The MOGSouth web site (www.mogsouth.com) has reached a major milestone. It has had its 1 million ‘Visit’ since inception. (The MOGSouth web site has existed in its current form since 2016.)
As you know, the MOGSouth web site is the primary communication tool for the MOGSouth Morgan Club. So, members in MOGSouth need to access the web site routinely to get MOGSouth scheduling information, news, activities details, etc.
That being said, the MOGSouth leadership is constantly trying to improve the communication with the membership. The web site’s existence is a result of this effort. It was totally revamped in 2016, when the MOGSouth newsletter, the Southern Fours and Eights, was cancelled. (This newsletter was last published in 2015. It was cancelled due to the lack of a Newsletter Editor (volunteer.)) The Newsletter Archives (on the web site) provide copies of these older Newsletters.
It is with a very heavy heart that I have to report the death of Peter Olsen. Peter has been a member of MOGSouth longer than I can remember, certainly longer that myself. And, he was a great friend to me for well over 20 years.
Peter passed away in late May and at that time, I just couldn’t find the words to describe my feelings or thoughts. Hence my tardiness in this report.
Peter and I did many Morgan related things together when I lived in Atlanta, prior to my move to Florida in 2006. Whether it was showing the Morgans at Chateau Elan in Braselton or getting into trouble in the suburbs, Peter was always up for some fun with the cars. He gave Andrea her first ride in a Morgan three wheeler in HHI in 2003 and I have it etched vividly in my mind, as it was something quite memorable given the road’s center crown.
He was president of the Roswell GA British Car Club that held the annual Atlanta British Motorcar Day, and when not committed to them he would play with MOGSouth. He and Shari were always at the MOGSouth events. I hate to think of a MOGSouth event without Peter. His interest in Morgans narrowed a bit over time.
He soon found himself focused on his beloved three wheeler as it was more like his other love, motorcycles, so he sold his Plus 8. I don’t blame him as his three wheeler was a gem and always quite well received at some very prestigious car shows.
My sincere condolences go out to Shari and the rest of the family and if ever there is anything I (or MOGSouth) can do, please ask!
The event for 2021 is planned. Details will be forthcoming. This is our third trip to Key West, FL and we learned quite a bit from the previous two trips. The basics of this trip include the following;
Limited Number of Cars – Too many cars, means too many people! Something like herding cats . . .
No ‘Marathon’ Drives – I am not really interested in getting up and out early and driving until the sun goes down . . .
No ‘Highways’ – Mostly Back Roads – The highways all look the same! Only one short bit (downtown Miami) where we can’t avoid the highways but we will travel together and keep the speed down.
No ‘Crack of Dawn’ Starts – What?? and not take advantage of the cardboard waffles offered by the hotel??
No Formalities – It’s just not my style! You won’t need that tux or evening gown! No room for it anyway!!
Lots of Nature Breaks – Frankly we are getting older and need to stop a bit more often . . .
2+ Days in Key West – Need more time to see the sites . . .
The tentative itinerary is as follows (Activities/times are subject to change so be flexible!) Extra Expenses – This is a ‘Pay As You Go’ sort of trip. Each participant must pay their own way. Meals, gas, and hotel rooms will be on you, but there are other planned activities that have individual ticket costs. If you choose to play you will have to pay!! We have done our best to minimize costs, but this is Florida in the Winter so prices are somewhat elevated.
Day 1 (Sunday, 3 Oct) – Daytona Beach – (Drive From Home), 1830 – Open House at Morgan Dealer Christopher John LTD, Group Dinner
Day 2 (Mon, 4 Oct) – Daytona to West Palm – 4.5 Hrs (236 Mi), 1830 – Party Hosted by MOGSouth Members Bennett Shuldman / Eric Singer
Day 3 (Tuesday, 5 Oct) – West Palm to Key West – 5.5 Hrs (263 Mi), 1830 – GatorMOG Noggin (Pizza and Beer)
Day 4 (Wednesday, 6 Oct) – Key West – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner – On Your Own, 1730 – Sunset Catamaran Cruise
Day 5 (Thursday, 7 Oct) – Key West – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner – On Your Own
Day 6 (Friday, 8 Oct Nov) – Key West to Naples/Fort Myers – 5 Hrs (237 Mi), 1300 – 1400 Air Boat Ride Everglades Safari Park, 1900 – Party Hosted by MOGSouth MemberJohn Pokorny (Cape Coral).
