September-October - RROC - Rolls Royce and Bentley Owners of ...

RROC National Meet - Stevenson, WA - August 7 - 11, 2007
Full Text of Chairlady Ivonne Webb’s Report (Excerpts published last Issue)
GRANDEUR IN THE GORGE was the appropriate name for the RROC 56th Annual Meet in the Pacific Northwest.
The Columbia River Gorge, Skamania Lodge, in Stevenson, WA was the venue. Its spectacular scenery was perfect for
six consecutive days of Technical Seminars, Business Meetings, and Social Activities. This included breakfast runs, tours,
parties, dinners, wine tasting, river rafting, etc. and the highlight of the entire week, the Concours and judging on Saturday
August 11, 2007.
San Diego Region was well represented by Jerry Bevins, RROC Southwest Regional Director; Dennis and Janice Eickhoff
with their 1990 RR Corniche III DAL-30007 MPW DHC, which won two senior awards, the Spirit/Spur Driving Award and the
R-R of America Trophy for the best preserved and maintained vehicle and a previous Touring first place winner; John and
Mia Ellison with their 2000 Bentley Continental SC which won first in Touring in its class; Marge Sosa and Ed Gehringer with
their 1993 Bentley Brooklands, EBP46266, Saloon; Perry and Peggy Hirsh and their 2007 Bentley Continental GTC won,
first place concours for current series Bentley class; Chuck LaRocco came in his 1958 RR SCI; Norman Leitman and his
friend Todd; Pierre Lemieux brought two cars his 1948 Mark VI and his1979 Silver Wraith II which won First in Concours in
its class and the Senior Award in Concours; Greg and Margie Millard, Greg is a member of the board of the Derby Bentley
Society and editor of their publication On The Road. Greg is the winner of the coveted John W. McFarlane award for the
best Publication of all the Regions and Societies; Rick Rosiejka and Mike Gunnerson with their 1976 Silver Shadow; Brad
and Michele Zemcik, Brad is serving on the national Board as Membership Chairman and is also member of the Foundation
Board; Larry Goldberg and Rob and Ivonne Webb.
Rob and I attended several Business Meetings: Activities Committee, where the organizers and Hosts of the 2008 tour and
meets present their reports. The Spring Tour in Montreal Canada; National meets: 2008 in Williamsburg, VA, 2009 New
Orleans, LA, 2010 Ontario Canada, all presented their reports that informed the committee about how their programs, hotels,
concours venues and every detail is in order. Region and Society Chair & Editors forum: Michael Gaetano, Vice President
Regions and Societies, held an Open Forum where we interchanged information and ideas on getting more member participation,
offering suggestions on how to organize Meets. I volunteered to share the Guidelines for Meet Hosts that Dave
Ely wrote for our Region. We heard that editors of many Regions have difficulty doing their jobs for lack of articles and we
felt lucky we have good members in the San Diego Region. Michael Gaetano is a very supportive Vice President. He has
created RROC Exchange to link all Regions and Society Chairmen and Area Directors.
The open National Board of Directors meeting went well. Robin James did a super job directing the meeting where the reports
from each member were clear and concise. RROC had to deal with difficult issues in the past year but it is encouraging to
know that the Club has members who are bright attorneys who voluntarily formed a Legal Committee and are steering the
affairs in the right direction. The Derby Bentley Society Meeting, whose chairman is Rob Webb, was very well attended. It
is a delight to go to meetings like this because these people know and love their cars, drive them and organize tours that
demand endurance both from the car and the driver. A great example was the 2004 Luis and Clark Tour from Virginia to the
National, Centennial Meet in Monterey, almost 7,000 miles. Future tours include a 2008 pre-war tour after the Williamsburg
National meet; a 2008 October Sierras Tour, and a New Mexico Tour in 2009l The Rolls-Royce Foundation Meeting was
also well attended, Jim Facinelli the new President, had requested David Evans the Rolls-Royce Plc. attorney, who has
been on the Board for about seven years, revise the Bylaws that will make the Foundation accounts more transparent and
its meetings and more accessible to the membership. The changed by-laws will include an Annual General Meeting as well
as a Board Meeting at the Annual Meets.
The outdoor settings, for the opening night ”Potlatch Party“ at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center and “Rolling on the
River” at the Skamania Lodge amphitheater were spectacular. Surrounded by evergreen forest and the Cascade Mountains,
which looked like they were lighted from within at sunset, while we were enjoying outstanding local cuisine in the company
of kindred souls.
Society dinners, while navigating the Columbia River in the style of the early pioneers aboard the “Columbia Gorge,” an
authentic sternwheeler. The Derby Bentley Society on the upper deck and the Silver Cloud Society in the main deck enjoyed
very delicious dinners prepared on board by a gifted young Chef. Those of us who were on the upper observation deck
just before dinner were enchanted by the sunlight reflections from the lush vegetation on the hill sides into the clear water,
caressed by a soft warm breeze while being entertained by an impromptu ballet of a joyful six year old girl wearing a flowing
dress with the green colors of nature.
Meet Co-Chairs David and Lynn Pass and Dick and Ann Tilden and the their committee, surpassed themselves. The setting
of the Judging Field on the Driving Range and its artistic layout by Paul Harman are to be commended. The measurements
earlier in the year, in the rain and mud, paid dividends. Placing automobiles on top of the hillocks in photo-op positions was
not to be forgotten.
Ivonne Webb
September-October 2007
Finis
Page 9 Volume 35 Issue 5