSept. 3rd Donna’s Pool Party – Annual Pot LuckSept. 10th Homeland Security - TBDSept 16-18 2nd Annual Wine Cruise – Santa Ynez ValleySept. 24th Cruise-In’ for the Cure OC Fair GroundsOct 7-9 Corvette Roulette – Las VegasOct 22nd Wild West Car ShowOct 29th Homeland Security – Redlands then PIE RUN to Oak GlenOct. TBD Casino NightNov. 5th Pistachio Festival – Newberry Springs – Peggy Sue’sNov 12th La Palma Days Veterans Day ParadeNov. 12th Bowling with Turkeys – La Habra BowlNov 19th Homeland Security - TBDDec. 10th Getty Museum – Los AngelesDec. 10-11 HighSpeed Autocross = Porsche’s taste like chicken!Dec . TBD Christmas PartyDec 17th Homeland Security 2011 Final Exam

Club Events for MarchMarch 12 Missions Trip

On March 12 we met for our firstsocial event of the season. TheCSS Missionaries were Dave andJenny, Geoff and Ginger, Donnaand Karen, Dave A, and Jennifer.The caravan started out with 3cars and ended up with 6. Dave Aand Jennifer each met us at theMission making 5 cars. The sixthwas Chuck who met us at SanJuan Capistrano at the SwallowsInn later in the day.

We caravanned to Oceanside tovisit the “King of the Missions” atMission San Luis Rey and wereblessed with blue skies andsparking ocean views along theway. The Mission is a shiningexample of the architecture usedfor most of the missions and ispainted bright white. It is so whitethat it stands out beautifully anddraws people from near and far.After the 90 minute self guidedtour, we had a picnic lunch on theMission grounds under an old oaktree. During the tour we saw thegarden areas, the lavatories wherethe native Indian converts washedthe mission laundry, the cemeteryand the oldest living SouthAmerican Pepper tree inCalifornia.

To make the day very special weparticipated in the tour of themission with a group of 4th

graders using the scavenger huntmap that they were using to studythe mission. In California, all 4th

graders study the California

Missions, so we thought we couldbe smarter than a 4th grader andtake the test too. Wrong. Thequestions were hard! Onequestion was “Why is the MissionSan Luis Rey called the King ofthe Missions”? Another was whatcountries once owned themission? Do you know theanswer?

After our picnic lunch andstudying the unique parkingposition that Jennifer maneuveredher car into, we caravanned backto Mission San Juan Capistrano,known as the “Jewel of theMissions”.

At San Juan Capistrano, we weregreeted by docents wearingperiod costumes which made theday very special.

Too bad there were no fourthgraders at this mission becausewe knew some of the answers andcould have helped them. SanJuan Capistrano was made in thesame layout as the Mission at SanLuis Rey but had more area forroaming.

The mission has an audio tour setup so that you can wander thegrounds find something thatinterests you and then listenabout it in the listening device. Ifthe fourth graders had been therethough, I would have asked onewhy the Mission was named SanJuan Capistrano. Do you knowwhy?

After roaming the grounds for 90minutes, our pallets were parchedso we made our way over to theSwallows Inn. This is a famousCowboy Bar and I think everyonethere already knew Donnabecause she got a lot of attentionand the last seats in the place.

The rest of us went to Ruby’sacross the street where the musicwas bearable and the root beerfloats flowed like water. Later wetoured the Los Rios area of SanJuan Capistrano where there arelittle coffee shops, and boutiques,a petting zoo and a museum.

It was a great day to be togetherand a great learning experiencebecause some of us did not attendfourth grade in California or hadnever been to a mission before.

Homeland Security Training

On March 19th the HomeLandSecurity Gang got together againto practice our motto which is“HomeLand Security begins atHome”. We went to WhittierNarrows again and this time to tryout the sporting clays where theclay pigeons come out of nowherepretending to be rabbits, anddoves and pheasants andcoyotes.

Art, Geoff and Tracy made therounds to each of 14 separatestations. At each station we hadthe opportunity to shoot at one toeight targets entering the field ofview from numerous hiddenlocations.

If I thought Trap shooting washard to do, this makes trap child’splay. At each stand you are notwarned as to where the claypigeons are supposed to comefrom because the launch pads arehidden from view. If you are luckyyou can see the trajectories bywatching a group of shooters inline ahead of you. Somehow youare supposed to see the clay andkill it before it bounces out frombehind the trees.

