Club Management:
Membership Meeting – February 2026
A break in the cold weather and the promise of a delicious meatball submarine lunch resulted in a large attendance of 47 current and prospective members at our February Membership Meeting, held at the Divinity Lutheran Church in Towson, Maryland.
There was much to discuss regarding our upcoming year 2026 activities, as we kicked off our Club’s 71st year. Plans were finalized for our annual Chesapeake Collector Car Swap Meet, to be held at the Howard County Fairgrounds, and for our popular annual Membership Luncheon, at the Greystone Golf Course. in White Hall, Maryland.
Club Social Event:
Membership Luncheon – March 2026
Events for the year 2026 began with our annual Membership Luncheon held at the Greystone Golf Course. in White Hall, Maryland. After a delicious lunch served buffet style, we held an informal “identity” contest from photos of attending club member’s vehicles. Attendees were challenged to identify the make, model, year and owner. Everyone enjoyed the activity and the lively discussions that followed. During the Membership Luncheon members were treated to a PowerPoint presentation of Chesapeake Region events and Chesapeake Region members of the past and present.
Club Fundraiser:
Chesapeake Collector Car Swap Meet – March 2026
The weather was sunny, though a bit windy, for our year 2026 Collector Car Swap Meet. We had many vendors selling a wide variety of automobile-related items, from the many indoor, outdoor and covered vendor spaces available. Several vendors trailered their vehicles for sale to the site.
Technical/Training Session:
Vehicle Electrical Drain Issue – April 2026
Our Club Technical Director held another of his “Tech Sessions” – this time at the home of a member with a car suffering an apparent electrical drain issue. Armed with electrical testing instruments, the intricate process began. But where was that electrical drain? Multiple potential sources were investigated and dismissed. Finally, a likely suspect was identified and temporarily bypassed from the vehicle circuitry. With the battery recharged, only time will tell if that likely suspect was the real culprit. If the battery again discharges quickly, then possibly the battery itself could be the actual issue. Time will tell.
These Tech Sessions held by our knowledgeable Technical Director not only help Club members detect and correct elusive problems with their vehicles but also provide an educational opportunity for our attending Club members.
Local Event Participation:
WW II American Experience Museum Tour – May 2026
Many of our Chesapeake Region, AACA members are also members of the Free State Region of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America. Many of those mutual members participated in a tour arranged by Free State Region to the WW II American Experience Museum located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Jack Anderson, a docent of the WW II Museum and a member of both clubs, conducted the tour. He has a wealth of knowledge on the subject of WW II.
Local Charity Support:
Saint John’s Lutheran Church
Collector Car Show – May 2026
We joined with Saint John’s Lutheran Church of Sweet Air, Maryland to hold a collector car show, in support of their Children’s Ministry. A large attendance, with a wide variety of collector vehicles made for a very successful event.
Club Fundraiser:
Fire Museum of Maryland
Four-Alarm Collector Car Show – May 2026
This year again, the previous decision to move our annual event held at the fabulous Fire Museum of Maryland to the cooler month of May, earlier in the year, turned out to be rewarded in spades! We had perfect weather and a fabulous turnout of nearly eighty collector vehicles. Great food was available on-site for purchase at a reasonable cost, provided by the local favorite vendor: Food by Fire. Many awards were presented, including “Best of Show”. We thank the Fire Museum of Maryland for hosting our annual event.
Local Charity Support:
Saint Elizabeth School
Antique Car Display – May 2026
Again this year, our Chesapeake Region members held an antique car display for the students of Saint Elizabeth School in Baltimore City. Dedicated staff members teach academic, supportive and vocational skills to elementary, middle and high school students dealing with various cognitive and other disabilities. We are happy to support these challenging efforts. Due to privacy considerations, we do not display photos of the many students that enjoyed sitting in and discovering the many features of our vintage vehicles on display.
Local Event Participation:
Carroll Lutheran Village – Westminster, MD
Car Show – May 2026
As a charitable outreach, our Chesapeake Region, AACA antique car club has held antique car shows for the residents of Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, Maryland, for many years. Management of the senior living community has always been welcoming and appreciative of our outreach.
I imagine their marketing staff took particular notice of the situation. Here you had a group of retirement age individuals voluntarily visiting the site of their retirement age community, a facility that was always seeking new residents.
The number of participating members of just our one car club was limited, however. Smartly taking notice, they apparently decided to flip the script and hold their own car show, inviting members of multiple area car clubs.
To enhance the event, they provide live music, delicious food and a variety of drinks and desserts for the residents and visiting participants – all for free!
With perfect weather this year the turnout of Carroll Lutheran Village residents and collector car participants was truly amazing.
