January Meeting

The January meeting will be held in Aurora @ Gary and Cathy's. They will be having Sloppy Joe's for everyone. Bring what you would like to drink and if you would like to bring any snacks or other food you are welcome to do so. Meeting will be @ 2:00pm on January 9th. Contact cathy@ cathylynn127@gmail.com or Gary @ garman64@gmail.com for directions.

Upcoming Events - December 2009

Upcoming Events:
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NEW! December 5, 2009: Monthly club meeting that was postponed from November. This meeting will begin semi-promptly at 3:56pm (time requested by Andy) at Portillo’s on Butterfield Road, ½ mile East of I-355 in Downers Grove. Agenda includes Winter Picnic, Elections, British Car Swap and Spring Fling, plus whatever serious or extraneous club business you want to bring up. If it snows, we will hold the meeting inside this year.

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NEW! December 12, 2009: The Christmas Light Tour. A cool Toys For Tots Rallye. See Wheels Rallye Team Website for more information: Link (Scroll down a bit)

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2010 Elections. Anyone interested in running for office for 2010 should contact Ferb or Andy. If no one is interested in running, existing officers may be re-elected. Consider yourself warned!

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Winter Picnic: The club is soliciting recommendations for the location of the 2010 Winter Picnic. Please send suggestions to Andy or Ferb or Jeanne or Kevin, or come to the December meeting with your ideas, suggestions, offers, thoughts, plans, schemes, notions, concepts, strategies, opinions, deals, recommendations, submissions, theories, designs, proposals, assumptions or inspirations.

Cancelled - 3rd Annual M.I.N.I. Thanksgiving Dinner

CANCELLED Announcing the 3rd Annual M.I.N.I. Thanksgiving Dinner CANCELLED:

Unfortunately we have to cancel this year's M.I.N.I. Thanksgiving Dinner.
Stay tuned for a possible event in December.

Minis In Northern Illinois will be hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner, Saturday, November 22, 2009 in Burr Ridge. The club will be providing the turkey, stuffing & gravy and would club members are asked to bring the "go with's". The time is tentatively scheduled for 3 PM for Dinner. Suggestions for what to bring are: pies (Pumpkin, apple or what ever??), vegetable casserole, rolls & butter, potato dish, Jello mold, relish tray & dip and don't forget cranberry sauce. This will be a BYOB ( bring your own bottle ).

Please contact us at minisinnorthernil@gmail.com or secretary@minisinil.com for directions and more information.

Apple Picking - October 10th

We are planning our 3rd Annual Apple Picking Trip to Honey Hill Orchards for October 10th, 2009.

We will be meeting at 930 am at Cathy & Gary's house in Aurora, IL and then departing at 10am to the orchard in Waterman, IL about 20 miles south of Dekalb.

The orchard has apples that you can pick yourself from the trees as well as pre-picked apples for sale. They also have donuts and other baked goods for sale.

In addition to apples, the orchard also has raspberry and pumpkins for picking as well.

We will be having dinner at a restaurant to be determined after the orchard.

http://www.honeyhillorchards.com/

11747 Waterman Road

Waterman, IL 60556

Please let us know if you are coming.

British Car Festival

Reminder:
The pre-registration deadline for the British Car Festival is tomorrow August 28th, 2009!

This assures availability of reduced entry fee, and guarantees T-shirt orders and commemorative pin. Day of the event registration fee is $25.00 (cash or check only).

This year the colors of the British Car Festival T-shirt and Polos were selected by our club! The T-shirt color is True Royal Blue and the Polos are Forest Green.

We will be having our monthly meeting at the Festival.

We will also have a grill available so bring something to grill!

Please click here for meeting minutes from the BCU meeting on August 19th.

