Members of Family RV Association’s Maine Wheels chapter returned to the site where the organization was founded in 1963.
By Dave Bennett, F471791, Maine Wheels Chapter,
and
Gary Dugal, President/Executive Director, Good Will-Hinckley
November-December 2025
“House car” owners gathered at the school in 1963 and formed the Family Motor Coach Association, as FRVA was first called.
Driving up the long, maple-lined lane to Good Will-Hinckley (GWH), time seems to slow down. The proud brick buildings — first raised in the 1890s — still stand watch over sweeping green lawns, just as they did on a warm July afternoon in 1963 when 26 “house cars” rumbled onto campus to watch a total solar eclipse. By sundown, those pioneers had hatched the idea of an association for kindred road-going spirits, and the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) was born.
Six decades and a pandemic pause later, the campus welcomed the Maine Wheels chapter — part of the newly renamed Family RV Association (FRVA) — for the chapter’s “Where It All Began” Rally. Our mission was equal parts homecoming, hands-on service, and future planning. The weekend delivered all three in true New England fashion.
A CAMPUS THAT STILL INSPIRES
During the “Where It All Began” Rally, members of Family RV Association’s Maine Wheels chapter spruced up the association’s monument.
GWH remains a sanctuary for young people, “healing, empowering, and inspiring” students and families since 1889. Yet, first-time visitors quickly discover that the real magic lies in the attitude of staff and students: optimism, grit, and a greeting as genuine as a Maine sunrise. Rally headquarters in the Alfond Visitors Center provided us with hot showers, a tidy kitchen, shelter from occasional rain, and — nostalgia be praised — plenty of paved parking. Unlike 1963, not a single rig sunk its tires into the lawn.
FIRST-CLASS HOSPITALITY, SMALL-TOWN CHARMS
Prescott Hall hosted a banquet that felt more like a family reunion than a formal dinner, followed by an engaging presentation on GWH’s mission and its intertwined history with FRVA. Between scattered rain showers, members strolled forested trails, enjoyed a docent-led tour of the delightful L.C. Bates Museum, and explored nearby villages that look as though Norman Rockwell might step in at any moment.
Maine Wheels chapter members cleaned up the FMCA monument and surrounding area.
GIVING BACK TO OUR ROOTS
Early Saturday found us at the FMCA monument, which was installed on the grounds in 1994 to honor the association’s birthplace. Clippers clicked, mulch flew, and by noon the black granite stone gleamed like new — our small gift to the campus that once gave us our start.
WHY PILGRIMAGES MATTER
Standing in the shadow of that monument, it was easy to understand why travelers from around the world return to their sacred mile markers. Visiting Good Will-Hinckley rekindled something vital: a reminder that our shared story is less about fiberglass and fuel stops and more about community, service, and wide-eyed wonder.
LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD
Maine Wheels members enjoyed some good-old-fashioned camaraderie, no doubt reminiscent of the “house car” owners’ 1963 gathering.
The Maine Wheels will roll back to campus in late June 2026, and every FRVA member is invited — solo, with friends, or as part of a full-chapter mini-rally.
Mark your calendars, polish the chrome, and top off those tanks. Get ready for our 2026 rally: “Back To The ’60s — Where It All Began.” The dates are set for arrival on Thursday, June 25, with departure on Sunday, June 28. Plans include a classic car show, a 1960s sock hop with a DJ ,and a banquet. We will also spend time sprucing up the FMCA/FRVA monument. For more information, contact MaineWheelsRV@gmail.com.
The road that started it all is calling — and we’re eager to write the next chapter of FRVA history on the very same grounds where the first one began.
Good Will-Hinckley
(207) 238-4000
gwh.org