Past President Messages

December 2005 - by Stan Johnson
I am pleased to report significant progress in several of MAFFI’s projects. Recently MAFFI volunteers completed
indexing the unique Model A parts drawings at the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, Michigan (we still
have to index the common nuts, bolts and washers drawings). We have a copy of the complete electronic (digital)
record of this work done over the past several years and we plan to post the tens of thousands of items on the parts
list on our website in the near future. This will allow people to find out quickly if a drawing exists, and how to order a
copy. In addition, two other items will soon appear on the website:

1. The complete list and a partially viewable copy of over 400 original factory photos from MAFFI’s Photographic
Collection (The Rentz Collection). This will allow restorers to view various shots of a particular car and then order
full-size 8x10 reprints for detailed examination or display.

2. The second new item soon to appear on the website is the International Model A Registry. Our dedicated
webmaster, Shelly Kaptain, has set up a site in which all Model A’ers can fill out a form and thus “log in” or register
their Model A. Over time we hope that nearly all of the Model A’s known to exist will be listed. When that occurs
there will be a treasure trove of information available for serious researchers and curious fans (e.g., “I wonder if that
roadster I had in high school is still around”).

In even more good news, during the past year we have had two four door sedans donated to us. The 1930 sedan is
being restored by the Evergreen Chapter, and the 1929 sedan is temporarily in the Los Angeles area awaiting a club
that is willing to take on the job of making a good car even better. Several other people have contacted us about
providing in their wills for the donation of their cars to MAFFI.

So the hard work of volunteers and the steady donations from around the Model A community continue to make a
difference in the Model A preservation and education arena. Every cent donated goes toward this goal, with even
administrative expenses for postage and this newsletter held to a minimum. We want those donations to go to work
full speed for the Model A community.

June 2005 - by Stan Johnson
The Annual Meeting of the Trustees and the Annual General Membership Meeting were productive events. Four
new trustees were elected and they will stand MAFFI in good stead in the coming years.
Marlin Perry along with his wife Elaine are very active Model A’ers. Marlin was the co-chairman of the MAFCA
Riverside meet in 2002 and possesses a broad knowledge of how to get things done.
Bruce Palmer has already been a valuable asset to MAFFI as one of the volunteers who are indexing the Model A
Parts Drawings at the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn. He has restored multiple Model A’s including a
service car (wrecker) and a school bus. His wife Bunny is by his side in all these activities.
Sam Nixon has served as Chairman of the MARC Judging Standards Committee and has a deep knowledge of
restoration and judging.
George Tynan is a past President of MAFCA and is very active in all aspects of the Model A hobby.
In addition to these strong Trustees, we will be looking in the coming year for additional trustee candidates to stand
for election at the 2006 Annual Meeting.
Meanwhile, three interesting “hardware” projects are underway. The first is a Model AA tractor conversion kit
being restored for MAFFI by Art Callan.
The second is a marine conversion kit for a Model A engine. MAFFI member Doug Skinner suggested buying an
available kit. That has now been done. Ideally, we will be able to find a 30’s era wooden runabout boat into which a
Model A engine, with the adapter kit (special exhaust manifold, gearbox, and mounts) can be installed. On a similar
note, a fordor sedan, donated to MAFFI by Ron Jennings, will be transported from Boise to Seattle in early
September where its restoration will become a club project of the Evergreen chapter.
These are the kinds of great things that are happening and which will increase the inventory of display items
available when MAFFI finally moves into a museum. Join in!

