New England's Vintage Thunderbirds was headquartered in New Hampshire, and in its early days was led by David Kocina, whom many of know as the D.J. for our Blithewold show. David was an exemplary leader, who generated a lot of enthusiasm in those around him. I was also excited about what he and his club offered, and as I got more involved with that group, they decided it would be a good thing to create a member base in the southernmost area of New England. They selected me to be the "Rhode Island Representative," and created a position on the board of directors for me. At that time, the only other members of NEVT in Rhode Island were Fred Allard and Roger and Pauline Paul. We felt secluded from the club, because eveything they did as a group was taking place in New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts, always out of our reach. One year, Roger and Pauline and Debbie and I braved the distance and drove up to New Hampshire for their Fall Foliage Cruise in '93, which semeed kind of like a no-brainer, drive 150 miles one way just to drive some more. But we did it, and we had a good time.
We talked about that weekend on a couple of occasions and joked about making them drive down for one of our own events. As the months passed, I recruited more T-Birders into NEVT, until we had a member base in Southern New England of over 25 members. In December '94, we decided to hold our first Sunday Brunch, and to get the "Mother Club" to show their support, the board of directors decided to attend our brunch - all the way from New Hampshire! About ten people drove that distance for our breakfast get-together. We were stunned. But it was an example set for us - the distance really didn't matter; it was for the good of the club.
Again, when the NEVT board couldn't get oraganized to put on their first annual Thunderbird Show, Fred Allard and I put our own event together. The first ever "'Birds at Blithewold" (although it wasn't called that then) was set up for August. Done without any help or input from the group in New Hampshire, we showed them we had drive and enthusiasm. The New Hampshire membership found themselves driving to Rhode Island again, and when the day was done, all agreed it was a huge success. We made a profit for the club, and impressed many folks from north of wour area that we were so active.
In the Spring of '95, Debbie and I drove up to attend a brunch/board meeting in New Hampshire. My ulterior motive was to seek support for the Bristol show again. David Kocina, still serving as President but looking to be relieved, as his own commitments were overburdening him, pushed them to vote to support the Bristol event one more time. Begrudgingly, they agreed. One moth later, David's request to step down was granted, and Don Seymour, a board member, was installed in his place. Immediately, the whole attitude toward the Rhode Island group changed. We were acting too independently, with no permission or authority to do so. I was informed that any further events, activities, or additional members were to be brought before the board of directors for approval.
In July, the New Hampshire group came to Rhode Island for what would be their final time. The Bristol show was an even greater success, much to the chagrin of Don Seymour. He informed me after the "paperwork" he required from me detailing every cent of expenditure and income failed to materialize that there would be no more Bristol show. It would be held in New Hampshire or not at all. Little did he realize that Fred and I had already been asked to put together the VTCI Northeast Regional in Bristol! We had already put most of the groundwork together and had been in contact with Bob Gadra, then-President of VTCI, and the event was due to be listed in the Scoop the follwing issue.
When Don Seymour found out what we had done, he immediately held a meeting of the board to vote me off of it, citing my lack of discipline and disregard for following due process. I was a "loose cannon," a "rebel," and there was no place in that organization for someone like me. I contacted Bob Gadra and told him that we (Fred and myself) were not going to host the Regional because he would not the name of NEVT to be used in conjunction with the event, and if we did, he would sue us. No amount of persuasion on the part of Bob Gadra or Jim Cappuzzo could change his mind.
That was it. I sent a letter to ever member of NEVT and VTCI in the New England area, explaining what had transpired, and how they had been robbed of an opportunity to attend a VTCI Regional in their own area. I also stated my intention to start a new Thunderbird club, founded on the principle that it would be based on having fun. No politics. Just FUN. Within one month's time, South Shores Thunderbirds was born and began life with a membership of over 25 members.
Within the first month, the newsletter was born and we held our first Sunday Brunch, at Audrey's Grille in Seekonk. We had twelve people show up. At that brunch, we selected our officers. I was selected to be President, Jim DiPippo was to be our Vice President. Already a secretary by profession, Debbie O'Neil was our Secretary, with Mike Pompili as an alternate. Fred Allard was chosen to handle our funds as Treasurer. The board members selected were Joe Martel, Roger and Pauline Paul, the late Dominic DiLanna, and Dawn Timmons. We set up an informal set of "rules" or guidelines for the club and obtained the necessary paperwork to apply for a charter as a chapter of VTCI.
As New England's Vintage Thunderbirds had already lost considerable favor with VTCI over their Regional fiasco, their charter was revoked and ours accepted, effectively stripping their chapter status away from them and giving it to us. That went over really big up north. No one from that club ever attended our Bristol show ever again.