Day 7 (Sat, 9 Oct) – Naples to Winter Haven – 3.5 Hrs (150 Mi), 1900 – Party Hosted by MOGSouth Members Tom and Cathy Coryn Party
Day 8 (Sunday, 10 Oct) – Winter Havento Orlando – 2.5 Hrs (100 Mi), 1230 – 1430 Lunch at Ace Café, Orlando, FL (Followed by a 30 – 45 mins Drive to Lake Mary, FL), 1800 – Close Out Party Hosted by GatorMOG at Liam Fitzpatrick Irish Pub
If you think you will want to participate send an email to Mark Braunstein at mogsouth@yahoo.com or series1@cfl.rr.com and it is recommended that you do this quickly as the available slots are going fast!
Mark will let you know if you are on the list to go and send you emails as the details evolve and more information is known. Updates will also be posted to the MOGSouth Website at www.mogsouth.com so check the website often.
MOGSouth ‘Noggin’ and Cars and Coffee at Amelia 21-22 May 2021
We found a new location for MOGSouth’s Friday evening ‘Noggin’ (for those of you unfamiliar with term, per Webster’s dictionary a noggin is (1) a small quantity of spirits or a small mug or cup). Our new location was the Surf Restaurant and Bar in Fernandina Beach, FL (Amelia Island, FL). And it worked out quite well!!
As is the norm, MOGSouth holds a noggin (or a ‘beer call’, if you’d prefer the American term!) the Friday evening of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance weekend to gather all the Morgan types in town together before the Cars and Coffee at Amelia event on Saturday. The Surf was the designated spot this year as last year’s location proved to be a bit too cold! It was a roof top location with a stellar view, but it was also subject to the cold ocean breezes and we froze. Not this time. It was warm, certainly attributable to the later timeframe (the month of May versus the usual March (COVID adjustments…) Who knows what next year will bring…
But my weekend of woe started earlier a mere half mile from my hotel. One of the tires on my trailer decided it was time to go and shredded itself all over the road!! I pulled over and stopped and then after some reflection and discussion proceeded the short half mile to the hotel and parked. I had a spare and thought about getting out the jack, but then someone said AAA and I elected simply to call and let them do all the work while we sat in the bar at the Surf and drank beer!! Easiest tire I have ever changed!
I can’t complain about our new location. In my mind, the Surf proved to be a great spot for our noggin!! Plenty of space, we pushed a few tables together on their patio, and had reasonably attentive staff. The food was fine, although not gourmet, but the beer was good and cold! A few rain showers while we were there, however, we were under cover and out of the weather.
The new location didn’t keep the stalwarts away and it certainly didn’t dissuade a rash of new Morgan folks!! Even a few notables. The vintage tire mogul, Corky Coker, stopped by. Who knew he has a Morgan trike at home in Chattanooga? He certainly does need to join MOGSouth!! There were quite a few new faces. Some newly joined folks and some folks looking to join.
I was initially worried a bit about the band, but that proved to be unnecessary. They were really not over-powering (we were about as far away from the speakers as we could be) and a few of our folks were even caught dancing! It was all good fun! I think the YouTube video, already posted to the internet, has gone viral!!
Saturday morning came exceedingly early, although some were out beforehand, searching for breakfast?? As is our routine, the Morgans gathered in the parking lot of the Surf (yup, the same place . . . like it was planned that way?) early to convoy over to the Cars and Coffee location as a group. This keeps us parked together rather than all over the place!
We had a few mishaps along the way (my ‘51 Plus 4 lost power and I needed a push, and I heard about some overheating??), but we all got there and were parked in a pretty good location (right next to a food and beverage vendor).
A beautiful array of Morgans . . . in fact a few spectators thought the Morgans stole the show when we entered the field! The crowd couldn’t wait and quickly gathered around us, before we even had time to get our chairs and what-not out of the cars! Lots of ‘knowledgeable’ (some not so much!) spectators and lots of photos taken. I was up and down from my lawn chair, all day, answering questions and letting kids sit in my car for photos. By the end of the day, and it ended early enough (1 PM, I think?) I was exhausted. Normally they don’t end the event so early. Normally it’s more like 3PM. It may have been a concern for the staff and the May heat? I don’t rightly know.