Upcoming Events

August 22, 2009: The 32nd Annual Corn Fest at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport will feature free corn on the cob, free music festivals, an air show (featuring a Douglas C-47), plus a car show. We will be meeting at The Andy Museum in DeKalb at 9:30 am, then cruise down to the Corn Fest. The plan is to park together in the same area as the classic U.S. cars in the car show if there are enough of us. For more info, go to: www.cornfest.com

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August 23, 2009: The annual Orphan Auto Picnic will be held at a new location this year – Kendall County Fairgrounds near Yorkville, IL, at the intersection of East Highpoint Road and IL Route 71 – Just one mile West of IL Route 47. U.S. 34 (Ogden Avenue) goes through Yorkville. For more info, go to www.ccecorvair.com/oap

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September 13, 2009: The British Car Festival. New location – Oakton Community College. Cathy & Gary will bring their grill again this year, so if you want to cook something, bring it. We will have our September club meeting there. For more info: www.britishcarunion.com

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October: Annual trip to Apple Orchard and/or trip to a winery. Dates to be determined.

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October 3rd + 4th, 2009:

The Chicago MINI Motoring Club is planning an overnight trip to the New Glarus Area of Wisconsin for October 3rd and 4th and they have invited members from our club to join in the event. Details are still being finalized so check our website and the CMMC site for more information.

For more info, go to CMMC's website

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Reminder: 2009 Dues (still only $20.00) can be sent to:

Kevin Bailey, 520 Sarah Court, Wood Dale, IL 60191

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M.I.N.I. Picnic - August 8th, 2009

WHAT? M.I.N.I. Club Picnic

WHEN? Saturday, August 8th 2009

WHERE? At Lake Holiday in Sandwich, IL

812 Lake Holiday Drive; Sandwich, IL 60548

TIME? The festivities at the lake begin at 1 P.M.

If you would like to meet and drive with other members out to Sandwich via a scenic route; Meet at Cathy and Gary’s in the 1st Bank parking lot BY 12:30 p.m. The crew will leave promptly at 12:30 p.m.

Bring your MINI/Mini, swim suit, beach towel, and a dish to pass.

Meat, soft drink, and water will be provided by the club.

We hope you all can make it and look forward to an enjoyable time out at the lake.

Upcoming Events + Updates

July 18, 2009: Elburn, IL - 4th Annual County Car Show

2 South 111 Green Road, Elburn, IL

400+ cars & trucks.

30 CLASSES -ALL CARS & TRUCKS WELCOME

GREAT FOOD, FRESH ROASTED CORN, BEAUTIFUL ALL GRASS SHOW FIELD

www.countrycarshow.com

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July 25, 2009: Sycamore, IL, Turning Back Time Cruise Night.

500-600 cars, mostly American. Downtown Sycamore, 4p.m.-8p.m.

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July 26, 2009: Sycamore, IL, Turning Back Time Car Show

Downtown Sycamore

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August 8, 2009: The 27th annual M.I.N.I. Summer Picnic in Sandwich, Illinois. A nice leisurely cruise to picnic site from Gary & Cathy’s in Aurora. Members should bring a food dish for a pot luck picnic meal. Cathy will take them directly to picnic site to avoid spoiling.

Meeting time at Cathy & Gary’s to be announced shortly. Contact Ferb for directions directly to picnic site.

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August 22 and 23, 2009: The annual Korn Fest at DeKalb International Airport will feature free corn on the cob, free music festivals plus a car show. The club is seeking to have our Minis/MINIs included in their show if there is enough interest. More info to follow.

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September 13, 2009: The British Car Festival. New location – Oakton Community College. For more info: www.britishcarunion.com

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BCU Meeting Minutes for June can be found here.

BCU Meeting Minutes for July can be found here.

If you have not already paid your dues for 2009 please download an application here.

British Car Day

Kane County Cougars Baseball Game

Sunday July 12, 2009

What:

• Minor League Baseball Game - Cougars vs Great Lakes Loons
  
• Special area to park our British cars. (Non-British cars will also be accommodated.)
  
• Reserved Seating with other British car enthusiasts.
  