This outing was designed tounderstand the range for futureshoots. It gives a new format andit steps up the skills needed to besuccessful. It also gives us more“reality” in the protection programthat we are all striving to perfect.

As I explained, we have scheduledmore HomeLand Security practicethis year to give everyone achance to compete in variousvenues. We will continue theshooting of Trap. However, wewill also be adding the SportingClays, and Five Stand at each of 3different ranges.

The awards at the end of the yearwill be based on the total numberof pigeons killed so the morechances we have to shoot thebetter off we are.

General MeetingWhat would be more fitting at thegeneral meeting in March, than tohave our very own Leprechaunsattend?

NCCC National News

Although we have spokenmany times about the FutureCorvette Owners Association(FCOA) and stated severaltimes that we have the mostFCOA members in the West

Coast Region, we thought thatit might make sense to showeveryone what comes in thepacket for your little one timedonation and a copy of theapplication. Joe was kindenough to get this for us.

NCCC Board of Governorsmeeting minutes can be foundat the following link

http://www.corvettesnccc.org/Meetings.html

Hello Governors,

From the recent meetings in St.Louis...

Friday 2-25-2011, MembershipCommittee meeting.

Betty Parks, Conventiontreasurer told us she hasreceived 440 registrations forConvention, so things areproceeding well there and itwill be a good Convention.

Sylvia Hoaldridge, Blue Barseditor, said the database wasn'tset up correctly and failed toproduce mailing labels for theCharter and Lifetime members.They had to do an additionalprint run in order to deliverissues to these members. By theway, you can become a Lifetimemember by paying $300 at renewaltime. You will receive aspecial membership card thatshows you're a Lifetime memberand you'll never payNCCC dues again. The break evenpoint is 12 years, so if youplan to live longer than that itmight work out financially...

Larry HIggins, DistributionCenter, said he mailed out10,362 total packets (renewalsplus new members). He said thepostage for that was$9198. He passed out packetsthat were returned for various

reasons. I will be forwardingthem to you to deliver to yourmembers. We need updatedaddresses or corrections forwhatever the problem is. Insome cases these are a mystery.I have one packet that has thecorrect address on it. I was atthis person's house in December,so I know it's correct and helives there.It says, "Attempted- not known", so maybe he movedsince then? (I don't think so.)

There has been a lot of emphasislately on saving money. Part ofthis comes from the fact thatNCCC is down about 1000 membersfrom the highest number aboutfive years ago. This means lessincome from dues. Expenses haveincreased since then, so we'retrying to do the same thingswith less money. One aspect ofthis is that we've been askingfor suggestions for increasingmembership. Along the samelines, we're trying to promoteNCCC and some people havequestioned the methods. NCCChas two traveling displays thatare sent to any club that asksfor them. One of them was atthe Corvette Dreamin' car showin San Diegothe last couple of years and PRDirector Doug McMahan told methey asked for it again thisyear. It costs about $1500 peryear to ship the displays aroundthe country. I have asked inthe past how many new membersare brought into NCCC from thedisplay. Nobody has been ableto answer this question. It wassuggested several years ago thatwe write "display" on themembership application forms,but that hasn't been done. I

can't see that we get $1500worth of new members from thedisplays, especially since theyare sent to events where most ofthe people there are alreadyNCCC members. The display isset up at various non NCCCevents, notably Corvettes atCarlisle and similarevents. We were told that ChipMiller used to give NCCC freespace to promote the charityraffle car and NCCC. After hedied, his sons refused to dothat. NCCC does get a lot ofsupport from Mike Yaeger of MidAmerica Motorworks. Mike hasbeen closely associated withNCCC since he started hisbusiness. He told us a fewyears ago that he used to cometo the NCCC governors meetingand sell Corvette parts out ofthe back of his station wagon.Anyhow, he puts on the Funfestevent, which is huge. Theproblem is that NCCC's displayis lost in the crowd of vendorsand we're trying to figure outhow we can stand out from thecrowd and get some traffic. Thecharity raffle car is a drawbecause a lot of people areinterested in buying a chance towin it. Somebody mentioned thatthey have found out throughexperience that if you aren'tgiving something away thenpeople won't stop at yourdisplay. Somebody suggested"booth babes", but at our age wedon't have anybody thatqualifies for that position.

