By Jon Walker, F268778
National Senior Vice President
December 2015
Charlie Adcock asked me to write this month’s President’s Message. When he and I decided to run for national office as a team, we vowed to work together and share everything related to our respective responsibilities as president and senior vice president. I can tell you that for the past 2 1/2 years, we have been inseparable … in fact, we have been called such names as “Frick and Frack,” and even the “gruesome twosome,” in our effort to work constantly together for your association. We definitely have been busy.
In fact, I cannot believe how fast this year has gone. As soon as Sondra and I got home from the Family Reunion in Madison, Wisconsin, we parked our motorhome at our lake cottage and enjoyed a month or so right at the lake. Our three grandsons — Jackson, who is in the second grade; Dylan, who is in kindergarten; and August, who is in preschool — spent many hours with us.
When our son was a youngster, my father bought him a small sailboat so he could “roam and explore” our lake. I thought I would do the same thing for our grandsons. So, I went down to our local kayak specialty store and bought them starter kayaks, a 10-foot one for Dylan and August, and a 12-foot one for Jackson. They all took to these boats like fish in water. Well, you know what happened next. Jackson and Dylan wanted to take their kayaks “exploring and roaming,” like my son did with his sailboat. But their mother said, “NO, not by yourselves. You can do that when an adult can go with you.”
Well, that is all it took for Papa to go back to that kayak store. After all, my doctor told me that I needed to lose weight and exercise more. I bought a “high-performance, open-water touring kayak,” against the advice of the store owner. I had plans to take these boys down the rivers in northern Indiana and on the many lakes in southern Michigan! What a wonderful way to bond with my grandkids!
So, I got this sleek new boat home, and we prepared for our first adventure. I was very careful and made sure that I got Jackson and Dylan safely into their boats. I then got into my “performance” kayak, which immediately turned over and dumped me into the lake. So, I tried it again, and the same thing happened. By this time, the boys had paddled up near me, and they said, “Hey, Papa, are you going exploring with us or are you just going to sit there and tip over?”
Well, after several more times, I was able to stay in the boat, and we had a very short paddle down the lake and near the shoreline. Of course, as soon as we got back to our lakefront, the boys jumped out of their boats and pulled them to shore. I tried to get out of my “performance” boat and promptly rolled right out. The rest of the summer I kept practicing getting in and out of my kayak. I am proud to say that by the end of summer, I was finally able to get in and out without any major upsets. The moral to this story for me is to stay in the game, enjoy each day that you have, and always have fun!
Holidays really start for me at Thanksgiving, which has always been my favorite. As long as I can remember, our family has been together somewhere to celebrate this special day. Everyone brings something to contribute to the meal. For the past 25 years, I have been bringing a cheese grits casserole. My mother always made this dish when she was alive, and she passed the recipe down to her children. I am proud to say that after all of these years, everyone still loves my grits.
With the end of the college football games during the Thanksgiving week, I know that December will soon arrive. December, to me, is a magical time for family, a time to reflect on the past year, and a time to plan and think about the future year. During this month, I have been able to sit back and watch the events of the month unfold. Sondra and I get to attend our grandchildren’s Christmas concerts; we get to participate in the decorating of our church as the Christmas season approaches; and we get to watch the wonder and delight of our children and grandchildren opening their gifts on Christmas morning.
As I reflect on the past year of my life, I have to tell you that it all revolved around serving members of FMCA. We have worked very hard this year attempting to overcome the challenges faced by our association. These challenges consist of trying to keep our expenses in line with our declining revenue sources, trying to get the bugs out of our completely new computer system, and trying to hire and train staff members who are people-oriented, smart, and hard workers.
The largest challenge that we face as we move into the new year is to continue to do all we can to increase membership and increase revenue. Past FMCA national president Connie Pool remarked in 2008 that our revenue sources and membership numbers were climbing in 2001. By 2004, for many reasons, our magazine revenues and membership numbers started declining. Today, we are doing everything we can to reverse this condition. We are not in this boat alone. Most of our country’s fraternal and service organizations are experiencing the same thing as FMCA.
In spite of our challenges, I think FMCA’s future is bright. We are expanding our educational opportunities for our members; we are seeing that almost 25 percent of attendees at our rallies and conventions are first-timers; and we are working on ways to make these first-timers want to come back and become actively involved in our fun and fellowship as we enjoy the motorhome lifestyle.
Immediate past national president Charlie Schrenkel wrote a poem in 2000 that has a special meaning for me, since I grew up and live in the North. I thought I would share the first and last verses of it here:
“Snowflakes flutter in breathless air,
And settle down without a care
Upon the brown and tarnished leaves,
Which form a carpet ’neath the trees.
And all across this fairy land,
The fields, the hills, where pine trees stand.
The quiet of this winter’s night,
Brings peace on earth by morning light.”
©2000 C.M. Schrenkel (used by permission)
As we approach Christmas this year, Charlie and Gloria Adcock, Sondra, and I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas; for all of our Jewish friends, a Happy Hanukkah; and for everyone else, Happy Holidays. Please keep those who are not able to be home with their families at Christmas this year in your prayers.
Our hope for this season is “. . . and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)