The News ? Letter

Edited by Terry V. Brown (The oxuneer) 2634 CR 3350, Independence, Ks. 67301, 620-289-4351. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of The Caney Valley Antique Valley Antique Power Association, Inc. Some material has been plagiarized from sources that are deemed to be reliable. Contributed articles are appreciated. Any semblence to actual news is purely coincidential. Names are rarely changed to protect the guilty. Subscription rates are $10.00 per year which is included in a regular membership. Email news to oxuneer@hotmail.com. CVAPA is a 501 (c) 3 organization.

Year end letter from the President

     2002 will go down as a banner year for the club. We had many accomplishments. The most exciting and challenging was the purchase of 40 acres of land north of Caney for our permanent show grounds. This has been a goal for several years.
     Our 2002 show came together with the efforts of lots of our members. Harold Allen and crew overhauled the threshing machine. Now what are we going to thresh????? A flurry of activity to get the binder ready. Then the rain came--too wet--then the clover outgrew the wheat. And the binder did not like that green stuff going through it. JoAnne got her first ride on a binder. She didn't seem too thrilled about that. She is not a good farmer.
     A week before the show a Western Oklahoma club offered us the wheat left over from their show. Red Hamilton and stock trailer made a flying trip to Hobart, Ok and brought the wheat back in time for the show. We were most grateful. Oh what a relief that was.
     I was really pround of our show this year. For the first time the members threshed wheat, baled hay, had two rock crushers going plus much more. We had several new demonstrators. Many new engine exhibitors and a host of tractors. Those Olivers (our feature tractor) did shine. Music rang, square dancers sweat and Oh those beans and ice cream!!!!! We'll have to work real hard to top this one and get our new grounds started. 2004 on our own grounds. WOW!!!
     One of our most inportant projects for the coming year will be raising money for a clubhouse. If you have any ideas-step right up and let us know. We need a volunteer to run a finance committee to put it all together.
     As we get bigger we will have to appoint members to head different areas, such as parking, baling, threshing, tractor pulls, rock crushing and hopefully many more activities. If you have an area you like, step up and volunteer or wait and get drafted.
     We are receiving more and more request to appear at different functions in our area. We attended several--Coffeyville, Sedan, Independence, Cheryvale, Elk City and several Christmas parades. Our picnics and Christmas parties are becoming legendary. We sure know how to have fun.
     I would like to say thank you to everyone for their efforts on the clubs behalf. We need to recruit new members and encourage old members to get more active and start attending again.
     2003 will be a double work year. Making the May show shine and getting the new grounds planned and ready for the 2004 show. A real challenge.
     Best wishes for the New Year and God Bless.

Bill Ernest, President

January 21, 2003 meeting

     Our regular monthly meeting was held at the Church of Christ, 1st and High, Caney, KS. We had about 45 members and guests in attendance. Most of the evening was devoted to planning our show grounds and the 2004 show. There will be a tremendous amount of work necessary to get the grounds ready after we get possession this summer. We get possession after the current wheat crop is cut. If every thing goes according to schedule we will have it by July 1st. We have all seen adverse weather conditions that would delay harvest as late as Sept or Oct.

Come join us at Caney Valley Antique Power Association, Inc. where growing up is optional

Here's another annual letter

Auction Load Limits

     Well another year has came to an end. I hope this past year has been a good one for finding all kinds of "neat stuff". I was at an auction the other day and saw Terry Brown. We both went home with a pickup load of "stuff". I can always tell how good an auction is by how much "stuff" I buy. I have a 24 foot gooseneck trailer, which if loaded indicates a good auction. After one of last springs "5 trailer load" auctions, my other half put a limit on purchasing of 1 load per auction. At first this seemed to be a problem. However with lots of extra chains, boomers, ratchet straps and creative loading ideas this problem was somewhat overcome. The down side is sometimes I have to buy things I don't want just to extend the trailer or make sideboards so I can get more on. The upside is, I will achieve my "15 minutes" of fame. Sooner or later someone will take my picture of one of these loads going down the highway or scattered out down the highway. In any event it will surely make the local news or better yet the National TV. Americas Funniest Home Video's comes to mind.
     My wife thinks the "stuff" I buy is junk. That's the problem with my wife, no imagination. This explains left over turkey sandwiches in February. For example, she wanted me to buy a lawn mower that was more maneuverable so it wouldn't take so long to mow the yard. She views objects stored in the yard as obstacles to mow around. Maneuverability isn't the problem, the yard is an Extreme Lawn Mower Race Course. One of the many fine auction lawn mowers I have was modified for the purpose of E.L.M. I of course used the tools of the trade, cutting tourch, welder, duct tape, baling wire, larg hammer and of course lots of my own ideas. Now we all know the cheapest way to get more horesepower is to add a turbo charger. Since I have never seen a turbo for a small engine I used the blower from an old hand powered forge. Using small auction odds and ends like incorrect bolts, pulleys and belts, I had it put together. Now the beauty of this idea is, the blower was originally hand powered. But if you belt it up to the mower, well now, that'll get you some horsepower. Adding steel wheels eliminates flat tires. On a side note, put a really good spring loaded tractor seat on to help reduce the jarring effect in case you run over a lost treasure on the course. Adding a 5 gallon White Eagle gas can cuts down on pit stops. Why I won't even need to make a pit stop as soon as I get that Skeet Thrower modified to throw a can of soda to me no matter where I am on the E.L.M. course. If you don't have the items mentioned, go to an auction. Until then, keep spending your kids inheritance on treasures.