Well, when they turned us loose, Andrea and I headed back to the Surf for a late lunch and a nap!! As is the norm, the traffic was chaotic, but Andrea’s telephone-based GPS took us (and those following us!) through some lovely Amelia Island neighborhoods, to bypass the big, usually congested, intersections. A bit circuitous route but it worked!! We joined two other Morgan couples for lunch and plotted out our Sunday return to Orlando.
Sunday was another day of trials and tribulations for me. A second trailer tire let go before I was even off Amelia Island (the steering wheel was vibrating really hard at any speed above 40), so I ended up replacing them all in Jacksonville. Finding new trailer tires and some place willing to mount them, on a Sunday, was miraculous! Rick Frazee was traveling with me and was a godsend. It is always best to travel in packs!!
Looking forward to seeing you at the next event!!
Cheers,
Mark
(Photos Courtesy of Rick Frazee and Karen Bernath)
It was hard to tell what sort of meet we would have given the external influences of the moment. Well, 50 people and 22 Morgans say a lot! It was grand! The weather was cool (in the 40s and 50s) and very much appreciated by those of us escaping the high 80s of Florida.
The cars behaved . . . for the most part, with only a few Morgan gremlins lurking about. An intermittent starter problem, a gas guage with a mind of its own, and a few unknown gremlins saving themselves for the trip home. A lovely array of cars!! We had three Aero 8s, an AeroMax, two Plus 4 Drop Head Coupes, three Plus 4, 4 Seaters, at least three 4/4s (I think another one might have been lost along the way?), a good number of Plus 8s (one turbo!) and both new (3.7L) and old Roadsters (3.0L). Even a brand new Plus 4! As someone said, ‘eye candy!’
Little Switzerland is situated right off the Blue Ridge Parkway and a few high-octane twisty mountain loops that will certainly elevate your blood pressure, in a lovely spot in the North Carolina mountains.
The Meet was designed to be low key. No activities were mandated but we did want to stay in compliance with the safety policies of the region and the hotel.
Mostly, our plans seemed to have worked. Folks had their choice of drives on Saturday and an afternoon to investigate the lovely mountain vistas, local shops and villages. Our Hospitality Suite was a separate cabin and, as it the norm, it was full of folks reminiscing about past meets and planning future outings. We haven’t been all that social of late, so everyone seemed to be in great spirits and happy to be out and about.
We had a group photo with the cars in the lot and the North Carolina mountains in the background. All were amazed we didn’t lose a car or two down the hill! How about those handbrakes?
The planned outside dinner was rewickered and held in the main hotel dining room. It was just a tinge too cold for us to hold it outside; but the hotel was accommodating, and they quickly put us inside the main dining room. That worked out well. The dinner was exquisite, the views stunning, and banter, lively (and loud)! There were a few unlucky souls (other hotel guests) in the dining room at the time that had to listen to our Club drivel, but they did not seem to mind too much (or at least they didn’t say).
The key points communicated were the upcoming Club events! The MOGSouth Noggin at Amelia Island starting at 5 PM (at the Surf Restaurant in Fernandina Beach, FL) on Friday, 21 May 2021, the Cars and Coffee at Amelia Island on the following Saturday, 22 May 2021 (Note: we have an extra acceptance ticket should you need one and want to attend. Contact Mark), the MOGSouth Fall Meet in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (Last minute change, bumped again due to Covid) , 5 – 7 November (We are part of the Car Club Showcase on Saturday), and the MOGSouth Holiday Party in Peachtree City, Georgia Saturday 4 December 2021.
Also, there is a Road Trip to Key West, planned for 3 – 10 October 2021, starting in Daytona Beach, Florida with the Morgan Dealer’s open house and finishing in Lake Mary, Florida at a party in Liam Fitzpatrick’s Irish Pub.
This year’s calendar is on the MOGSouth Web Site, www.mogsouth.com. The web site is not sending emails when new items are posted so you must go to the web site periodically to ensure you aren’t missing things. Go to the Calendar page and look for events. If they are underlined, there is more information. Click on the underlined event to go to the link with more details. We will also try to send broadcast email messages when new things are added.
Photos courtesy of Richard Ihns (the mountain drives) and Mark Braunstein (the dinner and group photo).
This past year’s events were challenging but we are now having fun. If you weren’t in Little Switzerland, you missed a great MOGSouth meet, some wonderful scenery and roads, and most likely a lot of your Morgan friends! I know things come up and sometimes these absences cannot be helped. Luckily, there are more opportunities to play this year.
