Mid-South Chapter, VHPA, Inaugural Meeting: Officers Elected
(Meeting photo at bottom of page)

At the 15 Aug 98 meeting, considered to be the "official" first meeting of the chapter (after considerable groundwork meetings), the following VHPA members were elected to local offices:

Charles Bell, President
Tom Reeves, Vice President (and Membership Committee Chairman)
Rhea Rippey, Treasurer
Ross Rainwater, Secretary
Bob Fladry, Member at Large (Clarksville/Fort Campbell area)
Rick Roll, Member at Large (Chattanooga area)
Chuck Bell, Member at Large (Memphis area)
Jim Delvaux, Member at Large (Cookeville area)

An Executive Committee will be comprised of officers and Members at Large. A primary role of the Members at Large is to recruit in their local geographic areas as part of the Vice President's role as Membership Committee Chairman. As membership expands, we expect to add other Members at Large to cover additional areas (Knoxville, Tri-Cities, Huntsville, etc.).

Also attending were Bill Hartbarger, Rick Haines, Mike Haley, Jim Price, and Arnold Bailey. Special guests were National VHPA President Tom Payne and VHPA Past President Kenny Bunn who helped with the "birthing" of the new chapter.

A goal of the new chapter will be to aid in the formation of other new chapters in the Mid-South area as local interest grows in suitable population centers.

Annual membership dues for the chapter were set at $10.00, with renewals due 12 months later. (Membership in the National VHPA is required.) An application form can be printed and mailed with annual dues to the address shown on the form.

General consensus was that, as the chapter grows, we would rotate meeting locations to other cities where membership has grown in order to continue growth in as wide an area as possible. Among other possible "social" functions, a weekend visit back to Fort Rucker was discussed.

Bill Hartbarger reported the fund-raiser golf tournament signups have been brisk and he expects to fill all 144 slots on a first-come, first-served basis. (Details on home page.)

Next meeting is scheduled for 1300 17 October 98 at the Airfield Operations Building, Army Aviation Support Facility #1, Smyrna, TN.

The meeting was adjourned by President Charles Bell, and was followed immediately by an update and review of the VHPA '99 Reunion in Nashville by reunion committee members in attendance.

UPDATE: VHPA Nashville Reunion, "A Grand Ol' Time in '99."

A primary purpose of the visit by Tom Payne and Kenny Bunn was to review the meeting facilities at our primary hotel, The Renaissance. Since registrations for '99 are arriving at a brisk pace, two additional hotels have been added:  Marriott Courtyard Downtown (170 4th Ave. No., 37219, (615) 256-0900/256-0901 Fax, brand new, very near The Renaissance) and Marriott Courtyard (1901 West End Ave., 37203, (615) 327-9900/327/8127 Fax, near Vanderbilt University, about 15 blocks away from The Renaissance). Hotel details will be placed on the home page. Rates at these two are $89 per night. We expect to provide information on other "unofficial" hotels in order to provide as many options and price ranges as possible.

Events, entertainment, and related topics were discussed, with consensus that the '99 Reunion is shaping up to be an excellent gathering, with plenty to do and see. We plan to provide as much information as possible about sightseeing opportunities for those who want to do "on your own" planning, as well as provide "as requested" information for any special interests or needs by attendees.

Rick Haines volunteered to coordinate unit mini-reunions.

Next committee meeting will coincide with the next Chapter meeting on 17 October 98, with Executive Committee meeting at 1200 hours, just prior.

Respectfully submitted,

Ross Rainwater
Secretary

Mid-South Chapter, VHPA First "Official" Meeting Attendees
Taken at Army Aviation Support Facility #1, Smyrna, TN, 15 Aug 98

Standing, L-R: Charles Bell, VHPA National President Tom Payne, Bill Hartbarger,
Rick Roll, Ross Rainwater, Rhea Rippey, Arnold Bailey, Mike Haley, and Bob Fladry.
Kneeling, L-R: VHPA Past President Kenny Bunn, Chuck Bell,
James Delvaux, Tom Reeves, and Rick Haines

VHPA Mid-South Chapter Home Page
Membership Application Form , Mid-South Chapter