We continued to gain new members, and we held our winter brunches every month; each time, the number of attendees grew. We had one at which we counted 21 members. We decided to move the events around, to allow everyone easier access to at least one or two meetings. Enthusiasm grew, as we spread our name across Southern New England. We held our third annual Blithewold show, calling it "'Birds at Blithewold" for the very first time. The attendance was terrific, and we made a huge profit. We advertised it in all the major collector car magazines, and members put flyers in cars at every cruise nightand car show around. It was a real club effort, and it paid off. VTCI Scoop ran a three page article on it, and we even had VTCI members from as far away as Oregon (with a car!) and Norway (without) attend!
Mike Pompili put us on the Internet with our very own website. It was the crowning touch to give us that added exposure. In no time, membership applications began arriving from people who dowloaded them from our website! It was updated and maintained by Mike, who took the time out from his busy college schedule to do this, and it soon had links to it from all over the Thunderbird and old car web. Mike gained the official title of "Information and Media Officer" for South Shores Thunderbirds.
We selected a common meeting spot - the Johnston Wal-Mart Sunday cruise night - and at least half a dozen members would show up each week. Others were meeting at the Ann & Hope Seekonk cruise on Tuesdays. Folks were going to car shows together. It was a good summer for South Shores Thunderbirds. We were really having fun with our cars. We decided to wrap up the season with our own Fall Foliage Cruise, and selected as our destination Heritage Plantation in Sandwich, Massachusetts, out on the Cape.
We met at the State House on a gloomy Sunday, Columbus Day weekend, and despite the foreboding skies, managed to gather a respectable caravan of Thunderbirds for the journey. As we drove east, the skies illuminated and eventually cleared. When we arrived at Heritage Plantation, we parked our cars in a protected area and made our way to the huge antique car museum. It was a great collection, better than anyone had imagined. We stopped into the little outdoor cafe, and while enjoying lunch, were entertained by Jimmy DiPippo's lecture on "fresh carved turkey" and "truth in advertising." We toured the remaining museums and antique carousel, spending the entire afternoon at Heritage Plantation. We drove home into the setting sun, everyone having had a great time.
From the outset, we enjoyed a real camaraderie. There was a lot of interaction between members. It was not uncommon to run into someboy and find out how several other members were doing. Members were bringing new members into the club. There was a feeling that you wanted to share this thing with anyone else who owned a Thunderbird. We were swelling in numbers beyond the fifty mark. Our annual show, now really beginning to attract outside attention, brought several folks from beyond the New England area. We had two entrants from New York - Ernest Koestring from upstate, with at '73, and John Russo, with a '65 Convertible, from Long Island; the Carpinis, Rick and Judy, fron Union, New Jersey, who won the Preservation Award with their '66 Convertible; Bill and Faye Leroy, who came all the way from Illinois in their VTCI Senior '65 Landau; and Robert Marshall, driving a '63 Hardtop all the way from Ohio. What an impressive field we had, 38 cars from eight states! The writeup in the VTCI Scoop was four pages long, and gave us terrific exposure.
Our Fall Foliage Cruise this year was a washout. Rain, rain, and more rain. The amazing part about it was that three people actually showed up anyway, just to see if it was going to "miraculously" stop. It didn't, so we all went home. We had planned to go to Pulaski State Park out Route 44 near the Connecticut line and picnic.
The winter doldrums were at bay by our Sunday Brunches. We kept Audrey's as our main selection, which nobody seemeed to mind. It was a good way to keep in touch, and several folks who seemed uncomfortable about coming out for other events because their car wasn't ready found this more to their liking. No cars, no pressure. Wayne Carlson came down from Westwood, Massachusetts for one of them, bringing with him an article for the newsletter about the one man restoration of his '65 Convertible, which appeared in the April '97 issue. It was quite an impressive story, and when it finally came out in public, it was quite an impressive car to boot!
In the Fall of '97, VTCI called upon South Shores Thunderbirds to finally take on the Northeast Regional Convention. It was almost a rite of passage. We had finally arrived! Fred and I had already had a dry run back in '95, so without hesitation, we jumped at the chance. While we worked at getting the hotel reservations lined up, the menus planned, the events and activites lined up, we pulled from the membership to set up teams to coordinate the various duties related to a three day convention. After almost eight months of planning and work, we had all the bases covered for the three days, including people to guard the guests' cars in the parking lot overnight, and people to man check-in tables and hospitality suite. We had people to escort the show participants to the various events, such as the Newport shopping trip on the Friday, the all-Thunderbird Carousel Cruise Nite we lined up in Riverside, and to the show itself in Bristol. We had two groups leave the hotel for Bristol that morning, with several incidents - and an accident - occurring en route. Our own members teamed up with VTCI's to form a battery of judging talent that made us proud. At the end of the weekend, we had proved to ourselves - and VTCI - that we were the "real deal." It was a hell of a lot of work, but it was a shared experience, and that made it work. The praise we received, the letters from the VTCI members for months afterward, attested to the success of our efforts. We laid out a tremendous amount of money to make the convention a real "top shelf" production, and in the end, broke even, with everyone having a really great time. We couldn't have asked for more. The 1998 Northeast Regional Convention was the first one ever held in Rhode Island, and the first one held in New England since 1982. And our name was attached to it.