It is with great sorrow that I communicate the passing of Pat Harris. Pat was the ever-present partner of Gene Spainhour for as long as I can remember. I am sure it is the same for many of you, but for me a MOGSouth meet without Gene and Pat just didn’t seem right. My heartfelt condolences go out to Gene during this very trying time.
Pat passed away with her family in Cape Cod. Pat was a wonderful member of the MOGSouth family and one of those people that makes MOGSouth the great club it is! For me, she was always the ‘bright light in room’ even when we were outside mucking about with the silly cars. She could be forceful when necessary, but had a wonderful sense of humor! She often provided us with the ‘adult supervision’ we occasionally needed! She was loved by us all and she will be deeply, deeply missed!
Patricia Waggaman Harris
DOB: 05/29/1949 in Mt. Vernon, Ohio
DOD: 04/02/2021, age 71 in North Falmouth, MA
Born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio to Robert Waggaman and Mary Alice (Shrack) Waggaman. Pat spent a large portion of her childhood in Park Forest, IL before moving back to Mt. Vernon for high school. At Mt. Vernon High School, she met her husband to be, Jeffrey Harris, in the lunch line. Following high school, she attended Albion College in Albion, Michigan where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English. She later went on to earn a Master of Library Science from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
Upon graduation from Albion, Pat and Jeff married and eventually settled in Bethlehem, NC where they raised two children, Christopher and Bethany. Pat worked as a librarian/ media specialist for many years, first at West Alexander Junior High School and then at Hickory High School. Pat earned her National Board Certification while at Hickory High School.
Pat had a love of the outdoors including walking, gardening and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She loved spending time with friends, pottery, books, chocolate, traveling, and a glass of wine. For the past sixteen years, she embarked on these pursuits and many other adventures with her partner, Gene Spainhour of Hickory. Most of all she loved her four grandchildren.
Pat will be lovingly remembered by her children Chris and Alissa Harris of Falmouth, MA and Bethany Harris and Leopoldo Sasso of Brooklyn, NY, and her grandchildren Hadley, Benjamin, Leopoldo and Clara. She is also survived by her brother Craig Waggaman and sister in-law Linda Waggaman of Radford, VA. Pat was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Jeffrey Harris in 1993.
A celebration of Pat’s life will be planned in the future in Hickory, North Carolina.
Memorial donations can be made in Pat’s memory to the following:
Bethlehem Branch Friends of the Library, 45 Rink Dam Road, Hickory, NC 28601
The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter, 4 North Blount StreetSuite 200, Raleigh, NC 27601
Compassionate Care ALS, PO Box 1052, West Falmouth, MA 02574
Eight spectacular cars (all GatorMOG Morgans) visited the pristine links at the famed TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, this past week. Golf enthusiasts will recognize this course as it was just on television, hosting the Tournament Players Championship, a PGA Tour event with a $15M purse! A purse bigger than the US Open!! Wow! We just went for lunch?
First off we visited with Peter and Lynda McManemy in Ponte Vedra Beach. Their home is stunning with views of the intercoastal waterway with a large lanai for lounging. This is the Florida life style! Peter plays the TPC weekly and says his game is improving?? This is a game for the gods. I gave it up years ago realizing my inabilities. My hat is off to Peter!!
The folks in our gaggle came from all over northern and central Florida. A few of us convoyed together while others carved out their own routes to Ponta Vedra Beach. For those in the convoy (I was one), we traveled the highways, top down and enjoying the mild Florida weather. We did have to playing dodge ball with the eighteen wheelers some but otherwise it was just a spirited but somewhat dull drive. The folks that traveled the back roads and coastal roads reported a much better trip! The age of the cars ranged from 1980 to 2020.
The run to the TPC from Peter and Lynda’s home was trivial. Just down the lane!! We rolled in and placed a few of the cars at the front of the Club House and the rest of the cars went into reserved spots in the parking lot. Quite the operation!! I guest they knew we were coming?
The lunch was served outside on the Clubhouse’s lanai. Breath-taking views of the 18th hole with the skyboxes (tournament spectator tents) still up.
It was obvious that the tournament had just occurred as the club aura still had that bit of electricity in the air! But surprisingly the grounds were impeccable . . . they showed no signs of the very large spectator crowds of the previous week.