• No tailgating or charcoal. No outside food or beverages allowed in ball park.
  
• Possibility of a parade lap of British cars around the warning track.
  

Who:

• British car folks and their friends
  

When:

• Sunday July 12, 2009
  
• Game starts at 2:00pm. Lot opens 2 hours before game.
  

Where:

• Kane County Cougars - Elfstrom Stadium (Kirk Road, just south of Route 38/Roosevelt Road)
  
• 34W002 Cherry Lane
  
• Geneva, IL 60134
  
• 630-232-8811
  
• www.kccougars.com
  

Cost & Commitment:

• Reserved Seats - $10 each, parking is free.
  
• Must commit and pay no later than June 22.
  
• Commit through our various clubs. Get info to Jack by 6/29.
  

Contact:

• Jack Billimack - Illinois Sports Owners Association (Triumph Club)
  
• jbillimack@comcast.com
  

If you are interested in attending this event, please email us! minisinnorthernil@gmail.com

Details for the Poplar Grove Air Museum Cruise

Details for the Poplar Grove Air Museum Cruise:

For those of you in Illinois, you have the option of traveling from the Andy Museum to the Air Museum. We will meet at the Andy Museum at 10:05 am this Saturday and cruise up to Poplar Grove together.
For all others on their own path, please try to get to Poplar Grove by 11:00 am. Lunch only served from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The Andy Museum is located at 201 Knollwood Drive, DeKalb IL.

The museum's address is:
5151 Orth Road Hanger 16, Poplar Grove, IL 61065

The monthly club meeting will follow lunch.

Next Meeting - June 13th, 2009

June 13, 2009:  The Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum has invited our club to their monthly Dogs N’ Brats Day lunch at the museum.  If enough club members attend, they will provide special parking and an opportunity to tour the aviation museum.  They are located just North of Belvidere, Illinois (East of Rockford).  This was the site of the East Meets West photo in 2004.  We will probably meet somewhere further South and cruise to the museum (unless you live in Wisconson).  We will hold our June club meeting at this location. 

Go to:  www.thevintagemuseum.com for more info. (Note:  Web site may say first Saturday – this is not correct.)

Meeting Minutes for the May 20th BCU meeting have been posted online. Please see the link below.

BCU Meeting Minutes

Are you going to Mini Meet 2009? Please let us know!

MINI MEET 2009 Are You Going?

If you are going to Mini Meet 2009 in Minnesota please email the address below with the details of your travel days and times. We are working on getting caravans of minis to do the drive as groups.

In your email please identify who you are, where you are located, if you driving a classic or a new mini or using a trailer. We will then send an email to those that respond to work out the final details.

motoring@minisinil.com

Next Meeting - May 9th 2009 @ 2:30pm

The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday May 9th, 2009 @ 2:30pm at The Farnsworth House in Plano IL. The tour is $15.00 per person(minimum 10 people) and will be at 3:00pm for approximately 1 hour. After the tour we will be motoring to a local establishment for dinner.

Please contact either Ferb or Andy ASAP if you are going to attend.

www.farnsworthhouse.org

See the link above for location.

Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes for the April 11th M.I.N.I. meeting and the April 15th BCU meeting have been posted online. Please see the links below.

M.I.N.I. meeting minutes

BCU meeting minutes

Proposed Summer Event for British Cars

British Car Day

Kane County Cougars Baseball Game

Sunday July 12, 2009

What:

• Minor League Baseball Game - Cougars vs Great Lakes Loons
  
• Special area to park our British cars. (Non-British cars will also be accommodated.)
  
• Reserved Seating with other British car enthusiasts.
  
• No tailgating or charcoal. No outside food or beverages allowed in ball park.
  
• Possibility of a parade lap of British cars around the warning track.
  

Who:

• British car folks and their friends
  

When:

• Sunday July 12, 2009
  
• Game starts at 2:00pm. Lot opens 2 hours before game.
  

