President’s Message – February 2019
Happy New Year to all members and their families of our great Club.
2019 as previous years will be jam packed with a variety of Club rides and events for members to participate in and enjoy the fellowship that comes with our shared passion for classic motorcycles.
On Saturday 15th December last year a small number of Club members met at Officer departure point for an interesting back roads ride to Maffra to attend the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in recognition of the enormous contribution that the late Ian and Jan Kennedy made during the establishment and running of the Gippsland Vehicle Collection.
A fitting address was given by the GVC President Graham Gunning to the 200 or so people in attendance. Graham made comment that Ian’s tireless but often unconventional contribution to the GVC was a huge factor in the success of the facility. Amongst other many GVC duties, Ian took charge of the motorcycle display which he was very passionate about and of course that is no surprise to those of us who knew him.
Past President the late John Stock’s magnificent BMW R100RS was on display with an accompanying story about the bike’s history, another trip down memory lane for CMCCV members in attendance.
I counted about 18 of our members in attendance, including Past Presidents & Life Members Bob McLennan and David Langridge. It was also wonderful to see Alan and Val Smith at the ceremony and we wish them both well with their respective recoveries from recent poor health.
Following the ceremony, the GVC in conjunction with The Maffra Sale Motorcycle Club spoilt those in attendance with a typical country afternoon tea that saw more food left over than was consumed and believe me we all participated heartily in the fabulous repast.
It’s hard to believe Ian and Jan are no longer with us, their passing has left a huge gap in the Maffra community as well as in the wider motorcycling community that I doubt could ever be filled.
Some of the committee overnighted in Maffra at The Macalister Hotel and were serenaded to sleep by the local band The Swamp Dogs playing on the other side of the wall. The purpose of our stay over was to finalise the Saturday ride for the Maffra Kennedy Memorial Rally being held in March this year. Judging by the accommodation bookings and entries received to date the rally promises to be very well attended so make sure you get your entry into VP Graham and book your accommodation from one of the suggested venues in the Dec / Jan edition of Sprocket.
There are plenty of rides and events for members to avail themselves of during the warmer months thanks to the efforts of the ride team. So, get that bike out of the shed or loungeroom and come and join us.
Ian Snadden
President CMCCV