VCC FAR NORTH FOCUS OCTOBER 2023

Far North Focus October 2023

The wheels of our Club

Vince and Naomi Mason’s 1934 AXS 14/6 Vauxhall

Who’s Who for 2023/2024

Committee: Winston Matthews, Murray Cormack, Robyn Mackay, Mike Pooley, Naomi Mason, Keith Lyndsell, Tom Deverall, Steve Edwards, Margaret Deverall, Margaret Ilton.

The full list of the elected officers is circulated with the minutes of the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

Club Cleaning Roster

October Everyone

November M & T Deverall

December Winston & Glenis

January C & M Ilton

February J Wright

March P O’Dell

April M & T Deverall

May M Pooley

June R & W Mackay

July C & M Ilton

August D & B Francis

September N & V Mason

Caffeine & Classics

3rd Sunday every month 9.30 to 12

Next date: Sunday 15th October

Taipa Beach Resort

During the month and preferably before the main calendar event, please give the clubrooms a thorough check over. This includes cleaning the toilets, hand basins, checking kitchen, table tops, window ledges, sweeping the floors etc.

If your cleaning date does not suit you, please swop with someone else.

Thanks for supporting the running of the Club.

Window cleaning, washing walls etc. will be done at working bees.

Take note of any required maintenance and pass on to:

Building Officer - Warren Mackay 021 1036 4333

For any further enquires please contact our Club Captains.

The Far North Branch of the VCC has a policy that pets are not brought to any Club events. We do ask that this policy is respected please.

Calendar of Club Events

October

7th Boot Sale/sausage sizzle

9-9.30 am Club members & 10 am open to public

10th Tuesday Monthly Meeting 7 pm

14th Dunny Run

15th Caffeine & Classics

November

3-4th Friday/Saturday Far North Tour

11th November Wheels of Mayhem

14th Tuesday Monthly Meeting 7pm

19th Caffeine & Classics

December

12th Tuesday Monthly Meeting 7pm

16th Saturday Xmas Lunch @ Clubrooms

Win organising a fun event

17th Caffeine & Classics 2024

January

6th Taipa Show and Shine

20th Saturday Picnic

21st Caffeine & Classics

February

10th Saturday Northern Captain’s Run

Deverall’s organising.

13th Tuesday Monthly Meeting 7pm

18th Caffeine & Classics

March

12th Meeting 7 pm

17th Caffeine & Classics

Southern Captains Run

April

13th Saturday Monthly Meeting 1.30 pm

21st Caffeine & Classics

Brian Parker Rally Ron & Beryl organising

May

18th Saturday 1.30 pm AGM with a monthly meeting to follow.

19th Caffeine & Classics

Mother’s Day Run Dave & Dorothy Duirs

organising

June

8th Saturday Monthly meeting 1.30 pm

16th Caffeine & Classics

29th Molloy Trophy Warren and Robyn MacKay

organising

Monthly - 2nd Tuesday

Club Meeting @ Aurere Clubrooms

Monthly - 3rd Sunday

Caffeine & Classics

Log hauling at Donnelly’s Crossing

Club Notices

A reminder: Subscriptions for our VCC memberships are due by 31 October. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Club Badges

Robyn will be ordering badges for some members who have asked for them, but she is wondering if she has the names of everyone who requires a badge. Please, email or text her asap if you want one.

The Club pays for these.

Contacts for her: 021106 2275

wmackay116@gmail.com

New Members

We are delighted to have Tony Adams, Rodney Haines and Robert Horn join the Club.

A warm welcome to you all.

Please feel free to contact any of our members and join us at meetings and events.

Dunny Run

This year the run has been kindly set by Steve and Jen Cornwall.

The run is on Saturday 14 October.

The starting place is the car park back behind the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa and you should be there at 10.50 am for an 11 am start. The run will be approx. 2 hours.

Far North Tour

There will be an email sent to you with the details of this event and the entry form.

Entries close on 23 October.

The first 80 entrants to book, will have their Saturday evening meal at the Mangonui Cruising Club.

October Tuesday 10

Monthly Club Meeting

7 pm meeting at the Clubrooms

From the Chair…

The September branch outing was the Father's Day Run, organised by Steve and Steph.

There was a great turnout for the run which was a repeat of an earlier run, to check on the progress of the TSS Minerva and the Bay of Islands Vintage Steam Railway.

This time, the first stop was to the Minerva engines which are with Mike & Dave Collins, Kerikeri.

These 2 very talented men are rebuilding the engines for the Minerva.

We then drove to Kawakawa where we had lunch and boarded the train to travel the rails which now take the train over the bridge and some distance towards Opua.

Our driver was Steph.

Following this, most of us followed a gravel route to the Minerva from

Kawakawa, while some took the direct (sealed) route.

