Bellingham Kiwanis Soundings

October 13,2009

Prez Jim started the meeting with the small gavel - Barb lead the group singing America and John Wilson gave the invocation.

Guests:

Rhonda Schaeffer and Bill Audley

Birthdays:

Dick Zagelow gave $5.00 if everybody younger than he sing. The entire group got up and sang?

Announcements:

Bruce Jorgensen invited everybody to join Rhonda Schaeffer and the Boys and Girls club for a spaghetti dinner at the Boys and Girls Club Building. Next years Bike Safety Rodeo will be discussed.

Jan Armstrong reminded members to place their bets on the "Closest to the Birth Pool" for Nancy Leavette.

Alyson Batchelder-Bestle sent around the Invocation Signup and a Veterans Survey.

Happy Dollars:

Nancy Larsen gave a happy $5. On George's Birthday, they put $20 bucks into a penny machine and won $150.

Ralph Gardner was happy that he sold his 1929 Ford Sports Coupe. He is now looking for a Corvette. Many us have fond memories of the program and slide show about Ralph's tip to California in the old 29.

Greg Wegrich paid $2 - one for a joke (a good one) and the other for enjoying the Canadian Thanks Giving with his grandkids.

John Wilson was happy - he celebrated his son's 14th birthday.

Rich Emerson had a concerned dollar that the newspaper (Bellingham Herald) printed his name as Everson. He also was saddened by his dog, who got "Skunked."

Dick Zagelow had a frustrating dollar - he received his new Comcast equipment, set it up, and it did not work.

John Howe was happy that last Thursday had been a great daily double interclub event. We visited both Kulshan and Snohomish.

Barb Audley paid a buck to deliver a great funny joke.

Bob Gregory had fun at the Cougs game, though they lost.

Rhonda Schaeffer was happy to have completed a great United Way presentation.

Drawing:

Nancy won the drawing - but did not pull the Joker.

Program:

Alyson announced that today's program was US! She was looking for good stories about our Member's "first cars." There were a lot of good stories - a lot of nostalgia. It is clear everybody loved their first car.

Al Dale's first car was purchased in 1946, a 1928 Pontiac. He would love to have it today.

Rich Emerson sort of received his first car in 1964 while a senior in high school from his parents - a 1953 Buick. He traded it in for his real first car, a 1951 Ford.

Bruce Jorgensen, it turns out, was a hotrod enthusiast. He and his brother built his first car, and 1940 Chevy Coupe - with a big engine. He was fastest in town.

John Wilson's first car was a 1962 Austin Healy Sprint. It was a smoking car (not sure what that means.) He actually stuffed 7 kids into the car.

Bob Gregory's first car was a 1956 CJ5 Jeep. It had been well used so Bob decided to test the 4 wheel drive. He found the nearest patch of sand - it 4 wheel - hung head over the side to watch and covered his face with sand - it worked.

Larry West's first care was a beat up 1956 Chevy Post with a 265 engine a four barrel carburetor and NO REVERSE. It was amazing how you can drive without reverse.

Jeri Bungard's first car was a Nash Rambler Station Wagon. It was purple. It had a nifty push button automatic transmission. One day, she pushed on the buttons and they all fell out.

John Howe's first car was a 1939 Mercury Coupe. The floor boards were missing and whenever it rained, John got splashed.

Alyson Batchelder-Bestle's first car was a Chevy Corvier. It went fast! But broke down often. It did however, hook Alyson on sporty cars - which is true today - she drives a sporty car.

Ralph Gardner, when he was 21 and living in Salt Lake City, bought his first car, a 1948 Hudson - which was later traded for a 1956 Post.

John Eagon's first car was a Ford Model T. He challenged the group to see if any other members had driven a Model T. Turned out - Bruce Jorgensen had driven one. (Some thought Bruce may have a Model T confused with a farm tractor.)

Alyson then slightly changed the topic - to Car Stories.

Al Dale was quick to pitch in. He had just joined the National Guard. The first four times he left for the meeting - he ran out of gas at exactly the same place.

Jan Armstrong was raised on a farm. He dad had his own supply of gas with a pump. Running out of gass was not an option. He also had a very long driveway. Jan, as well as any of her friend, were required to back up the drive - every time.

Rich Emerson's story was about his driving a dump truck full of sand. He was driving down a steep hill picking up speed. At the bottom of the hill was a narrow bridge. Just as he got to the bridge there was a fully loaded gasoline truck entering the bridge from the other side. Neither could stop. The passed so close - the side mirrors were torn off his truck.

When he was in high school, Russ Weston had a small fiat. Three of his buddies could pick up one end of the car, which they did for him when he had a flat tire in Birch Bay.

Dick Zagelow told the most unusual story. He had just picked up a hitchhiker. Around one corner he almost drove over an embankment. The hitchhiker immediately asked if he could leave the car.

It seems Al Dale's father wanted him to become a farmer. He instructed Al to go to the county and get a 2 ½ truck that was set up with seeder. The seeder was very tall and on the way back to his dad's farm, he stretched every telephone and electric line in both counties.

Dick Zagelow had another interesting story. Dick first arrived in Bellingham to attend Western he set about looking for work. Dick was a veteran and called Westford Funeral Home. Mr. Westford helped Veterans find employment. One day Dick got a call - and spent the day driving a Hurst.

Alyson Batchelder-Bestle then changed the subject one more time and asked if there were any good hunting stories. She was pointint to Bob Gregory since he had just gotten back from a hunting trip. Bob reponed by telling a Blond Joke.

Others, though, had real hunting stories. Dick Zagelow grow up in the Odessa Wheat County. He did plenty of hunting and one trip, he out wit the ducks. He noticed they would going in a particular direction. He drove around an placed himself in their path. No trouble getting his limit. In fact he got so many he gave some to his football coach.

Russ Weston, also a hunter, had just spent a week in Hamilton hunting with Joe Carpenter. They were hunting for bear, but only saw goats! They did not get a bear but did have a great time.

When Al Dale was in the 7th grade, he went hunting for rabbits that could be sold for 50 cents. He was with several of his buddies - they unloaded all their guns - then the rabbits took off.

John Wilson worked on a mink farm. Occasionally a cat would get into the farm and kill minks. One such cat did and the owner told John to hunt him down. John cornered the cat in a tree and took his shot, and missed. John was glad he missed.

PICTURES OF RECENT KIWANIS PROJECTS

Bellingham Kiwanis Wayside Park Fall Cleanup

It's Fall! and the Bellingham Kiwanis got the park ready for winter by cleaning and upkeep at the Bellingham Kiwanis Pocket Park. We also installed a plaque awarded to the club for creating a natural habitat environment. Years ago, The Bellingham Kiwanis adopted the small park behind Bellingham City Hall.....[READ MORE...]

Photo by Greg Wegrich