<VV> Report - 2023 CORSA Chula Vista Convention

[Les]

Hi, it was great that Carl and family could attend (again! what a 
lengthy and expensive commitment!). I have a couple comments on his 
comments:

* Disappointing that only 5 turned out for VV meeting - but not really a 
surprise to me. I didn't show, as kid and I had some prep to do for 
autocross the next day and were already pretty beat up by being out in 
the heat all day. But the email list as a method of communication has 
been largely replaced by web forums like Corvair Center. Back in the 90s 
the email list was THE way to communicate - I used to print out Virtual 
Vairs correspondence at work at peruse it at home later....

* A world map would have been great - as we DID have attendees from all 
over. As Canadians though - there was enough map that kid and I were 
able to add pins for our hometowns. I think we might have been the only 
ones!

Les

> Today's Topics:
>
>     1. Report - 2023 CORSA Chula Vista Convention
>        (Arlette Pat & Carl Kelsen)
>     2. Fwd:  Late evening VV meeting. (Jim Becker)
>     3. Re: Report - 2023 CORSA Chula Vista Convention (Tom Berg)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2023 16:33:01 +0000
> From: Arlette Pat & Carl Kelsen <arlettecarl at hotmail.com>
> To: Virtualvairs Virtualvairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>, Virtualvairs
> 	Virtualvairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Subject: <VV> Report - 2023 CORSA Chula Vista Convention
> Message-ID:
> 	<ME2P282MB220951A2F78171866076ABA0AC28A at ME2P282MB2209.AUSP282.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>
> 	
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Reply to Ed Thompson's Chula Vista Convention "report"
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Thursday 29 June 2023 Ed reported.......
> "Not much to report, just five of us turned out for the Virtual Vairs
> (Thursday night?) meeting, the room could have easily accommodated well
> over a hundred.  Perhaps no longer necessary to ask for a meeting time slot
> to be assigned at subsequent gatherings?
>
> Carl Kelsen was among the five of us there, he thoroughly entertained us
> concerning all things Corvair and Chevrolet in his native Australia.  If
> Carl will be attending the '24 Convention in Dayton (perhaps, as this was
> his twenty-third extended stay visit to the USA since about 1992!), I
> suggest next year's hosts invite Carl to make a presentation, I think
> attendees would be thoroughly entertained!
>
> Ed Thompson
> Milwaukee
> '66 Monza sport sedan, 110-glide, LA-built
> _______________________________________________
>
> Carl Kelsen's response.
>
> G'day everyone from Washington DC, in the USA.
> Firstly, thank you Ed, sincerely for your kind comments. As a foreigner, the real highlight for me when attending CORSA conventions is the opportunity to meet 'face to face' with fellow Corvair enthusiasts and seeing Corvairs on display. Attending these Conventions for foreigners like me involves expensive and for the most part, lengthy (17 hour plus) international flights but as they say, "you can't take it with you".
>
> I am very much appreciative of the considerable effort put into planning and running these CORSA conventions, largely by volunteer unpaid Corsa members. I also appreciate the challenge of locating venues that will suit the varied CORSA membership. It's not an easy task. That said, I am of the view that the structure / layout of these conventions could be enhanced by the inclusion of presentations and or workshops that are Chevrolet and or GM related but perhaps not directly Corvair related.
>
> As everyone knows, GMs Chevrolets division only offered a 'Corvair' for a short 10 year period (1959-1969). But our much-loved Corvair went on the influence the design of other GM products and after the last Corvair rolled off the assembly line, GM itself continued it's now 100 plus year history.
>
> I think CORSA conventions could benefit by expanding its content to include GM history that surrounded the Corvair. With this thinking in my mind, I offered to give an hour-long Power Point presentation, at this years CORSA convention. My presentation would have covered the post Second World War history of the Chevrolet brand in Australia, and I 'think' it might have been of interest to attendees and might not have gone someway to add additional variety to the convention. But it seems that the program was full.
>
> The hospitality room was 'outstanding', but the provision of single map of the United States for showing where attendees had travelled from was surprising when you this convention is billed as an International Convention. I appreciate that 98% of the attendees were from the USA, but a small map of the rest of the world might have been worthwhile. I could have placed a pin in the ocean off the west coast of the USA with an arrow pointing south, but even that was not possible. Even Canadian visitors were not included. This issue seems to repeat its self at annual CORSA Conventions and I think needs correcting.
>
> Above all, I really enjoy my visits to the USA, and tomorrow, my wife and I are looking forward to spending the day with CORSA members Bob and Carol in Washington DC.
> Regards
> Carl Kelsen
> Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
> RHD 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza convertible
>