Members of this northeastern Ohio chapter enjoyed a summer rally and welcomed back good friends.
By Janet Caldwell, F419800
December 2022
The Western Reserve Buckeyes held their August 2022 campout at Findley State Park in Wellington, Ohio. Bill and Ginny Brinkman joined us for a day and reminisced about the formation of the chapter.
Bill Brinkman served as the Western Reserve Buckeyes’ first president; he and his wife, Ginny, returned for the August rally.
In 2001, Bill and Ginny attended the FMCA Great Lakes Area Rally. The area vice president at the time, Les Naylor, held a meeting for anyone interested in joining a local club, and over 20 couples attended. The group decided to form a new chapter and named it “Western Reserve Buckeyes.” Bill said Ginny warned him not to volunteer too much, but he became the first president of the chapter!
The camping lifestyle wasn’t new to the couple. Both were seasoned campers before they met and married. Bill was a tool and die maker, and then he obtained a commercial pilot license and flew a corporate jet for several years. Ginny was a bank teller, and it was at the bank that Bill met Ginny, who invited him to go roller-skating. One day, he took her up on the offer, and that was the start of a long romance.
For several years, the couple lived in Florida and would come to Ohio during the summer to visit family and attend club campouts. Now they live in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and their trips are less frequent. Bill is 86 this year, and Ginny is 97. Their children have been gently encouraging them to drive less; this past summer, one of the sons drove their RV to Ohio while the couple drove the car. That seemed to be a fair compromise for a couple who hopes to continue the RV lifestyle.
Two charter-member couples who are still active with the chapter were at the campout also: Kevin and Donna Driscoll and Dennis and Nancy Taras. Club members enjoyed touring the area’s attractions, including the Lorain County Fair and a favorite restaurant. They also feasted on a steak roast with baked potatoes, local corn, potluck sides, and — of course — great desserts! The group posed for a photo with Bill and Ginny and current president Ken Vonderau and his wife, Judy.
As at other chapter gatherings, everyone enjoyed being together to share food, stories, friendship, and fun.