Club Social Event:
Summer Membership Picnic – 2025
This year we again gathered at the home of Club President, Paula Ruby, for our annual Membership Picnic. The weather was sunny and warm, and no sudden rain showers spoiled the very enjoyable day. Many members brought their antique and collector vehicles for all to view.
A large turnout of Chesapeake Region members attended, donating a wide variety of delicious side-dishes to accompany the basic food and drink items provided by the Club. A big “thank you” to host, President Paula, and to all that participated. It was great to see so many of our Club members.
After everyone enjoyed a fabulous meal, we brought back a favorite Picnic activity from years past: a Club Donation Auction. Members were encouraged to donate items for auction, with proceeds going to help replenish our Club Treasury funds. A wide variety of items were donated by attendees and auctioned off by our ace auctioneer: Gary Ruby, Jr. Thanks Gary!
Regional Excursion:
Boyertown Automobile Museums – 2025
It was “all aboard” a large, comfortable bus for our Club excursion to Boyertown, Pennsylvania, to tour two wonderful automobile museums. The group assembled at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Shrewsbury, PA.
Our first stop was at the Three Dog Garage Museum, where we toured their extensive automobile collection, housed in two large buildings. The collection features professional Hot Rod Conversions and Racing Vehicles.
After a break for lunch at the ever-popular Saville’s Diner in Boyertown, our group again climbed aboard the bus for a short drive to the nearby Boyertown Museum of Transportation History. This museum features a wide range of early transportation vehicles, with an emphasis on those developed in the nearby Boyertown, Pennsylvania region.
Upon conclusion of the Boyertown Museum visit, we boarded the bus for the trip back to our morning assembly point at the Shrewsbury, PA Cracker Barrel.
It was an enjoyable trip for everyone who participated, and a great opportunity to tour these two amazing automotive museums.
Club Fundraiser:
Autumn Harvest Collector Car Show – August 2025
The weather was perfect, and the collector car community turnout exceeded expectations. Our annual fundraiser was a huge success this year, after several recent years of weather-related challenges. Our annual venue and gracious host, the Manchester Volunteer Fire Company, provided delicious food as always and everyone who attended, with their wide variety of collector vehicles seemed to have a great time, exploring the show field and relaxing in conversation with new acquaintances and old friends.
Club Social Event:
Crab Feast & Riverboat Cruise – September 2025
The premier event of the 70th Anniversary of our Chesapeake Region, AACA was our Crab Feast and Riverboat Cruise on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This event was brought back by popular demand, after a similar event was held for our 65th Anniversary. It did not disappoint! We filled two tour busses, on a round trip from Westminster, Maryland.
The available menu, in addition to the steamed crabs – done Maryland style with Old Bay seasoning, included drinks, salad, fried clams, corn-on-the-cob, and cheesecake for dessert. Returning home hungry was not an option!
Local Charity Support:
Tall Cedars of Lebanon
Baltimore Forest #45 – Annual Pancake Breakfast – November 2025
Our Chesapeake Region, AACA members always look forward to participating in this annual event to financially support the Muscular Dystrophy Relief Fund.
In addition to enjoying a variety of delicious breakfast foods and drinks, we welcome the opportunity to support this worthy charity that helps persons and their families impacted by the debilitating Muscular Dystrophy disease.
Local Charity Support:
Toys For Tots Campaign
Assembly: Children’s Bicycles for Holiday Donation – November 2025
Many volunteer Club member hands made for relatively quick work assembling the children’s bicycles being readied for our annual Club donation to the Toys for Tots campaign for the holiday season. Our volunteers gathered at the home of Club President Paula Ruby to open cartons, retrieve multiple bicycle parts, remove necessary wrappings and assemble per instructions. Upon completion we assembled ourselves, for some snacks and socialization.
Club Social Event:
Annual Membership Banquet – November 2025
Club members always anticipate getting together at our Annual Membership Banquet, the final opportunity of each year for our members to gather socially.
As we have done for many years, we again held our event at the Friendly Farm Restaurant in Upperco, Maryland. Good food and friendly, efficient service lures us back to this venue every year. We had a large year 2025 turnout.
Upon completion of the delicious meal, President Paula Ruby conducted a program to honor many of the attendees, both members and non-members:
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- Our 50-year AACA members, received 50-year commendation pins.
- Our Club member ladies supporting the Club operations were recognized.
- Our Club member men supporting the Club operations were recognized.
- Our commercial printer, supporting the Club operations was recognized.
In appreciation for her time commitment and tireless effort put forth to manage Chesapeake Region, AACA, our Club President Paula was presented with a gift certificate to one of her favorite shopping venues.
