Re: Nationals - thank you

[n9ads@domain.elided (Howard R Pletcher)]

I also want to echo some of Bill T's thoughts about this weekend being a
reunion of people.  As I was driving home, I was thinking that in many
ways this was the best of the 9 Nationals so far, not because of the
event itself, but because the growing number of people that you feel you
know because we can talk every day.  I do wish I had been able to see
more of those there.  [And I must say that most of you don't look
anything like you do when you type--a phenomenon I've also observed over
the telephone and on the radio.  :-) ]  I'm looking forward to next year
when even more digesters will be there.

A little history of the Nationals and SIMTA might be of interest to some
of you.  In some ways, the very beginnings of this group extend back to
the Fort Wayne 4WD Club and the Indy Four Wheelers who got together
periodically for trail rides in the Brown County, Indiana area during the
late 70's.  These groups were not Scout clubs, but did have a large
number of IH employees and Scouts for some reason. 

 When the Peterson's Off-Road Jamborees were held in Indianapolis
beginning around 1980, the IH owners from these groups tended to park
together to avoid getting lost in a sea of Fords and Chevys and this
helped attract other IH owners.  John Glancy joined us at one of these
events with a fine C-110 4x4 Travelall he had found in Colorado.  Another
one joining the group was Dr. Todd Sommer from Iowa who was an avid Scout
and IH fan and he was one of the prime movers in the formation of SIMTA
in the mid-80's and it's early president and newsletter editor.  He
decided to return to medical school several years ago for another
speciality and is still finishing his residency, so has had little time
to participate in the last several years, although he was at the
Nationals one or two days this year again.  After talking about it for
several years, a number of folks that had been getting together at the
Jamboree met in Indianpolis around 1986 or so and formed the club that is
now SIMTA.

Around 1988 or 89, John left his job at Center City International in
Columbus to start Super Scout Specialists.  About the same time, he and
his family began plans for a Scout show that would be the first Nationals
in 1990.  The first 3 Nationals were held at an Ohio State Ag Expo center
along I-70 between Springfield and Columbus as a part of the Cars & Parts
show that was held there and then moved to the Fairgrounds 
when the Cars & Parts show was moved.  The first 8 Nationals were held on
Memorial Day weekend, but moved to September for 1998 as the spring swap
meet grew too large to accommodate the Nationals easily.

Howard Pletcher
Howteron Products Scout Parts

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