Henrietta rules

[Corley]

For those of you unfamilure with Henrietta the rubber chicken, this is an award presented on model A tours in some clubs, when a breakdown occurs. (A rubber chicken is hung from the broken cars rear bumper.) It is sort of a play on the old proverbs, "Kick him when he is down", and "It's that good feeling you get when you know you have wipped out a friend". A car has a problem, then the rubber chicken is tied to the rear bumper of said car for the remainder of that tour, or until some other unlucky sucker has a breakdown. We recently implemented this concept into our tours, for fun, but now we question if there are not some rules that should apply.

For example:

1) what constitutes a "breakdown"?

2) does Henrietta move to a second or third car if there are multiple breakdowns on the same tour?

3) does the award live on to the next tour, and is permanent until another breakdown, or does it start fresh with each new tour?

4) are there more than one rubber chicken in the case of multiple breakdowns?

5) who decides and awards the rubber chicken?

6) if the tour lasts for multiple days, does the award survive to the next day, or start afresh each day?

7) what if someone (or his wife) refuses to carry Henrietta on their bumper?

8) what other rules might apply to Henrietta?

9) does Henrietta "flop" or "flap" around while driving at speed? (This is an actual question!)

Our club has brought the need for these rules and clearifications to light, and I'm trying to find out what some other clubs are using as guidelines, so we can publish a set of guidelines as well. The above list is just my take on a starting point, you may have more insight, and if so would you please share that with us? Thanks in advance, for any ideas or thoughts you have on this important (to us) subject.

[Jim/GA]

I recommend you retire Henrietta before you even start or go very long. Although intended to be "all in good fun", I have seen this lead to hard feelings, and actually result in people not participating on tours or other driving activities, for fear of having a minor problem while out and being embarrassed with the rubber chicken.

I'm serious. Do things to promote more fun for all while driving, not at the expense of any one person.

^^^^
No, the above is not an official MAFCA position on this. It is my personal opinion based on real life experience and observation, not conjecture. And, no, I did not get the rubber chicken.
.

[abachman3]

Our club rule is you get the rubber chicken when you 'break-down' and hold up the tour for 30 minutes or longer... less time the chicken is not awarded. You then keep the chicken until the next breakdown. We keep the chicken inside the car, conspicuously displayed. Yes, there are a few folks that balk at 'winning' the rubber chicken, but none have actually refused it. It is ceremoniously awarded/passed on at the regular club meeting. We have had instances where it will pass through two hands at that time, the most current breakdown keeping it till the next time.

[daveymc29]

I agree. To some it is fun, but to others it is like a dunce hat, go sit in the corner. A golf group I belonged to gave all kinds of awards including high score where the unlucky winner was paraded up in front of all the people in the tournament and their families for a round of applause and derisive remarks, all in good fun. Several took it as being drummed out of the corps, myself included. Never played with that bunch after that moment. Never will.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

OH, don't get SO SERIOUS, Rubber Chickens are GREAT FUN. Everyone should have one! I hung the YELLOW FEET of mine, out under theEdge of the trunk lid, to fix a rattle. Mine finally rotted, hangin' in the SUN, on Vermins' spare tire. When Pat had Dementia, she carried that UGLY thing, everywhere & LAFFED!!!
Once a year our Club awards the FUBAR Award, for the WORST case Scenario of Model A stuff. FUBAR is an Acronym, meaning "something"--"Maybe" you can figger it out???
WAAAAY back, Cindy E-Mailed me, "Did you buy That BLACK Model A yet"?----"Yes, & if I can find a RUBBER CHICKEN, my life will be COMPLETE"----In a few days, FEDEX dropped a box, with scratchin' sounds, inside it!
Bill W.

[Oakhurst]

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Bill is right. In our club it is done in fun and always respect for the recipient. If anyone leaves because of it, it was either not handled respectfully or they don't belong anyway. These clubs are for fun. IMHO.

