Touring the Green Mountain State Since 1986! |
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The State of Green Mountain Region |
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Greetings!
I hope that everyone is well and on the way towards getting their Covid-19 vaccination shots. 2020 was a most unusual year for Porsche Club of America (PCA) and the Green Mountain Region (GMR). While membership numbers were surprisingly stable for both entities, just about every other aspect of GMR’s 2020 plan was subject to cancellation, conducted virtually and when in person, subject to social distancing and other restrictions.
The Board sincerely hopes that 2021 will be a “return to normal” but knows full well that it will be a transition year. That said, I would like to take this opportunity to give you a “state of the GMR”.
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GMR’s Milestone Anniversary
I am pleased to announce that the GMR is celebrating its 35th anniversary as a chartered region of PCA. The region was officially recognized in 1986 after a group led by then President Patrick Walsh petitioned PCA for official recognition. The other officers listed in the application were Lou Hochheiser (VP), Don Cummings (Secretary) and Cindy Walsh (Treasurer). In the application they demonstrated the imperative for recognition by reporting that they had “already had one formal meeting, a tour, lunch and concour (sic) in Stowe, Vermont. It was attended by 45 enthusiastic PCA, or soon to be, PCA members. There were 27 cars entered in the concour”. The Board hopes to incorporate the anniversary theme into our 2021 calendar, perhaps with a joint holiday/gala event in December. If you have ideas to share please give a shout out to any of the Board members or email me at [email protected].
GMR’s Membership & Financial Positions
Our membership and financial positions finished the year in good shape. Despite Covid, the number of primary members remained stable over the course of the year with 186 in January 2020 and 181 at year end. When you include affiliate members the total GMR membership at year end 2020 was 295 members. Financially, we remain strong with a closing cash balance of $12,317 after making a member challenge grant of $2,500 to the Vermont Foodbank.
2020 Event Recap
Our calendar was constrained by the pandemic but we nonetheless held several successful events. We kicked off with the July tour that attracted 11 cars. That was followed by tours in August, September and October, each with a growing number of participants. The greater Burlington tour attracted the highest numbers with 31 vehicles and 45 members. We also made history by holding the first virtual Members meeting in October and then capped off the year with our first ever Zoom holiday party where more than 30 members enjoyed a musical performance by Jon Gailmor and swapped travel stories and cocktail recipes.
Looking Ahead
The Board, along with several invited members, held a virtual retreat in January. The purpose was to review the 2020 events and most importantly, assess what we need to do to increase membership participation. The discussions triggered numerous suggestions/ideas/enhancements, some routine others surprising. While not comprehensive, the following offers a flavor of the discussion.
• Events should be structured to maximize socializing opportunities.
• Tour formats should be varied, for example using a modified ramble format where a destination is selected with members free to drive any route arriving in time for a function.
• Give more consideration to overnight and out of state tours.
• Traditional tours should not have more than 10 cars in each group coupled with clear route directions/information. To paraphrase, “Driving in a pod of 10 or more cars is just too stressful to be enjoyable”.
• DIY tech sessions
• Ramp up our use of social media.
As I look out my office window I still see a hillside covered in deep white snow but hope springs eternal and we know that our cars will soon be on Vermont’s roadways. As the driving season approaches the Board encourages you to save the following dates in your calendars. The details will be forthcoming as we progress through the spring.
I look forward to seeing you over the course of the driving season and encourage you to regularly check the events calendar at the GMR website and/or our Facebook Group page for more details.
“It’s not just the cars, it’s the people”
Alessandro (Al) Iuppa
President
Green Mountain Region Porsche Club of America
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2021 Season Coming up!
Save These Dates!
• Saturday, May 15. This will be a traditional tour focused in the greater Woodstock area. We are exploring the available options for an outdoor venue to gather subsequent to the drive, perhaps with catered box lunches.
• Saturday, June 12. Join your fellow GMR members as we welcome our newest members and their cars. Rather than organizing one or more tours to drive to the meeting the Board has decided to forgo the organized tours so that you can travel to the meeting at your leisure on a route of your choosing. The location and related details are in the formative stage but the emphasis for this event will be on socializing.
