At the quarterly meeting we discovered that we’re no longer a small club in the eyes of the Austin-Healey Club of America. With 37 members, we have moved into the realm of mediumness! (Somehow, the word mediocrity just doesn’t seem to fit.) Membership chairman Rick Hayes is doing an outstanding job of rounding up new members, and the Lownsdales drive a rolling advertisement for the club. I know that whenever I stop at a gas station I always hear the phrase "Wow! I haven’t seen one of those in a while! I / My father / My roommate / My old boyfriend / etc. used to own a Healey." Occasionally I’ll hear someone say they still have one or they know someone who does. That’s the time to pull out a membership application and let them know that there’s a club full of people who love these cars as much as they do. Make sure to catch up with Rick Hayes or Gary Lownsdale and get a few copies of the membership application to keep in the boot. You never know when you’ll find a potential member out there. The more, the merrier!

Doug’s Drivel

Although I missed the last pub night due to a prior obligation with the soon-to-be famous Grainger County Tomato Festival, I was represented well by my wife, Barbara. She wanted to be there to continue to extend a personal invitation to each of you to the quarterly meeting at our house on July 31^st. We’re both looking forward to the opportunity of hosting a gathering of such fine friends with a special shared interest.

Barbara does have for me a rather long list of chores to do to make our house and yard somewhat more presentable – a daunting task considering the dirt (mud?) around our not yet completed new garage/boathouse. But who could be more adaptable and tolerant than people who drive somewhat ancient British sports cars? I only hope the weather is neither too hot nor too wet, and Bob Ricker finds the way here in spite of my map.

By the way, I got a report that Gary Lownsdale very ceremoniously inducted two new members into the national Healey Sport Boat Club, Rick Hayes and Richard Miller. Now, if we all just had that rarest of boats, we could ride the waves together. Maybe someday….

Again, we’re anticipating a great gathering on the 31^st. Bring a full Healey, an empty stomach, and a few condiments!

Happy Healeying,

Doug

Smoke Editions

Ever wonder why Doug always seems to be looking forward to something that already happened? It’s because a certain newsletter editor asked him to send in his column at the end of each month, somewhere around the 20^th or the 25^th. Let me tell you, his teachers must have loved him. I can imagine a young Doug dutifully handing in his assignments on time, printed neatly, perfectly researched, expecting an A+ on each paper…and getting it, too. So if you ever think Doug is behind the times, I want you all to know that he’s really ahead of his time.

I want to apologize, too, for any issues of the newsletter that are a bit late getting to you. I aim for the first of the month, but I don’t always hit what I aim at. The last week of July found me dashing off to Knoxville in the mornings, then to Chattanooga in the evenings, and then home to Athens in the middle of the night. Work is taking me to Chattanooga for a few months, so if I don’t see you at the next few pub nights, know that I’m there in spirit.

If you missed the last pub night, you missed a visit from a representative of the Foothills Land Conservancy. The club presented him with a donation and he told us about the Smith Bend project on the Tennessee River. It’s a location we may want to visit on a drive someday so we can see firsthand some of the natural beauty our donations are helping to preserve.

In the meantime, don’t forget to take advantage of the great events that are coming up – a tech session in August, Southeastern Classic in September, and a drive in the Smokies in October.

See you on the road!

Amy

August Tech Session

Since there are no drives scheduled in the near future, a tech session is in order! Many Healeys need the flexible carburetor hose replaced due to age. The hose may look fine on the outside, but the inside has turned to mush.

A tech session to replace carburetor hoses will be held at the home of Richard and Andree Miller at 9705 Bob Gray Road on August 14^th at 10:30 a.m.

To get to Bob Gray Road:

• Take I-40 to North Cedar Bluff, toward Middlebrook Pike.
• Go about one mile from the Interstate and turn left on Bob Gray Road. If you get to Middlebrook Pike, you went too far.

You will need to bring the part with you. Call Bob Ricker at 694-6086 or page him at 873-2005 and he will arrange a group purchase of the parts for the session. Due to this late announcement, please call as soon as possible!

What’s next? Well, you know, those flexible brake hoses might need attention, too….

1999 Conclave Delegates Meeting Notes

The summer session of the Delegates Meeting was held at the Conclave ’99 site in St. Louis on June 23. A quorum was present, so formal business could be conducted and votes taken.

