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Just got my issue of the CCCA Bulletin for january 2007.
While reading this current issue there was a paragraph that caught my interest. On page 7 listed under old business.

HERSHEY REPORT

Joe Malaney reporting, Expenses for CCCA at Hershey were $6,344.50. Donations for the food amounted to $758.00 for a
net cost of $5,586.60. A discussion by the CCCA board indicated that we should for areas to save money. The CCCA board will revisit the CCCAhershey presence in February.

After reading that little piece of news, makes you wonder if other clubs might consider Fall Hershey is getting to expensive.

I know that after paying the parking fee and were they parked us at this last year I wasn't to happy. Glad the grandson and I took my 4 wheel drive pickup that day. if I would have had a car never would have attempted to park were they parked us.

Three pints in honor of Brad Berry and Jack Harlin


John F. Shireman

Well if the well heeled members of the CCCA find Hershey too expensive I guess I won't be going soon! Same with the PAC Meets in my opinion.

Packard53 -

Any club's decision on maintaining a presence at Fall Hershey will clearly depend on whether or not they are getting enough bank for their buck. If they are going there in hopes of member recruitment and merchandise sales, a lot depends on the people attending the greater event.

As someone who used to go to Fall Hershey almost every year, for over 25 years, I can say it's getting too expensive for the Average Joe to attend.

In addition to hotels and motels that double their rates for the event, the high price of gas (which is still almost double what is the last time I went) and declining incomes (thanks to outsourcing good paying jobs in favor of exploiting cheap labor overseas) don't help. Then, PA is (for the umpteenth time) talking about making a toll road out of I80.

Parking is a real sore spot for me, with HERCO charging top $$$ to park in what amounts to bottom land. Last time I went to Fall Hershey, it was about double the parking/gate fee for large events in the Penn-Ohio area. What HERCO charges might seem reasonable to someone who can afford to live and work in the NYC-Philly-DC corridor, but it's no bargain to the working class.

Seems like all the nearby landowners who used to charge less to park on their fields got bought up by HERCO over the years. I have parked up at the school up on the hill on show day, but as I get older, getting back to the car is tough on the legs at the end of a long day. On the plus side, I heard they the Yellow field went away this past year and the land reverted back to parking for the event.

I've lost a lot of interest in Hershey in recent years. All things considered, regardless of the weather forecast for the event itself, I don't even think about going to Fall Hershey if it's been raining in the weeks leading up to the event.

Clipper47 -

Though I've only been to a few (and just one as a registered attendee), I am not too impressed with PAC annual National meets. I understand that some people wanna make it their vacation and that the hosts need to accomodate the spouse and kids, but that alienates people who can't take a week off just for that and are there strictly for the cars. Also, such events are getting to be too darned expensive.

IMHO, I'd rather spend a day at the annual Packard meet in Perrsyburg, OH - put on by the Motor City Packards region of PAC. You'll see just as many or more Packards at this regional event as you will at the typical PAC National, but with plenty of good vendors with parts to sell. Best of all, I only have to take the OH Turnpike for about half of the the 3-1/2 hour trip. Unfortunately, fickle weather, high gas prices, and the sinking local economy have kept me from attending lately.

The annual show held by the Packard Museum in Warren is another good one, though sorely lacking in the swap meet. I don't expect the level of the Centennial event that was held there in 1999, but attendance keeps growing, and the citizens of Warren genuinely enjoy the event.

However, because my automotive interests aren't limited to just Packards, there are plenty other marques to look into at Hershey.

Maybe someday Fall Hershey will get its groove back, such that I will again be eager to attend. However, until I see a change in our country's leadership where we start strengthening the working middle class, instead of milking the citizenry for taxes (while politicians feather their own nests and those of other countries), I'm holding onto every penny I can. The road ahead looks awfully bumpy.

Brian, I attended only one PAC meet when it was in Minneapolis in I think 1992. It was only a short 7 hour drive away I stayed at the "host" hotel one night and I didn't register with the PAC . I showed up, bought a T-shirt and cap, and strolled among the Packards in the parking lot and left the next day. On a game warden's salary I was out of my league financially (and continue to be).
I have thought of attending other PAC meets over the years but the registration fees, banquet fees etc. while probably reasonable are nevertheless beyond my budget so I never go. Incidentally I was at Warren last April and saw the museum and I once went to Perrysburg just for the day about 4 years ago. I was visiting siblings in Windsor Ont. across from Detroit so my brother and I drove down for the day. I go to the Iola Wisconsin show pretty much every year because it's only about a 8 hour drive away and it is reasonably priced for parking and entrance fees.
I once owned a 1947 Nash 600 and one thing I did like about the Nash Club of America was that the annual meets were usually in some midwest town where the main event was a barbeque in a farmers back 40. My kind of people!

Dave -

Yeah, I just don't go for all that fine wine, Grey Poupon, and money. Yet, some clubs have forsaken the traditional method of regions bidding to host a national meet, and handed the whole thing off to a "professional" convention planner. From what I've heard, all that does is drive the cost of attendance up even further.

Hmm, maybe they're tryin' to keep us common folk out - LOL!

If you were a V8 owner, you would have enjoyed the Packard V8 Club's first annual meet last year. Basically held at Craig's place, in Nevada, it had a hands-on, get dirty, aspect, but with "refreshments" at all times. While I wasn't able to attend, I heard that a good time was had by all.

Backyard barbecues are great way to get together with like-minded owners, but if you wanna grow interest in the cars and clubs, there also needs to be some display of vehicles that is highly-visible to the public. One nice thing about Hershey is that it's not a members-only thing (wouldn't have gotten anywhere near as big if it was restricted as such).

While public displays are not without problems, one of the biggest kicks I get out of showing an old car is watching people ogle these cars. At Warren, people often shake their head and wonder how a company that made such beautiful cars went out of business - not surprising given the butt-ugly styling of so many cars made in recent decades.

Hope to see you at the Warren meet one of these years.

Gentlemen, that WAS a good time at Craig's house last year! No membership fees, just everyone chipping in $10-$20 for the food and beer, working on the 1956 400 (I should say dismantling), and building the supercharger bracket, along with Kevin's build up of his 374. Entertainment and education for the measly price of $20, how could you possibly go wrong? Charging people to enter their cars is something we'll never do unless it gets so big we have to rent a park to hold it in. (Which, BTW, might just happen one of these days) The most expensive part about the meet was getting there and back, which I think was the same for about everyone who attended.

As far as I know, we haven't decided where the next National Meet of The Packard V8 Club will be this year, and if it's too far away, I won't be able to make it. Last year's trip cost me close to $1000 when it was all said and done, and I doubt that I'll be able to do that again this year. If we happen to have it a little closer this year, I should be able to come, but like I say, we haven't decided where it's going to be! Holding a meet doesn't have to be expensive, if a person is smart about it, and members donate their yards/back 40's/etc to the club for a day, or about 7 in Craig's case.

Gee, Now I'm sorry I didn't buy the '56 Patrician I stored in my garage a few years back. I saw it sitting in a snowbank behind a garage in a rough part of town and so I located the owner and told him he could store it in my garage for free. I just didn't want it vandalized it since it was a Packard. I worked on it for something to do and got the T.L. to work. I could have had it for $2000 but decided that it was too big a car (darn darn). I heard it sold but have never seen or heard of it in about 10 years. It's probably sitting in a garage somewhere so maybe I'll get a second chance. Then I can attend a V-8 Club Meet!!