• Friday/Saturday, August 13/14. Bob Rubin has once again offered to put together an overnight event in southern Vermont.
• Saturday,September 25. Stu Friedman is putting together another, his 4th for GMR, drive through Adirondack Park in upstate New York.
• October. GMR Annual meeting and Fall Foliage tour
• December. Holiday Party
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GMR Recruiting New Secretary
Peggy Larson has served as the GMR Secretary for several years and we owe her a debt of gratitude for her service to the Club. However, as she announced at the 2020 Annual Meeting she would like to step away from that role. Thus the Board is actively recruiting for a new Secretary.
Like most organizations the GMR Secretary is a member of the Board of Directors and is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the Board’s meeting minutes and the club’s official records.The work load and time commitment to the Club is modest; the Board meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month for no more than 90 minutes. It’s also fair to say that the work of the Board is most cooperative and good fun.
The PCA-GMR is a volunteer organization by any measure and relies upon its members for its management. As such, I ask that you give serious thought to contributing to the Club’s ongoing success by joining the Board as our new secretary. If you are, or may be, interested in taking on the role of secretary or have any questions - please let Al know, he can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 207-409-0773.
Remember: "It's not just the cars; it's the people!\-
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Welcome New PCA Members!
Info Updated March 5, 2021
Please say hello to the following new Green Mountain Region Porsche Club members who have joined PCA here, or moved and changed regions recently, according to monthly data supplied us by national PCA. Note: if a member lets his or her membership lapse and then signs up again, they will appear as a "new member." In which case, welcome back!
Stuart Friedman, Plattsburgh, NY, Blue 2007 911 GT3 - transferring from Hudson Champlain Region. Stu has been a virtual GMR member and this year is organizing another great tour in New York -- the Adirondacks.
David Rose, Dorset, (transferring from the Carolinas Region. 2004 black Carrera 4S
Fred Sperling, South Woodstock. Car not listed in data base.
Robert Sollinger, Woodstock, 2017 Blue Metallic 911 Carrera
Name Tags: We recommend that new members and their spouses or partners purchase "official" Green Mountain Club name tags for wearing at all GMR events. Please email [email protected] to request them for you and your spouse or partner, and our treasurer, Christina McCaffrey, will try to get them for you in time for the next event. The cost is $15.00 per name tag.
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Member Feature:
Send us your photos!
We have started a feature to highlight a member and his or her car. Please feel free to submit a photo or photos of you and your Porsche and some thoughts on why you joined the club, drives you like to take, or whatever!
Please reply to this email with your photo and short story!
Sandy Gilmour
Editor
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Check out our GMR website and Facebook page for event updates and club news.
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Your Green Mountain Region Club Officers |
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Alessandro Iuppa
President
Director
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Dave Whittall
Vice President
Director
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Treasurer
Christina McCaffrey
Director
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Peggy Larson Secretary
Director
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Sandy Gilmour
Communications Chair
Director-at-Large
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Carl Wulfestieg
Past President
Director
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Don Jones
Director-at-Large
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Brad Kennison
Membership Chair
Director-at-Large
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About These Email Communications:
Replies to these GMT PCA emails come to me (Sandy Gilmour), not the entire membership; however, I can forward to President Carl Wulfestieg and other board members if needed. I always welcome any comments on any ways we can improve communications with GMT PCA members.
Join GMR PCA -- If you are receiving this email as a "friend of Green Mountain Porsche Club," please consider joining PCA. You get a great magazine, Panorama, and membership in Green Mountain Region is included in the annual dues of $45 a year. Go online at www.PCA.org, or simply call headquarters in Maryland at (410) 381-0911.
We welcome any submissions to this newsletter and to our website by members who have some fun experiences, photos, tech stuff and other adventures to share! Email me at [email protected]
Remember also, it's a volunteer organization. Any help you can provide -- especially with event planning -- is most appreciated by all!
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Sandy Gilmour ('99 Boxster)
Communications Manager
Green Mountain Region
Porsche Club of America
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