• Membership is now at 3,441, up 27 members over 1998.
• The Treasury stands at $160,000, which is 9% above budget, with $109,000 in cash.
• John May, VP Club Support, needs e-mail contact for each region. A new recruiting application, letter, and brochure is available for all regions upon request.
• A Spec Sprite Registry was begun by Fred Crowley. Anyone using the dual point Mallory distributor should get the new seal kit upgrade to avoid premature failure.
• Ron Mitchell, SE Michigan, has been appointed the Conclave website coordinator.
• Mike Schneider presented an outline for candidates for the new Conclave Advisory Committee. Note that Gary, Paulette, and Charlie Lownsdale are all on this committee.
• Gary Lownsdale reported that the Healey Marque advertising income is above the budget planning with $19,700 collected to date against a $20,000 annual budget. Much work has been done to repair the sponsor relationships this year and Victoria British came back in as major Conclave sponsor.
• Concours Standards are still available from Walt Blanck. Four cars were scheduled to be Concours judged at Conclave, a BJ8 and three BT7’s.
• The DMH Memorial Fund is now at $15,500.
• The DMH Museum Fund is now at $500 thanks to a commitment from the Austin-Healey Sports Boats Association.
• Chuck Anderson is investigating $2,000,000 insurance coverage.
• Norm Parsons reported that Sports Classic in North Carolina is the current regalia provider. A new website link is in the woks that responds quicker. AHCA banners (18" x 48") are now available to all regions for $30.
• The official AHCA website is Healeyclub.org. All officers are now linked to the website.
• The Fall Delegates Meeting will be held in Charlotte on November 12-14 with a budget meeting on Friday.
• See your delegate for information on the Museum Car proposal and needs.
• Votes were taken on the following Conclave locations and approved:
  2000 – Indianapolis (Date may be revised from earlier schedule for UK-Y2K tour.)
  2001 – Minnesota
  2002 – Lake Tahoe Healey International Meet (Approved in a special evening session of the
  delegates)
• Details on each Conclave proposal are available from your delegate.
• 1999 Conclave has 204 Registrations with 160 cars and 6 no-shows and was a great success with FUN for all in attendance.
• The Delegates unanimously approved the petition from Commodore Gary Lownsdale for inclusion of the Austin-Healey Sports Boats Association, with its 45 members, for charter approval in the Austin-Healey Club of America.
• Smoky Mountain Region was well represented in the awards showing throughout the week with Amy, Charlie, and Gary winning multiple awards each.

Respectfully,

Paulette Lownsdale

Smoky Mountain Region Delegate

Quarterly Meeting Report

Our quarterly meeting was due in July, and we just barely made it. July 31^st found us gathered at Doug and Barbara Smith’s home in Rutledge. The weather was sunny, to say the least, and only one couple was willing to brave the heat and drive a Healey. Ah, but more about that later.

Upon arrival at the meeting, the Lownsdales pinned a Healey-related picture to each attendee’s back. We had to play twenty questions to figure out what the picture was. In many cases the people who knew what the picture was were just as stumped as the one to whom it was pinned. I must look up the Healey Elliott and see just what that is!

Here are the items we discussed at the meeting.

• Rick Hayes reported approximately $1300.00 in the club’s account. Leonard McKeehan’s lithographs have passed the break-even point and are going to be advertised in regional newsletters in addition to the national magazine.
• The address for the national club has changed to North Carolina since Chuck and Edie Anderson moved there.
• Membership applications were distributed. Keep a few in your car for the next time you come across a Healey enthusiast who doesn’t know about the club.
• Bob Ricker reminded us of the upcoming drive on the Cherohala Skyway on Sunday, October 17^th, departing from the Alcoa Wal-Mart at 11:00 a.m. Watch for details in the Smoke Signals. We’d like to make this a major event, involving other British cars in addition to Healeys. British car clubs in the area will be notified. Don’t forget to invite your friends with British cars.
• Paulette Lownsdale presented a report of the delegates meeting at Conclave. A detailed report is in this newsletter. Of special note was the scheduling of upcoming Conclaves: July 6 – 10, 2001 in Minnesota, and the International meet in 2002 in Lake Tahoe.
• The national club has made a banner available for local clubs through regalia. The club voted to purchase one at a cost of $30.00 so that we may use it at future events.
• Thanks to the hard work of Gary Lownsdale, Healey Marque met its annual advertising budget as of June. Additional funds will go to produce extra pages in the magazine.
• Shirt planning has continued. Two types of embroidery will be available, a large version of the logo appropriate for sweatshirts and sweaters, and a smaller version for the pocket area of polos and T-shirts. Bring your own shirts to pub night. Items for the large embroidery go to Leonard McKeehan, and items for the small embroidery go to Paulette Lownsdale. The small embroidery will cost approximately $10 - $11. The price for the large embroidery has not yet been determined.
• Doug Smith presented a pair of Grainger County Tomato Festival T-shirts to the couple who were cool enough to drive a Healey: Paul and Rena Robinson!
• Rick Hayes has compiled a list of Healey parts vendors. He’s now online and ready to share the results of his research.
• The club voted to replace the pub night on December 13^th with a holiday party. Rick and Katherine Hayes volunteered to organize the event.
• Amy Turner indulged in some shameless self-promotion and announced that she and husband Paul have been cast in major roles in the Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof. Show dates are September 3^rd through October 2^nd, with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening performances and Sunday matinees.

October Charity Event

August Calendar