Progress on the ship is rather one step forward, two back – but I am sure they will get there and have her working in conjunction with the Railway to provide a superb steam experience.

Sincere congratulations to our winners of the Father’s Day trophy.

The weather caused a postponement of the Working Bee until Sunday when much work was done in preparation for the Boot Sale.

For October, we have the Boot Sale on 7th with other clubs and the Public are invited to come and socialise over a sizzling sausage (or two) and buy and/or sell all sorts of “treasures”.

On the 10th is the monthly meeting, and on the 14th we have the Dunny Run starting in Kawakawa. This year it is organised by the Northland Branch.

On 3-4 November the Northland Branch has the Far North Tour coming up our way. Anyone wishing to take part and/or attend the Dinner would book with the Northland Branch.

Keep the wheels turning, Keith.

Northern Club Captain’s Report

September has been a busy monthspring has definitely arrived.

Our Saturday Club meeting was well attended by 18 members. It was great to see you all there enjoying the socializing and the fantastic food!

Our new member, Tony Adams attended the meeting. Welcome, Tony.

Saturday’s working bee became a Sunday event, thanks to the weather. It was unfortunate some of you had to miss out with inclement weather, being the ruler. Once again, we had a great turnout and thanks to every one of you hard-working cleaners and parts organisers.

A special thanks to Steve and Warren for getting the roof fixed

We should all be proud of ourselves as we achieved so much in 3 hrs.

I for one, have never seen the Clubhouse looking so smart.

Maybe next time we could employ a painting team.

Tony went over and beyond with his water blasting of the outside of the building.

And Dave cleaned up the entrance and the deck beautifully.

Steve and Steph brought along their grandsons, all adding their support to the jobs being done. We need to encourage this younger generation as they hopefully will become tomorrow's enthusiasts.

Tom and I, along with Claude & Marg made a day during the month to visit Kirsten and John at Whatuwhiwhi.

Plenty of food kept us all going, also.

Next to come is our car boot day sale on the 7th, along with bbq sausages.

Hoping you can join us.

These are special times which we so appreciate.

And Ceceila & Pete at Hihi.

We get to see their mechanical treasures, interests close to their hearts, their special spots in our Far North paradise and to have time to get to know them personally. Thank you for having us visit. Margaret.

PS

Big thanks to Marg Ilton for persevering and achieving the installation of the new dunny seat for the men which I happened across. I believe, if Dorothy had been a bit quicker she may have had a good photo for the Focus!!

From behind a shed door…

Again, a spotlight on our own parts shed. Quietly working, we have a group of our members who give their time…and patience!... to the shed.

It’s a rather extensive collection we have and trying to organise it, is nothing short of a nightmare really, from an onlooker's point of view.

And a sincere thank you to the group who are working through organising the thousands of parts.

Somewhere to put the parts is at a premium, deciding what should stay and what is no longer worth keeping, is a repeated question. Then physically sorting through parts and grouping things, becomes the next act.

Thanks, John for the storage units you have recently found for the shed.

Our new Father’s Day trophy, thanks to Dave & Steve.

A very interesting visit to the Collins Bros workshop where the restoration of the Minerva steam engines is being done. It is a very technical process requiring hours and hours of work.

And then it was onto Kawakawa for the train trip followed with a drive to Opua for the update on the TSS Minerva.

Omnium gatherum…

Our special thoughts are with all Members who are quietly managing their health, day by day.

Caffeine & Classics

Another enjoyable meet at Taipa Resort for a wide group of drivers and vehicles.

.

Grant was the Repco Spot prize winner with his 1956 Chevy 3100 Series ex-Navy pickup.

Pantry Perks… thank you Gloria for sharing this delight with us.

WALNUT SLICE

Base: 1½ cups plain flour

½ cup castor sugar

180g butter

Topping:

3 eggs

½ cup castor sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1½ tsp vanilla

3 Tb plain flour

1½ Tb baking powder

½ tsp mixed spice

½ tsp salt

2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Turn oven to 180C (160 fan)

Rub butter into flour and sugar till very fine, then press firmly into a 20 X 30cm greased tin. Bake

20mins or until edges are just golden. Remove from oven.

While this is cooking, whisk eggs, sugars and vanilla. Sift in flour, bp, spice and salt, mix, then add walnuts. Pour this over the hot base, and return to oven for a further 20 minutes until browned and firm to the touch.

Remove, cool on a rack, and cut when cold.

Note: A food processor makes the base easy, and the walnuts fine. You can substitute some of the walnuts with ground almonds, as it takes 3cups unchopped walnuts to get 2 cups fine.

In the Focus for September, we have had photos contributed by:

Glenis, Rosco, Marg D, Naomi, Marg I

Reports, notices & contributions from Keith and Margaret D.

Thank you for your support.