Ladies and Gentleman
It is with great dismay that I must inform you that the membership of the Hudson Valley Pipe Club has determined that cancelling this years event would be the prudent thing to do. Our members have been holding a Smoking Contest and Holiday Party without interruption since 2003, when we held our first informal, bring your own pipe, smoking contest at Copperfields in Millbrook, NY won by friend of the club, Tony Parella. Over the years, the contest/show/party had grown larger and the contest attracted the attention of the United Pipe Clubs of America, who began sanctioning the event as the Northeast Regional Pipe Smoking Contest, second only in size to the US Championship held at the Chicago Pipe Show every year.
It was the feeling of our club members that given situation regarding COVID-19, we could not safely hold the event in our recent home, Southern Dutchess & Putnam Sportsmans Association. The tight confines would not lend well to social distancing and lets face it, most of us are in the older age group and are more at risk for serious complications if we were to be exposed to the 'rona.
I know this will disappoint some of you as this event has become the pipe social event of the year. But I'm also sure it will come as no surprise, as every other pipe show in the country has cancelled their events this year, and they all have more square footage per person than our space. While there was brief discussion among a few club members to do the event in mid-2021, it never really gained traction, and we will wait until December 2021 when hopefully this fiasco that is 2020, is a distant memory.
Many happy wishes to all of you for a joyous and healthy Holiday Season.
Best Regards,
Bill Feuerbach
Hudson Valley Pipe Club
It is with great dismay that I must inform you that the membership of the Hudson Valley Pipe Club has determined that cancelling this years event would be the prudent thing to do. Our members have been holding a Smoking Contest and Holiday Party without interruption since 2003, when we held our first informal, bring your own pipe, smoking contest at Copperfields in Millbrook, NY won by friend of the club, Tony Parella. Over the years, the contest/show/party had grown larger and the contest attracted the attention of the United Pipe Clubs of America, who began sanctioning the event as the Northeast Regional Pipe Smoking Contest, second only in size to the US Championship held at the Chicago Pipe Show every year.
It was the feeling of our club members that given situation regarding COVID-19, we could not safely hold the event in our recent home, Southern Dutchess & Putnam Sportsmans Association. The tight confines would not lend well to social distancing and lets face it, most of us are in the older age group and are more at risk for serious complications if we were to be exposed to the 'rona.
I know this will disappoint some of you as this event has become the pipe social event of the year. But I'm also sure it will come as no surprise, as every other pipe show in the country has cancelled their events this year, and they all have more square footage per person than our space. While there was brief discussion among a few club members to do the event in mid-2021, it never really gained traction, and we will wait until December 2021 when hopefully this fiasco that is 2020, is a distant memory.
Many happy wishes to all of you for a joyous and healthy Holiday Season.
Best Regards,
Bill Feuerbach
Hudson Valley Pipe Club