Since there has been a lot ofsuggestions for bringing newmembers and new clubs into NCCC,it occurred to me to look at howmany clubs are FORMER NCCCclubs. My thinking was, how can

we convince new clubs thatbelonging to NCCC would bebeneficial if we can't keep theclubs wehave? I went through a list ofNCCC members in the West CoastRegion that the VP of Membershipgave to me. This list only goesup to clubWC-518, so it's an oldlist. Also Roadrunner Regionclubs were part of the WestCoast Region before they splitoff and became a separateregion, so the numbers aren'tstrictly correct. Anywho, wehad a total of 52 clubs on thelist (about 5 were Roadrunner).Out of those 52, 23 are stillNCCC clubs. Some of the clubsare dead, but there are severalthat are still around, notablySanta Clarita and North CountyCorvettes. Some of those wereNCCC clubs for many years, likeFresno. Why they left is amystery as they never say whythey're not renewing. Mostpeople believe that the reasonis that they don't see a returnon their investment of theyearly dues. The biggestbenefit is the insurance(which just got a LOT better -see the governors meeting notesbelow).

On this theme of NCCC benefits,I recently bought some partsfrom Eckler's, which is a NCCCsponsor and they supposedly givea discount for NCCC members. Isay "supposedly" because Iordered on their web site and Icouldn't find a place anywherein the ordering process toindicate that I'm a NCCC memberand should get the discount.That made me wonder how to getthe NCCC discount from the othersponsors that

offer it. I couldn't find thisinformation anywhere. The mainNCCC web site athttp://www.corvettesnccc.org hasan area right there on thefirst page that shows icons withlinks to various sponsors. Nohint on how to get thediscount. Blue Bars Magazinehas a list of sponsors thatoffer discounts, but the onlyinfo on how to actually GET thediscount is "Contact DebbieLindsay, Director ofSponsorship". It shouldn'tbe that hard. I didn't get achance to talk to Debbie whilein St. Louis so I don't knowwhat's involved. I intend topursue this. Stay tuned.

I've been told that we stillneed the white copy of the newmember application form, atleast until further notice. Wewere told that the USPS wasgiven a list of new NCCC membersand then asked for proof thatthose members knew that part oftheir dues was going to the BlueBars Magazine subscription. Wedid get approved for thePeriodical Rate, but we'reafraid the USPS might again askfor more proof that we deserveto keep getting that rate. Sosend in those applicationforms. I will send out aseparate email with a copy ofthe latest version of the formsoon.

Walt Jenkins, NCCC databaseguru, told us that we need topass on to the governors thatthey should click the "SubmitChanges to RMD" button. Whenyou do that I get an emailtelling me that you have madechanges.

Without that click, my onlyindication that somethinghappened is that I get a checkin the mail. Then I have to gointo your database screen andclick the button to get thechanges transferred over to mydatabase screen so I can acceptthe changes and input the checktracking info. Walt said thishas been such a problem thathe's been thinking ofeliminating that button becausethe governors aren't clicking itanyway. One suggestion that wehope will get implemented is toallow the dues info to beentered directly on the rosterscreen during renewals. Thatway you wouldn't have to go backand forth between the rosterscreen and the member infoscreen. I asked that a "AddSpouse/Companion to thisPrimary" button be added so thatyou wouldn't have to look up orremember the Primary's numberwhen adding a spouse. Walt saidto be sure to check the"Inactive" members list to makesure that a "new" member wasn'tactually a former member who isreturning to NCCC. If you don'tdo that it can cause duplicatedentries for the member, whichconfuses the database. Also, heasked that governors put in themember's middle initial to avoidtoo many people with the samename, which gets confusing.

Since the database has becomeour main way of tracking membersthe old methods which aredescribed in the "Guidelines forGovernors" booklet arecompletely obsolete. Thebooklet will be rewritten toupdate it so that it covers thecurrent processes.

We spent quite a bit of timediscussing ways of saving NCCCmoney and getting new members.Most of the suggestions weretotally impractical and no realchanges were made. The mostpopular target has beencombining of regions. After theRMDs voted 12-3 to drop thatissue, it's dead. Now they'relooking at combining offices. Iasked what the Parliamentarianactually does besides carryaround a copy of "RobertsRules of Order" in his pocket.I don't think this will goanywhere and I don't think theMembership Committee should belooking at this anyway.

I talked with Dennis Patrick,NCCC Merchandise, and he told methat the 2011 pins are availableon the main NCCC web site. Hetold us in November that hewould send out an email aboutthe 2011 pins, but I never gotanything. Several people haveasked me about 2011 pins, sohere ya go.