Where:

• Kane County Cougars - Elfstrom Stadium (Kirk Road, just south of Route 38/Roosevelt Road)
  
• 34W002 Cherry Lane
  
• Geneva, IL 60134
  
• 630-232-8811
  
• www.kccougars.com
  

Cost & Commitment:

• Reserved Seats - $10 each, parking is free.
  
• Must commit and pay no later than June 29.
  
• Commit through our various clubs. Get info to Jack by 6/29.
  

Contact:

• Jack Billimack - Illinois Sports Owners Association (Triumph Club)
  
• jbillimack@comcast.com
  

If you are interested in attending this event, please email us! minisinnorthernil@gmail.com

We will discuss this further at the May meeting.

British Car Union Finalizes T-Shirt and Polo Colors

The British Car Union finalized the t-shirt and polo colors for this year's British Car Festival at Oakton Community College September 13th, 2009.

The M.I.N.I. suggestion of true royal blue was selected along with a forest "British Racing" green polo!

You may preorder t-shirts and polos when you register for the event.  Online registration is at: www.britishcarunion.com or you can mail it in!

Upcoming Events + Meeting Minutes + Other Updates

There are a number of events coming up this summer and our Secretary has compiled a list. Please click here.  If you know of any other events please email us!

We have tentatively scheduled our monthly meetings to take place at a number of events throughout the summer, for more information will be posted here as the schedule is finalized.

We have also added a number of cruise nights to the events calendar for this summer. Please click here.  If you know of any other cruise nights please email us!

The meeting minutes for the February meeting are available online. Please click here.

The March minutes should be ready soon.

Don't forget to register for Mini Meet East Meets West by May 15th to avoid a $35 late registration fee. Go to www.minimeet09.org for more information. UPDATE - the registration deadline has been moved back to the 15th of May.

Next Meeting - May 9th 2009 @ 2:30pm

The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday May 9th, 2009 @ 2:30pm at The Farnsworth House in Plano IL. The tour is $15.00 per person(minimum 10 people) and will be at 3:00pm for approximately 1 hour. After the tour we will be motoring to a local establishment for dinner, details to be posted soon.

www.farnsworthhouse.org

See the link above for location.

We are tentatively planning the June 13th meeting to take place at the Poplar Grove Airport.(thanks for the idea Jeanne) Expect more information to be posted here in the after the May meeting.

Thanks to those who voted for the BCU T-Shirt color! The top 3 picks were True Royal, Tennessee Orange and Kelly.  We will be submitting those picks to the BCU board at the next meeting on the 15th.

M.I.N.I. Invited to CMMC April Drive!

The Chicago MINI Motoring Club has invited M.I.N.I. to take part in their April 5th, 2009 drive to the Great Lakes Dragway!

CMMC has teamed with the MilwaukeeMinis club to offer a drive through sourthern Wisconsin.  You can find details on the drive on the CMMC website with links to maps and other details!

Where: Start at Silver Lake County beach 
(Enter the park from Silver Lake road, and bear left towards the beach.  Continue left towards the lake and meet in the large parking lot)

             Finish at Great Lakes Dragaway

When: Sunday April 5th, departure at 10:00 am

What: A fun drive of about 50 miles, and a driving quiz for sharp eyed navagators (and pilots), ending with a stop-in at Great Lakes Dragaway to watch a bit of opening season racing.

What to bring: Your MINI or Mini with at least a 1/2 tank of gas, a camera, your favorite Chicago or Milwaukee MINI gear, optional FRS radio tuned to Channel 1, Subchannel 1, a clipboard and pens for the driving quiz,  earplugs for watching the Drag Racing, and a smile!!

BCU Meeting 3/18/09

The British Car Union met yesterday for the monthly festival meeting. Minutes from the meeting are published online. Please click here.

There are two main highlights to report.