[Y-Blockhead]

In our club the "Hard Luck Award" is only awarded if a car has to be towed home after it is clear after we all pitch in it is beyond our means to get the car going again while away from the shop.

After the car is back at the shop most members pitch in to help get the car on the road again.

The " Hitchhiking Thumb" is past from the last recipient to the new guardian at the next monthly meeting to great fanfare. I have yet to see anyone get upset by receiving the "Thumb".


p.s. The actual plaque is black with gold letters, this is just a picture using a paper plaque while I was restoring it.

[ghodge]

I wholeheartedly agree with Jim/TX/GA. It is an embarrassing situation when one breaks down on a tour and to add insult to injury by putting a rubber chicken on your car to remind everyone what happened for the remainder of the tour? Unbelievable. In my local Model A Club, when someone breaks down, all the members reach out to immediately help and this is the way it should be.

[zzlegend]

Originally Posted by ghodge

I wholeheartedly agree with Jim/TX/GA. It is an embarrassing situation when one breaks down on a tour and to add insult to injury by putting a rubber chicken on your car to remind everyone what happened for the remainder of the tour? Unbelievable. In my local Model A Club, when someone breaks down, all the members reach out to immediately help and this is the way it should be.

Yep. I agree. The person that breaks down is not in the best frame of mind. So why insult him further? Sounds like you need to post this on that other forum.

[Bill Cilker]

Our club gives out 3 car related awards at each club meeting;
1. Hard luck trophy for when your car has a problem that is not related to something you did to it.
2. Edsel trophy for when you did something to your car that caused the problem
3. A recognition trophy for people that have helped other people work on their Model A.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

When Pat had Dementia, we made our FIRST 87 Mile round trip in Minerva, Pat had a BALL, with our Rubber Chicken. She PANICKED, when she dropped it on the road, while beating it on the door. At home, she gave it a bath & I put it in the Microwave Goody, to dry it, it began to SPARK, from the LEADED paint, on it's HEAD!-----"Still looks sickly"---I gave it a "SHOT" with an Old Syringe,---"Still looks BAD"---She cracked up, LAFFING!
Remember, this was when Pat couldn't even communicate with WORDS!
YES, I have a SOFT spot for RUBBER CHICKENS! Everyone should have one!!!
Bill W.

[Mike Peters]

I'm the current recipient of our rubber chicken following a clutch arm failure and tow back home two weeks ago. No clutch. In the case of our club, if you've never gotten rubber chicken award, it means that you do't really drive your car. Everybody breaks down in our club. Fall tour in two weeks, which means that somebody else will break down and get the chicken. 20 cars and 400 miles, so odds are very good for another breakdown.

[Corley]

Originally Posted by Jim/TX/GA

I recommend you retire Henrietta before you even start or go very long. Although intended to be "all in good fun", I have seen this lead to hard feelings, and actually result in people not participating on tours or other driving activities, for fear of having a minor problem while out and being embarrassed with the rubber chicken.

I'm serious. Do things to promote more fun for all while driving, not at the expense of any one person.
.

First, thanks to all for your opinions on this.

Jim,
Frankly, my personal opinion on this is that if you are that offended by something like the rubber chicken, you are probably not a fun person to socialize with anyway, and take life way too seriously. (By "you", I mean anyone.) But this question is not about my personal opinion at all. Our club chapter voted to impliment the rubber chicken, meaning that the majority wanted to give this fun item a try. (In fact, no one vote against trying it.). That must mean that most in my chapter are not as thin skinned as some others which you have mentioned, and really, if someone is that sensitive, do you really want to hang out with them anyway? (I know, that may be a bit harsh...)

Maybe I'm just not very sympathetic to "up tight" folks, but at almost 80 years old, I'm looking for fun - entertaining activities and people, not cranky old farts who can't handle making light of an unfortunate situation, which, by the way, will eventually work it's way around to everyone, because "stuff happens". As we all know, no amount of preparations or maintenance can prevent Murphy from striking. (However, if someone did actually object to displaying the chicken, I'd never force it on them, maybe that should be rule one?)

