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Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region

By Bruce Hauben, Bruce993@PorscheNet.com
NOR'EASTER Online - January 2001

In response to my request for membership assistance in the November mailing, ten people have stepped up to the plate and offered their help. Where would we be without sports in our society to give us so many useful metaphors? Which reminds me to highly recommend the NPR show, "It's Only a Game" with Bill Littlefield. It's produced here in Boston by WBUR (picked up by 95 stations around the country) and may be heard Saturday mornings at 7:00 AM, repeated Saturday at 2:00 PM and 24/7 at www.wbur.org. OAG is an hour of irreverence, humor, interviews and editorials about sports, often little known sports.

But I digress. I know from my own experiences, and I'm no different than most of you in this regard, that when joining an organization there are a few people that will jump right in with both feet and become active participants right away. And there are a few at the other end of the curve who might as well have never gotten out of bed in the morning. However, most of us, yours truly included, in the middle of this bell curve need or want a little encouragement, some assistance in getting involved to enjoy what the club has to offer.

I was fortunate enough to have met Susana Weber before becoming a Porsche owner and she was instrumental in quietly encouraging and guiding me into club activities. This is the initiative that I've begun with our ten "mentors". They'll be calling new members to welcome them to the NER and answer any questions they may have. Several times in the first year or two the mentors will check in with their group, point out upcoming activities of interest and act as their ombudsman. I'm always looking for additional mentors; so let me know at any time that you're interested.

I'd like you all to meet these first mentors so watch the Member Profiles every month beginning now.

Member Profile of the Month
By his own admission, Henry Fisher is a "mechanical freak and tinkerer" who enjoys taking apart and rebuilding anything that moves. And this is not a new phenomenon; Henry's been so afflicted since he could walk.

Thus appropriately, his first Porsche was a Peru Red '75 911S, which he bought in '82 and was his project car until '98. During those years, in between some driving here and there, Henry had the 911 stripped down to the tub, the engine taken apart, etc. When he finally got to taking the tub down to bare metal, the amount of rot said "time to go".

Enter his present 1976 Euro 930 that he found at The Mart on our web site...it does work. An "Italian car freak" that had let it sit for five years had owned it. In between some DE track and Autocross events Henry's torn down the engine to the block, redone the suspension, clutch, brakes and many other items. After blowing the turbo charger the entire engine is now being "professionally" redone.

Henry and Laura have been married for almost four years after dating for seven. Laura was very busy building her career, she's now VP Marketing at a major New England bank, and so dating fit their life styles well. Concurrently, Henry was establishing his own Financial Planning business after working for seventeen years in the brokerage and insurance businesses. His business is 75% business owners, designing 401Ks and maxing owners' take home, and 25% professional people. When I asked if he didn't wish that he had gone on his own earlier he very accurately referred to those seventeen years as the "cost of education".

Laura grew up, went to college (they both graduated from BU though at different times), lived and worked within reach of public transportation so is just now enjoying the first car of her own. This may be the opening Henry needs to trade his A4 automatic for an S4 stick.

The Fishers enjoy the gardening and restoration involved with their home in Newton, circa 1919, which they share with three cats. A result of their personal merger, two cats plus one cat equals three cats. With what little time is left in their busy lives Henry and Laura try and squeeze in one or two international trips a year and enjoying and adding to their wine collection.

POLITICALLY CORRECT EUPHEMISMS FOR "STUPID"
The wheel's spinning but the hamster's dead.
Couldn't pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel.
As smart as bait.
Proof that evolution can go in reverse.
If he had another brain, it would be lonely.

Porsche Club of America The Northeast Region

Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region