I am finishing my second term as MAFCA President and this will be my final Web column message. It has been a pleasure serving on the Board of Directors over the previous four years and as president of MAFCA for 2023 and 2024. It has been a pleasure serving with fellow board members: Ed Tolman, Gary Price, Melanie Whittington, Will Langford, Paul Shinn, Chet Wojcik, Jr., Dave Gill, Bill Truesdell, Kay Lee, Jay McCord, Happy Begg, Dean Potter, Dave Libbey, Dan Foulk, Tom Jeanes, Doug Linden and Ruth Janke. A great group one and all for donating their valuable time and financial resources to serve the MAFCA membership
As MAFCA members we are very blessed to have the dedicated office staff of: Sandra Aguirre, Brenda Rodriguez, Juanita Villa working on our behalf. They do a wonderful job of “grinding the gears” and keeping MAFCA between the “white lines.” If you have ever had the occasion to contact MAFCA’s office in La Habra you can attest to their professionalism, effectiveness and courtesy in serving the membership.
On page 3 of the Restorer is a list of the various MAFCA committees and appointments that are incredibly involved with all the many aspects of MAFCA’s day to day operations. Starting with Andy Scheer, Editor of The Restorer to Sherry Winkinhofer as Era Fashion Editor and A World Youth Newsletter Editor, Garth and Janet Shreading providing MAFCA History vignettes, Robert Kreipke as Honorary Historian and Tom Jeanes as Technical Editor, each of these individuals spend considerable time and effort researching and writing monthly articles for The Restorer magazine which in my opinion is the premier magazine devoted to the Model A automobile. Also, thanks to Peter Gariepy our new Web Master as he works to manage MAFCA’s new webpage and webpage content.
Additionally, MAFCA has Tom Rut as Chairman of the Judging Standards Committee’s eight-member team working to create the wonderful technical standards and information necessary to service, restore and enjoy our Model A’s. Their work sets the benchmark for understanding how original or how modified our cars have become over the years. But if your car has been modified don’t despair, Howard Eckstein as Chairman of the six member Restorers Class Committee stands ready with a recognition program for all those “drivers” out there. It is the perfect “no man gets left behind” approach to our Model As’ restoration, care and use. Chair Laurie Elliott and her six-person team form the Era Fashion Committee and they provide excellent guidance in the preservation, display and wearing of Model A era clothing and stand ready to assist any member assembling an era correct wardrobe. Besides driving a historically correct Model A, you do it in appropriate era fashion.
An African proverb is credited with originating the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” conveying the message that it takes many people (“the village”) to provide a safe, healthy environment for children, where children are given the security, they need to develop and flourish. I believe the same could be said for all the leaders and volunteers that graciously offer their time and financial resources to MAFCA so that we can all safely enjoy the venerable Model A automobile. “It takes a village to manage this club” and MAFCA is blessed to have a great one.
“See you down the road!” Robert Bullard