Director’s Message Archive

Director’s Message June 2018

Jun 27, 2018

This has been a difficult Director’s message to write, as it will be my last to appear in the Confab. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And so the Confab, which has gone through many changes over the years, is coming to an end. This issue will be the last one. We’re grateful to Tim Howley for his many years of service to the club; editing and publishing the Confab as well as the Lincoln and Continental Comments. I don’t think there’s anyone in the club who has devoted more of their time and energy to the club than Tim! We wish him all the best, and look forward to having him contribute some of his vast knowledge to the website from time to time.

All the information, news and events that appeared in the Confab will now be found on our wonderful new website, https://lcocwestern.org/. I hope that you will visit the site often, as there will be something new for you to enjoy almost every week. The site will be constantly evolving and improving and we look forward to input from you, the member, on how we can better serve all the current and future members. To be successful, the website needs material from you. You have the expertise and the knowledge and you know what you want to see on your website. We need members to contribute articles covering the various types and years of Lincolns and Continentals represented by our club. If you have a shop or mechanic in your area that you can recommend, we’d like to hear from you. Although activities are a vital part of our club, I feel that the website and our love of Lincolns, old and new, will be the bond that keeps us all together. For those of you who have no internet service, we will find a way to keep you informed. And of course you can always call me or any of the other Board Members if you just want to chat.

In my last message I asked for you to let me know your thoughts regarding the re-introduction of a membership directory. I only received four responses; one for and three against. I’ve forwarded that information on to National. In the future we’ll be able to have polls on our website, so it will be much easier for you to respond to questions anonymously.

We’ve had some good events so far this year, and there are more to come. For those of you in the North, Steve Walker is organizing a group for the California State Fair Auto Show on July 27th. In the South, the LZOC has invited us to join them on a tour of the Lyon Air Museum and the Crevier Collection on August 26th. Of course our big event of the year will be the Western National Meet in Albuquerque in October. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so soon. October will be here before you know it! Check the calendar of events for more information.

Lastly, we will be holding elections to the Board of Managers later this year. There will be more information on this in forthcoming messages on the website.

Jim Ayres

May 4 Director’s Message

May 4, 2018

I hope everyone is having a fantastic year so far, I know I am! April was a busy month for me, with an event every weekend. First, of course, was Easter Sunday, spent with family and friends, followed by the La Jolla Concours and Motor Classic, Fabulous Fords Forever, a party in Palm Springs, the Model A Pancake Breakfast and a Hagerty luncheon. I also managed to squeeze in an appearance at KTLA for their Summer Drive-in Movie Preview and a trip to San Francisco to check out a Mark VII. Next weekend we’ll be on the overnighter and driving tour in Mt. Pinos.

And there are no signs of things slowing down for the rest of the year! After the Mt. Pinos trip on May 4-6, our next big event will be our Spring Meet, June 2- 3, at the Huntington Beach Concours. If you haven’t attended this event in the past, I highly recommend that you attend this year. There’s always a great display of Lincolns, along with a huge variety of other classics. The concours is held at the beautiful Huntington Beach Central Park, once featured on Huell Howser’s “California’s Gold”. Please go to www.hbconcours.org to register now.

As Director of the Western Region, one of the most difficult things I have to do, besides writing this message for every issue of the Confab, is motivating you, the club members, to get involved and participate in the club. This is something that all past Directors have had to deal with. With little over 140 members spread across two states, it’s impossible for me to stay in touch with everyone. I would appreciate hearing from you once in a while, either through e-mail, our Facebook site, by telephone or our brand new website. Let me know how the club can serve you better, and better yet, how you can serve the club!

I have one more request. I’ve been asked to survey our members regarding the re-introduction of a printed National Membership Directory. It was last printed in 2015 and was discontinued after that due to the cost. The information it contained is in the members section of the LCOC website. Some members may not have internet access or choose not to use it, and some may just like to have a printed copy in their hands for whatever reason. The downside to a printed directory is the almost immediate obsolescence and the cost. So I have two questions for you: 1) Would you like to see the re-introduction of a printed membership directory? 2) If so, how much would you be willing to pay for a printed membership directory? Please let me know by July 1st so that your response can be tabulated and forwarded to National for their consideration.

Jim Ayres

April 5 Director’s Message

Apr 5, 2018

The year was officially “kicked off” with our visit to the Mullin Museum February 10. If you weren’t able to attend the event you missed something very special, but you can read about it in another story written by Elayne Bendel. Elayne has been invaluable to the club, and to me, always willing to help out whether it be writing articles about the events we attend, snapping pictures for publication in the Confab, reaching out to prospective members, or just helping in general as she did last weekend, manning our booth at the Classic Auto Show. Elayne received the Director’s Award this year for her outstanding contribution to the club. Many thanks Elayne. Your efforts are greatly appreciated! read more…

January 2018 – Director’s Message

Jan 20, 2018

First off, I’d like to welcome our new board members, Arv Larson and Jim Higgs, and thank them for stepping forward to fill the empty seats on the board. I also want to thank Tom McCarthy for his many years of service to the club, who unfortunately had to step down due to health issues. We wish Tom the best!

We had a lot of great events last year, and we can look forward to many more this year. The first event of the year, the annual SCIOC BBQ in Palm Springs, was a lot of fun. This event is becoming a tradition, and I’m going to call it our “Pre-Kickoff Event”. Many thanks to Marc Hampton and the Southern California Imperial Owners Club for hosting this wonderful event. read more…

November 2017 – Director’s Message

Nov 19, 2017

Hello Lincoln Enthusiasts,

Membership in the Western Region is open to everyone interested in Lincoln and Continental Automobiles. Ownership of an automobile in not necessary to join LCOC or the Western Region, but you must become a member of the national Lincoln and Continental Owners Club to be eligible to join the Western Region. As a member of the national club and Western Region, you will receive our bi-monthly national magazine, Continental Comments, monthly issues of the regional newsletter, the Confab and you will be able to attend and participate in national and regional events, car shows, tours and other activities.

Continentally, Jim Ayres

Director Message – October 2016

Oct 23, 2016

I have recently returned from an extended trip throughout nine Northeastern states that started with the LCOC Eastern Meet in New Hampshire. My wife, Kerry, and I have not spent extensive time in New England since I served in the U.S. Navy in Newport, Rhode Island during the early 70’s. The meet at Attitash, with the attraction of colorful fall leaves and beautiful East Coast Lincolns that I have never seen before, was too strong to pass up. Once we decided to attend the meet, our imaginations kicked into high gear regarding all of the other things that we could do once we were in the Northeast. Simple trips to such places as the site of the first house we rented after our wedding, and our first official Navy housing unit were naturals. That really got us back in touch with where our lives have been over these last 45 years. We selected several folks from those early days who we had not seen in decades and made some fantastic reconnections that even included a boat cruise on the Potomac River near Washington D.C.. I could write extensively about the entire trip that also included visits to our favorite art gallery, an offbeat bug museum, my wife’s childhood home, and our four grandsons, but that is not the purpose of this article.