President’s Message – January 2021
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a joyous holiday and was able to safely spend time with family and friends either in person or virtually. Judy and I spent the holidays at our cabin in southwest Virginia. We were surprised with a light dusting of snow on Christmas morning which brought the holidays into focus and reminded us of how simple things can lift our spirit despite the current situation.
As I write this on the next to last day of the year, the first thing that comes to mind about 2020 is “good riddance”. While the tragic consequences of the pandemic imposed upon us in 2020 are readily apparent, one of the greatest emotional prices we have paid in this closing year is the inability for social and personal interactions with family, friends, and others. Prior to the pandemic, we took our interactions with others for granted. Hopefully one of the “silver linings” from 2020 is the realization of how important personal interactions are and why hopefully in 2021 we will be able to enjoy those again and never take them for granted. Another “silver lining” is the fact that we end the year with two vaccines that are developed, being distributed, and given that will help fight the virus. This is an accomplishment that most people called impossible. But it is a testament to the creativity, ingenuity, determination, and commitment of the American people. The availability of these vaccines, and those that will come, give us hope going into 2021.
Secretary Kevin Perham sent out a ballot via a blast email with the list of proposed officers and committee chairs in mid-December. The results of the vote will be sent to all members by another blast email from Kevin. From the perspective of the CFMC going into 2021, we are hopeful that the availability and administration of the vaccines will enable us to pursue our activities and events once again. While we don’t have a lot of planned events for 2021, we could still identify possible activities with the hope and assumption that things will return to normal sometime in 2021. Our January 2021 annual meeting and holiday party was cancelled, but we are hopeful that we can have some type of replacement outdoor event later in 2021. Judy and I continue to plan for the Miata Mountain Adventure for May 2021, while obviously monitoring situations, restrictions, member comfort and other things as we approach the date. I encourage all members to consider possible events, in-person and virtual, that might be considered. Please send your ideas to Tom Pane, Activities Chair. In addition, I have suggested to the CFMC Board that we consider some type of survey of our members on the best means of club communications and the effectiveness of our newsletter, website, and Facebook page for member input, involvement, and feedback. So, look for that this coming year as well.
Finally, I want to wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy New Year. Let’s look for more of those “silver linings” from our 2020 experiences and use those for a safe and prosperous 2021. Please continue to stay safe and healthy. Until we meet again, Zoom-Zoom!
Ron Carmichael