2008 NATIONAL RALLY – EMERALD CASINO RESORT

Even though I am part of the Committee, I never imagined that I would enjoy the National Rally as much as I did. What a fantastic show it was and those who didn’t make it, you missed something exceptional. If the next National Rally is going to be anything nearly as good as this one was, then start saving now. It will be held in Worcester in the Western Cape in 2010. (Editor)

The 12th National Rally took place at the Emerald Casino Resort on the Vaal River near van der Bijl Park from Sunday 27 April to Thursday 1 May. A total of 61 Morris Minors attended the Rally for the 5 days, with members coming from as far as Durban (4), Port Elizabeth (5), the Western Cape (7) and Bloemfontein (7). The Johannesburg Branch (38) sincerely appreciates the efforts of those who made the long haul to get here.

“I was simply amazed at what the new Morris looked like. I said to my mom that when I grow up I want one of those”. Those were the words of Chris Spinks as he described his experience of attending the 1949 launch of the Morris Minor at Earls Court. Chris’ informative and entertaining discourse during the car display on the Monday was just one of the many highlights of this year’s National Rally.

The Rally began with the customary registration and dishing out of goodies bags. The comments made as the members from all over the country opened the bags and discovered goodie after goodie proved just how successfully the bags were filled by the efforts of the Johannesburg team.

The ladies were especially appreciative for the scarves, hair-towels and ingenious flower arrangements that were provided for them, though the Minors were certainly just as appreciative of the goodies that were provided for their owners to pamper them with.

After a chance to freshen up in the chalets and a game of musical chairs with the limited parking bays, members attended the delightful and delicious ‘getting to know you ox braai’. Large warming lamps were provided to keep the chill from the nearby river at bay. Old friends reunited and slipped comfortably into conversation as if they had never been parted. The air was abuzz with talk of Minor problems and their solutions, with anecdotes of humorous break-downs and the swopping of restoration tips. Even the speech-making was light and jovial as new and old were welcomed to the Rally and a preview of the forthcoming attractions was given.

With a good party behind us and the rest of the Rally still to come, everyone was eager for the 60th anniversary celebrations the following morning. Despite a slightly chaotic scene as the Minors were lined up in age order (a never before attempted feat) the rows were soon neatly arrayed for the viewing public to admire.

Then the entertainment began. Irish pipers stirred the hearts of the crowd as the skirling pipes played British and Irish tunes; their strains no doubt tugging at the dipsticks of the Minors too, since they are British at heart. Then, as part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Morris Minor, Chris Spinks gave the historical presentation, which included his own personal memories of the launch of the little car we have all grown to love.

A formidable total of 75 Minors were displayed, apart from the ‘gemorses’. Other vintage vehicles that joined the Minors in the display were MGs, Chevs, Triumph motorbikes, an Austin Somerset, Porsches, a DKW Junior, a Royal Daimler and a mini. A real highlight for many Morris enthusiasts was the guest appearance of Vernon Morton’s Morris Oxford Pick-up with a full display. All in all, there were nearly 100 vintage vehicles for everyone’s viewing pleasure. The public was also encouraged to choose their favourite car for the people’s choice competition. Sadly a Morris wasn’t the winner, but a beautifully maintained MG was a deserving winner of the award.

After the celebrations came the chance for some hi-jinks at the event which is always much anticipated, the driving skills. Drivers had to display their knowledge of their car by parking with their bumper and front wheels as close to the markings as possible. After that came the chance to show whether their hands were steady, whether they could throw a ball into a bucket and how good their parking skills are in a pinch. The winner was Katrina Dodds for the second year in a row, which shows that women do make better drivers at times.

An afternoon of rest and preparation for the Concours judging was followed by a delicious dinner and a serving of some serious brain teasing. While some found the questions a tad difficult at times, a few excelled and everyone seems to have learned a thing or two. After a bit of music, most retired to get some rest, before the big day of judging and the first half of the Amazing Fun Run. (Our thanks is extended to the Lendrum family for their interesting and enjoyable quiz evening).

In a judging session that most agree ran even smoother than in years past, and which is indicative of the steady improvement in the judging process, the entered Minors underwent the usual intense scrutiny. Whist this was taking place, the ladies of the Club were treated to an informative and entertaining talk on plants by Judd Kirkel and our thanks go to him for that.

After a boerewors roll on the lawn, it was time to be off on the Amazing Fun Run. The first session of the run included a visit to the Animal World. Besides having the chance to view some very unusual animals, participants were required to complete a word search. The words to be searched were the names of the different animals in the enclosures. Some very cryptic clues were given to assist with the search and lists of the answers were strategically placed to help participants along.

Once it was discovered that the missing letters spelled out the phrase ‘I am a Pueblan Milk Snake’ the participants were able to move on to their next location, which was the Aquadome. In true Amazing Race style, they then faced some detours before being allowed to move on to the next leg of the Fun Run. The first detour was the challenge to knock down as many bowling pins as possible. For some of the participants, this was their first taste of Ten Pin Bowling, while for others, it was their first bowl in decades and it showed!