That being said, and with many chapters already implementing said chicken long before ours did, and in point of fact, the idea having come from a couple of "Restorer" articles, and with our chapter having voted it in, I'm just trying to understand what guidelines have worked well for others so we can publish said rules/guidelines.

Jim, this is now just my personal opinion, but if one is that embarrassed to have a rubber chicken hanging on their bumper, they may have more serious problems to worry about than the model A break down, don't you agree. Personal opinion only on that, not directed at you, just anyone who is that sensitive. Gee, I often do stuff like that to my own cars just to put a smile on somebodies face!

So far, rule 1; Don't force the chicken on anyone who objects to carrying it. (Or, would it be better to just give the option of carrying it inside their car?)

Thanks for endulging me this conversation...
Corley

[Licensed to kill]

Originally Posted by Corley

First, thanks to all for your opinions on this.

Jim,
Frankly, my personal opinion on this is that if you are that offended by something like the rubber chicken, you are probably not a fun person to socialize with anyway, and take life way too seriously. (By "you", I mean anyone.) But this question is not about my personal opinion at all. Our club chapter voted to impliment the rubber chicken, meaning that the majority wanted to give this fun item a try. (In fact, no one vote against trying it.). That must mean that most in my chapter are not as thin skinned as some others which you have mentioned, and really, if someone is that sensitive, do you really want to hang out with them anyway? (I know, that may be a bit harsh...)

Maybe I'm just not very sympathetic to "up tight" folks, but at almost 80 years old, I'm looking for fun - entertaining activities and people, not cranky old farts who can't handle making light of an unfortunate situation, which, by the way, will eventually work it's way around to everyone, because "stuff happens". As we all know, no amount of preparations or maintenance can prevent Murphy from striking. (However, if someone did actually object to displaying the chicken, I'd never force it on them, maybe that should be rule one?)

That being said, and with many chapters already implementing said chicken long before ours did, and in point of fact, the idea having come from a couple of "Restorer" articles, and with our chapter having voted it in, I'm just trying to understand what guidelines have worked well for others so we can publish said rules/guidelines.

Jim, this is now just my personal opinion, but if one is that embarrassed to have a rubber chicken hanging on their bumper, they may have more serious problems to worry about than the model A break down, don't you agree. Personal opinion only on that, not directed at you, just anyone who is that sensitive. Gee, I often do stuff like that to my own cars just to put a smile on somebodies face!

So far, rule 1; Don't force the chicken on anyone who objects to carrying it. (Or, would it be better to just give the option of carrying it inside their car?)

Thanks for endulging me this conversation...
Corley

My thoughts exactly. I used to attend black powder rendezvous and at the big season finale rondy that was 10 days long, there was 2 awards given in the spirit of fun (like henrietta). One was "the bib". The bib was presented to someone who "dryballed". Dry balling is loading your rifle without powder. The bib said "POWDER, PATCH, BALL" in big letters written upside down so the wearer could look down and read it before loading. The wearer would continue to wear it until someone else dry balled. Could be anywhere from a couple minutes to a couple days. The other was "the lip". This was a copper plate about half the size of ones hand with a curled edge on one side and a leather thong. Whenever someone would whine to the point that others had had enough, they were awarded "the lip". The plate was put against the chin with the curled edge at the top to hold the lower lip up and it was tied around the head with the thing. Nobody actually WORE it but the point was made. Usually if someone started whining someone else would warn them that they might get "the lip" and the whining would subside. Personally , I like the "Henrietta" idea. If we had it at the last hotrod tour I was on, I would have received it as my brake light switch failed and I had to stop at a parts store to buy one and install it in the parking lot. It would not have bothered me in the least to have a rubber chicken hanging off my bumper for awhile. In fact, I see some "fringe benefits" to such a practice that go beyond fun and games. You see someone with the chicken on their bumper, the first thing I would do is go inquire as to what broke. This would start a conversation of sharing prevention and repair ideas. On a tour with many cars, one could be broke down for an hour or so and others may not even know about it as the cars often get spread out over several miles. BTW, I like the "broke down for 30 minutes or more" rule that was mentioned. Also, I would go with "the car with the chicken keeps the chicken until another car "claims" the "prize", or until the tour ends whichever comes first".

