April OVAHC Meeting Minutes
Twenty-seven members attended the monthly meeting on Saturday, April 26 at the Lindauer home in Walton, KY on a mostly cloudy and chilly afternoon. President Scott Brown called the meeting to order about 2:15 PM and thanked Denny and Jo for hosting. (applause) March minutes were approved as published in the March Newsleak.
President Scott thanked Denny for the fantastic 50 minute scenic drive at noon. Vice Presidents Wallace, Secretary Dale, Newsleak Editor Mary Ann, and Web Administrator Don had no report. Historian John Parrott and Membership Rosalee were away.
Treasurer Cindy reported that since the March 22 meeting at the Wallace home, credit for March split-the-pot $43, 1 membership rebates for $15, one local only dues for $20 for total of $78 credits. We paid $5 for local only insurance fee, April hosts $75. Total $80 debits. Current balance is good. Tech team balance is $1793. OVAHC business cards are on the table if you need to grab any.
Activity Activator Skip said he is holding $630 worth of Concours d ‘Elegance discounted tickets for the Sunday, June 8 show. See him to buy them for $35 each which is a savings of ten bucks. First come, first served with check or cash. VP John wants to schedule a week-day drive and lunch in Maysville, KY on Thursday, May 8.
Skip looked into the caravan to Branson for the May 18-23, 2025 Conclave and figured it is about 650 miles one way. Cincinnati to Paducah, KY for the first night on Saturday May 17. We want to eat at Patti’s near Land Between the Lakes and may need to use some expressway driving to save time. Next day is 250 or so more into Branson, Missouri. More caravan details as they develop. Contact Skip for any activity questions or suggestions.
VP John Wallace is planning an overnight trip to Port Clinton, Ohio with a day trip to Put-In-Bay, Ohio for June. Plan is to start out on June 17, and depart back for home June 20th. John listed things to do there. Visiting lighthouses, wineries, a brewery, museums, shopping, and restaurants. He is developing an itinerary and you were provided hotel contact info. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, in Port Clinton, OH will be our base for about $129 a night. Seven couples raised their hand to say yes.
Tech Director Tim reported on the continuing TT work on Skip’s white MGA named Magic. On 3/27 we finally got it running. Skip has a new tire and wire wheel to replace the faulty one. On 4/24 Tim and VP John attached the bonnet and Skip road tested it, too. Hooray!
Ken Campbell had a TT visit to prepare Spritely for the summer. His long list was finished up and the TT had some good chili which Rosalee made. Bernie has a Tuesday 4/29 session planned for Henry the 8th. His newest to him and his eighth Healey! Tim handed out bolt-nut-screw gauges to TT members. Contact Tim to join in, or to schedule a tech session.
Business Manager/Delegate Jake said he has been in contact with Neil Anderson in regard to Branson. OVAHC is doing the autocross there. For 2026 the Midwest AHC has stepped up for a Conclave in Galena, IL. Neil wanted to know if OVAHC would allow them to host it in September even though we may have started planning for our Mid America Classic (M.A.C.) show. Lauren said she and Rosalee were prepared to volunteer to head the 2026 M.A.C. and would be able to consider earlier in the year. Lauren asked if the members who helped in 2022 for Loveland would be interested helping again. May or June are now possibilities for the M.A.C. show which may be based in Lebanon, OH. Jake will await their decision, and then inform Neil concerning September of 2026.
Jake and Jeff Porada are members of the AHCA retention committee and they are reporting success. Jake discussed the make-up of the members and their targets for the future of the AHCA website. They are looking at attracting new members, improving visibility, incorporating QR codes, and doing what it takes to be current in today’s world. “Healey Braking News” is one of their successes so far. It comes to your email inbox once a month or so. They are working on auto renews with one click for 2026 to make it easier to rejoin the AHCA. They are looking into making a folder which owners could keep in the Healey glove box and pass it on to the new owner to show that the AHCA is available to them, too. They are setting up a tech data base for mechanic and repair referrals. The goal from all of this is to refresh our club with new blood. That was a major reason for the push to reduce the annual dues by making the E-Healey Marque option available. AHCA has 2440 members currently, with approximately 100 dropouts each year. The Date of Birth field which Mike Schneider added to the personal information on the AHCA web site is intended to help in our targeted marketing efforts. (AHCA is asking for your cooperation. Please sign yourself in to the Club Express AHCA site, hover over your name, move to profile, click and fill your D.O.B. field in basic member info drop down, save and exit.)
These efforts and the make-up of the committee for retention gives Jake cause for optimism. President Scott thanked Jake for all he does as our delegate. (applause)
Old business: Secretary Dale said the Haines 58 Bugeye Sprite was sold to Ed Reiss and Hilary Cooper from Texas. Ed wants to ask if anyone going to Branson can assist him in transporting it down.
New business: Treasurer Cindy announced that for our 50th anniversary, Membership Rosalee Campbell updated our logo on the RP Diamond online store. Rosalee is planning a OVAHC group t-shirt order soon. Keep an eye on your inbox for the offer. This should also motivate us to go to RPDiamond.com and purchase other new items to show our club pride.
More new business: Richard Pratt asked Bernie Grabow to assist him in the sale of his BJ8 on Bring a Trailer. So if anyone in OVAHC wants to inquire about the purchase before it goes to auction, now is the time to act. Tim and Cindy commended Bernie for his efforts in the sale of our beloved member, Bob Merten’s cars on B.A.T. for Marion. (applause)
The 2024 Christmas lunch will be Wednesday, December 10th at Grove Park Grille. Lauren made the arrangements for us again. Wednesday, May 28 will be a combo ROMEO and Juliettes lunch at Miamiville Trailyard. The split-the-pot winner, drawn by President Scott, was VP Lauren. She received $45 and the club kept $45. The next meeting will be Saturday, June 28 at the Campbell house in Loveland.
President Scott thanked Jo and Denny for hosting. (applause) After he adjourned the meeting, we went back to snacking, socializing, and wine tasting at their downstairs winery.
Submitted by Secretary Dale