Roswell-National New Beetle Convention - June 9,10,11,12th 2011

[Chuckie]

Hello everyone.

Wifey and I made it home fine. Der Stuka surprised us by running perfectly the whole trip. What a great surprise as we have only had him six months now and weren't quite sure how he would do.

We came to Roswell to find out what sort of people you all were. We belong to many clubs and organizations. Some are full of snobs, some are full of freeloaders. We jumped into those clubs feet first and didn't check out what we were getting into beforehand.

We like everyone we met. And I mean everyone. We made a few friends that we are sure will become lifelong surrogate family members. We felt at home and completely comfortable with the entire group.

We did not go to Roswell to win a trophy. That was the farthest thing from our minds. Sure, we could have dropped ten to twenty thousand on our bug to win things. (And by no means is this a slap to anyone who does so. There were some really great bugs out there that I am in awe of) It just wasn't why we came.

Thanks to the member who thought our Beetle was nice and mentioned so. That felt good as Der Stuka got it's first washing in Roswell! Next time we might even vacuum out his insides. And Wifey thinks we may even wax him one day!

So to summarize, Trophies are cool and Kudos to those who won them. The people make the event, the location to us is immaterial. Too many award categories cheapens the value of the prizes.

Special note to the organizers:

You folks did an amazing job with the resources at hand. We are dumbfounded at how well this whole weekend came together. I have organized many events of this magnitude and know personally the time and financial sacrifices it takes to make them run smoothly. Amazing job. Pour yourselves a tall cold drink and go sit in the hot tub. You all deserve it!


Chuckie & Wifey (Nurse Diesel)

[Pushing Fifty]

Originally Posted by Baby Sallie

If there will be stork and modified plaese don't let the owner pick what class they can put there beetle in let whoever putting on the show picks.

Good point. Those running registration should decide. (I just made it home 3:00 AM Tue after driving from Ponca City Ok to Eau Claire WI)

[Baby Sallie]

Originally Posted by Pushing Fifty

Good point. Those running registration should decide. (I just made it home 3:00 AM Tue after driving from Ponca City Ok to Eau Claire WI)

Well my 07 stock new beetle went again a modified new beetle so yeah I know it's unfair like that but I'm just sayin and I do luv the fun awards too

And yay u maded it hone safely I think the drive back take about 8-9 hour to Dallas

[hyakugojyuuichi]

I made it home yesterday afternoon. John (Sixchuter) and his wife Llona were kind enough to let me stay at their home for the night. I was exhausted from driving all day and started seeing things. At one point I panicked thinking the setting sun reflecting off my instrument cluster was my CEL.

[Chuckie]

It's always good to get some rest when you start seeing monsters and ghosts on the road! Glad to hear you made it!

Chuckie

[Pushing Fifty]

I was weaving a bit through Kansas City from fatigue, but I stopped to eat and drank a huge glass of iced tea. It gave me a second wind. Glad to hear you and "Wilson" made it home safely.

I just re-polished my Beetle for my club show this coming Saturday. Fallon, if you're reading this, I followed your advice and bought a clay bar. It definitely improved my finish!

Can anyone recommend a good glass cleaner? The stuff I used sucked. Streaks everywhere!

[vwgary]

I occasionally spin by this thread and lurk I'm glad the event went well and folks are getting home safe and sound. I'm hearing alot of enthusiasm for 2K13 and I don't think it's just post GTG high. Very

Regarding charging entry fees; when you start charging entry fees, obtaining sponsorships, etc, comes the mandatory cost of insuring such an event. We keep the 3 (becoming 4)day ToD GTG simple and can get away with a legal disclaimer on printed matter.

Oh ya, enjoying the pictures too. And as others have said, living Roswell thru the lens

[Bugman]

Originally Posted by hyakugojyuuichi

At one point I panicked thinking the setting sun reflecting off my instrument cluster was my CEL.

you mean thats not suppose to be lit up ?

