The Sunshine Region AACA was first chartered on October 4, 1974 as a Chapter of the Royal Palm Region, Florida. On February 28, 1975, the Sunshine Region was recognized by the Antique Automobile Club of America.
The March 1988 newsletter? provides the following history:
“No one at the very first meeting of the Sunshine Region can remember when it took place or who was present.Gordon Langeneger does know, by talking to Floyd Fowler, that the meeting took place at the home of Duaine and Joyce Fethers. Sometime after that, on September 15, 1973 at 10 AM,a meeting was held to start a new chapter of the AACA.? As recorded from the first set of minutes, we read: President-Duaine Fethers; Vice-President-Dwight Winkler, Secretary & Treasurer-Joyce Fethers; Directors: Gary Fethers, Bob Palmer, and Bill Storms; Three names for the chapter were offered: Sunshine Chapter; Saramana Chapter, or Tri State Chapter. Also recorded in our archives are the charters for the Sunshine Chapter dated October 4, 1973, and the Sunshine Region, dated February 28, 1975. It’s interesting to note that the first regular meeting at the bank on Stickney Point Road was on October 11, 1974. We have a good collection of club history and Peter Bame is to be congratulated for assembling this material.”
There were forty-four charter members that met in the Bank of America’s facilities from the start. Some of the charter members are familiar to us: Mary & Clifford Jarret, Gary Scarbrough, Robert Dodge, Don Brady, Steen Eric Fisher, Robert France, Maurice W. Many, Dwight Winkler, Theodore A. Hodgdon, Byron Crofut, Harry Peverill, Gene & Pauline Becker, Brad Hindle, Richard B. Smith, H. W. Hyatt, William Bodager, Geo. H. Thatcher, Duaine H. Fethers, John W. Smith, Nick Resta, John Harton, Jr. Lester Hartligh, Bruce Carper, George Cole, Al Besse, Florian F. Mack, Gary Fethers, Floyd C. Johnson, Dan Mosser, William Belham, Maurice Devereaux, Buzz Fowler, William Storms,Jr., Carleton Smith, Floyd E. Fowler, Jack Windt, Kam Van Wart, Roger Thomas, Matha Irene Stone, Gene Grosjean, A. Clark Walkup, Robert Palmer, and Jim Greenwald.
This year, 2010, will be the 35th continuous year our club has been in existence.