Mention of the '98 Northeast Regional Convention cannot be made without the mention also of the Bay Queen dinner/dance cruise we had scheduled for the "early birds" on the Thursday night. We had a really terrific time on the ship, and we had a pretty substantial amount turnout of our own members as well. Some chose to drive down, but many chose to ride down to Bristol's docks on the bus with our guests. The buffet-style meal was superb, and the band played oldies all night long while we sailed to Newport Harbor and back. It was a big hit with our guests from the midwest, who probably hadn't seen the ocean much in their lifetimes. Many of them could hardly wait 'til the following day, when they would be shopping the streets of Newport to their hearts' content.
And I feel it necessary to mention that the all-Thunderbird Cruise Nite, featuring Elvis, was also a big hit. It was, and probably will always be, the only all-Thunderbird Cruise Nite southern New England will ever see, and it was brought by South Shores Thunderbirds.
As a result of the VTCI Northeast Regional, South Shores Thunderbirds grew in numbers to 60 members. We had yet to break through that imaginary line across New England into northern areas, but we had at last gained a member in Connecticut! We had members in four states now.
The Fall Foliage Cruise for '98 was a true disappointment. It was planned to be a cruise to Jaswell Farms in Smithfield, where we were going to pick apples. The day was bright and clear, but no one came. At the appointed time, at the State House in Providence, not one member showed. It was the first time such an occurrence took place. Why did it happen? It was advertised in the newsletter in plenty of time. The apples were great, as was the drive to Jaswell's. Too bad you missed it.
Once again, the Sunday Brunch schedule helped to take the edge off the winter boredom. We experimented with new locations as a result of some folks' suggestions to try new places. Old Country Buffet in Seekonk, Massachusetts, was the site of a couple. The food was good, and plentiful. Several folks ran breakfast right into lunch as the menu changed. Such a deal! Another spot we tried was Chester's, up Route 44 in Gloucester, Rhode Island, which served a traditional breakfast in a cozy, relaxed atmosphere. It, too, was a hit, and again, it brought out the faces that were only seen in the winter months, so it was good we held these things. The time always seemed to fly by when we got talking about Thunderbirds.
In the Spring of '99, several changes were made in the official staff. Finding little time to spend with his cars or the club, Jim DiPippo requested that we accept his resignation as Vice President. He was replaced by Ben Creelman, who was already active in the club, and was selected by the board of directors as Jim's successor. Dick McCormack was added to the board to replace Dominic DiLanna, who was experiencing major health problems. It seemed like we were back on track and went about putting together the sixth annual 'Birds at Blithewold show. This year would have no advertising. In the past, we ran ads in as many as five different magazines to get the word out. As an experiment, it was decided to see just how much of a following this event had developed. It was held every year on the same date at the same place, so how many people would come on their own? The result was 39 cars. We were very happy with the turnout we got with no outside coverage. I should mention, though, that flyers were distributed at local cruise nights, but that was the extent of it. This year also, we did not have a million and one prize raffles. Insteadm we gave everything away, and sold only 50/50 raffle tickets. The end result financially was a wash. We broke even. But that was okay, because our experiment was a success. People knew we were there and they came. Our judges' training the previous year was working well also, and several assistants were added to our staff to help out and learn. The arrangement with ou site coordinators, the Mansion Trust, also improved this year, as the gate was split 50/50 with the club. We were allowed to have a food vendor also, but in the end, the Trust would not allow him to set up on the field, and he refused to stay. Their own attempt at selling food bombed, and it was decided that we would go back to recommending that our guests bring at least a sandwich with them in the future.
After a bomb of a Fall Foliage Cruise the previous year, Vice President Ben Creelman and his wife Betty took on the task of putting what was to be the best cruise yet. They had done their homework, checked the site and drove the route, and announced a '99 Columbis Day Sunday cruise to Wolf Den State Park in Connecticut. This was going to be great! How he managed to fit it into the trunk of that '57 'Bird will probably be Ben's own secret, but they had all the fixin's of a hot dog barbeque in there. All was set and ready; they even went so far as to get all the necessary permission from the park rangers for the activities of the day. However, came the actual day, and the rain was heavy in the air. In spite of this, however, several folks turned up at the State House meeting place to see if it was going off anyhow. Alas, it was a washout again. Too bad.