March 2005 - by Stan Johnson
This issue of the A Preserver has been set aside almost exclusively for articles about the status of various MAFFI
activities. It is our intention to continue to use the March issue to make an annual report to our members, to the Officers
of the national Model A clubs, and to the various chapters and regions. MAFFI is doing well and we appreciate the
continuing support from the entire Model A Community.
There are two areas needing emphasis that we are working on, in addition to the reports contained on the following
pages. The first is a dedicated Model A Museum. There are several opportunities for developing a museum; however, at
this time we do not have enough displays on hand to properly outfit a dedicated Model A museum. We will need to
obtain additional cars, either by gift or by temporary loan. Additionally, we need to create a series of displays on the
unique aspects of the Model A Ford and its era. Every club has one or more experts on the Model A and we need to tap
that expertise for creation of needed museum displays. Carburetors, distributors, brakes, KR Wilson tools, the Roaring
Twenties, era fashions, wipers, stainless steel, spoked wheels, door handles, and The Rouge Plant are just a few of the
topics for exhibits/displays that need to be created. We think there are many Model A’ers who would be willing to create
a high-quality display knowing that their name would be permanently included on the display.
The second area of emphasis for the coming year is the continuance or completion of the Model A Parts Drawings
Project at the Benson Ford Research Center. It has been our intention to begin digitizing the drawings in the coming
year. This effort would require an equipment investment of $30,000 or more. Recently BFRC has, on their own, set up
improved equipment for an on-demand scanning and reproduction system for customers. The BFRC staff reports there
are only a small number of requests per month for copies of the drawings. They have expressed resistance to our idea of
a large multi-year digitizing effort, but we continue to stress strongly the long-term value of our proposal. We are also
reviewing options regarding the digitizing project, in comparison to our other preservation activities. We will be
reporting on these activities in future issues of The A Preserver, and during oral reports at the National Meets.

September 2004 - by Stan Johnson
After the two national meets (MARC's in Madison, Wisconsin and MAFCA's in Portland, Oregon), I can report that
the state of the Model A hobby in general, and the state of the Model A Ford Foundation in particular, is very good.
I have observed a feeling of shared interest and friendship at the national meets that I have attended over the past
several years. My observation this year is that the common bonds are growing and there are younger people coming
into the hobby. (Of course in the Model A hobby, you are "younger" if you are in your 40's or below).
The future of our hobby lies in those young families who can be seen enjoying their cars together. But unlike the older
hobbyists, most of the younger Model A'ers didn't spend many nights during their high school years working on an
old Model A. I remember my best friend and I had several Model A engines in the back of my dad's garage. We could
remove and replace an engine fairly quickly, considering the nature of tools and our engine hoist (three saplings
chained together teepee-style, supporting a block and tackle). But we learned every nut and bolt, and the functioning
of the car from bumper to bumper, even though the tuition was usually a scraped hand or a blackened fingernail.
So how do the younger Model A'ers learn about their cars? For one thing there are great how-to books and Judging
Standards/Restoration Guidelines available now that weren't available back in the 50's. Also, the local Model A clubs
are almost always willing to help solve problems. (Sometimes you can't get up to the front row next to the fender, to find
out what the problem is!).
But there is more that needs to be done. MAFFI's goal is to educate hobbyists, new and old, and the general public on
the precise details of the car (e.g. the Ford Factory Engineering Drawings project at Dearborn) as well as the general
history of the car's development, production and utility during its life span. We are collecting original parts,
accessories, pictures, ads, clothing and upholstery samples. We plan to retain them in a central place, accessible to
anyone who seeks to review them. We welcome people who share these goals to join us and give continued life to this
great car and hobby.

