President's Message

Behind each Chesapeake Region event is a significant amount of planning and execution by a group of dedicated members.  On the weekend of April 19 and 20, I had the benefit of attending two excellent events that demonstrated the high quality of the people on the Board.

Saturday morning found a host of members gathering around the less often seen areas of the cars we love.  John Patterson organized our first Tech Session of the year at GT Performance in Edgewood, MD.  John engaged the group with discussions about general maintenance procedures and tips, while Gennady Soykher, the shop owner, provided valuable insight based on his years of experience in the business.  Judging from the comments I received after the event, the group of attendees will continue to grow.  John has a full series of events planned for us this year at a variety of area shops.  Watch the web site and the Patter for details.

Sunday morning's forecast was for periods of rain throughout the day.  Not exactly what one normally hopes for on a tour day, but it wasn't about to dampen the tour group's spirit.  Remember my comment about the amount of planning and execution that goes into these events?  Well, I don't know which it was, but somehow Ken Bullough managed to convince Mother Nature to hold off the rain and allow the tour to progress in dry conditions with the exception of a brief shower about mid way.  The planning and execution of the Anne Arundel County tour by Ken and his group was nothing less than superb.  Printed directions were clear and concise, and Gina warned us of occasional road events, such as runners or riders, using the FCS radio.  Although I live in Anne Arundel County, most of the roads were new to me and were a blast to drive.  Even the meal at the Old Stein Inn (one of my new favorites) was perfectly orchestrated.  Alas, Mother Nature had her way and sent the group scrambling from the Inn's courtyard to indoor shelter.  I've never been on a tour before, so this was a new experience for me.  If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend you contact Ken about the next tour.

These events are possible because members volunteer their personal time.  While some events take a significant amount of time to plan, such as our upcoming Chesapeake Challenge 39, some are a bit easier and require less time.  If you haven't yet helped with an event and think you might like to get more involved, then please contact the event chair or myself to let us know you're interested.  I can't think of a better way to expand your network of friends in the Chesapeake Region.

Andrew