1. The BCU is looking for a location to store a 4 ft x 8 ft enclosed trailer. The trailer is to store and transport festival items instead of a storage facility to save on costs. It will only be accessed once a year in September for the festival. If you are able to help the BCU please contact the BCU reps.

2. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Mini, the British Car Union has asked the M.I.N.I. club to assist in picking out the t-shirt color for this year's festival in September!

The color options available are here.

Please select your top 3 color choices and email them to minisinnorthernil@gmail.com by April 10th. We will be putting the top 3 choices to a final vote at the next meeting on April 11th. If you cannot be at the meeting we will post the top 3 choices on the website (www.minisinil.com) and you can email your vote to minisinnorthernil@gmail.com by April 14th. We will submit our final choice to the British Car Union board for consideration on April 15th. If there is a tie in the voting we will submit both choices to the board.

Your BCU Reps,

Brian + Steph Quirk

(e-mail us with any questions!)

Update for Winter Picnic

Chicago Mini Motoring Club (CMMC) is holding it’s Spring Drive March 15th.  If that date seems familiar, it’s the same date as our Winter Picnic.  Your club is joining forces with CMMC that day as follows:

They are inviting us to join them for their drive near Elgin the morning of the March 15th. 

We are inviting them to join us at our Winter Picnic after their Spring Drive.

So, members of both clubs can sign up for either or both.

Here’s the link to the CMMC’s Spring Drive.  All are welcome.

http://chicagominiclub.com/2009/02/16/spring-drive-march-15th/#more-879

M.I.N.I. Winter Picnic

Winter Picnic Invitation

You are cordially invited to a Winter Picnic on Sunday, March 15, 2009.  This is the date that Minis In Northern Illinois will host their annual banquet.  We will start at 1:00 pm in the afternoon.  The event will formally end at 5:00 pm. Here are the details of the event:

Location:  Village Squire Restaurant.  They are located at 480 Randall Road, South Elgin, Illinois – about 4 ½ miles north of Illinois Route 64 or 3 ½ miles South of U.S. Route 20. Randall Road is just West of Illinois Route 31. Maps available from Ferb upon request or at the Village Squire web site (see below).

Food & Drink: We will be occupying a private room and have a great menu planned.  Choice of: Berry Nut Salad OR Village Cheeseburger OR Smothered Chicken Dinner OR Fish & Chips OR Prime Rib. All 5 dinner choices will include soup or salad, all menu beverage choices (except alcoholic), and ice cream.  Cost to members will be $10.00 with a $15.00 cost to non-members. The club will pick up the balance. Cash Bar for booze. Members can order appetizers before dinner at their own expense.

Special Guest Speaker: We are attempting to book ex-Governor Rod Blagovich or Senator Roland Burris for a humorous and entertaining evening.

Grab Bag Gifts:  We will be raffling away some items for the evening.

Any donations to the club for the raffle will be appreciated. Please contact President Andy Vanko to donate.

Please note that this banquet is Sunday afternoon, not Saturday night. For additional information, go to: www.thevillagesquire.com/about.html

 

Please let Ferb know by March 5th if you are attending as we need to give the manager a head count.

For further information, contact Bill Ferbrache (aka Ferb), Secretary for 2009 at:

MINIsecretary [at] Comcast [dot] net

CMGC Annual Swap Meet 2009

The Chicago MG Club is holding the Thirteenth Annual All British Swap Meet and Auto Jumble on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL.

Brian & Steph Quirk will be staffing the M.I.N.I. table so stop by and say "Hi!" if you are not lucky enough to be heading south for Spring Thing!

Info about the event is on the CMGC website.

Spring Thing XIV 2009

Florida Mini Enthusiasts (FLAME) are hosting Spring Thing XIV February 20 - 22, 2009!