September 2003 - by Stan Johnson
I was both pleased and humbled when I was elected to become the President of MAFFI at the annual membership meeting
held on June 3- in Dearborn, Michigan. I appreciate the confidence placed in me by the other Trustees and by the
membership. I will work hard to justify that confidence and to further the goals of the foundation.
As the first order of business I want to thank the departing President, Ross Milne, for the great work he did for the
foundation over the past three years. Much has been accomplished during Ross's tenure and I know I speak for the entire
Model A community when I say we appreciate him and we are indebted to him for his service. Similarly, I want to thank Judy
Hamilton for her work over the past three years as the foundation treasurer. She established an automated system that has
helped keep the books in great shape and has managed the steady growth of the endowment fund.
Two new trustees joined the fold at Dearborn. Gary DuPen is from Tacoma, Washington and will take on the job of raising
the awareness and appreciation of the foundation's work. Randy Seirk is from Christiana, Pennsylvania. He has agreed to
serve as a technical expert for the foundation.
The missing link at the moment is the appointment of a new editor. I have held that position for three years and have
enjoyed being involved in publishing MAFFI activities, projects, and progress. I would like to invite anyone interested in
taking on the Editor's job to contact me. My experience has been that editing four issues a years is a very reasonable effort.
As reported during the meetings in Dearborn, excellent progress is being made on several of MAFFI's projects. In addition,
meetings at the Ford Archives have set the stage for continued enhancement of the Model A community's access to parts
drawings. Modernized access to other MAFFI holdings such as the Rentz photo collection was also moved forward during
discussions and demonstrations at Dearborn.
My goal is to continue the clarification of MAFFI's goals and projects so that the purpose and benefits of the various
activities and projects are transparent to the membership and to the entire community.

June 2003 - by Ross Milne
MAFFI continues to grow stronger both financially and in term of membership. Thanks to all of you who have renewed
your membership, and to the many new members, our current membership is at an all time high.
As you will read elsewhere in this issue, MAFFI is the recipient o a very significant donation from the Ohio Valley Region
MARC and the Southern California Region MAFCA who ran the very successful MARC 2001 National Meet in Cincinnati
and the equally successful MAFCA National Meet in Riverside in 2002 respectively. To both organizations and all other
Clubs who have made donations - a very sincere thank you. MAFFI's Mission statement, set forth on the lower left of this
page, is closer to reality because of your donations.
The major MAFFI projects continue to make good progress. Discussions are underway to decide how best to make the
results available to the Model A community.
I want to thank the donors of Model A vehicles and related era material. As previously noted, MAFFI now has a secure
facility to store donations and to prepare displays utilizing donated material. The objective is to make MAFFI's Model
AA's and Model A-related displays available to existing automotive museums for display. We have a ways to go before
this program is fully operational but we would be glad to hear from you if you know of an Automotive Museum that would
like to feature a "Model A display."
MAFFI is always looking to new Trustees. If you have served on your Club or Regional executive board or if you have
completed your term on either the MAFCA or MARC Boars an wish to continue your involvement to ensure that the
Model A hobby continues for another 75 years please consider joining us. The pay comes in the form of the reward of
helping to ensure the hobby continues for the enjoyment of future generations. It is well worth your consideration. If you
are interested please contact any of the current Trustees.

December 2002 - by Ross Milne
Recently Art Callan, MAFFI's Executive Director, sent out an information package to every local Modal A Ford club for
use in creating articles about the Foundation in chapter newsletters. The contents of that letter should start showing up
in chapter newsletters, particularly if MAFFI members ask the right questions of their local President and Newsletter
Editor.
Equally effective (maybe more effective) is the role each individual member can play in expanding the membership of
MAFFI. Ask your best Model A friends if they belong to MAFFI. If the answer is no, then tell them about the reasons for
joining.
Tell them about the current tangible actions MAFFI is taking:
The project to recover and make available the Ford Factory Model A Parts Drawings to restorers and manufacturers;
The project to make available accurate samples of genuine Model A upholstery materials and trim;
Projects to catalog large collections of Model A photos and Model A advertisements;
Projects to collect and display cutaway engines, complete cars, and various parts and accessories.
Tell them also about what MAFFI can do for them:
As an IRS tax-deductible gifting organization, members can deduct portions of all donations, even including annual dues;
The foundation uses the collective strength of its membership to accomplish preservation and education goals not
achievable by one person or one chapter;
MAFFI's actions are accomplished with a very small overhead cost and no "profit motive" to collect, preserve and protect
Model A hardware, era memorabilia and information;
The foundation speaks with an authoritative voice on preservation and education issues involving the Model A and it's
era;
MAFFI serves them as a central repository for information, hardware, and expertise.
All these things are being done by dedicated volunteer Model A enthusiasts who need the support of a large
membership base. In this regard, Gary DuPen has volunteered to be a Trustee of MAFFI. Although his formal approval
must await the next meeting of the trustees, we welcome his willingness to serve the Model A hobby and look forward to
having his broad expertise available to MAFFI membership.

