PRESIDENT'S WORD
SUMMER 2009

by Germain Cornet

It is a great pleasure and an honour for me to become the new president of our club. The VEA, our esteemed club has now stood for 35 years and, as we celebrated its birthday this year, we remembered its founders: Sir Gilles Desroches and Sir Pierre-André Ouimet as well as the other past presidents. My presidency inscribes itself in the long history of the club, as I become the 16th president following my friend Daniel Noiseux.

For those who do not know me well, I have been a member of the VEA since 2004 and have, for the past 5 years, participated in picnics, rallies, barbecues, touristic tours and diverse outings with the club, all of which I greatly enjoyed due to the friendliness and diversity of its members. In fact, it is this diversity which attracted me to join the club; the diversity of all of you as well as that of your automobiles. I have always enjoyed meeting people from different walks of life, having different origins, professions, and even more so, people with whom to share a common passion for vintage cars. I often compare the members of this club as a living encyclopaedia: I can always find someone who has an answer to my questions!! In other words, with the VEA, I enjoy not only the cars, but the passionate people who make this club alive.

It is in this spirit that my objective, as new president, is to continue finding original and enjoyable ways to meet each other, meanwhile attracting new members to contribute to making our outings increasingly trendy and fun. Hence, please do come to talk to me, do get involve and submit ideas: I am all hears! Accordingly, I would like to officially extend this invitation to you ladies, who put up with our (too often) encompassing passion and who tend to have great ideas on how to go beyond our car passion and make an outing enjoyable for all. I intend to make a special effort so all of us can enjoy the excursions, fulfilling both our desires and that of our ladies.

Finally, I would like to tell you again about the "Concours of Elegance the Mirage" which is dear to me. Indeed, it is not an ordinary event; it is organized for a good cause, which is to collect funds for an unfamiliar yet terrible disease: the Lateral Amyotrophic Sclerosis. It will bring together a cause, celebrities and major sponsors in a wonderful site making this Concours of Elegance worthy to stand alongside the big ones of this world. On the long term, we want to make it as unavoidable and renowned as Pebble-Beach or Amelia meanwhile infusing it with its own characteristics. I strongly believe that Quebec has the potential for such an event, with our panoply of designers, artists, our specific culture and our location (both geographically and ideologically) between North America and Europe. Do not miss this first edition, I hope to see you all on the 16th of August at the Golf The Mirage.

Meanwhile, I wish you all pleasant rides, enjoy your summer!

It is a great pleasure and an honour for me to become the new president of our club. The VEA, our esteemed club has now stood for 35 years and, as we celebrated its birthday this year, we remembered its founders: Sir Gilles Desroches and Sir Pierre-André Ouimet as well as the other past presidents. My presidency inscribes itself in the long history of the club, as I become the 16th president following my friend Daniel Noiseux.

For those who do not know me well, I have been a member of the VEA since 2004 and have, for the past 5 years, participated in picnics, rallies, barbecues, touristic tours and diverse outings with the club, all of which I greatly enjoyed due to the friendliness and diversity of its members. In fact, it is this diversity which attracted me to join the club; the diversity of all of you as well as that of your automobiles. I have always enjoyed meeting people from different walks of life, having different origins, professions, and even more so, people with whom to share a common passion for vintage cars. I often compare the members of this club as a living encyclopaedia: I can always find someone who has an answer to my questions!! In other words, with the VEA, I enjoy not only the cars, but the passionate people who make this club alive.

It is in this spirit that my objective, as new president, is to continue finding original and enjoyable ways to meet each other, meanwhile attracting new members to contribute to making our outings increasingly trendy and fun. Hence, please do come to talk to me, do get involve and submit ideas: I am all hears! Accordingly, I would like to officially extend this invitation to you ladies, who put up with our (too often) encompassing passion and who tend to have great ideas on how to go beyond our car passion and make an outing enjoyable for all. I intend to make a special effort so all of us can enjoy the excursions, fulfilling both our desires and that of our ladies.

Finally, I would like to tell you again about the "Concours of Elegance the Mirage" which is dear to me. Indeed, it is not an ordinary event; it is organized for a good cause, which is to collect funds for an unfamiliar yet terrible disease: the Lateral Amyotrophic Sclerosis. It will bring together a cause, celebrities and major sponsors in a wonderful site making this Concours of Elegance worthy to stand alongside the big ones of this world. On the long term, we want to make it as unavoidable and renowned as Pebble-Beach or Amelia meanwhile infusing it with its own characteristics. I strongly believe that Quebec has the potential for such an event, with our panoply of designers, artists, our specific culture and our location (both geographically and ideologically) between North America and Europe. Do not miss this first edition, I hope to see you all on the 16th of August at the Golf The Mirage.

Meanwhile, I wish you all pleasant rides, enjoy your summer!

©VEA

 

 

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