By J. Glenn Dupree, F362282
August 2013
The Cruisin’ Cajuns chapter of Family Motor Coach Association was started by Harry and Ethel Wakefield, F3666, in 1970. According to friends, the Wakefields lived in Lafayette, Louisiana, and enjoyed camping. So, they bought a motorhome. During one camping trip, Harry got the idea of starting an FMCA chapter in Louisiana. He knew he needed at least 25 members to form a chapter, so he set out to recruit people. I am told by some longtime Cruisin’ Cajuns that if you owned a motorhome back then, Harry would find you, shake your hand, and tell you all about himself, his wife, and the chapter he was starting. He would ask about your family, and by the time you said good-bye and started to walk away, he would look back and say, “See you next month at our meeting. And by the way, I need you to fill out this application to join FMCA if you’re not a member.”
Harry attended a Louisiana State University football game in the fall of 1970, where he saw about 10 motorhomes parked across from the stadium. According to one of those RV owners, Eddie Austin, F4496, Harry signed them all up for the chapter he was forming. He also made sure they filled out applications to join FMCA. That recruiting coup met nearly half of his 25-coach quota. Today Eddie is the sole surviving charter member of the chapter. Active members Billy and Linda Neal, F6669, joined soon after the chapter was formed, however. It took a lot of walking, talking, hand-shaking, and planning, but Harry accomplished what he set out to do. In fact, he secured commitments from more than 25 motorhome owners to get the chapter started.
Forty-two coaches showed up at the first rally. During the meeting, the group adopted bylaws and elected officers, with Harry as the first president. They also discussed the name for the group. Harry told everyone that he and Ethel had been considering various names for the club, and after much deliberation, they were stuck on Cruisin’ Cajuns. The name depicted the south Louisiana culture; namely, hard-working people, mostly of French descent, who liked to have fun and enjoy life. Since this was a motorhome club, the “Cruisin’” part of the name reflected their desire to travel. When the name was presented to the group, everyone approved.
The group also wanted a chapter logo that could be used for jackets patches and decals for motorhomes and towed vehicles. Jewell Crisamore, one of the charter members, came up with the idea of a circle patch featuring a crawfish and a champagne glass, with red and white colors. The logo was adopted and is still used today. The crawfish represents Cajun and south Louisiana, while the champagne glass signifies that a celebration ensues whenever this group gets together.
The first official Cruisin’ Cajuns rally took place on November 7, 1970. Ken Scott, FMCA executive director at the time, attended and presented the group their FMCA charter.
Chapter membership increased from 42 coaches in 1970 to a high of 400 in 1989. Carol Fontenot, a past president, told me that the chapter tried to limit membership at one point, because it was becoming difficult to find rally sites for so many coaches. However, chapter officials quickly discovered that limiting the number caused membership to drop. They realized it was better to have too many members than not enough. Membership now varies between 300 and 350 families.
When I asked Eddie Austin what he thought made the young chapter so successful, he was quick to respond, “It was the dances.” In November 1971, Eddie was in charge of putting together a rally and wanted to do something different. The past rallies were fun — the folks met, everyone prepared a dish, and then they would gather around a campfire to tell stories and talk about what was going on in their lives. But Eddie wanted to do something special at his rally, which was going to be held at a private park with a tennis court. So, they decorated the tennis court with hay rented from a local farmer and hired a three-piece country band for a dance. He also hired a local outfit to fry catfish for everyone. The rally was a huge success, beginning the tradition of having dances and good food at all Cruisin’ Cajuns events.
Eddie likely is right about the dances, but I don’t believe they were the only thing that kept the chapter going. All the planning and hard work of the charter members also helped. Cruisin’ Cajun members wanted a chapter that was representative of the south Louisiana culture and a club where all could have a good time. There was enough structure with the bylaws and the election of officers to make administrative decisions, but there weren’t too many rules to bog everyone down with bureaucracy. They made it a goal to have all members involved in organizing and assisting at rallies. As the chapter grew, the Cruisin’ Cajuns developed a written rally planning manual. While the format is in place, rally masters are free to let their creative juices flow and organize the type of activities they choose, all centered on the weekend dances.
The members of the Cruisin’ Cajuns are what make this chapter so great. They come from all walks of life — just about any profession or job you can think of. The greatest thing about the motorhome lifestyle in general, and especially with the Cruisin’ Cajuns, is that all members are accepted as equals. Your background, financial status, and station in life don’t matter. If you own a motorhome and like the freedom the lifestyle provides, then you will enjoy the Cruisin’ Cajuns and the friendships you will make. Just think of all the life experiences brought to the chapter by Cruisin’ Cajuns members who serve to make it a better chapter for all. It takes a lot of hard work, good direction from the leadership, and many volunteers to present successful rallies and encourage others to join.
Thank you, Harry and Ethel. Because of your dedication, we are still here and can continue to say, “Laissez les bon temps roulet” — Let the good times roll.