The President's View - Winter 2010

Seasons change - it's part of life.

Our Association is changing too - our Junior Newsletter is launched! The web site has a strong presence online and the "Day Tripper" email flyer is a fantastic success. We're on Facebook, Twitter, doing email and text messages. OMG it's all change, change, change...

Thanks to everyone who showed up to our elections in Pontiac in October. We had new people come forward to run for office and we've already had a special Board meeting to go over committees and changes in appointments.

The 2010 Motor Tour will be a huge change for us - we are taking our Tour on the road into the sister state of Missouri. We're going to make the tour a more in-depth look at our southern counties and instead of racing the einire state, we're going to do quality time and less mileage. Our theme is "We are Family" and this year we will be selling Illinois license plates for the tour. The color theme will be red and black - and red tour shirts this year in response to all our loyal tour goers who have asked for a moratorium on white tees.

The next year will be a heavy tour season as many families are changing to daytrips and weekends instead of traditional vacations. We will be posting everything we get from Chicago to St. Louis on our calendar. Info on museums, historical societies, events, festivals and car shows will be available online. Our 66 communities are never charged to post on our web site "happenings" or info on their part of the road.

Our museum was 5 years old in June and in January we'll be making some changes to freshen up our displays and set up our Preservation Research Library. We're excited to be able to provide an area for research on preservation. Books and pamphlets will be able to br reviewed onsite in the museum only.

My thanks to the members who hae served the Association for the past 21 years - for their countless hours and dedication to making our grasssroots group into and "effective association." I look forward to the next 2 years as we expand the museum adding the preservation library, a film library and eventually being able ato broadcast from the 2nd floor radio station at the museum complex.

With our county reps keeping an eye on their section of th road and the continued maintenance of our already existing preservation projects, we can keep our part of the Mother Road in good shape. As noted by Editor Gina on the recent "Day Tripper" - the Mother Road is 83 this year and doesn't look a day over 66.

Our beloved authentic hippie and legend Bob Waldmire has come home to Illinois to spend his final days with his family and friends. Bob has been interviewed far and wide and in every instance, in every video, he is as he always was - a gentle, gracious man who lived his life with honor and respect following his heart. Never known to be loud or violent or to try to impose his opinions and views on anyone, he spent the last 10 years taking care of business although he knew he ws sick. Bob lived his life taking care of the Mother Road, his art and his huge extended family of choice. Our prayers are with him. Bob's VW van will eventually be parked in a museum to give others a glimpse of a life well lived and a tribute to a man who touched the life of everyone he met.

In Waldmire's own words, "Come as you are, leave different!"

Cathie