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Beach Party at the VWCA Convention
The breezes were cool and so was renewing old friendships at 51st annual event

By Shell Tomlin

The Central Florida Volkswagen Club billed the 51st VWCA Convention as a Beach Party, and we were not disappointed. While we were savoring the low-80s temperatures and soft ocean breezes, my friends back home in the Chicago area were suffering through upper 90s with humidity to match. Who would have thought we would go to Daytona Beach to escape the heat?

Friday morning was set aside for the annual membership and trustees meetings, followed by lunch provided for us on the ocean front pool deck. The convention committee kept us busy with scheduled activities, but there was still plenty of time to roam the area as tourists on our own. We found a large Coca Cola exhibit inside the Museum of Arts & Sciences, visited Flo-rida’s tallest lighthouse and, what visit to Daytona would be complete without a tour of Daytona International Speedway? It’s easy to spend a whole day there! Within walking distance of the headquarters hotel were theaters, a water park, a band shell housing free concerts and dozens of shops where you could find that perfect souvenir for a friend back home or the most outlandish clothing, in case you left your favorite beach wear at home. We even ate at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co., where the wait staff served up a continuous, live Forest Gump movie trivia quiz along with the great food.

Saturday began with a mid-morning caravan to nearby Ross Park, where the Central Florida VW Club joined forces with the (non-affiliated) Southeast VW Club for a combined car show. I can only say that Florida folks have spectacularly beautiful show cars. Maybe it’s because they’re not preoccupied with snow and road salt. The photos speak for themselves.

Saturday evening’s awards banquet featured the presentation of the local club awards. The John & Jean Eberle Award for the best local newsletter was won by the Badger Beetles AutoFun Club for their Badger Beetles AutoFun News, edited by Barb Rebernick. The Woodbury Dunn Safety Award went to the Heart of Illinois Volks-wagen Club, Bob Eckhart, president, and the prestigious Wolfsburg Trophy was again captured by the Northeast Illinois Volkswagen Club, Kirk Schulz, president.

Finally, Jack Ly-man, VWCA activities director for car shows, presented numerous trophies to those members who scored well in sanctioned shows throughout the year.

As a surprise treat, we were en-tertained by the music and comedy of Las Vegas headliner (some day) Phil Van Tee, who explained to us why mothers should feed their babies garlic (so you can find them in the dark).

All this brought us to the realization that we would soon have to bid farewell to our Florida and Georgia friends — and others that we get to see only rarely. Many thanks to the Central Flo-rida Convention Committee, Rollie Walker, Rich and Debbie Van Treuren, Will and Joan Euverard and many others who worked hard for many months to make this convention a success—even holding off the rain until after most of us had left for home!

The 52nd VWCA convention committee will have their work cut out for them to top this one. Where will the 2007 Convention take place, you ask? Watch the next Autoist issue. You’ll be surprised. VWCA