The governors will be voting onthe location for the nationalgovernors meeting. I don'tremember the exact years. Ithink it's 2013-2015. You willbe getting a ballot in the mailsoon to vote on this. Thesites submitting bids were St.Louis (the present location) andIndianapolis. We were told thata web page will be set up tocompare the costs, advantages,etc. for each location. Themain disadvantage we've seen isthat there are no restaurantsnear the Indianapolis hotel,as opposed to many restaurantsin the Westport complex in St.

Louis. We expect a very closevote on this and we REALLY wantto continue going to St. Louis,so we will be asking you to votefor St. Louis. The main NCCCweb site tracks the ballots asthey are returned, so we willknow who doesn't vote. We WILLbug you about this, so beproactive and get your ballotin.

We have a new insurance agent,Brown and Brown. Jim from B&Bgave a presentation on thechanges. The plan is to getthis presentation up onthe main NCCC web site soon.There were many changes, all ofthem good. Jim showed uspictures of his Fixed Roof Coupe(2002?), so he's "one ofus" and understands the Corvettementality and knows what we'reconcerned about. He said thefirst thing they looked at wasthe "extra" insurance coveragethat many venues ask for. K&Konly covered $1 million and manyplaces want more than that. Jimsaid the various clubsspent $20,000 on additionalcoverage, as asked for bydifferent venus. So theyinvestigated this and found thatthe highest coverage any venuewanted was $4 million. Theymade NCCC's coverage $5million.That's automatic for every NCCCclub and every member. The $5million is for every NCCC"event", which includescompetition and any event thatthe club participates in as agroup, like a drive and dine.You are not covered whiledriving as an individual to ameeting place (your automobilepolicy covers that), but you areinsured while part of the

group. B&B has added D&O(Directors and Officers), whichwe did not get from K&K. Theycover all the NCCC nationalofficers, regional officersand club officers. So if yourclub is sued for whateverreason, the officers are coveredand will have representation.K&K covered "track" vehicles(vehicles used at a competitionevent) with a $1000 deductible.B&B changed that to $zerodeductible. B&B has also added"crime" insurance up to $50,000so if somebody absconds withyour club treasury that'scovered. Overall, this is aMUCH better deal than we gotfrom K&K. One thing that didcome up is coverage for spouseswho are not NCCC members. Theyare NOT covered, so if your non-NCCC wife is driving andsomething happens -- nocoverage. It's got to be thecheapest insurance coveragethere is at $10 for $5 million,so make those spousesNCCC members.

The deadline for articles forthe next issue of Blue BarsMagazine is March 15th. If yournewsletter had a good articlethat would be of generalinterest, go ahead and submit it

to Sylvia. Now that Blue Barshas de-emphasized racing andadded more social articles youhave a good chance of beingpublished. I asked a while backwhy the drag records were inBlue Bars and everybody agreedwith me that they should bemoved to the NCCC web site. Iwas surprised to see them in thelatest issue. Well, it turnsout that Sylvia wants those tostay in Blue Bars (her email ispinkvette@... Her RACE CAR ispainted pink, so you can drawyour own conclusions fromthat). Sylvia asked that youcontact her if you haven'tgotten your issue of Blue Bars.She said a bunch of the latestissue arrived with the gutsmissing (only the cover left).

A tentative bid for the 2013Convention was received fromDick Yanko, former NCCCPresident and resident ofBowling Green, to have theConvention in Bowling Green.We'll see how that goes...

All for now.

See ya,

Cliff

National Competition News

NCCC Competitioninformation can be found at

the following link

http://www.corvettesnccc.org/Competition.html

The following Youtube video is from the ALMSCorvette Racing team discussing the paddle shifterand how it interacts with the race track.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wQs7GgF134

NCCC Regional NewsMAR

56

WC-340-014NS 12 Low Speed Autocross Palm Springs Corvette Club Indio, CAWC-340-015NS 13 Low Speed Autocross Palm Springs Corvette Club Indio, CA

1920

WC-518-012 26 Low Speed Autocross Vapor Trails Vettes Lompoc, CAWC-518-013 26 Low Speed Autocross Vapor Trails Vettes Lompoc, CA