March 2006 - By Stan Johnson

Should there be a Model A Hall of Fame? I have been thinking that MAFFI may be the right organization to create such
a place. There are many people who have given a lot to the creation, development, operation, restoration and education
about, the Model A Ford. Some are already prominent; others are unknown beyond their circle of friends.

Of course prominent among the obvious nominees would be the original developers of the Model A, Henry and Edsel
Ford, and the various department chiefs and engineers who created the car in the first place. There would be people like
K.R. Wilson, who provided a strong supporting role in keeping maintenance fast and cheap. There must have been
heroes in the Briggs and Murray Companies who turned out bodies quickly according to Ford’s specifications. There
are the leaders of the National Model A Clubs who have worked tirelessly to solidify and standardize the hobby.

There are people like George DeAngelis who was an early leader in identifying the basis for restoring the Model A.
There are others like the founders of LeBarron-Bonney who made it possible to restore cars with original type fittings.
Men like Bill Sturm who possess intense knowledge about upholstery, or some other aspect of the car. There are
several parts vendors like Walt Bratton who have developed businesses that make it possible to restore a car with parts
of ever-increasing quality.

In addition, every club has a local Model A guru who possesses great knowledge about the Model A, and willingly
shares it with his fellow club members. Every club has a faithful newsletter editor who binds the club together, and
another member who every year agrees to hold one office or another within the club. These, too, deserve to be
recognized.

So in the coming year we will consider establishing a Model A Hall of Fame, with rules for admission. Rules could be as
simple as allowing every local club to nominate one member to the Hall each year. The Hall need not be a physical
structure at first; a log book might be the start. When a Model A Museum opens, a room could be set aside for the Hall
of Fame.

June 2006 - By Stan Johnson

This will be my last message as President of The Foundation. I will have served for six years as a Trusted and that
is the limit wisely established in the by-laws. A new President will be elected at our annual meeting in Mansfield,
Massachusetts in July.

During the past three years in which I have been President, we have accomplished some important items for the
Foundation. And when I use the word "we" I mean many people, not just me.

Perhaps the biggest accomplishement of the past three years in the creation of an excellent web site for The
Foundation. On that web site we have created a Model A Registry, something that will grow with time to become a
research tool for the Model A community.

An we will, in the next several months, put up on the website the results of nearly a decade of work by MAFFI
volunteers who have been indexing the parts drawings at the Benson Ford Research Center,. This section of the
websit will allow people to enter and find out if a drawing exists for a particular part, along with instructions on
how to order a copy of the drawing, if desired. There will be over 100,000 entries on that section alone, indicating
the extent of the various modificaitons to Model A parts, and also the amount of work done by the volunteers.

In the past three years we have doubled the number of Model A's owned by The Foundation. Sounds good, but
the facts are, we have gone from two cars to four cars. But more will be donated as some owners realize the best
place for their prized car is to have it be memorialized in their honor at our eventual museum site.

Finally, we have begun t hinking seriously about a museum. We know that we have to lead an effort to create
quality Model A Displays of various assemblies and accessories, as well as historical and personality displays, in
order to tell the whole Model A story.

Thanks for all your support and for the Model A Spirit of Friendship and Cooperation.

September 2006 - By Stan Johnson

This column takes the form of a few notes on the recent annual meetings and the transition
between George Tynan and myself. I said in the last issue it would be my last column, but due
to the long car trip that George is taking following the MAFCA Meet in Mansfield,
Massachusetts, he has asked me to "do the honors" one more time.

