FMCA’s newly elected national president greets members and shares information in his first column.
National President
Claire & Rett Porter, F369084
rporter@fmca.com
Thank you. I consider it an honor to serve as your FMCA national president. I’ve been brainstorming what to write in my first column, and the rain here in Traverse City, Michigan, has been steadily falling all day, so it gives me an opportune time to finish my column for the September issue. Throughout my term, I will focus on my goal to make our members FMCA’s primary interest.
FMCA’s 103rd International Convention and RV Expo, “The Spirit of Wyoming,” in Gillette was the beginning for me of the next two years as your FMCA national president. With three new national vice presidents and three new nationally elected officers, the newly constituted Executive Board held our first board meeting on July 10, 2021. At this meeting we made two especially important decisions:
*The first decision was to return to all Tucson registrants any funds that were withheld as processing fees in the amount of $25 or $50. In February 2021, the Executive Board had made the decision to return the registrations on all certificates still held from Tucson 2020. At the Governing Board meeting in Gillette, the processing fees withheld from members who had canceled early in 2020 and requested their refund of the Tucson registration fees were
discussed. The Governing Board left the decision of processing fees to be resolved by the Executive Board. The Executive Board took immediate action and decided to return all processing fees. The funds should have been returned to all registrants by the time of this writing.
*An additional decision was to reinstate the $10 coupons for members who recruit new members. Earlier in the year, in an action to adjust the expenses for the 2022 budget, cuts were made to reduce the costs of some pins in recognition of member recruitment, but unknowingly the Executive Board also eliminated all rewards for member recruitment. The Executive Board felt that the $10 reward coupon for recruiting new members was a minor expense to obtaining new memberships. With the return of this reward coupon, we hope that members will promote FMCA and recruit new members. If you recruit five new members, then you can apply those coupons toward your membership and have a free year of membership. What a bargain! Even recruiting one new member gives you a $10 coupon to reduce your dues by 20 percent.
Pit masters (left to right) Mike Neighbours, Rodger Donnelly, Geoff Matthews,
and Pat Giannini from FMCA’s RVQue chapter showed off their skills during a multichapter
prerally before the Gillette convention.
Our new Executive Board is starting out as a tight group with a strong drive to work together and grow FMCA’s membership and the benefits that our members receive. We all want very successful international conventions, so plan to join us in Tucson for our next convention, “Sunsets + Saguaros,” March 23 through 26, 2022.
At Gillette, I think we had a first. Four chapters came together at a barbecue dinner. The Military Veterans chapter, Elk International chapter, and Full Timers chapter have met regularly together to hold a tri-chapter prerally going to the FMCA International Convention and
This mouthwatering pulled pork tenderloin is the creation of pit master Rodger Donnelly.
RV Expo. Then the tri-chapter decided that they could have one more event, and that was to invite the RVQue chapter to join them and have a pulled pork tenderloin cookoff. Each cook had to follow certain guidelines to keep the cooking methods the same, with different rubs and sauces. The tri-chapter provided the meat for the cookoff, and
then all of the families brought their favorite dish to share. It was a wonderful event put on by four chapters pulling together. You may want to join one of these chapters to get in on the fun. The RVQue chapter and the Beaver & Friends Security chapter are already planning their combined event in Tucson next March.
When Claire and I left Gillette, we headed back through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Traverse City, Michigan, where we will spend most of the summer. Gary and Debbie Glenn (our friends, Texas neighbors, and vendors) left Gillette to attend another event in Rock Springs, Wyoming. On the evening of July 17, 2021, Gary fell backward out of his coach and hit his head. Gary had a severe head injury, and he was air flighted to Salt Lake City, Utah. A little over 24 hours later, Gary was taken off life-support. Gary and Debbie had SkyMed and FMCAssist to support them in this critical time, which gave them the best care available.
Gary and Debbie have been strong supporters of FMCA for many years. Gary was especially proud of being a family member since 1997, with a membership number of F141781. Gary was working to get more vendors at FMCA events, and I had told him that I would encourage our Executive Board to do everything possible to work with the vendors. We often make the statement that vendors come to conventions for the members, and the members come to the conventions to visit the vendors. It’s the old story of which comes first, the vendors attending or the members attending? We will miss Gary’s strength to help us with the growth of FMCA, but we will carry on doing the things that Gary would want us to do. To Debbie, we send our sincere thoughts and prayers for her and their family members.
In wrapping up this month’s column, I would like for you to think about 2022 FMCA International Conventions and RV Expos. As I mentioned earlier, the winter convention will be in Tucson, Arizona, March 23 through 26, 2022. In Gillette, Three Dog Night had us singing and dancing in the aisles. What a wonderful performance! The lead singers were 74 and 78 years old and had strong voices and hit the notes. Well, we will have the Southwest Surfers in Tucson, playing songs of the Beach Boys. If you like singing along and dancing in the aisles, then I’m sure we will be doing it again. I’ve seen the Southwest Surfers several times, including at the Western Area Rally in Indio, California, and the Midwest Area Rally in Amana, Iowa, and they are great. Another great band will be The Big Zephyr. This five-piece band will have us singing and dancing, too. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements.
The summer convention will be in Lincoln, Nebraska, August 24 through 27, 2022. I haven’t been there, but it sounds great, with vendor buildings large enough that there are plans to have some display coaches inside. This will be an opportunity to experience a new area to explore. We’re listening to our members; so, if you have ideas for seminars, entertainers, and vendors, let us know. We know that if you participate, then you will get more from being part of this great organization. Send us your ideas to convention@fmca.com. And don’t forget to volunteer.
In conclusion, I will need your help and support to make all of the changes that I would like to see us accomplish during my term as FMCA national president. We know that members involved in the organization will feel a sense of accomplishment and make us strong. I will be appointing committee members in the next few weeks. Committees do everything from writing the policies and procedures to planning long-range goals for FMCA. If you have an interest in being on a committee, then please contact your national vice president or send an email to Penny Gortemiller, director of chapters and governance, at pgortemiller@fmca.com.
Safe travels, and I look forward to seeing you at the next FMCA event.