[MickeyT]

Having "fun" at someone else's expense is rarely a good idea.

[1930 coupe]

People that had a happy childhood will see nothing wrong with this, and think it is fun.


People that were abused or bullied as a child will find this very painful and hard to deal with, some may even quit the club because of it.


GET RID OF THE CHICKEN

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by MickeyT

Having "fun" at someone else's expense is rarely a good idea.

I agree. I suspect that those who most enjoy handing out the rubber chicken, etc., were the playground bullies in school.

[Corley]

I guess maybe I need to be more specific:. The rubber chicken was voted in, and will be a fact of life in my chapter until the members vote it out. (If they should decide to do so.). In the mean time, I was hoping to put together some guidelines, so that it would be used fairly, and with good judgement. It is not at all helpful to respond with "GET RID OF THE CHICKEN", or some negative thing about it, since that is not happening at this time, but what would be helpful would be some ideas about it's administration.

It boils down to weather you want to be helpful here, or just be a nay sayer? "Helpful" would be some ideas for rules, not telling us to get rid of it, since we are past that decision for now. Please do try to understand the request.

Thanks again, to those who might provide useful information.

[7_Zero]

I am glad that Jim brought up his point as it is very valid. So far it has all been in fun and taken lightly. Anyone who has attended our club meetings knows that we do not take things too seriously, but this is definitely something to keep in mind.

1. what constitutes a "breakdown"?
Depends on how frequently you want to hand out the award. Qualifiers for our club award start at the very basic and easily avoidable problems. Once our club grows bigger, the qualifications will probably be geared to more severe situations. The 30 minute rule mentioned above is a good idea.


2. does Henrietta move to a second or third car if there are multiple breakdowns on the same tour?
Yes, this adds to the fun. Part of the excitement is being able to get it off your car and pass it on to the next unfortunate person.

 However, depending on the severity of the situation, it may stay with the more "deserving" recipient.

3. does the award live on to the next tour, and is permanent until another breakdown, or does it start fresh with each new tour?
Start fresh with each tour. Don’t make the poor sap who ended with it start the new tour with a bad omen. 


4. are there more than one rubber chicken in the case of multiple breakdowns?
No, see #2. If everyone has a chicken, it is not as unique.



5. who decides and awards the rubber chicken?
The members on tour vote on it.
 If there are multiple possible recipients, the potential recipients can plead their case before the voting takes place.

6. if the tour lasts for multiple days, does the award survive to the next day, or start afresh each day?
Survives to the next day until the tour ends.


7. what if someone (or his wife) refuses to carry Henrietta on their bumper?
Do not force it on anyone, only if they care to participate should they have to carry the chicken. However, if they are known to not carry the chicken then they do not get to vote on the recipient of the chicken.

8. what other rules might apply to Henrietta?
Be mindful of each situation. Depending on the circumstances sometimes it is best to not even apply the award such as in the event of a fender bender or wrecks.

9. does Henrietta "flop" or "flap" around while driving at speed? (This is an actual question!)
Flop - since her wings are clipped and quite stiff, she cannot flap her wings. All she can do is flop around.

[CarlG]

I would have to take the award for having to be towed home the longest distance. Just about 600 miles from home. 160 miles of that was with a tow strap on mostly unpaved roads. And they were muddy, just to add insult to injury.

That was an adventure I will not soon forget. However it has not prevented me from going on subsequent tours with the group.