President’s Report - May 2024
As we move further into the year, we look back over the great events that have taken place within our club over the past month and look forward to some equally engaging attractions coming up.
The May Technical Section enjoyed another highly informative workshop focused on maintenance and restoration tips for our Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles. Some highly practical insights were demonstrated by Simon Roberts as he showed us how to replace the dashboard instrument globes with much brighter LED globes in Geoffrey May’s Silver Cloud.
At our monthly meeting we were treated to a fascinating presentation by Brendan Hughes from Penrite Oils in which he described the history and technical development of lubrication from the early days to the incredible complexity of modern lubricants as now produced by Penrite specifically formulated for every type of our own marque cars. Our car of the month was the spectacular 1997 Rolls- Royce Park Ward Limousine recently acquired by Mark Herbstreit.
Topping out the month was a visit to Lane 88 Auto Museum which was very well attended and enjoyed thoroughly by all.
Coming up for May, we have the Federal Rally in Noosa, with the accompanying overlander runs to and from Queensland, a bespoke general meeting for those who are not attending the Federal Rally and a lovely Sunday run concluding with lunch at the Beeac Pub.
In preparing the budget for the new financial year, the committee has reluctantly resolved to implement a 10% increase in annual subscriptions. This increase has been necessitated by significant increases in our various costs and outgoings, not the least of which are the insurances that we need to hold to cover the club premises. Additionally, the Federal Executive has signalled a significant increase in the costs that each of the branch clubs underwrite, some of these being the cost of printing and distributing Praeclarvm every two months and the insurance policy covering each of the branches for public liability. This adjustment will enable us to maintain our services, ensuring that our club remains the premier destination for Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts.
Thank you for your continued support and participation in our club. Your passion for these iconic automotive brands is what makes our community so special. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Howard Wraight