[Fallon]

I miss everyone already! Ryan and I are in California today. We're on our way to Las Vegas for two nights, then the Grand Canyon. We should be home on Sunday. I'm glad most everyone else has made it home safely!

[Fallon]

Oh... and Pat, great job on the clay bar! Isn't it amazing!?

[kcfoxie]

I miss everyone a lot! Work sucks!

[Pushing Fifty]

I get to go back to work Sunday night and re-adapt to the graveyard shift.

In other news, some jerk brushed up against my 2007 Passat in a Wal Mart parking lot the day I got back and now I have to have the rear bumper refinished! There was a witness and plate number of the perp, but the police haven't told me whether they've found them yet. Even if they do, it would probably cost me more to sue them than to just pay for it myself. (I have $500 deductible insurance)........

I was bummed that only 37 or 38 Beetles were in Roswell, but someone made an excellent point: If there had been hundreds of cars, I wouldn't have made nearly as many new friends!

Starting tonight, my club's annual show takes place, but hanging with mostly air-cooled people perpetually stuck in 1967 just isn't the same as relating to other New Beetle people.

Fallon, enjoy the rest of your road trip!

[marvins_dad]

Originally Posted by Chuckie

Hello everyone.

Wifey and I made it home fine. Der Stuka surprised us by running perfectly the whole trip. What a great surprise as we have only had him six months now and weren't quite sure how he would do.

We came to Roswell to find out what sort of people you all were. We belong to many clubs and organizations. Some are full of snobs, some are full of freeloaders. We jumped into those clubs feet first and didn't check out what we were getting into beforehand.

We like everyone we met. And I mean everyone. We made a few friends that we are sure will become lifelong surrogate family members. We felt at home and completely comfortable with the entire group.

We did not go to Roswell to win a trophy. That was the farthest thing from our minds. Sure, we could have dropped ten to twenty thousand on our bug to win things. (And by no means is this a slap to anyone who does so. There were some really great bugs out there that I am in awe of) It just wasn't why we came.

Thanks to the member who thought our Beetle was nice and mentioned so. That felt good as Der Stuka got it's first washing in Roswell! Next time we might even vacuum out his insides. And Wifey thinks we may even wax him one day!

So to summarize, Trophies are cool and Kudos to those who won them. The people make the event, the location to us is immaterial. Too many award categories cheapens the value of the prizes.

Special note to the organizers:

You folks did an amazing job with the resources at hand. We are dumbfounded at how well this whole weekend came together. I have organized many events of this magnitude and know personally the time and financial sacrifices it takes to make them run smoothly. Amazing job. Pour yourselves a tall cold drink and go sit in the hot tub. You all deserve it!


Chuckie & Wifey (Nurse Diesel)

Well stated Chuckie!

[marvins_dad]

Finally home and able to get on the org!
Lots of great suggestions in the last couple pages. I am going to start a 2013 discussion and would love to see a lot of the discussion about awards and stuff carry on and be reposted and discussed in that thread.

Just my personal take...
I know from running the TNBRU for years that it does complicate matters having an entry fee. The Return2Roswell idea was more of a Reunion show that we carried on to have every two years and basically those that are organizing it are putting out the money they can afford to so we can have folks show up every couple years to enjoy each other's company and promote the New Beetle community. As soon as there are entry fees we have to be Incorporated and it gets into keeping books and records and just isn't as much fun. The donations were an amazing gesture and helped Ray and I cover some unexpected expenses and were truly appreciated.