27

APR239

WC-302-016 10 PC Car Show Corvettes WestRancho

Cucamonga, CA1617

WC-552-017 23 Poker Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CAWC-552-018 23 Poker Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CAWC-552-019 23 Poker Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CAWC-552-020 23 Game Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CAWC-552-021 23 Game Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CAWC-552-022 23 Game Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CAWC-552-023 23 Game Rallye Inland Empire Corvettes Yucaipa, CA

2430 National NCCC Meeting St. Louis

MAY

WC-500-001RS 1 PC Car ShowCorvettes of Temecula

Valley Temecula1 National NCCC Meeting St. Louis7 Regional NCCC Meeting8

WC-514-002 14 Corvette Dreaming PC Corvettes of San Diego San DiegoWC-514-003NS 14 Corvette Dreaming Corvettes of San Diego San Diego

15

WC-302-024 21 PC Car Show Corvettes WestSan Bernardino,

CA

WC-434-025 21 Gimmick Rallye #1 Pomona ValleyIrwindale

Speedway

WC-434-026 21 Hidden Time Rallye Pomona ValleyIrwindale

SpeedwayWC-434-027 21 Poker Rallye #1 Pomona Valley Irwindale

Speedway

WC-434-028 21 Poker Rallye #2 Pomona ValleyIrwindale

Speedway

WC-434-029 21 Game Rallye #3 Pomona ValleyIrwindale

Speedway

WC-434-030 21 Game Rallye #1 Pomona ValleyIrwindale

Speedway

WC-434-031 21 Game Rallye #2 Pomona ValleyIrwindale

Speedway222829

JUNEWC-394-032NS 4 PC Car Show Non Sanct Antelope Valley Corvettes Lancaster, CA

WC-326-006 4 High Speed Time Trials Corvette Super Sports Pahrump, NVWC-326-007 4 High Speed Time Trials Corvette Super Sports Pahrump, NVWC-326-008 4 High Speed Time Trials Corvette Super Sports Pahrump, NVWC-326-009 4 High Speed Time Trials Corvette Super Sports Pahrump, NVWC-326-010 5 High Speed Time Trials Corvette Super Sports Pahrump, NVWC-326-011 5 High Speed Time Trials Corvette Super Sports Pahrump, NVWC-325-004 5 Concours D'Elegance Orange Counth Vettes Huntington BeachWC-401-005 11 PC The Vette Set Seal Beach

18-24 National Covention Windy City Corvettes Tinley Park, IL2526

JULY23

WC-302-xxxRS 8 PC Car Show Corvettes West BB / Robin HoodWC-302-xxx 9 Low Speed Autocross Corvettes West BB / Robin HoodWC-302-xxx 10 Rallye Corvettes West BB / Robin Hood

1617

WC-518-040 23 Low Speed Autocross Vapor Trails Vettes Lompoc, CAWC-518-041 23 Low Speed Autocross Vapor Trails Vettes Lompoc, CA

243031

AUG67

13WC-326-033 14 PC Car Show Corvette Super Sports Costa Mesa, CA

2021

WC-518-042 27 PC Car Show Vapor Trails Vettes Santa Maria, CA

WC-518-043 27 Poker Rallye Vapor Trails Vettes Santa Maria, CA28

SEPT34

10-11 National NCCC Meeting St. Louis17 Regional NCCC Meeting18

WC-395-034 24 Time Trials Vettes R UsSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-395-035 24 Time Trials Vettes R UsSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-395-036 24 Time Trials Vettes R UsSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-395-037 24 Time Trials Vettes R UsSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-395-038 25 Time Trials Vettes R UsSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-395-039 25 Time Trials Vettes R UsSpring Mountain,

NV

OCT127 Corvette Roulette Las Vegas Corvette Assn Las Vegas

WC-202-xxx 8 Corvette Roulette Las Vegas Corvette Assn Las VegasWC-202-xxx 9 Corvette Roulette Las Vegas Corvette Assn Las Vegas

1516

WC-414-xxx 22 Peoples Choice Wild West Corvettes Victorville, CA232930

NOV56

12-13 National NCCC Meeting St. Louis19202627

DEC34

10

WC-xxx-xxx 10 Time Trials TBDSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-xxx-xxx 10 Time Trials TBDSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-xxx-xxx 10 Time Trials TBDSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-xxx-xxx 10 Time Trials TBDSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-xxx-xxx 11 Time Trials TBDSpring Mountain,

NV

WC-xxx-xxx 11 Time Trials TBDSpring Mountain,

NV1718242531

West Coast Region http://www.ncccwcregion./

Consequences