Therefore I will write for both of us as we make the transition into a new era of MAFFI leadership.
The Board of Trustees Meeting and the General Membership meeting both took place on
Monday, July 17. Much business we conducted amidst what was a fantastic Model A meet.

First off, the election of new Trustees, selected all three candidates making Loukie Smith, Bill
Shields, and Jay McCord MAFFI Trustees with a term running from July 06 to July 09. Gary
DuPen's and Randy Sierk's Trusteeship were renewed as Trustees for a second 3 year term.
This leaves us with 13 Trustees, the most we have had in a long time, maybe ever.

In addition George Tynan was elected President at the meet. George officially took over during
the "MAFFI Five Minutes" at the MAFCA Banquet on Saturday at Mansfield.

Peter Winnewisser gave an excellent talk at the MAFFI Blue Oval Seminar. He pulled interesting
vignettes from his most recent book. Earlier, at the Grand Rapids MARC meet, Bruce Palmer
had given another great Blue Oval talk about the restoration of his and Bunny's Model A School
Bus. So the Blue Oval talk seems to be ingrained in the national meets. I look forward to hearing
the talk at Willliamsburg.

December 2006 - George Tynan

I must begin by saying that I'm honored to have been selected, by the Board of Trustees, to be your
President and I'm overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I've received from you - the members.

Having served on the MAFCA Board for four years, I thought I "knew it all". Not so. With this new position
I learn more every day, which gives me a great appreciation for those who preceded me and those who
serve with me.

Much has happened this past year on the Parts and Upholstery projects, thanks to a host of volunteers.
Having said that, I hope to concentrate greater effort toward a future museum - a lofty goal but one that we
must all support. We have a great Foundation staff but we need input from you, our members. What we
need is a centrally located, easily accessible, affordable facility that we can maintain and support from
within, a showcase MAFFI MUSEUM. With support and encouragement from each of you this could
become a reality. I am encouraging our Trustees to remain visible and to continue to remind you, our
members, new and old, of our organization and of our museum plans. Together I am sure we can make
this happen. I am optimistic that this year (2006-7) will bring us much closer to our goal.

The annual "Giving Letter" will soon be in the mail. This letter identifies areas to which one can designate
tax benefit donations under the 501(c)3 tax code.

Our organizational goals remain strong in our dedication to the Restoration, Preservation and Education
of the Model A. Thanks for your continued interest and support. Our Trustees will continue to remain
active and visible at all major Model A events. Look for us.

March 2007 by George Tynan

Following a busy Holiday Season it is now time to reflect on our 2006 progress and dig in
for 2007. May I first say that response to the December "giving letter" was especially
gratifying. Continued generosity is certainly going to help our Museum effort. I would like
to mention here that we recently lost a champion of the Model A hobby and MAFFI in
particular. Del Swanson, a charter member, served on the Board of Trustees and as
President from 1990 to 1992. He was an inspiration to all who knew him until his final
days. He often visited the MAFFI booth and National Meetings while in his wheelchair. He
also served on the MAFCA Board and was President in 1983. He will be missed by all of
us.

Our table at the MAFCA Annual Membership Meeting in Las Vegas drew considerable
interest and a few new members. Next will be the April MARC Membership Meeting in
Joliet. We will be there, as usual, to handle your inquiries and membership requests.
Following the Joliet meeting we will have strong representation and our annual MAFFI
meeting in conjunction with the MARC National Convention at Williamsburg, Virginia,
June 18-22. In addition to our meeting, where you can meet our Board of Trustees, you
will also meet our three newest members, Jay McCord, Bill Shields and Loukie Smith, all
who have taken an active part in our activities. Bill will present a most interesting Blue
Oval Lecture entitled, "There to Breathe the Beauty: The Summer Camping Journeys of
Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs, 1916-1924".

