TREFFEN...FSR STYLE!
by Phil Grandfield
photo by Greg Kahles
T
reffen, translated into German, means ?to meet ?. Meeting is exactly what 300+ enthusiastic PCA members did at the Greenbrier Resort in September 2020 despite Covid complications. The four-day event included driving awesome roads, eating great food, catching up with friends and making lots of new ones. Treffen is a PCA National sponsored program, that normally happens twice a year, and the one at the Greenbrier (the only one of 2020) was hosted by the First Settlers, Shenandoah and Potomac Regions. You may have read the stories in Panorama or online, but the real story starts two years earlier.
Each of the three Regions took responsibility for two tours, but every detail had to been coordinated and balanced against the other. We obsessed over the details of the experience we wanted to offer down to the smallest detail. For example, we figured some folks would appreciate the tablecloths at the iconic Homestead Resort, but others would prefer the BBQ at Wolf ?s in Marion. If that wasn?t enough, the tours were required to meet exacting PCA standards for length, appropriate bio-breaks and safety considerations. We didn?t want
In 2018 we gathered at the PCA Headquarters with Harry Season the National Treffen Chair, Rose Ann Novotnak the Zone 2 Rep, and some Region Presidents. Disguised as a meeting, this was an explanation of how Treffen works, and an interview of those interested in making it happen. Rose Ann raised Josie Grandfield?s hand and she was selected to be the Treffen Chair. PCA National coordinates details with the hotels to include lodging and menus for the major parties and dinners. They also handle the website, advanced registration, the swag and signing the contracts. The staff is small with only one paid employee, Mariela Murphy. The rest of the National team consists of volunteers and the heavy lifting comes from the local regions. Our primary job was to plan, coordinate and execute six driving tours. We avoided use of the same roads, offered a variety of tours with varying cuisine offerings at our destination restaurants, and showed our guests some Southern Hospitality. Planning details included scouting the roads, negotiating with restaurants, preparing descriptions for the website and writing up the turn-by-turn driving instructions. All the while, being on the lookout for even better roads, unique roadside sights and the most fun ways to get there. Much of this searching was trial and error, with many roads only driven once, most all done while socially distancing while at our homes five hours away.
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photo by Greg Kahles
people to wake up too early and we needed to get them back to the Greenbrier in time for high tea and the evening events. Most importantly, we wanted people to have great memories of driving experiences from our Treffen. Given the Covid-19 restrictions and changes across Virginia and West Virginia, Josie stayed in near constant communication with the National team, each of the venues and the volunteers as the situations evolved. PCA did a masterful job of working with the Greenbrier and the Regions to ensure our planning met their criteria. Finally, they made the tough call to ?go? because they were convinced we would get it right.
