Chairperson's Message
Wilson L. Aungst
Chairperson of the Board
AAA Central Penn

New year brings up fond old memories.

This time of the year is for looking forward as well as reminiscing. When the weather gets cold and the snow starts flying, I am reminded of "days gone by" when I was a 5-year-old attending school for the first time in a one-room, eight-grade school house in Swopes Valley. This is a small valley which runs parallel and south of Route 443 between Suedberg and Pine Grove. I could speak only Pennsylvania Dutch at the time of my enrollment as that is what my parents mainly spoke, although they could also speak English. Luckily for me, my teacher Mrs. Hikes could speak both English and Dutch and it was not long before I became fluent in English.

My parents’ farm was about a half mile from the school on a dirt road - the very one Mrs. Hikes drove her Model T Ford to and from school each day. On snowy days, Mrs. Hikes would drive that Model T as far as she could, then walk the rest of the way to school, usually right past our farm. No snow days for us! Needless to say, that was before many people in our valley had the benefit of a AAA membership. When the first day of buck season came, we could not go out to recess as the playground was parked full of hunters’ vehicles. The legendary albino buck that called our valley home was the lure that brought these trophy hunters to our area. In fact, the school was adjacent to the woods and many times, when the shooting started, Mrs. Hikes instructed us to "hit the floor"” under our desks until the shooting stopped. We were all thankful for the full brick back wall of the schoolhouse which offered excellent protection should a stray bullet come our way. I recall many happy hours in the winter when we would play ring tag or have snowball fights at recess.

Ah, the good old days.

Now looking to the future, my wife Nancy and I are looking forward to the next Chairman’s Cruise. This year we will be traveling with Holland America on a cruise through the Panama Canal. Our itinerary is outlined on page 27 and we would love to have you join us. We will be departing on October 1, so now would be a good time to visit your local AAA, speak with one of our fine travel specialists and secure your reservation. Just the thing to dream about on a cold January day!

We have lots of cold and blustery weather ahead of us, so don’t forget to check your car’s fluids, windshield wipers, belts and hoses and the all important battery. I always carry my cell phone as well as an extra jacket and blanket in the car in case of emergency. Water and snacks are a must, as well. As we approach the new year, we are ever aware that the safekeeping of our members is of the utmost importance to us here at your club.