Well, Hershey has come and gone and a wonderful time was had by all. At least, I had a good time. I love talking to people about Dodge Brothers cars and about our Club. A couple of things might change next year at Hershey. We are looking to move our spaces to a better location. Maggie is spearheading that chore. The reasoning is now that Gary Gray is no longer running the store, he would like to have more space to sell his stuff. If we do find a better spot, you will be able to spot it because Barry Cogan and Doug Walters are looking into replacing the balloon the Club had a couple of years back. It will have the Dodge Brothers Club logo on it for all to see.

Also, while at Hershey, the Board agreed to move all of the Club's historical documents that were stored at our Editor's home to a more secure location. (John had a real concern about the loss of these documents in the event of a fire.) The location is the AACA Library.

The Library was chosen because they are familiar with handling old documents; they have a secure, fireproof area located below the main floor. They hold historic material owned by many other clubs. Their location in Hershey, PA where the fall AACA car show is held is ideal for people going to the show because it allows them to research their car.

Here's how it works:

The Library staff will take each piece of material, but it into a protective clear sleeve, catalog it and put it into a water resistant box. Once the list is complete and certified by a Dodge Brother Club Member, the Club will get a copy also, then the box(es) is placed in a secure area.

1. After the first of the year, the AACA Library will include the list in its website so that everyone will know what is available.
2. If you're at the Library, you just look up what you need on a computer, the staff will get it for you to look at or copy if you wish, at $.30 a page. No one can take anything from the Library. The only drawback is that you have to be an AACA Member to use the Library.
3. If you can't get to the Library, the staff would research the information you are looking for. Yes, there is a fee of $30 an hour, but Dodge Brothers Club Members get a discount of $5.00 an hour. If you are a member of the AACA, you are eligible to receive up to 1.5 hours of free research a year.

We pay an annual fee for the storage of our material. If, in the future, we want to move our collection to a museum, we can, without cause.

If someone needs to remove items for whatever reason, a letter would be needed signed by an officer of the Club.

This was a good decision by the Board of Directors to solve a long-standing problem; it is good for the Club as a whole and I hope this explanation clarifies things.

Till next time,

Joe