The 28th annual Christmas Party
Time now to mark your calendars with a big circle on the evening of December 3rd for the twenty-eighth annual OVLR Christmas Party. Like last year, the
event will be at the Westboro Masonic Centre on Churchill, just up the road from the world famous Newport Restaurant and it's Elvis Sighting Society, the
inspiration for the Ted Rose Sighting Society. The Christmas Party sports the traditional turkey dinner, buffet style.
There will be an assortment of the usual Christmas games set up. as with every year a variety of Land Rover games such as; the feelie meelie to test
your knowledge of Land Rover Parts and the Seelie Meelie. The feelie meelie, not sure what it is? (which in the past has included up to four different
versions - easy, medium, hard, Ladies) is a game where a number of unknown parts are placed in a box. You put your hand in and try to identify what these
parts might be. To help ensure that you don't see the part by mistake, a plastic garbage bag is placed over the opening of the box for you to feel the
parts through.
- The Easy level includes such objects as wheel nuts, wiper blades
etc.
- The Medium level such things as a transmission brake shoe,
engine mount, gearshift grommet etc.
- The Expert level such things as a frame shackle bush, hub seal
collar, fill/check plug from the front diff.
- The Extreme such items as hood spare tire holder (series I),
handbrake release (late IIA), horn button bracket (Series II) [Note: in
the extreme you have to identify the Series too...].
- The Seelie Meelie is an assortment of parts you can see, touch,
manipulate etc. These items are even more obscure.
- Last year there was an additional category, parts that don't
belong. Several parts from one vintage, with one from another vintage to
correctly identify. How many levels this year will see is yet to be determined.
Hopefully the Club Marshal will have prepared another one of his Ladies Challenge Crossword puzzles, which grow all the trickier for those cheating
husbands who are generally disconnected from their feminine side.
Awards
And, there are the Awards. The club has a number of traditional and non-traditional awards that are given out every year. Decided upon by a secret cabal
of erudite members, this is your opportunity to rat out a trusted friend as we all know that he, or she, has already ratted you out. No, mutual trust
doesn't work. Remember the prisoner's dilemma. Co-operating and revealing all is the optimal course of action, just as Clifford and Sedgewich have
conspired to rat out our esteemed president.
The Lugnut: Ahhh, our oldest, and most famous award. A feared trophy
made of the finest butternut. A small award with a famed list of
admirers. The recipient's list reads like a who's who of Land Rover
ownership. It recognizes spectacular, and often fudged, stories of
prowess in anything Land Rover. With an uncanny ability to seek out the
guilty, and if it can't find them locally, go on walkabout throughout
the United States and Europe looking for potential vic^H^H^H candidates
while it spreads its Nigel-like woe internationally. Such activities on
the part of this award are generally necessary as its potential
recipients are usually scrambling over each other to avoid its baleful
glance.
Because of the prestige associated with this award, members are
noticeably shy about coming forward and claiming the award, preferring
to defer the honour to someone worthier. On the other hand, many are
afraid to nominate someone else in fear that they might get ratted out
themselves. Well, don't fear. We have several nominations thus far, so
the chances are that your good buddy over there has already turned you
in. So, this is your chance! Turn him in before your name appears on
this lovely work of art!
Send nominations to: Bruce Ricker
An indicator of the type of recipient we are looking for. In a previous
year, this prestigious award was bestowed upon Dave Lowe (as turned in
by Tom Tollefson (note betrayal, a good thing)) for a multitude of sins,
that range from rear ramming innocent 88's, to crossaxling the mighty
101 in the middle of a city park, to undertaking more engine rebuilds
than even Dixon manages, as well as other assorted crimes to numerous to
list.
The Silver Swivel Ball: An award to the club member who has done the
most on a volunteer basis to help the club. Bestowed upon the unrecognized, past recipients have included Charlie Haigh and Spencer Norcross for their
behind the scenes support of the clubs activities.
Gasket Under Glass: A perennial favourite, and one of the most
attractive awards in the club's collection. In Ted Rose's words "the
most spectacular head gasket failure that I have ever seen", Gasket
Under Glass is a lovely 2.25l copper head gasket in an antique gold leaf
frame upon the finest felt background. Using the adage "we can't believe
it ran" the award honours mechanical wonderment. The recipient's list
reads like those who you would never believe would win it (see above on
ratting out your best buddy. He already has turned you in!)
The Towball: A simple award based upon who has towed Land Rovers the
most, and the furthest in the past year. Extra points awarded if the
vehicle did not need towing. Bestowed upon the person who tows
perfectly functional Land Rovers around for fun (Quintin, Christian,
Brett towing Dave (pops, that would be dysfunctional in this case), or
for all the wrong reasons (Zippy Tow and their new airmobile service),
forgotten where their Land Rover is (Peter Gaby) or for other various
reasons.
The Golden Wench: bestowed upon the fairest member of the long suffering female persuasion who must put up with the fascinating antics
of her spouse. Generally nominated by husbands trying to deflect
attention, it also serves as encouragement for wives to turn in their naughty husbands.
The Grey Poupon: An award for the most salubrious vehicle at an
off-road event.
Then, there are the random awards created on an annual basis to honour
individual achievement. These are carefully crafted by an old-world
antique restoration craftsman from the finest mangled parts, generally
your own that have made their way into the hands of the secret cabal.
Event details:
Where: Westboro Masonic Temple, 430
Churchill Avenue (corner of
Churchill and Byron Avenue) in Ottawa. The Masonic Lodge is immediately south of
Byron on Churchill, a north-south road running between Carling Avenue
and Scott street. The closest exit from the 417/Queensway is the
Kirkwood-Carling Exit. Take this exit and head west on Carling to
Churchill, turning North. The Masonic lodge will be on the left just
before a significant drop/hill on Churchill. In other words, if you see
Elvis on the right, you missed it.
Directions:
When: Social is at six PM, dinner will be about 6:30 PM
Cost: Tentatively estimated to be $20 per adult and $10 per child.
How to register:
Send your e-mail confirmation to Dave Pell
Please include the number of adults and children that will be in attendance
