Home Page photo. A time to remember...

[Paul Danik]

Greetings,

   As the time of year when we traditionally gather together with friends and family to give thanks comes nearer, it seems like thoughts of those whom we have lost grows stronger.

   The Homepage photo was taken at one of the very early organizational meetings as we met to form the Penton Owners Group. From left to right are Ollie Martin, Doug Beam, Dale Barris, Bob Albrecht, Al Born, Dane Leimbach, John Penton, Al Buehner and Jim Borer. Jack Penton was at this meeting as well but I can't remember why he isn't in the photo.

   We sure do miss Ollie Martin, Al Born and Dane Leimbach. It is hard to believe that on November 16th. Dane has been gone 8 years.

   Please feel free to post on this thread to tell of someone whom you might like us to remember as well or to tell a tale on one of the three mentioned above.

Paul

PS  Why were we having our meeting outside you might wonder....  Well the meeting did start inside of Dale Barris's Penton Honda Shop, but for some reason the lights all went out and the place got pretty dark. Not to be discouraged we just picked up our papers and held the meeting outside using the motorcycle loading dock as our table..

[Paul Danik]

Greetings,

   I recently was asked about the date of the meeting where the current Home Page photo was taken. In looking thru the minutes of those early meetings and matching up the folks in the photo with the names of the folks listed as attendees in the Minutes, I am pretty sure that the photo was taken at the March 30, 1998 meeting. That date also makes sense as the weather was fairly nice and Ollie would ride his Penton Steel Tanker to the meetings when ever possible.

    I would also like to mention that there were a few others who were a part of the gang that met to get the POG ball rolling "back in the day", as their names are in the Minutes of some of those early meetings as well. Morm Miller, Matt Weisman, John Borer, Jeff Borer and Paul Busick are listed as attending some of those early meetings.

    The earliest meeting Minutes I have is from January 22, 1998 with Norm Miller, Dale Barris, Matt Weisman, Paul Danik, Dane Leimbach, Jack Penton and Al Buehner in attendance. The meeting took place at Penton Honda, owned by Dale Barris. I do have a meeting agenda from the November 13, 1997 meeting, which was surely one of the earliest organizational meetings, but no Minutes for that meeting.

    A few highlights of the January 22nd meeting were the determining of the name of the organization. I remember that Jack pushed for the term Group instead of Club, that is why we are the POG and not the POC...

    A lot of time was spent on the Groups Constitution and Bylaws details. Dues was set at $20.00 per year and Norm Miller was going to open a PO box in Amherst for mail delivery.

   Al Buehner was chosen to serve as the first POG President, Paul Danik was going to get the paperwork from the state of Ohio to get the Group incorporated.

   It was determined that John Penton should have POG membership #1, with Donna Penton #2 and Ted Penton #3.

   The next meeting was set for February 26th 1998 at 7:30 at Penton Honda, Amherst, Ohio.

   In looking back at those early meetings I guess we were sort of in the Steel Tank Penton era of the Group, as excited as could be to be meeting and working towards the goal of having a Penton organization, hard to believe that was over 20 years ago. It is interesting to note that many of the folks involved were part of the original Penton Imports organization in one way or another and having that gang come together once again and working towards a common goal was almost magical, for lack of a better term. I once stated how the Penton organization "back in the day" was sort of like a symphony, meaning that each person played their part and very well. It sure was sweet to hear those folks "making music" once again

Paul

PS  If you click on the Home Page photo it will enlarge. Also, a big thanks goes out to Bill Smith and Karen Turner for doing all the work "behind the scenes" to keep this website up and running and changing the Home Page photos.