Info on the event is at http://www.flamemini.net/events.htm

The History of Mini

Originally designed in 1955 by Sir Alec Issigonis the Mini was in continuous production from its introduction in 1959 until the last one rolled of the line in Oct. 2000. With over 5.5 million sold in its 41 year run the Mini was voted the European "Car of the Century" by an international panel. It represents the first use of a transverse mounted front wheel drive configuration in a production car. Over the years the engine size has increased from the original 848 cc engine to 1310 cc and the body has been upgraded to improve creature comfort and safety. However, the basic appearance is unchanged, in fact many body panels are interchangeable between the Mark I and the Mark V models. Minis have also been produced as pick up truck, a "woody" wagon, and panel van models as well as a jeep like vehicle called the Moke. Specially prepared Mini's have won innumerable races and road rallies, including 3 consecutive overall wins at the Monte Carlo rally.

In the 60’s British fashion designer Mary Quant named her newly introduced skirt after her car, as "neither was any longer than absolutely necessary". Mini's owners include: Peter Sellers, Tim Allen, Princes Diana, and of course Mr. Bean. Minis can be spotted in numerous TV shows and movies such as the recent feature "Borne Identity" with Matt Damon. Three Minis starred alongside Michael Caine and Noal Coward in the 1969 movie "The Italian Job"

The Mini, voted European Car of the Century and second only to the Model T as Car of the Century, is not very common in the U.S.A but enjoys a nation wide following of enthusiastic owners.

In the fall of 1983 some Illinois Mini owners started working to organize Minis In Northern Illinois (M.I.N.I.). In February 1984 the first meeting was held on a snowy Sunday afternoon at Russell's Barbeque in Rolling Meadows.

In the following years M.I.N.I. has provided fellowship for the Mini enthusiasts at monthly meetings and activities. The club holds an annual dinner in February and a picnic in August. Other activities have included technical sessions and scenic tours. We have attended Mini Meets, vintage car races at Road America, Mid-Ohio, Blackhawk and other tracks as well as the annual British Car Festival and local car shows and cruise nights. In 2004 M.I.N.I. and the St Louis Mini club M.A.D.M.E.N. co-hosted MiniMeet2004-West Meets East in Rockford IL . With over 500 attendees and 250 + Classic Minis and New MINIS, this event proved to be one of the biggest Mini get togethers ever held North America.

For more info about a complete history on the Mini check out this site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini.

British Car Union Announces the 2009 British Car Festival

Every year M.I.N.I. participates in the British Car Union's British Car Festival!

This year's Festival is September 13, 2009 . The location is Oakton Community College, in Des Plaines, Illinois, easily reached from major expressways. The forest preserve setting provides ample paved parking for both participants and spectators. Vendors and local marque clubs will be on hand to answer questions and provide information.

For additional information and registration form go to: http://www.britishcarunion.com/

M.I.N.I. Winter Picnic 2009

The Annual M.I.N.I. Winter Picnic has been tentatively scheduled for Sunday, March 15th at the Village Squire restaurant in South Elgin.

Meeting time to be determined.

http://www.thevillagesquire.com/

Mini Meet 2009 - East Meets West! "The Mini-sotan Job"

Registration for Mini Meet 2009 is now open!

Members of M.I.N.I. who are interested in attending the meet should reserve their hotel rooms as soon as possible and send in their registration. A group will be traveling north for the event!

From the official website:

"Please join the Mini/MINI enthusiasts of Minnesota for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the classic Mini and the 9th birthday of new MINI.

The theme for this year’s meet is "The Mini-sotan Job"; homage to both “Italian Job” movies and the 40th anniversary of the release of the 1969 film – a favorite of all Mini/MINI enthusiasts!

We hope you can join us for what will be a special celebration marking this significant milestone in Mini history! Set in a splendidly beautiful location with plenty of activities for all, plus some of the best touring roads around – especially when motoring in a Mini/MINI!

Registration is now open!

Minnesota United Minis (M.U.M.)"

For more information visit http://www.minimeet09.org/

Meeting Minutes for January 2009

M.I.N.I. Meeting Minutes for January 2009