I guess the most famous of holes at this golf course is the 17th with its putting green surrounded by water. Peter alluded to amateur players that are so fixated on hitting the green, just once! They would repetitively pitch their golf balls into the water just to have success with one!! Yes, all for bragging rights!!
It seems that an ambitious young diver now scours bottom of the water hazard around the green once a year claiming the found golf balls to resell! Good work if you can get it!!
The Morgans out front were a definite attraction. Folks with large golf club bags stopped to stare. I guess they must have been wondering where they they’d put those clubs, if they had a Morgan?
Some just stopped and never moved? Not sure what they were wondering? ‘Now where did I park the SUV??’
We had to shoo away a good number of gawkers just to get a photograph with only the cars. We moved them all to the front of the Club House for a photo op! Getting the cars positioned just right in front of the fountain was a challenge. We had a move a few cars around to avoid similar colors side by side, but in the end it came out quite well.
Just a fleeting moment in time . . . commemorating a wonderful afternoon in Florida.
MOGSouth is basically a NOT FOR PROFIT organization. Actually, it is a very loose organization without any sort of legality, charter or rules. For some 45 years this has been good for the Club. I am sure at times there would have been some advantages to a more formal existence but then we would have had to live with other constraints we just didn’t like, so . . .
Anyway, even with no mandates and pressures we have taken our duties seriously and we have managed to minimize costs over the last few years. Given this, we now have a small surplus of funds in our banking account. We are not in the business of accruing money, so we thought it best to return it to the membership. We have decided to do this by NOT CHARGING any dues to our membership or advertising fees to our normal supporters for the 2021 Calendar Year.
Just let us know you are still a member. Send an email to mogsouth@yahoo.com.
We know this isn’t much, but . . . (Note: In addition, we are looking at some charitable contributions so please no emails or messages!)
Basically, 2020 was anything but a MOGSouth year and now we want to make 2021 a ‘free’ year.
Go ahead, now’s the time!! Buy something shiny for the car!!
We don’t stock all that much in the way of regalia, but what we do have is pretty special!
Certainly we have Car Badges (about out 4.5″ across) of the MOGSouth Logo. They were thought to be made by Jim Baker in the UK (but others think not, so . . .) regardless they are lovely and look fabulous on the Morgan! If you don’t already have one, you need one! The car badges have a mounting tab on the bottom with two holes. The car badges are 50$ each, plus 15$ S&H. And, you will need the badge clips to mount them to a badge bar. The clips are sized to match whatever badge bar you have! Make sure you get the right size!
We also have the MOGSouth Logo on a small lapel pin for 5$ each, a small bronze plaque (about 2″ across) at 8$ each or on a cloth patch for 3$ each. The lapel pin is roughly an 1.25″ across and the patch is about the same size as the car badge, i.e. 4.5″ across. S&H is minimal for the small items.
I don’t have the car badge clips (you can get them just about anywhere, e.g. Moss Motors, Morgan Spares, Triple-C, etc.) but if you want any of the other items send an email to mogsouth@yahoo.com.
MOGSouth has also engaged Fourth Gear Limited to provide a wide selection of clothing and other items emblazoned with the MOGSouth and GatorMOG Logo embroideries. In addition to the MOGSouth and GatorMOG logos, they have both vintage three and four wheeled Morgan cars (top up or down) embroideries, Morgan Motor Company scrips and wings. They will also put more than one embroidery on just about anything. And, they will change colors if you ask nicely! I’ve had them alter the color of the embroidery to match my three wheeler’s colors!! Just let them know what you want!!
So let you imagination wander!! Go to their website and take a look!
[It occurred to me in the middle of the night that some folks may want MOGSouth Name Badges. If you are new to the club, or simply can’t find yours, we’re here for you!! In case you are wondering, they look like the picture below. They are available for $8.00 plus shipping. I can’t remember what the shipping is, so let’s say $2.00 each. If you want one, simply send an email to MOGSouth@yahoo.com and provide us with what you want the badge to say (Name, nickname, Alter Ego, etc.), put a check in the mail to Mark Braunstein (address on the membership roster) and we’ll get the process started! And, be patient. They will take a bit of time to get created and mailed. FYI, they either come with the little magnetic device that magically attaches to your garment but leaves no holes or the old ‘pin it to your shirt’ style! Let me know if you have a preference. Cheers, Mark]
