Monthly President's Message

[joefrazer]

Not just one Darrin...but six so far!

[joefrazer]

Did you know KF built Rototillers as well?

[joefrazer]

Took a Darrin for a drive after the business meeting and elections. The slate of officers stays the same for the next two years.

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

Did you know KF built Rototillers as well?

Yes , Plus many More Products at Willow Run.

[joefrazer]

First, thank you to everyone who voted to entrust me with the position of president for two more years. The KFOCI is a great club and I will work hard to lead the club into the future.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the current set of officers will remain in place:
Gordie Chamberlin - Vice President
Jennifer Dimmick - Secretary
Steve Hermesch - Treasurer

Some news from the various meetings...
There were four proposed changes to our club constitution and by-laws. One was eventually passed and it is to change the language requiring a magazine to be published quarterly. We have relaxed the requirement to state that at least one must be published per year.
Another proposal to better define vehicles the club recognizes was tabled due to language. In the proposal it stated "vehicles built after 1946", however, there were KF vehicles manufactured in 1946 (as 1947 model year cars) so the proposal was tabled so the author could revise it. He plans to resubmit next year.
Our 2016 convention will be held in Springfield, IL and the dates are July 10 thru 15. The host hotel will be the Northfield Inn and Suites which is located about four miles from the Lincoln presidential library, one of the places on our list to visit.
Tentatively, the 2017 convention will be held at Disneyland. We were last there in 1972 so it's time to see what's changed. More information about the 2017 convention as we draw closer to it.

About the 2015 convention itself, it was a great success with a total of 57 cars and about 225 people registered. Our hosts did a wonderful job of lining up interesting activities and with the battlefields of Gettysburg literally a mile up the road from the hotel, there was always something to see and do. The weather cooperated, although the temps were in the upper 80s and low 90s so staying hydrated was important. The meet saw something like 210 folks attend the banquet where both Bill Miller of Carlisle productions (hosts of the spring and fall Carlisle as well as the Zephyrhills/Lakeland swap meets) and Richard Langworth, author of The Last Onslaught on Detroit, spoke. If you missed their talks, you missed an interesting half hour!

Lastly, there's still alot of summer left and looking at the meet schedule I see there are four scheduled. If you're near one, please plan to attend. Our hosts will be glad you did!

Jim Lape
President

[joefrazer]

I re-read my entry and realized I failed to mention a few other important items. First, we had several new members and first-time  attendees at the convention. Charlie Zuck brought his beautifully restored Frazer Rototiller and together with the display provided by Bob Antram, showed folks what KF offered besides cars. (By the way, they also made dishwashers and one was on display in the hospitality room). In addition, the Snipes brought their unusual HJ station wagon to the meet. And, we also had a family attend from Argentina.

It was a busy week indeed!

[darrin502]

I to want to add my congrats to the hosts for a great job.
I hope more of the members can attend future conventions they are all great. We had a lot of fun and in a very historical location. I personally learned way more then I was taught in school about the civil war. If those that attended did not have a good time there is no hope for them.
I will be posting pictures of the convention as soon as I can and I will post the link here and in the bulitin.
Lee Abrahams LM # 1076

[joefrazer]

I just spoke to our club secretary about memberships and here's an indication of how successful the national meet was. She personally accepted a dozen new and returning member applications at the meet. In addition, she got a few more in this week's mail - all as a result of folks attending the national meet. Word is getting out that our cars are unique and desirable and that, coupled with a great club, brought folks out.

While we typically have about a half dozen new members every month, to have this many join in the space of two weeks is worth noting!

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

Good News... Wonderful .

[Logan]

Good news!  And people should know that they don't have to have a car to be in the club.  I am currently KF-less  , but I had a great time at the meet.

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

I have always tried to remind Folks if You sell Your K.F. W. Product ? Sell them on the Club & All the Things We have to Offer them.

Example : New or Used Car Dealership should always sell Service Department as well. Sooner or later You will need service no mater What Brand.

[joefrazer]

At the national meet's Board of Directors meeting, the topic of paid advertising was discussed. The executive committee has decided to explore the possibility of allowing third party vendors (companies like restoration shops, supply companies, etc) to advertise in our monthly bulletin as well as possibly on our calendar and in the Quarterly. Because advertising is not one of my specialties, I'm looking for assistance from anyone who's a club member with a background in the business to help us get this off the ground.

So, if you have a background in either sales or print advertising and would like to help, please let me know.

I will be reaching out to the larger club audience with the same request in the October bulletin.

[Aeroman]

In our Quarterly? What Quarterly? Can we expect one in our mailbox again any time soon?

[joefrazer]

Yes, there will be a Quarterly. Larry Barker will be editing both it and the 2016 calendar, with help from several folks around the country. Both will be mailed together closer to the end of the year.

[joefrazer]

As I write this, it feels more like the middle of summer rather than early September. Since we're enjoying temperatures in the mid 80s today I decided to get everything on the road. The Traveler, 53K and 54HJ all got some exercise this afternoon. We have a small farmers market a short drive from us so I drove the 53 to pick up some fresh sweet corn and as usual, when I returned to the car there were a couple guys scratching their heads as to what sat before them. I told them of KF and one chimed in that he had a relative with a Graham Paige. Close enough!

My point - even though for most of us, summer is on the wane, if the weather permits drive your Kaiser, Frazer, or Willys vehicle. You'll make new friends that way!

Something else I wanted to mention. For those who are members, did you see the number of new and returning members listed in this month's bulletin? The number - 19...yes 19! I attribute that to the convention where our secretary signed up several herself, folks finding KFs as affordable, and that the club itself has a lot to offer. So, get your car out and drive it. Exposure is key to getting the word out about the cars and the club!

Lastly, on the 20th of this month I will be attending a local Jeep show that's hosted by one of the folks who host the Midwest Willys Reunion. At the meet, we will be discussing the spring KF/ Midwest Willys Reunion joint meet. It's tentatively slated for the second full weekend in May of 2016 with the exact location to be determined. I will have more information after the meet and will be publishing a full itinerary in a future bulletin once we work out all of the details.

See you in Louisville!