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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: Frank - Is your exhibit currently being displayed anywhere?
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=2477

Hi Frank,
I may have a chance to get back to New York again in the next 6 months. Is your exhibit appearing somewhere in the next few months?
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 3:29pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Dave

I will be doing an Exhibit in honor of PT-109 and John F. Kennedy for the month of April, at the Agawam Public Library. I have a proposal in for a 17 day Exhibit at The Eastern States Exposition, showcasing my Packard Marine Engines and models. Currently, I have not received the go-ahead for this Exhibit, but hope to hear back from them very soon. If this does happen, it will begin September 14-September 30, 2012. I am always pleased to meet with anyone who wishes to stop at the house to meet, have coffee and spend the day talking PT BOATS, and looking at many of my artifacts. I only ask that if you do, you give me ample notice. I have several speaking engagements coming up in March and April..........

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 5:29pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Sixteen of us will be there tomorrow about noon

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 6:16pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

We'll see how it works out. My wife goes back to NY several times per year. If the airfare works out I may take you up on your kind offer. Good luck with the exhibit.
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 7:34pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Sounds like ample time to me Will. Ample time for Frank to run out for burgers and beers for 17.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 8:00pm
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

...MAKE THAT A SIT-DOWN BRUNCH FOR 28.

ROSS FISHER

ross@dupagels.lib.il.us

Posted By: ROSS FISHER | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 9:03pm
Total Posts: 82 | Joined: Jul 23, 2008 - 10:03am

Damn! That Frank is a sport, isn't he?

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 5, 2012 - 10:05pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

Oh God, wait till I tell the Wife. Make that 30, Dick and Jerry just signed up for the tour...............

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 6, 2012 - 2:47am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

I'll be up at a Honor Flight Network Annjual Summit conference in Bal'more during that time, and have convinced our national group (only some 100 or so) that PT Boats are pretty cool and that a guy named Andruss will have something going that we simply can't miss. We were looking for a special bus tour and NY isn't that far away, so is this enough advance notice Frank?

Randy Finfrock

Posted By: Randy Finfrock | Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 7:42pm
Total Posts: 97 | Joined: Nov 27, 2006 - 6:21pm

GULP!!! I hope your Kidding Randy, I don't think the house will hold 100 people..................

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 8:32pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Well, tell the wife you need a bigger house. I'm sure she'll understand......

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 10:21pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

I just told her what you said Will. I got that Wife look, you know, the one that says "Be afraid, be very afraid".

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 15, 2012 - 1:30am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Good news Frank, I just got confirmation that there will be only 80 or so for the summit conference, 20 less than I'd heard previously. And I told them we'd have to eat before we show up, and its BYOBW (bring your own bottled water). I know your wife will be relieved. They're not a rowdy group either, and absolutely love WWII veterans, so ... no worries mate!

Randy Finfrock

Posted By: Randy Finfrock | Posted on: Feb 17, 2012 - 8:08pm
Total Posts: 97 | Joined: Nov 27, 2006 - 6:21pm

Randy. that makes me feel so much better. I will be sure to pick up some folding chairs for the guys, and plenty of Hungry Man Dinners. Try to be here after 2:00 pm because I take a nap from 12:00-2:00pm. I will be sure to have several donation canisters set up throughout the house. SEE YA THEN...........................

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 17, 2012 - 8:26pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Forget the hungry man dinners, I'll come and set up the smokers and grill! I'm sure I can get some other Coastie FS cooks or Auxchefs to help!

Hey Frank, bring the exhibit to Tennessee! Any chance of that down the road?

________________________
USCG Aux AUXCHEF
I am a proud Army Strong Dad who has a deep appreciation for all who serve and have served our country.

Posted By: whitakermk | Posted on: Feb 20, 2012 - 5:54am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Kent

Boy now smokers sounds like a plan. The Exhibit is always looking for new venues, but once you get out too far, things get pricey. I have to rent a truck, rent a room, set up the Exhibit, pay for help to load and unload truck, gasoline, food, and on and on it goes. Don't get me wrong, if a Venue would pay for me to be there, I would try and come.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 20, 2012 - 6:30am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

I understand completely. People call all of the time wanting me to do a book signing and chef demo. Some I can, some I can't. Many don't understand the cost involved with doing something like that. Often we get the travel costs, hotel, etc all figured out and then I ask how much they are allotting for food? Not my food for meals, but food costs for a chef demo. I do what I can but there is a cost involved and that seems to surprise people when I bring it up.

I wish I could do all requests for the fun and love of it but there are costs involved.

That being said, I'm going to pass your info along to a few museums in the area and see if they have any speaker events coming up. It would be neat to have you in the area. Then, your BBQ dinner is ON ME!

Have a great rest of the week!

________________________
USCG Aux AUXCHEF
I am a proud Army Strong Dad who has a deep appreciation for all who serve and have served our country.

Posted By: whitakermk | Posted on: Feb 22, 2012 - 11:21am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Kent, your on for Dinner. I do speaking engagements in my area, mostly non paid, but it's a good thing to spread the word about the boats and helps to Educate the public. If I get a donation of some kind, that's a bonus for me. The last speaking engagement I did, a very nice gentlemen donated his five foot PT-109 model, so that was great. If you follow the board, you know Stan presently has this boat for restoration, thanks to our Kamikazi Cats.

