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Central Pennsylvania Region member Eric Brallier
wins the 2025 PCA Fall Raffle grand prize,
a 2026 Carrera GTS & $35,000
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The Steering Wheel
President’s Message from
MICHELE “MICK” WEAVER, CPA-PCA President
Greetings fellow CPA-PCA members. I hope my message finds everyone doing well and thrilled to see the emerging daffodils! Be sure to get outside and smell the springtime! Thankfully recent rains have washed the salt off of the roads so we can begin enjoying our most pampered cars. Hopefully we won’t get a late spring snow and we can take advantage of opportunities to drive and enjoy the bright spring colors!
As you remember, our club recently celebrated our member, Eric Brallier, winning a “major award”, the 2025 PCA Fall Raffle grand prize! On the way to our March meeting, Eric texted me to share he was at Porsche Mechanicsburg finalizing his car’s configuration. I thanked Eric for providing a vicarious thrill for all CPA members!
Recently, I’ve thought about the reasons John and I originally joined PCA and how we feel about our club many years later. In 2015, after years of riding BMW sports touring motorcycles, we were talking about getting a Porsche as a safer alternative, but also fun. We were in Waterville, PA taking a break on a ride and about 5 Porsches pulled in at our stop. The sight of the sleek cars, the exhaust note of the engine, burbling on downshift was fabulous. After a quick stop, they sped away with the sound of whining engines fading away until out of sight. The group was out on a drive and everyone was obviously having a great time. So when we got our Porsche, we wanted to meet like minded people that shared a love of the marque and hopefully enjoy drives in a similar fashion. Early on there weren’t many advertised driving tours and the big events were the Holiday Party, The Swap, Crab Feast and Porsche Cup. We attended a couple events but never attended a meeting for a few years.
Over the years we increased our participation in various events due to the efforts of the leadership, committee chairpersons and active members creating opportunities. More driving events were planned and executed, relationships with fellow members expanded and soon we had a social family of friends enjoying activities centered around the Porsche marque. We have attended national PCA events like Porsche Parade, Treffen and the national open house and many Central PA activities.
Fast forward to 2026, I am now the president and John is a director so we are more committed to CPA-PCA than ever before but our perspective has changed as one gets more immersed in the clubs operation. At this point, you become more concerned about the membership and the number of opportunities and the variety of club activities available for them to enjoy and in turn keep the club vibrant. You ponder why people joined the club and are they getting a return on their investment. So you examine the PCA mission statement for a better understanding why the club exists and what might make it appealing for people to join. The following section is found on the PCA website:
Our main mission is to heighten the Porsche owning and driving experiences, which we accomplish by meeting a number of objectives:
· To promote the highest standards of courtesy and safety on the roads
· To enjoy and share good will and fellowship engendered by owning a Porsche
· To maintain the highest standards of operation and performance of the marque
· To establish mutually beneficial relationships with the Porsche factory, dealers and other service sources
· To exchange ideas with other Porsche Clubs throughout the world
· To establish mutually cooperative relationships with other sports car clubs
When you examine the second bullet point, it talks about “sharing good will and fellowship engendered by owning a Porsche” which speaks directly to the variety of our region’s social activities. On that point, I think our club is aligned with the mission statement and provides various opportunities to enjoy our cars and the fellowship with our members. Does the club have an altruistic mission and does “sharing good will”extend beyond our fellow Porsche owners? Although there is no specific language stating a PCA mission pillar is charity focused, it has evolved over the years to be an important part of every regional club, as evidenced by the many examples in Panorama magazine section “From the Regions”. Moreover, our club, led by the charity committee and the success of the annual swap meet, have done a great job helping local charities!
I think it is apparent that our club is successfully meeting the needs of our members but also helping people beyond our membership, but it is a balancing act. It is incumbent on the club, as with any democratic organization, to have the support of a majority of its membership. It is important for all members to share their thoughts how we achieve the right balance so Central PA-PCA will continue as a successful organization.
On a less introspective note, our major event is coming up: Porsche-Only Swap Meet and Show on May 2nd. Organized by Steve Baun and his team, this event needs the help of volunteers so please consider signing up. It’s a fun day and important to our club on many levels. To volunteer, contact Rick Geiner: rickg911@gmail.com
So in closing, get out on a drive, enjoy your marvelous car and attend a CPA event as the springtime weather unfolds. Remember, we can achieve more together!
Mick
Michele Weaver
President, Central PA Region, Porsche Club of America
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In memoriam...
Edwin Lee James, 82, of Manchester Township, passed away at York Hospital on February 9, 2026.
Born July 8, 1943, Ed was the son of the late Adam and Myrtle James. He graduated from York High in 1962. He was employed for 41 years at the Esab Group in Hanover (formerly Alloy Rods). He was a proud veteran of the United States Army, having served his country in Vietnam.
He was fond of cars, especially Porsches. He was a member of the Central PA Region of the Porsche Club of America. Before his recent illness he enjoyed going to the club swap meets and monthly meetings.
Ed was married to his wife, Donna M. (Naylor) James for 40 years. They were partners for 47 years. He was predeceased by his stepson Leroy Sheirich in 2022, and his sisters-in-law Barbara James and Cecilia James. He is survived by his three brothers, Roger, Robert, and Carl; his nephews, Randy, Mike, and Mick; nieces, Michele, Debbie, Kim, Jennifer, Danielle, and Mandy. Ed requested there be no service. The John W. Keffer Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. is in charge of cremation arrangements.
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