The Allis Connection

From the President's Pen

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year holiday season. I took advantage of some fairly good temperatures in January and finished my 190XT. Put on my decals and they really make the paint POP, I will include a few pictures along with this letter. For the past several years Bonnie and I have been corresponding and exchanging small gifts with Dudley and Kaye Russell from Tasmania, Australia. We first met at the Gathering of the Orange in Hutchinson MN and later at the GOTO at Oakley MI. We each had a common interest, ALLIS-CHALMERS. Dudley has a D-21 and has been getting it ready for the last few years. In Tasmania the seasons are reversed winter in the US is summer there. Just as in the United States, tractor pulling is also popular down-under, attached is a picture of Dudley sitting comfortable and tall on his D-21 hooked to pulling a sled. Dudley and Kaye are our only Aussie members and have children and grandchildren, I am hoping they will take advantage of The Allis Connection scholarship offer when eligible.

The GOTO in northern New York June 9-11, 2023 looks like fun and wish them the best of luck after having been delayed due to covid. Bonnie and I have been to that area and into Quebec before it is pretty country and rich in history.

The Albert City GOTO will be later in the summer August 11-13, WD-45 and the 7000 model tractors will be featured.

The annual meeting will be Saturday April 1^st 2023 at the former Old Creamery Theater next to the RV park Amana, IA. NO steps, a covered entrance and unloading area, plenty of parking and convenient handicapped parking. We will also be using this facility for the Fathers Day banquet. It includes a nice stage with theater seating which we hope to include and make part of our meetings. To make reservations, call or text Ron and Theresa Sexton, (319)-631-3357, Email -- ashmac@iowatelecom.net $25.00/person $12.00 for children under 12. Please reserve by March 25, 2023. Doors will open at 4:00 and meal at 6:00 with the election and business meeting to follow. As always it will be all you can eat with the same great caterers as last year.

Still looking for someone to run for a directors position, if interested get a hold of Zack Wilson, Jerry Hagg or Dave Maddux. The Allis Connection will be celebrating it’s 32^nd anniversary, we are the largest Allis-Chalmers collector organization in the United States, if you want to be part of it and help in the direction of this club make a call and talk to us.

The subject for the 2023 scholarship essay is: "Applicants are required to pick a former Allis-Chalmers plant from the list provided and write an essay containing at least 500 words about what the plant was used for and who owned it before A-C acquired it, what A-C produced while it owned the plant, and what the plant is used for today".

Please pick a former Allis-Chalmers plant from this list:

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, La Porte, Indiana, Harvey, Illinois, Gadsden, Alabama, Springfield, Illinois,

The A-C proving grounds at New Berlin and Franksville, Wisconsin.

The scholarship is a one time award of $750.00. The application should include a short biography and photo. Sources must be listed. There must be a minimum of two sources not to include Wikipedia. The application should include a short biography and photo. Sources must be listed. E-mail essay with your name and address and the name and address of the relative that is an Allis Connection member to:Dave Maddux, alliscdave@yahoo.com. Entries must be received by March 15, 2023. For full information regarding the scholarship see theallisconnection.com/TAC scholarship.

The Allis Connection scholarship program would not have been the program that it has become without the vision of former director and president Harvey Zabel who realized young people needed to read about Allis-Chalmers.

Our raffle from last year was very well accepted, we will run a raffle again this year with a barn quilt this time as the first prize. We bought it at the GOTO in Baraboo from a promising young artist.

Dale and committee is hard at work on the 2024 calendar, if you have a special picture be sure and get it to Dale. The instructions and requirements are on the back of your calendars. The calendar is highly regarded and is sold all over the US, Europe, Canada and Australia. We provide a one year membership and a free calendar to those that are selected, a $35.00 value. The calendar has become a real success for the first time we have sold almost 2000 throughout the year, thank you to everyone that has recognized what a value it is. Dale Heintz brought the idea of the calendar over 14 years ago and with his committee continues to be the driving force and quality control for the calendar. Dale is also the originator of the full color newsletter idea previously it had been b/w with only the Father’s Day issue in color, I would not want to go back to b/w.

Planning for the Father’s Day show has been on going since last years show. This year we will visit Ron and Theresa Sexton’s collection and shop on Friday. Their collection is large and quite interesting and his shop is first class, I am sure everyone will enjoy their visit.

It will not be long till the trees and lawns are green the fields are being readied for planting and the show season is in full swing, be sure and say hi when you see us throughout the year.

Mike and Bonnie