Years ago, I put on many PT BOAT Exhibits with out of pocket expenses, just to get my name out there. Like you said, it just gets too costly for me to load and unload, set up, and get everything in ship shape without getting compensation. I would love to do more, but my Boys have families now, my knees are shot, so it's just not that easy anymore. I am keeping my fingers crossed, in hopes my proposal will be excepted at The Eastern States Exposition for the 2012 season. This will be my Packard Engine Display and all models in my Exhibit for 17 days!! I did an Exhibit with the same Venue in 1998. So far, things look good, we shall see. People do not realize how much work goes into one of these Exhibits. When I was at the Springfield Museum, it took my Wife and I 3 weekends to set that up, working Saturday and Sunday 6 hours each day. They paid for me to be there, so it was nice. I wish I could find more, but with the economy the way it is, it gets tough. I hope to once again be at The Navy War College Museum in 2013.......

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 22, 2012 - 11:37am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank, I didn't realize what I had started! Have you considered putting your collection on permanent display at someplace like Battleship Cove? When is the BBQ again???
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Feb 22, 2012 - 5:52pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Dave

I had thought about that before, but right now I want my collection and Exhibit with me. In this way, I can do Exhibit's when they come around, plus I can't bear to part with anything right now. In fact, I am always trying to add to the Exhibit with donations and out of pocket purchases............What can I say I have a sickness, I LOVE PT BOATS.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 22, 2012 - 8:32pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

FRANK,
I'VE GONE BACK TO YOUR WEBSITE TO REVIEW THE EXTENT OF YOUR PT COLLECTION. WITH THAT PACKARD ENGINE ON IT'S OWN TRAILER, I'M GUESSING IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE VEHICLE TO DEPLOY YOUR PT EXHIBIT. I THINK A LOT OF THE FORUM READERS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT THE ACTUAL LOGISTICS INVOLVED IN TRANSPORTING AND DISPLAYING YOUR COLLECTION.
I KNOW I WOULD.

ROSS FISHER

ross@dupagels.lib.il.us

Posted By: ROSS FISHER | Posted on: Feb 24, 2012 - 4:13pm
Total Posts: 82 | Joined: Jul 23, 2008 - 10:03am

Ross

Preparing for the Exhibit takes plenty of work. First, I always look and study the display space I have to work with, even taking photographs. I look at the photographs, and try and lay out how it will go together. Funny, it never works out that way, because I change things many times before it looks right to me. I have a friend who owns a Storage Company that has several different box trucks on hand, so I always have one truck to load up my artifacts.

It takes plenty of time to load the truck, because all of the framed pieces, and models need to be wrapped with cargo blankets for the trip. Much of the Exhibit is stored in Museum or plastic containers, so it is a matter of just placing and stacking the items, which always makes me nervous. When I drive the truck to a location, I am like a mother hen, going 20mph and watching every bump. The Packard Engine is another matter, but my friend owns a car hauler for this. He has an electric wench, and because we put the engine on its own wheeled bomb cart, it just rolls onto the hauler and away we go.

I thank God that my Wife gave birth to two boys, because without them I would be in trouble. They cart and haul the entire Exhibit into the truck, and I place everything where I want it.. When we get to out location, they haul everything to where the Exhibit is going to be set up. This is where we part company, as by this time they want out. If the Exhibit is smaller, I set it up by myself, but as the case was at the Springfield Museum, my Wife helped me. Most times, this is a two person set up. Makes life a bit easier.

I try to set up the Exhibit, first showing the building of the boats, and moving and building from there. Individual's who donated items, are kept in their own glass cases and displayed together. There is no rhyme or reason here Ross, I just build it in my head and keep building until it looks good. Anyone on the board who made it to the Springfield Exhibit can testify to how it was laid out, and presented. Doing the short Exhibits is tough, and Iv'e done many of those 2 day deals. It seems that by the time you are set up, the 2 days is over, but it's all worth it to educate the public and keep the PT BOATS in the public eye. The Exhibit has grown to include "The Packard Marine Engine Display" and "The Mosquito Fleet Art Exhibit". It gives me some real flexibility when someone wants a certain display. Local setups are easier on the pocketbook, as the gasoline used, and the food for the boys can get pricey.

When I did the Navy War College Exhibit, it was built into the price for truck rental, gasoline, lodging, and Exhibit set up time. I have a proposal in for the 2012 Eastern States Exposition. Now this is a big Exhibit as it runs 17 days, and you are required to staff the Exhibit for those 17 days from 10:00am until closing. This proposal is for The Packard Marine Engine Display, which will include all of my models. I should have the answer to this sometime in March. This Fair begins the end of September, and is plenty of hard work. The challenge will be getting the staff for the 17 days. I hope some of my friends on the board might be around for this one, as I could use the help. I hope this is what you were looking for Ross. Tons of work, but for me the rewards make it all worth the time.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 24, 2012 - 8:29pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Good on ya, Frankie. . .

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 24, 2012 - 9:09pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

Now all I need Will is that PT-109 you have in the garage, and I will need another truck to haul it to the shows.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 25, 2012 - 9:51am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am