The Maine Wheels chapter of FMCA has an easy formula for making new friends and enjoying rallies.
By Peggy Jordan, Associate Editor
October 2019
One of FMCA’s longer-running chapters is getting bigger. “We are growing,” Maine Wheels newsletter and website editor Ed Busch said. “We signed up a number of new members this year.”
The Maine-based chapter has some pretty simple methods for growth. First, make a chapter banner, and then fly it during rallies. Ed said the banner attracts curious RVers in the members’ campsite.
Another tip: Use the list of new FMCA members in your area that the FMCA national office provides to chapters. Follow up quickly and introduce yourself to the newcomers.
You may also want to send out an ambassador. For the Maine Wheels chapter, that currently is the chapter’s national director, Malcolm Ronquist. He goes to RV shows and FMCA international conventions, and he puts up the chapter banner wherever he stays. Basically, the key is, “Anything we can do to attract attention, we do,” Ed said. The entire point is to be visible.
Ed and his wife, Karen, are proof. They joined the Maine Wheels after they stopped to chat with chapter members they saw at a campground during a rally.
But it’s not all about member numbers, of course. A chapter is its people. “We have a good mix of personalities. It’s . . . harmonious. That’s the right word for it,” he said.
The group has approximately 25 families; most have owned RVs for a while. “There are a few newcomers that are just starting out in their RVs,” he added. Imagine the amount of wisdom they can gain.
From May through October, the chapter holds one rally each month. Different spots around the state are usually in their sights, and sometimes they go to campgrounds near Acadia National Park. Ed said Acadia is easier to appreciate when fewer people are there. “If you can get there before school is out in May, that is a great time to be there. You can also go in September or October for the leaves. “
For every rally, he said, they meet Friday afternoon for a happy hour and then dine at a local restaurant. The next day, they may plan an activity around an area event, such as a local fair. Or, they may visit a fun place: “We went up to Sunday River, a very popular ski area; they run the ski lift during the summer, so you can take the tram up the mountain. When in Naples in June, we went on the replica paddleboat around the lake.
“We try to be creative about it, and have some structure to it.”
The chapter’s rally schedule for 2020 may not be online yet, but you can bet it will include some get-togethers that mix new friends and a good time. And chapter dues are only $15. For more information, visit their website, https://nsgedb.wixsite.com/mainewheels/. And contact Ed Busch at (207) 655-1205 or nsgedb@aol.com. For general information about FMCA chapters, contact the Chapter Services Department at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622; chapters@fmca.com.
If you would like your chapter to be featured in Chapter Spotlight, contact FRV associate editor Peggy Jordan, (800) 543-3622, ext. 212; pjordan@fmca.com.