Thank you Tom.
Yes, the first meetings were what we would call a mini-meet today. Tom's right there was no agenda, no awards and no banquet, but we did gather at a great restaurant called Rasckles for a formal dinner on Saturday night, and if I recall correctly, the club members picked up the tab for John Lucia and I. In fact, the club did that several times over the years.
Tom, there was a reason for no liquor. At the second meeting in 86, my mom made cocktails for everybody, we also had a full bar (on my kitchen counter,) and munchies in my dining room. One of our early members got stinking drunk, and very nasty. The fur was flying and our member left in a huff! Once the dust settled, Mike Pupek says "Bob, I suggest that we not have booze at the meetings. That was the only meeting with a hissy fit.
The reason for no formal agenda was that up to then, we were just vacuum cleaner buddies talking shop. We, the club, were cutting our teeth, trying out ideas and learning the ropes. However, we did have a repair demo. At the first meeting in 85, Mike Pupek did a repair on an Electrolux 1205, (see photo) and in 86, a Rexair model B, I forget the others, but Mike was the 'repair guy.'
Because there was the Stardust motel on my corner, I could provide a block of rooms for everybody, and Mike and a few others were on hand to pick up people from the airport. A local rental store provided me with folding chairs, 30 cup coffee maker, projector and what have you. There was also a Dunkin Donuts at the corner (across from the Stardust, and Rasckles two blocks away. As for a presentation, John Lucia outdid himself with the talk on the Sears catalog. Imagine my suprise when I saw the first non electric they carried was The Dust-Killer, and the first electric was the Eckhardt. John knew that I had both in my collection, and wouldn't let me near his print-out till the presentation started.
I agree with you, Tom, that was our best meeting! It was also the start of the clubs growth, because we finally had serious collectors who were dedicated enough to spread the word. Both you and Clay were a big part of that. If you recall we were a bit gun shy of shop owners at that time. The guy who'd had the meltdown in 86 was a shop owner, and had no interest in the collection of vacuum cleaners. The old machines in his shop window were a hook to draw people into the store to sell them a new machine. John and I wanted people who's first interest was the history of the vacuum cleaner.
You, Clay, and others made suggestions of what to do, and in so doing, gave John and I the tools to improve the meetings. You are also right that because the club was word of mouth, we were still very much a grass roots group. Also, as you said, there was no internet, and until the V.C.C.C. went into cyberspace we were in the embreo stage. As I wasn't there after 95, I can't say exactly when Charles Richard Lester took us into cyberspace, but that was the first major breakthrough.
For me, the greatest moment came years later. In 04, I was in contact with the club after several years away. It was a few weeks before the convention in Itasca, Illinois, and as I spoke to Ken Wagman, he said "we've been searching for you for years, the convention is in three weeks. Be here!" Once there I saw old friends like Tom, Clay and made new friends like Air-Way Charlie, and Tania. However, my fondest memory was the next morning. I asked the manager of the Holiday Inn to unlock the meeting room for me. There before me were at least a dozen tables all holding vacuum cleaners! There were tears in my eyes, as I thought of John Lucia and I leaving Hoover and my asking, "think we should form a club?" It was not ego, or swelled pride, but more a feeling that our hard work was indeed worth it, that not only had our little club gotten off the ground, but was helping people from as young as 4, to men as old as 80 live their dream.
Alex Taber.