Finally in reviewing our membership, I am surprised that so much has been accomplished
by so few. Through our volunteer efforts tremendous strides have been made in our
mission - preserving the Model A era, encouraging research, and educating present and
future generations. That brings me to my final point. I would like to introduce a new
program titled: EVERY MEMBER GET A MEMBER. As an active member you can help
Foundation growth by encouraging your Model A friends to join. You can contact any of
our Trustees, or refer to our website at WWW.MAFFI.ORG, for membership applications.
Or, if you choose, send us names and addresses of potential members and we will follow
through. With your help we can experience tremendous growth this year. Remember,
EVERY MEMBER GET A MEMBER.

Again, my special thanks to each of you for your support and generosity to the
Foundation. I look forward to meeting you in the future and to a successful membership
campaign.
George Tynan

June 2007 by George Tynan

Now that winter is behind us and the good weather days are upon us, I'm sure we are all
looking forward to the enjoyment of our MODEL A's. In addition, I am also looking forward to
the MARC National meet at Williamsburg. This will, as always, be a good opportunity to
rekindle friendships, add new friends, and, like Queen Elizabeth II, participate in the 400th
Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. I often think of that in some ways as being
synonymous to Henry Ford's involvement in modern day transportation.

I recently reviewed an historical program prepared by Stan Johnson and put on DVD by Don
Ludwig on the GAZ, - the Russian version of MODEL A cars and trucks. It is extremely well
done and may be available for viewing following the Williamsburg meet.

This year we are proud to announce the very special Blue Oval presentation by our own
Trustee, Bill Shields, on the outdoor activities of Henry Ford and his close friends. This is a
presentation that all should be interested in. Bill did a tremendous amount of research in
bringing this together as he describes the "other side" of Henry.

This past winter we sent out our Annual Giving Letter outlining our stated goal of the
establishment of a MODEL A museum. Response was great. With each passing year we get
closer to meeting that objective. This last response helped a lot. My plea to each of you, and I
know you all have ideas, is to examine the possibilities of where we can establish and how we
can support such a facility. Our MODEL A museum is long overdue and a goal we should all
support. Any ideas? Let us know.

Regarding our Every Member Get a Member program - response is slower than expected. With
greater help from all of you, our devoted and active members, we look forward to steady growth.

Other commitments kept me from attending the MARC meeting at Joliet but I will be at
Williamsburg. I look forward to meeting all of you that attend and to exchanging ideas. I will
spend most of my time "at the desk". Please come by and visit me and the MAFFI Trustees.
Have a great summer a enjoy your MODEL A. God Bless,

George Tynan

December 2007 by George Tynan

As we approach the New Year, it is time to think (if you have not already) about making a gift
to MAFFI's Annual Giving Campaign. It is a chance for members to make a tax deductible
Holiday Donation to help increase our endowment or to help fund any project that you want to
support. Letters were sent to members in early November so we appreciate your generosity on
behalf of the entire Model A community.

This has been a busy year for MAFFI. Participation at the MARC Meet at Williamsburg was
the highlight of the year for many of us. I especially enjoyed meeting many of you for the first
time. We also increased the awareness of our purpose to many of you who became new
members. We are grateful for your support.

Along those lines, I'm a little disappointed in our "Every Member Get a Member" campaign. We
have had many new members join our ranks but far less than I anticipated. I would like each of
you to take an active role in this program. It will do several things in addition to increasing our
membership. Most importantly it will increase awareness of our purpose, which is much deeper
than that of other national organizations, RESTORATION, PRESERVATION and EDUCATION
of the Model A era. To that end, as I stated before, it is our goal to establish a MAFFI
museum.

This may seem like I'm pushing the envelope a little but with my military test pilot background I
guess that's a given. It's probably my reason for feeling so strongly about MAFFI and its
mission. MAFFI is a special organization and you members and strong supporters are its
backbone. Trustees can work the problems but not without your support. (Time for me to get off
of my soapbox).

Nearing the Christmas season let's all give thanks for our National freedoms, our men and
women in uniform and to each other. And, enjoy the hobby.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and God Bless
George Tynan