Thanks to Roger Schmidt
I can always count on Roger to give me a year end story. Makes my job easier

Junes Escapades

     It was mentioned a while back that they haven't heard about June for a while. Let me bring you'al up to date. June has had a relatively quite year. No broken legs or nuthin. She has acquired a few treasures this past year. She got a couple of little Allis's, a B-10 & a B110, a Case 224, a Gravely 816, A Fuller and Johnson pump jack and engine, a Hercules engine, and right at years end she bought a Pennsylvania Panzer garden tractor. She acquired a weird Citreon car, a 46 Willys jeep, a 1946 Chevy one ton winch truck, A couple of Cushman 3 wheel trucksters, a yellow swamp buggy thing, probably half a dozen different popcorn poppers. This just the items she has told me about, don't know what else she might of drug home. She is looking forward to retiring in May. Then she should have time to work on this junk. She also bought a concession trailer. Maybe I can get her a job selling hot dogs and popcorn after she retires.

More highlights of the January 2003 meeting:

     It was voted by the membership to publish a monthly financial statement. It was not discussed but I assume the intention is for it to be mailed with the news letter. We will see how this develops. It was also agreed to have at least one 3'X 5' flag made to put on the back of the people mover. The cost will be $175 for the first one additional flags will be cheaper. It was not agreed as to the design. Will need further discussion as to layout and color schemes. John and Winifred Bryan, Sedan, Ks donated an old road grader to the club. We will get it over to our part of the country as soon as we can get it out of the site and get it loaded. It appears to be in very good condition. It belonged to Mrs. Bryan's father and dates back to the early 1900's.

Great Gobs of Goose Grease and Other Things

January 2003 meeting:

     Bill Ernest appointed a relatively permanent Finance Committee. They are Charles Rexwinkle, Delwin Cotton and reasurer Helen Grabham. The purpose of this committee is to come up with solutions for financing future projects. We are looking at considerable cash outlay over the next several years. Immediate expenses are Electric service, Rural water service, septic system, road building & rocking, highway entrances (culverts). We need to consider a building large enough for club meetings and dinners, large canopy type buildings to cover the threshing machine and other large items. We need to pay off the financed portion of the land acquisition. Lots of expenses!! Any ideas you come up with for fund raisers contact any of the committee and express yourself.
     Another item that has been advocated is to have a club auction. Some of the other clubs use this process and seems to be a good way to raise funds. We are tentatively looking at having the first one at our picnic the 2nd Sunday in April. Give this some thought and let some of us know what you think. The auction items are donated by the club members and bought by the members and guests. We are still going to have the consignment auction at the show in May.
     Lee Blankenship of rural Sedan has donated a pretty nice 12 X 24 building to the club if we want it. It was decided at the meeting that if he will wait till we get possession of our land we would like to have it. We will contact him to determine the time frame of removal of the building.
*****

FOR SALE

     1950 Minneapolis Moline UTU, Gasoline. Serial numbr 0115001024. Originally a tricycle front, converted to Standard. 1 new rear tire. The rest are good and hold air. Runs but needs tune up and wiring. Flat belt pulley with neutral. ------$500.00
     1949 UTS. Serial number 01249011246. Standard Wheatland Model. Tires Fair. Hold air. Gasoline, runs but needs tune up and wiring.-----$450.00
     1959 Case 611-B-H Serial number 6128701. LP gas. Tires up. Basket case. Motor turns over. Restoration started. Call for details.-----$400.00
Roger Schmidt    620-221-7326 or 620-229-8241 *****

FOR SALE

FEBRUARY MEETING

The Church of Christ at 1st and High in Caney has agreed to let us use there meeting room until further notice. The meeting room is the North annex and the door is on the East. Parking lot is on the North East corner of lot. It is handicap assessable by coming into the South door of the Church and coming to the North annex. The Meeting will be on the 18th of February. The meetings still start at 7:00 p.m. and the visiting starts a little after 6:00 p.m. You'al come and bring a new member or guest.