A Strong Foundation
By Jon Walker, F168778
FMCA National President
January 2018
You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. January is traditionally a time for looking ahead to a bright new year. In planning for the future, it is really important to study the past to see where we have been.
This past October, I asked the Executive Board to meet in Elkhart, Indiana, known as the RV capital of the world, and home of the RV/MH Hall of Fame. FMCA has been a strong supporter of the RV/MH Hall of Fame because it promotes the RV lifestyle and helps preserve the history of RVing. In fact, more than 28,000 people tour the museum each year.
By meeting at the Hall of Fame in Elkhart, your Executive Board had a chance to do several things in addition to conducting the business of your association.
Making Changes
FMCA has a display in the museum that needed a face-lift. We wanted to upgrade our display and make it more attractive and more educational to the thousands of people who pass by it every year. The decision was made to install a very large flat-screen HD TV in order to play video clips that tell the FMCA story. FMCA’s IT staff arranged for the display to have its own built-in computer that connects to our Cincinnati headquarters via the internet.
Using this computer, the staff can update the video clips anytime to show the public what is happening in our world of RVing. If FMCA comes out with a new benefit, it can be uploaded to our display in real time. As we have our rallies and conventions, video can be sent to the TV screen almost instantaneously. In addition to the new TV screen that was added, the art staff updated some of the graphics on the display. If you happen to be in or near Elkhart, stop by the RV/MH Hall of Fame and take a tour. It’s time well spent. While you’re there, check out the FMCA display and give me your impression.
The Brick Garden
Another exciting thing that happened was the unveiling of the FMCA memorial brick garden. The leadership of the RV/MH Hall of Fame graciously gave us an area to build a brick garden for FMCA. It is located on the northeast side of the building, next to the sidewalk that surrounds the main office. It is near the entrance to the museum. This spot has been set aside for FMCA members, chapters, areas, and the national office to place memorial bricks to honor members.
We started the brick garden with commemorative bricks to honor each of FMCA’s past national presidents. As presidents come and go, the garden will expand and grow. A member can donate a brick in memory of a loved one. As a chapter or an area association, you can donate a brick for a member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments or done something worthy of commemorating. The bricks come in several sizes and can be purchased through the RV/MH Hall of Fame (www.rvmhhalloffame.org; 800-378-8694, 574-293-2344). Bricks FMCA members already had purchased are located in this area as well.
Elkhart Banquet
At the conclusion of our board meeting week, FMCA hosted a banquet to honor the association’s past national presidents. We contacted all of our living past presidents and invited them to come to Elkhart. The plan was to interview them and to record an oral history. We asked about their challenges while in office, their accomplishments, and how they view FMCA today. This was the first time we had recorded our past presidents’ oral histories. I’m hopeful that we can continue to record and preserve the history of this great association.
The banquet held in their honor took place on Saturday night, October 14, 2017, at the Hall of Fame. I asked Jean Pryor, L12913, to be the master of ceremonies. Jean has known every one of the living past presidents. She was able to give some personal insights on each of our guest presidents based upon her own interaction with them throughout the years.
Each of our guest presidents was “hosted” by one of our current area vice presidents. Each “host” spoke about his or her president during the dinner. It really was a great and memorable event for everyone.
We made a DVD of the interviews and the banquet. If you would like a copy for your use or for your chapter’s use, please call the Chapter Services Department at FMCA. They can have a copy mailed to you. It was really great seeing most of our living presidents together in celebration of their time in office and their contributions to FMCA.
History Teaches Us for the Future
Our past presidents shared a great deal of valuable knowledge that I can use as we move forward in 2018.
At the time of this writing, I do not know the outcome of our constitutional vote to allow owners of all types of self-contained RVs to join our association. I can tell you, though, that we have been very busy paving the way for our new members, should the vote pass.
I was in Cincinnati most of the week of November 13, 2017. There were preparations for the expanded membership happening. I sat in on 2018 planning meetings and took part in national committee meetings. We also finalized steps in announcing two super new member benefit offerings. Tech Connect+ (which includes a Sprint hotspot) and Connect-on-the-Go (with a Verizon hotspot).
Come Visit Us!
Your FMCA staff works very, very hard on your behalf. If you ever are near Cincinnati, please call ahead and arrange to tour your headquarters. You will be surprised at the amount of work required to maintain the best not-for-profit RV organization in the world!
Sondra and I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. By the time you read this issue, we will be on our way to Indio, California, for the Western Area Rally, which takes place January 10-14, 2018. After the Western Area Rally, we will be heading to Camp Pendleton in Southern California for a short break prior to working at the large RV show in Quartzsite, Arizona, January 20 through 28. We will then conduct a site visit at the Rawhide Western Town and Event Center in Chandler, Arizona, to see whether the facility has made any improvements to the venue where we held FMCA’s March 2017 international convention.
After that, we start the journey to Florida to attend the Southeast Area Rally, set to take place February 7-10. Shortly thereafter, we’ll head to Perry, Georgia, for FMCA’s 97th International Convention and RV Expo — “Southern Charm”. Registration currently is under way for this March 15 through 18 event, so if you haven’t already signed up, be sure to do so soon. If you register by the early-bird deadline of January 18, you’ll save $30 on your registration fee.
Wanted In Wyoming
I’d also like to encourage you to include FMCA’s 98th International Convention and RV Expo in your summer plans. Registration begins on January 10 for the “Wanted In Wyoming” convention July 18 through 21 in Gillette, Wyoming.
Registration forms for both of these events appear in this issue and online at FMCA.com.
So, as you can see, 2018 will be a very busy and FUN time in our lives!