15700 Santini Road, Burtonsville, Maryland 20730
The annual banquet of the Shenandoah Steam and Gas Engine
Association was held, November 9th, 1973, at Duff’s Rebel
Restaurant in Winchester, Va. The dinner consisted of a wonderful
assortment of meats, vegetables, and salads, followed by three
different deserts. As usual, several of our engineers and
threshermen were seen to go back through the serving line for
seconds and thirds. We are well known for our banquet. Anyone who
has worked hard all year long to put on a good show should have a
good meal at the banquet, even if it does mean a little extra
cost.
Following the banquet, the meeting was called to order by our
president for 1973, Mr. Ralph Maddox. After a report by our
treasurer which was quite encouraging, the nominating committee
presented it’s slate of officers for 1974.
After a call for nominations from the floor, Mr. Wayne Godlove
was elected president. Wayne has served us well in past years in
this office. There is no doubt that he will be a good president in
the coming year. He is one of our best engineers and one of our
tractor trailer drivers, so he gets a workout at show time. It was
at his house that the groundwork for our existing organization was
laid.
Mr. Paul Giles was elected vice-president, to the good natured
calls of ‘impeach Him’, continuing many fine years of
service to our club, both as president and vice-president. Some one
asked what type of vice he was in charge of! Paul has been one of
our hardest workers and organizers. Many of us wonder what we would
do without Paul, his twin Frick, his shingle mill, and most of all
his wife and four children.
I guess one of the most vital parts of any organization is
it’s treasurer. I don’t know if we have the best or not,
but if Mrs. Lewyn could balance the nations books like ours
balance, I would nominate her for treasurer of the United States.
Even in years when we have been rained out, it seems as if we still
make just ‘a little bit more’ for next year’s show.
After several years of outstanding service, I think it is time
someone said ‘Thank you, Mrs. Lewyn’, our treasurer for
1973.
Of course, this leaves one office yet to be filled. It seems as
if the secretary is always last and winds up with the most work. We
have had one of the best for the past several years. Mrs. Giles as
secretary and her husband as president or vice-president have been
a wonderful team. Mrs. Giles has had the help of her very capable
daughter Linda, now at age 13, in the past. This year Mrs. Giles
decided to retire, so we elected her daughter, Linda. Now her
mother can help her! Some of the shows have bragged about having
the youngest secretary. I don’t know if we have the youngest or
not, but I’ll bet we have the best young secretary.
This was the year to elect the members of the board of directors
from outside the state of Virginia, which occurs every three years.
All three were reelected to office for three more years as follows,
Mr. Chapman from W. Va., Mr. Shaeffer from Penna., and yours truly
from Md., Mr. Lupton was elected to fill out the remainder of Mr.
Godloves term on the board. The remainder of the board consists of
Mr. Lewyn, Mr. DeBosky, Mr. Hornbaker, Mr. Lichliter, and Mr.
Simes.
If you can find a better team than we have I would like to see
them. If you don’t believe me, notice what happens when an
impossible situation occurs at the show. I believe in the old
saying ‘The improbable we do at once, the impossible just takes
a little longer’.
I would like to point out one thing that I place great emphasis
on, and that is the participation of younger people. I have heard
many an old timer say ‘that young kid doesn’t know
anything’. Of course not, if he has not been taught by someone
who does, and takes the time to teach him. We have modified our
bylaws to allow any member 14 years old or older to have voting
privileges and hold any office, if so elected. The percentage of
teenage workers at the show and at the banquet was quite
impressive. ‘From the tiny acorn the mighty oak does grow’,
and we must remember this if our shows are to continue. Following
the elections we were entertained by a short but very interesting
talk given by Mr. A. H. Mason on steam boats on the Chesapeake bay.
He has written and published a very interesting book on this
subject.
Our regular business meetings are normally held on the third
Friday of each month, unless members are notified otherwise, at the
Memorial park building in Winchester, Va. It is west of I-81,
between state Rt. 7 and U.S. 50. The next meeting will be February
15, usually beginning at 7:00-7:30 p.m. If you are interested come
on out member or not, or see us at next year’s show, July
26-27-28, 1974. See you then, ‘The good Lord willing, and the
creek don’t rise’. Right now I got to head for the wagon
boys, this writing is killing me.
Yours truly William E. Hall
