Members and Monte Carlos in Attendance

The 2014 Western Meet
by Aaron Dodsworth

Thursday

This was the second road trip in our 1971 Monte Carlo for April and I and it was another fun drive. Thursday was our second day of driving and we met up with several members driving from Alberta shortly after crossing the Columbia River into Oregon. I always enjoy that moment of reunion with the gang. We carried on to Bend in search of the hotel. Upon arrival we saw Doug had already arrived from California and was pleased to see our group roll in. We quickly took over an area of the parking lot for the weekend and the meet was officially under way. As usual, it did not take long to settle in and start sharing great stories among new and old friends.

Friday

After a relaxing Friday morning cleaning cars, we spent part of the day at Drake Park which was the location of the Flashback Cruz car show during the weekend. While the guys were doing car stuff, many of the ladies in the group went shopping and they seemed united to punish the guys for the money we spend on car parts, by spending even more money. The evening entailed a good dinner out and relaxing at the hotel.

Saturday

Saturday we arrived early at Drake Park for the car show and we had more great weather. The park was a beautiful setting along the Deschutes River in downtown Bend. Jay, Keith and Vaughn received sponsor awards at the show in the form of a ribbon that appeared on the windshield and followed up with some hardware. The FGMCC also received the club participation award later that afternoon.

We assembled our cars in preparation for the evening cruise around downtown Bend. Since the club was a recipient of an award, we were part of the first group of cars entering the cruise and it was a great site to see all our cars cruising two-wide through the streets. After doing a couple laps around the cruise route, we stopped for dinner in downtown before driving back to the hotel.

Flashback Cruz Award Winners
Sponsor Pick	Keith Golanowski - 1972
Sponsor Pick	Vaughn Peoples - 1971
Sponsor Pick	Jay Marsh - 1970
Club Participation	First Generation Monte Carlo Club

The group with the Club Participation award
Back row: Terry Stevens, Steve Wick, Kevin Wick, Aaron Dodsworth, Tim Oest, Vaughn Peoples, Matt Hilla, Doug Cameron
Front row: Keith Golanowski, Jack Young, Cameron Lewis, Jay Marsh, Roy Bunjes, Jacob Young
 

Sunday

Sunday was another beautiful day for the last day of meet activities. In the morning we had a nice long cruise up to Mt Bachelor after a late breakfast. Once at the base of the ski hill, many of us took the chair lift up to capture the spectacular views. We returned to the hotel in the afternoon to get ready for the FGMCC banquet. We cruised to Jay’s house for the banquet dinner, awards and door prizes. Jay’s house was a great setting to have the BBQ and present the awards. Matt also presented two additional awards from Hot Maple Foods. Not long after we got back to the hotel, a thunderstorm rolled in and soaked everything in sight. We took shelter by the building and had one last night of laughs.

The meets always seem to end too soon and this one was no exception. Monday morning came and we all headed in a direction toward home and reflected on a great meet. The fun will continue at the next Western Meet in Penticton, BC.

A special thank you goes out to Jay for hosting the FGMCC awards banquet at his house.

My First Western Meet
by Doug Braudrick

5 years ago I embarked on a journey to build a first generation Monte Carlo. I wanted a SS454 but could not find the right one and ended up with a 402 car. My goal was to add every option factory correct and soon found the First Generation Monte Carlo Club. The vast wealth of information on the website was amazing and contacts through the club were key to the success of the build. Along the way I ended up chatting with Aaron and he suggested I attend a Western Meet when the car was done and that became a goal.

My wife, LeAnne and I drove the Monte 500 miles from our home in San Jose, California and showed up at noon on Thursday. We were the first ones there. I waited with anticipation and soon the special Monte parking area was full of cars and people I had never met before. The only thing nicer than the cars were the people who owned them. The beverages flowed, the pizza was consumed and many jokes and stories were told. The stereotype of Canadians being nice is spot on, however I was surprised I never heard the word hoser once and they only say "eh" to amuse the Americans. By the next day I felt like I had known the whole group for years. Everyone got up early and cleaned the bugs off the cars from the road trip. We went to the park to check out our spot for the show and then some went on a cruise and some returned to the hotel for more partying.

Saturday morning it was show time and we all cruised together and parked together at the show. You will never see more than two or three Montes at any car show and here there were 14 of the best ones I have ever seen. One of the members, Tim Oest, has a car the same colors as mine except a 572 inch motor and a four speed. I called him my evil twin. He tried to open my trunk with his key that morning thinking it was his car and later that day he caught my wife digging thru his glove box looking for the electric trunk release button. He watched her empty his glove box and politely asked her if he could help her find something. Funny stuff. A lot of people, including myself, were amazed to see that many of these cars in one spot. After the show, guess what, more party in the parking lot. What a blast.

Sunday we went on a cruise to Mount Bachelor. It was a very nice ride and a great backdrop for pictures. Sunday afternoon was the FGMCC awards ceremony and my 23rd wedding anniversary, but my wife didn't feel well and I elected to stay with her at the hotel. Sue Bunjes was kind enough to stop by my room and wish her well. I missed the BBQ/awards ceremony at Jay Marsh’s house but Aaron presented me with two awards when they came back from the ceremony. Thanks to each and every one of you for making us feel like family and I look forward to seeing you all again. Aaron is the man, the ultimate organizer and all events were seamless. Show up and party, he takes care of all the details. Not sure about the 1,000 mile drive for the 2015 meet but I did MapQuest it today so I guess “no” is not my final answer. See y’all down the road someday for sure.