Ray and Connie were amazing! They have always been there for the Roswell community and if there was ever a question about reducing the show in any way because of cost or less folks organizing he was the first to say, "If we are stated we have the event on the website we need to do it...and do it right". I am thankful for he and Connie, Howie and the other folks that helped out when asked (even forced my dad to help out, didn't take much arm twisting )

Trophies - I am totally up for discussing this in another thread because it is one of the questions we asked at the Banquet. Roswell's in the past offered 1st-3rd in every year category, then 1st-3rd in every class once the numbers dwindled from the 200+ shows down to the 63 car shows. This was still a lot of trophies in my opinion. The 2009 Trophies were the left over trophies from the last TNBRU show that didn't happen, I restickered them and they were really Fun Trophies with top 4 that were judged....but 5 of us judged all of the cars for the fun categories as well. This year we decided to make everyone work...because it is YOUR show, right! LOL - and we put the Fun Trophies as participant judged and panel judged the top 4 awards. The quantitative awards - most mileage, farthest traveled...were easy to figure out. In the future it would be nice to know what everyone is thinking...but remember - if we have 50 or less cars, is 1st-3rd something we want to do...is a top 20 cars something that should be considered or should we just stick with fun participant style awards? Not saying it could be a different mix. Ringo has a good list (sorry Pat, your name is forever Ringo after your story about checking into the hotel) worth discussing.

Return to Roswell 2013 Pre-Planning discussion

BTW - Paul McCartney is the car's name and Jacob Shirley is the owner of the car....because the car has "Wings", get it?

[Howie]

Just got home late last night with no problems. Gee, the interstate is boring once you are past Oklahoma!

What a fabulous time. Great to meet the new friends, and revisit old ones (you know who you are). If you couldn't make it you missed out, but we understand.

I heard that there were wildfires in Carlsbad, and they closed the caverns. We saw smoke/haze in Albuquerque, so we missed the deep blue sky.

I still have some show t-shirts available in limited sizes/quantities. Please email me directly.

Thanks, Howie
howie@howielipton.com

[Daisy Bug]

"Ringo has a good list (sorry Pat, your name is forever Ringo after your story about checking into the hotel) worth discussing."

So, I must know the story behind this, please.

[Pushing Fifty]

Hi Daisy Bug: First of all, I hope everything's going well with your significant other. Since my borrowed sister's walkie-talkie wasn't working, I didn't even know you had turned around to go back to Wisconsin until a couple of hours after the fact. I noticed you were no longer behind us, but I thought maybe you stopped somewhere and were intending to catch up with us later.

Anyway, about the "Ringo" story, I didn't arrive at the Days Inn in St James Mo. until around 10:30 that night. The clerk asked me, "Are you with the Beetles?"

Of course, Beetles sounds just like Beatles, so I answered in my best Liverpool accent, "Yes, me name's Ringo."

When I told a few people that, it kind of stuck. I believe it was Fallon who said I even look a little like Ringo Starr. I do have Ringo's big nose, but I actually wear John Lennon glasses, so go figure.

I answer a lot of questions literally at times to test people's senses of humor. For example, one of my favorites is when I write a check somewhere and the clerk asks, "Is everything current?"

I'll answer, "Yes, but only for a split second. Then it's all in the past."

Another one: The clerk shows me a legend of the motel and while pointing, says, "This is your room right here."

My answer?

"Wow, that's really small."

[kcfoxie]

Oh, Ringo... you make me smile. This thread keeps the spirit alive; and I will participate in the Pre-palnning thread after I've finished removing the rest of the popcorn ceiling from my rental prop, list turbo and fuel injection pump on ebay, and a bajillion other little things that "Real life" demands of me.

I sure miss Roswell.

But I somehow know 2013 will get here far faster than any of us expect, and once it does... it's time to round up the parrot, pack up the kilt, and hit the dusty roads for a little alien town in the middle of no where.

And hopefully this time we'll have mroe alumns and their new families (I'm totally calling out my neighbour Lisa and spacepod).

[Cameron_Talley]

I'm finally back at work this morning after taking a week's vacation in Red River after Roswell. The show was a blast as always; kudos to all the organizers for their hard work!

No real problems driving home, though we did have to be mindful of some wildfires....pray for rain because it is DRY out there!

Great to see everyone again...and I'll see you in 2013!