Then came the chance to ‘Shoot the Breeze’ or ‘Feed the Sphinx’ on the putt putt course. The participants’ eager willingness to tackle the detours made the first leg of the Fun Run a resounding success.

The second leg of the run the following morning was closer to the traditional National Rally Fun Run, though it still had a few twists. Participants were given cryptic clues in envelopes and had to be on the look out for signs along the way to find the answers to the questions. Stops along the way included the Sharpeville Memorial, the Teknorama Museum, an unforgettable model shop and the historical site where the treaty ending the Anglo-Boer War was signed. The Rally ended back at the Casino, where packed lunches awaited the tired participants.

In between the two legs of the Fun Run was one of the most memorable fancy dress parties the Nationals have ever known, complete with a visit from the King of Rock ‘n Roll himself. Rusty Clover had fooled the Committee into believing that the King was not available on that night and he surprised everyone when Elvis appeared through the smoke. What a performance it was! The audience was delighted and they thoroughly enjoyed the show. Now just one night remained and what a night it was!

On the last afternoon, a few members from each Club took up the challenge to tackle each other in the Ten Pin Bowling Alley. Much fun was had there.

All good things have to come to an end, and so the night of the prize-giving dinner arrived. Not only were the prizes being handed out of a value never seen before, but a number of surprises and unexpected delights were in store for everyone.

Firstly, to add to the ambiance, the youngest and oldest Minors were parked inside the dining room. Secondly there was the recognition of the contribution made by the female members of the Club. Though they are always thanked for their hard work, all must agree that everyone in the Club recognised the great heights the women of the Johannesburg Branch reached in their contributions to the organisation of the event. This was seen by the applause and remarks of appreciation for the flower arrangements and other prizes set aside specifically for them.

Representatives of our major sponsors were present and speeches were made by representatives of both Cotlands, who thanked us for our donation and the Premier Diamond Mine. The mine was one of our sponsors for the National Rally and the Cullinan Minor Steam Run. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go to all of our sponsors.

The following were the winners of the various categories and they are congratulated on their achievements.

Concours D' EtatJohn Lawton

Concours Prix D' HonneurGary Dodds

Top CarSara Harper

ModifiedJacques Le Roux

People’s ChoiceGary Dodds

Driving SkillsKatrina Dodds

Fun RunGary & Katrina Dodds

Overall TrophyGary Dodds

Well done to the Dodds family. Nearly a clean sweep!

The prize-giving dinner is always a time for a vote of thanks, and this time the list was a long one. Certainly, the most precious gift the hard-working organisers received was the applause and heartfelt thanks from our fellow members.

Our thanks and appreciation has to be extended to so many people. It is not expedient to mention them all, lest some names be omitted in error. Fortunately, this was done at the final dinner, so they know who they are, plus many unsung members who quietly went about their business.

However, a special vote of thanks must go to Albert van Heerden, who despite his illness leading up to the Nationals, put in a sterling effort to manage and drive an excellent 5 days. The Lendrum family were amazing and they were ably assisted by John Lawton. The amount of time, effort and detail put into your contribution to the Rally was phenomenal. For the others who so willingly gave up their time, a wonderful performance of which we can all be proud. Thank you so much for a stunning time!

(Thanks to Douglas Lendrum)

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 24 MAY 2008

There was a fair turnout for the 2008 AGM, which was followed by a bring and braai.

This was the last duty of our outgoing Chairman, Albert van Heerden, who presented his speech to the Meeting. He spoke of the achievements during his term of office, which included:

  • the introduction of the cell system, whereby Committee Members look after and communicate with a group of members;
  • the establishment of thewebsite, with the assistance of Rusty Clover’s son-in-law, Adrian Barnes;
  • securing “The Piston Ring Club” as our home and for this he thanked Brian Hinckley & Eric Milne;
  • sorting out the policy on the sale of spares;
  • arranging membership of SAVVA with all of its benefits;
  • the preparation for and the execution of a successful National Rally and he thanked every member who participated;
  • maintenance of the National Register by Chris Spinks, for which he was thanked;
  • securing sponsorship for the gifts and all the niceties we were able to offer to participants at the National Rally. He thanked the sponsors for their contribution and asked for the support of those companies. He paid tribute to the Emerald Casino Resort, which should receive all our praise for going the extra mile to ensure a successful and enjoyable Rally; and
  • his thanks to the Committee and the members for their contributions to the Rally.

Albert gave the financial details of the income and expenditure of the Club for the past year. He also thanked the outgoing Committee for their support and advised which new Committee members were being nominated for secondment to the new Committee, under the chairmanship of Tommy Smith. The changes are listed under “2008/2009 COMMITTEE” further on. He also paid tribute to Gary Dodds for his support and motivation. Finally, he asked the new Committee to pursue the objective of having no less than 35 cars at the next National Rally.