A group of young enthusiastic car builders and one teenager met on a Sunday afternoon in 1975. This group enjoyed building and driving street rods. The young teenager pressed for the group to become a club. The teenager, with a pup tent on his back, hitch hiked out to Kansas City to find out how to organize a street rod club. This was the beginning of Strictly Street.

Club records show the following names as that young group. They are the charter members. John and Marilyn Twihaus (#3), Brian and Martha Peters (#4), Lee and Vicki Scering (#5), Tom and Linda Jensen (#6), Dan Hofer (#1)-the teenager, Carl and Sandy Smith (#7), Kevin Prince (#8), Ron Gash (#11), Jerry and Sue Bennett (#2), Richard Tadda (#9), Paul and Judy Johnston (#10), and Karl Schuh (#12). Paul Johnston served as the club’s president. Later the same year, Bill Golding, Greg Mills, Andy Kreulitzer, Robert Tanner and Jim Larsen joined the membership.

The club’s structure was elected officers and a board of directors. Club colors were baby blue with red and black lettering.

The club’s 1^st Rod Run was in May of 1976 at the Kankakee State Park. All rodders in the area were invited. It was in this year that club members started to go to national shows and win. World of Wheels, an international show, was one of the club’s favorite events. They won top honors there.

The club usually met on Sunday afternoon during the months of April through December. Monthly dues were paid. They also celebrated all the major holidays together. The Halloween parties were great events. Poker runs were held with other area clubs. Garage sales were the main fund raisers. They would rent a swap meet space and contribute items to sell to raise money.

In 1978 the club became incorporated as a non profit organization. Those members who applied for this incorporation were: Lee Scering, Lane Larsen, Ginny Tanner, Vickie Scering, Greg Schultz, Robert Tanner, and Paul Johnston.

Sue and Jerry Bennett began a newsletter entitled BS from SS which means bulletin sheets from Strictly Street. What else? “It will be interesting and amusing” stated the authors. There were many amusing references to club members in those newsletters. The Bennett’s expanded the newsletter into a publication call “Roll.” This publication had a circulation throughout the Midwest.

The club joined forces with the Kankakee Valley Vintage Car Club to have car shows. The first shows were held at the Kankakee fairgrounds. In 1976, Strictly Street participated in the county’s bicentennial activities held from July 3-5.

Club jackets were ordered in 1977. The jacket cost $22.02, $5.00 for the embroidery and $5.00 for the club patch. The newsletter and local paper carried articles about the club’s activities and award winning performances at the national shows. The club emphasized safety and held safety checks for any rodder.

In 1980, the 1^st annual free-for-all was held at Lanoue’s in Ashkum. The flyers listed dash plaques, free beer, volleyball, live band, and games for adults and children. Cars that were pre-49 were allowed to register. Awards were given for best sedan, best coupe, best commercial, best street machine, best street rod, kid’s choice, and people’s choice. Each club member judged one of these categories and had to bring his own wood to make the award. Insurance cost got the free beer dropped from future activities. Other areas used for car shows were: Watseka RR#1 & RR#24, Watseka Scotchman’s, American Legion Park Ashkum, Limestone Recreational Center, Chebanse American Legion Park, and Court Street Ford.

The 80’s had more car shows and swap meets with the Kankakee Valley Vintage Car Club. The clubs split expenses and profits 50/50. Our County Runs and Prairie State Car club show were very successful. The remainder of the 80’s had the club doing their usual activities. One new activity was added--the club participated in the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival.

March of 1991 had the club changing the swap meet to the Atrium at the Peotone fairgrounds. The Rod Run was held at Bird’s Park band shell. Also that year the club did a cruise and shine in Watseka. 1992 brought the swap meet back to Court Street Ford. In 1990, the club became a member of the NSRA Fellow Pages.

The village of Iroquois held “Bunkum Days” and it was decided to have our car show there. The club has donated park benches and trees to the village. 1996 began this long relationship with Iroquois. The first Bunkum Days car show had 24 cars.

In 1997, Gregg Scott made the announcement, “this was his last year as president.” It was stated that was Gregg fantasy. He’s in for five years.

Club members added another activity to the ‘90’s. Members drove their street rods to Frankfort, Il. For Camp Quality. The children at this camp had cancer and the drivers gave rides to the Trolley Barn for ice cream.

The new millennium saw Strictly Street Rod Club Ltd as strong as ever; still doing an annual swap meet and car show. The club participated in the Herscher Labor Day parade. It revised the by-laws.

In 2008, Strictly street continued it’s service to the community by establishing an automotive scholarship at Kankakee Community College. To date, three scholarships have been awarded. In 2010, Strictly Street developed it’s own website and is on line.

Thirty-five years as a club is a testimony to those early car lovers dream. Here’s hoping Strictly Street Rod Club Ltd will be around thirty-five years from now.