With the new Millenium on our doorstep, a general membership questionnaire was compiled and printed in the January newsletter to try to develop a feel for what the membership was looking for from the club. Topics from elections to getting together more frequently to what the overall performance was to date were put out for discussion. It was an attempt to see what changes were necessary to keep our club working, and looking for ways to get more people involved on a frequent or regular basis.
Oddly, this winter, the talk of the Sunday Brunches lacked enthusiasm. Only one was held all winter, at Cricket's, in Smithfield. There was a sparse turnout, but those who attended enjoyed themselves and each other's company anyhow. February brought the resignation of two original members and members of the board of directors. Roger and Pauline Paul, citing personal reasons, following Roger's year long bout with cancer, decided to do a lot of traveling and felt that they would not be sharing their part of the responsibilities. Taking their place were Mike Pompili, still retaining his other position of Information and Media Officer, and Jack Perrotta.
The response from the questionnaire was cut off by the end of April. After four months, less than one third of the entire membership responded. The major points that seemed to be in agreement with everyone were the establishment of a central meeting spot, a cruise night, and the overwhelming choice was the Monday night Ann & Hope cruise in Warwick. There was a unanimous feeling that it was time for general elections to be held. With the exception of those officers who filled vacated positions, all officers were "original equipment" from the inception of the club. This was going to be the answer for the new millenium - fresh blood, fresh ideas. Another popular idea was the distribution of the membership roster, complete with telephone numbers, so that members could network and get to know each other. It was common knowledge among several officers that there were members who lived in the same zip code that didn't even know the other existed. This needed to be changed, and this roster would give them the opportunity to share. Keeping our affiliation with VTCI but not joining any other major international clubs was another popular feeling. And everyone seemed content with the format for our show in Bristol but would be happy to see a change in venue, with the Museum of Transportation in Boston the popular choice.
The move to Boston was explored, and through conversations with Tom Hauck, the museum's director of events, the opportunity to move our show there was a very real possibility. It was not going to happen in 2000, but the dialogue was left open for the future. However, the main body of the organization behind the Blithewold show was finding it slow going this year, with little support coming from the membership. There were the usual judging staff, the scoring tabulators, and the folks who were non-members that came and helped every year, but getting anybody else to do anything was like pulling teeth. There was little cooperation from the mansion people as well, and by the time the actual day came, we were almost not happening.
The weather proved to be a non-factor for anyone who didn't watch the night before's forecast, and in fact, by 8:00, it was going to be a pretty decent day after all. The trickle of cars coming into the field grew to a stream by 11:00, and in the end, there was a decent turnout - of strangers. There were more non-members at this event that members. The first year, it was 95% members, 5% non-members. By '98, the year of the Regional, it was 50/50. Even the year before, it was at least 75/25. This time, it was more like 25/75. A pattern was beginning to develop that painted an ugly picture of what was to come.
The final tally left the club with more than $400 of debt from this event. The lack of member support was costly. However, that news was not as hard to take as the news that nobody was bothering to come out to the chosen gathering spot, the Monday Ann & Hope cruise night. The fact that no one wanted to get together just one night a week, to see people they supposedly liked and had a common interest with, that was the real signpost. South Shores Thunderbirds was in trouble.
Apathy. It was sweeping like cancer. Lack of enthusiasm? Other priorites? Always something better to do? Whatever it was, it was going to ebd up killing the club if change didn't come about quickly.
In September, it was announced that nominations were being accepted for the first general elections in the club's history, and a plea for those individuals who cared to come forward and answer the call. This was the election everybody wanted, and the old officers wanted. By November, nobody had come forward to run. not one individual was willing to take the initiative to try to save this club. Even when the doomsday message was put forth, there was no response. The end has surely come.
The five year life of South Shores Thunderbirds brought about some wonderful things, most of them enduring friendships that will continue on long after the club that spawned them has faded from memory. Some people gained knowledge that enabled them to finish their project or help keep their car on the road. A great deal of knowledge was shared, and hopefully, kept for future references. The history of the Thunderbird, the facts, the trivia, amd data put forth in "Everything You Wanted to Know about Thunderbird Names and Numbers" sadly ends in the throes of 1983, though there are 14 years left to explore. Hopefully, your year was covered, and perhaps you found out something about your car you didn't know.
We set forth to create a club based on the love a Thunderbirds and the continued ability to have FUN with these cars and with each other. For a while, it was real.
I would like to thank the following people for their time and selfless indulgence in the effort to make South Shores Thunderbirds what it was:
"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again... who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, ans spends himself in a worthy cause, who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high acheivement, and who, at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be by those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt
My best wishes to you all for a prosperous and happy future. May your life, and your Thunderbird, always run on smooth roads.
-Doug.