Dear Friends,

The rally at East Broad Top Railroad brings together two joys of the membership of COAA; organs and trains. Yippee! COAA will have a rally at East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill Furnace, Pa., June 10th and 11th, 2023. There is ample space to play the large organs without a cacophony of sound, lots of area for crank organs, and a space for crank organ concerts. We will be playing our instruments to a large public group as we are sharing this weekend with a steam-oriented event, the Orbisonia Antique Power Show.

The focus of this rally is to share our love for band organs, fairground organs, and crank organs with those who are (or are not acquainted) with the beautiful music they make. We are the managers of these God given instruments to use them for His Glory. This music has a great effect on the hearers; some dance, some sing, some ignore, some shed tears of joy, but all react in one way or another. We will be sharing this venue with the Orbisonia Antique Power Show, and the East Broad Top Railroad and Trolley Museum, and the East Broad Top Railroad's number 16 steam engine. We will all be blessed as we experience these mechanical marvels.

I have enjoyed our little band of "Gypsy" trailers moving from community-to-community sharing "The Greatest Music on Earth." well almost (you can't beat the angelic choirs). The friendships have been our "family" outside of our family that has a bond and care for each other. In good times and bad whether sharing a drink, stories of our rebuilding adventures, technical information, stories of the past, music, gaining a friend or loosing one of our friends as they pass over, we are a group who esteems our friends more important than the music we make which then makes our music sing. See you at the top, East Broad Top that is!

Sincerely,
John G. Ravert, Rally Host