Beach Ball 2014
Beach Ball continues to come along nicely. All but a couple of things are totally set, and with just 14 more registrations by September 1, we should be able to do Beach Ball pretty much within budget. Last year we simply did not get the number of registrants we thought we would have after hosting the Grand in 2012, so we went over budget. This year, things are tightened up quite a bit, and our treasurer has been a brutal task master at keeping things within budget as much as possible.
Here is a list that I published last month of activities you can expect, with a couple of updates:
- Thursday registration at the hotel in the club room off of the lobby with light snacks and beverages during the late afternoon and early evening.
- Thursday night is yours to bar crawl, shop, grab dinner and look at the cars as they arrive!
- Friday morning we are planning breakfast at Royal Treat. If you have never eaten breakfast at this Mom and Pop style breakfast restaurant/ice cream parlor the rest of the day, you are in for a treat. Very casual, very good, very large portions. Breakfast will be from 7:30 – 10:30 am. If you are going to participate in the next activity then you will want to eat early.
- Friday during the daytime, we like to plan one activity for any who are interested, and this year we will head to Midway Speedway Park (behind the movie theaters) for two rounds of Go Kart rides and one game of miniature golf. We’ll get the cars lined up to head out about 10:30 am for this. Of course for many of you, Friday is a beach day or an outlet shopping day. You decide!
- Friday evening, formal dinner is on your own, but we are having an Orphans’ Ball at Camp Rehoboth, starting at 7:30 pm and wrapping up at 11:00 pm. We’ll have heavy hors d’oeuvres for you, and there will be a cash bar. Food is being provided by Touch of Italy, and if you have never had their food you are in for a treat. You regulars will know that this is located on the same street as the hotel and between Aqua and the Blue Moon, so there is no driving needed at all, just ambulance service for those who overindulge.
- Saturday is all at the hotel. Discounted breakfast, fluff-up behind the hotel, car show and voting, lunch, and later on the awards banquet and silent auction. We’ll have Spam and gruel and three day old bread and water for your dining pleasure.
- Sunday, we are having our farewell breakfast at Mariachi’s restaurant again. Yolanda and her crew did a great job last year, and everyone seemed to enjoy both the food and the location. If you have special dietary restrictions, just let her know, and she will whip something up in the kitchen just for you.
This year, we are changing the award categories. Some old ones remain, some categories have been retired, and some new ones are being added. Most noteworthy is the addition of a People’s Choice category, to be decided by anyone attending the car show. We will have board members with special ballots for show guests to choose the car that appeals the most to them. Also, with the exception of Best in Show, the board felt that all our cars are the best that they can be, so we are changing the title of most awards to say “Favorite” rather than “Best”. This year we will have the following categories (and yes, definitions will be provided):
- Favorite Beach Car
- Favorite Ford Motor Company Car
- Favorite General Motors Car
- Favorite Chrysler Corporation Car
- Favorite Import
- Favorite Independent
- Favorite Early Orphan
- Favorite Recent Orphan
- Orphan Only a Mother Could Love
- Favorite Daddy Warbucks Car
- People’s Choice
- Best in Show
- President’s Award
It should be a bit easier than when faced with all those year categories, especially when you end up with only one or two vehicles in a category, and there really is no real choice. If these categories don’t appeal, then next year when you have joined the board, you get to change them!
We think you will enjoy the show and the whole weekend. The board has worked hard to plan a fun invitational and to hold the costs down. We look forward to seeing all of you at Beach Ball.
