Gathering of the Faithful- 2025

For the last 30 years or so, it has been a tradition to have a celebration for 356CAR (California Alta Region – Northern California) members to come together during the year when our club is not in charge of North Meets South. It is called the “Gathering of the Faithful”. This year’s event was held at the Wine & Roses event center in Lodi, California. Lodi is an up-and-coming wine area in the Central Valley visited by lots of wine loving tourists despite the oft mentioned Creedence Clearwater Revival song with its famous line “stuck in Lodi again”. For many of us this was a chance to reconnect with 356 friends, taste some wines, get to learn about Lodi and to thank members who have contributed to the success of our club. The weekend started out on Saturday for some of the attendees with a visit to the m2 Winery for a special wine tasting experience and arranged by Steve Stiles, a part owner of the winery and a 356CAR member.

The following day, we converged on the Wine and Roses for a wonderful brunch and ceremony. The Club President, Kim Nelson, acknowledged Board of Directors and members who had organized drives, put on technical sessions, and hosted monthly breakfast meetings in their homes over the past two years. Jim and Tina Lauer were recognized for chairing the 2023 North Meets South. Steve and Lori Douglas and Elaine and Bob Cannon were thanked for their years of service to the club.

The event was chaired by Elaine Cannon with tremendous help from Bill and Jeanne Hinkle, Tom and Kathy Sansone and Kathe Barnett.


Here is a short YouTube video from the event shot by Chris Forrester of C4 Shoots: Gathering of the Faithful-2025

PreviousNext

Leigh Rutledge’s 56 Cab is the subject of a recent Podcast on weeklydriver.com. Leigh Rutledge, a real estate executive in Sacramento, California, owns a rare Porsche — a 1956 Porsche 356 Cabriolet. The car was built in the year Leigh was born, and the model also corresponds to the month and year she was born. In Episode 21 of The Weekly Driver Podcast, hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the 27-year ownership of the unique Porsche with Leigh Rutledge. The car has had a hard-to-believe legacy.

Enjoy the Podcast by clicking on this link.