by Rich Pokorny
On 8/12/2012, The Queens County Region of Area 11 held their first national judged meet at the grounds of
the historic Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence, LI, NY.
The show was a huge success!
In attendance were thirty eight (38) members for judging and thirty (30) additional non-judged cars. The Queens Region board of directors worked tirelessly to address all the minor glitches which could have
spoiled the day. Thanks to the efforts of Paul Parnes, events coordinator, the day came off without a hitch.
Paul, with a big assist from Tom Vitale and Sebastian D’Agostino learned firsthand how complicated
it is to organize a show of this magnitude and addressed each problem as it occurred. Their efforts were assisted by Chuck Gibson and Nick Matlaga who joined Paul and Russ Heim to present the two seminars needed to prepare the judges for the show.
Paul secured sleeping arrangements for out of town participants at two local motels. The Rockville Center Motor Lodge had ample protected parking for trailers and the Five Towns Motor Inn provided space for a judging seminar conducted by Chuck Gibson in addition to housing guests. The region had earlier conducted a judging seminar at the Silver Moon Diner in Bellerose conducted by Nick Matlaga and Roger Heim. As this was the first national judged show in the area in several years, many of the cars and the judges were first time participants.
Attendees came from as far as North Carolina and Niagara Falls as well as NJ, CT, and PA. The vehicles present covered the range of ages from the 1920’s to the 1980’s. They all braved the New York traffic and there were no reports of drivers getting lost or vehicle breakdowns.
The judging area was primarily a large, circular grassy space affording an excellent opportunity to view the cars and talk with fellow enthusiasts. Vendors provided food, knickknacks and even some vintage parts. The grounds themselves boasted a rich history with a Georgian style formal home built in 1767 that has become a National Landmark. Those attending this show had the privilege of touring the house.
The weather was in our favor and old music played outside to accompany our antique cars. When the dust cleared, the trophies, tabs and ovals were awarded and everyone enjoyed the day, even a few participants who have to wait until next year to try again.
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