Regular Club Meetings
The Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Sedona Public Library at 3250 White Bear Rd. The meeting begins with club business discussion, usually followed by a guest speaker, and concluded with treats and a social gathering
January 10th: We had an informative discussion from the Bitter Creek Winery located in Jerome.
We had an informative discussion from the Bitter Creek Winery located in Jerome. It was fascinating to learn about the growing wine industry in the Verde Valley, and the quality of the wines, in general, emerging in Arizona. In addition, we sampled a variety of wines which was a big hit amongst club members. Especially those that went back for seconds, thirds, etc.
February 14th: The guest speaker was Zach Richardson.
The guest speaker was Zach Richardson. Zach has a very interesting resume'. He is a school board member and owner of the Gallery of Modern Masters. He, also, was a former Naval aviator flying F-4 Phantoms off aircraft carriers during the Cold War. His description of how the US pilots would engage the Russian pilots during the cat & mouse games during that very tense era. An interesting side note is that Gary Lamb served during the Vietnam War Era on the same carrier as Zach.
Since the club meeting landed on Valentines day, the ladies in attendance received a special treat. Candy, sparkling wine and a red rose was presented to each one. The guys got the left overs.
March 13th: March's guest speaker was Charlie Schudson, a current member of the Historic Preservation Commission and former judge.
March's guest speaker was Charlie Schudson, a current member of the Historic Preservation Commission and former judge. Charlie has been collecting memorabilia and studying presidential campaigns for fifty years. Judge Schudson presented a version of his “1912 – Wow, what a year!" talk, along with a number of political artifacts. The 1912 election was controversial and divisive much the same as we are currently experiencing. Charlie gave us an historical perspective of the 1912 election and presidential campaigns of William Howard Taft, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Eugene V. Debs. Also, Charlie described many of the "trials" facing the Arizona Constitutional Convention to obtain President Taft's approval leading to Arizona's admittance as the 48th State.
Charlie, also, shared many items from his collection of political memorabilia. Anyone remember the Richard Nixon campaign slogan "Can't Lick Our Dick"? Or, the "Saturday Night Massacre of October 20, 1973" where Richard Nixon fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox who was investigating The Watergate Scandal? There was a famous bumper sticker stating "Impeach The Cox Sacker".
April 10th: The agenda for this club meeting was a sharing of our individual car stories. How we got involved in the car hobby. The stories about our first cars. And, stories about some very extraordinary cars that came into club member's lives. Of course, we had to "council" some members to keep their stories "family friendly". It was a smaller turnout for this meeting which gave everyone the opportunity to share some marvelous history about themselves.
May 8th: The guest for this meeting was Betsy Klein, Development Coordinator, for the Humane Society of Sedona
May's guest speaker was Betsy Klein, Development Coordinator, for the Humane Society of Sedona. Of course, Sedona Car Club members love their pets as much as they love their cars.
Betsy described a little about the Humane Society's growth in Sedona. How the Society outgrew their original facility, and the design and construction of their new facility. The new facility provides capabilities that make the Society a very unique resource for pets "in need", especially in a community the size of Sedona.
The Humane Society of Sedona offers a wide variety of events, programs, and volunteer opportunities for all pet lovers in Sedona, as well as, the regional area.
June 13th: Annual Car Club Picnic
July 10th: No Meeting. Summer Hiatus
August 14th: The guest speakers for August were Mike and Victoria Clark, and the subject was their participation in the last AZ Route 66 Fun Run.
The guest speakers for August were club members Mike and Victoria Clark. Victoria is a widely recognized researcher and writer on Arizona topics.
Mike and Victoria gave an interesting talk about their experiences participating in the May 4-6th, 2012 AZ Route 66 Fun Run.
The 66 Run is sponsored by the Route 66 Association in Kingman, AZ. The Run starts at the Snowcap Drive-in in Seligman and ends up at the Topock-Golden Shores in Oatman. There were a total of 712 vehicles that participated in 2012 with people from all over the world "getting their kicks on Route 66".
September 11th: The guest speaker for September was Elizabeth Cate from the Marketing Board for the Sedona Library.
The guest speaker for September was Elizabeth Cate from the Marketing Board for the Sedona Library.
The Sedona Library is one of the few privately owned public libraries. Elizabeth presented an overview of classes, movies, programs, volunteer opportunities, and resources available through the Library. This includes free downloads of e-books to e-readers.
Of particular interest to Car Clubbers was her discussion of the Library's Auto Repair Reference Center. This is an on-line resource that provides repair tips, service bulletins, wiring diagrams, maintenance instructions, and automotive car tips. Please note that you must have a library card and a pin number to access this information remote from the library.
October 9th: The guest speaker for October was Dan Dagget, an environmentalist, artist, author and much more.
The guest speaker for October was Dan Dagget, an environmentalist, artist, author and much more. Of particular note, is the fact that Dan has evolved his liberal thinking as a member of The Sierra Club to that of a conservative environmentalist.
The topic of Dan's presentation was one that is very important to those of us living around Sedona, and that is erosion by water. We all see the damage the heavy monsoon downpours can do around trails and even our own yards. In particular, we often see the erosion exposing tree roots in washes. The fact is, according to Dan, trees are a poor solution to erosion control. Much of the area around Sedona fifty-plus years ago was grassland that supported cattle ranching, and the erosion was under control.
Dan's solution is actually going back to what worked in the past. Bring the cattle back in controlled situations where they are allowed to roam over the once protected land. Their forage is worked into the barren soil along with their natural "fertilizer" to effective work the compost into the soil from which the grass can thrive and protect the soil from the effects of erosion.
Dan's book, Gardeners of Eden, describes the process in great detail with numerous successful examples.
November 13th: The guest speaker for November was Carl Nelson, an architect, author and student of Frank Lloyd Wright.
The guest speaker for November was Carl Nelson, an architect, author and student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Carl has been living and working in Sedona for over 30 years.
Frank Lloyd Wright has a significant presence in Arizona where he established a winter home, studio and architecture school in Scottsdale. Carl's interest in Frank Lloyd Wright began in 2005 which lead him and his wife, Patty, to visit over 100 of FLW's projects. Resulting from Carl's travels is the book Traveling Wright.
The Club spent a fascinating evening learning more about Frank Lloyd Wright's designs, evolution of style, the person/personality, and an overview of FLW's more significant projects.
December 11th: Annual Car Club Christmas Dinner and Celebration.
This year's annual Christmas party was held at The Golden Goose Cafe. We had a great turnout. As you can see in the following photos, we had lots to discuss, eat and drink.
We collected approximately 50 new toys that were donated to the Sedona Food Bank.