By Darrell Gilliland, F153488
January 2012
A great motorhome rally must have multiple aspects that blend together to make it extra special. Some of these ingredients can be perfect weather; a wonderful rally facility; a friendly community with many off-site activities; a variety of exhibitors; and, of course, outstanding afternoon and evening entertainment. Fortunately, all of these pieces fell into place for the “Heartland Motorhome Festival,” the 38th Six-State Rally, held September 28 through October 2, 2011, at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.
Everyone was encouraged to go off-site to visit two world-famous museums, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center and the Underground Salt Museum. On the rally’s opening night, Ron Sellers, the mayor of Hutchinson, asked the crowd how many had been to the space museum. More than half of the 800-plus people in attendance held up their hands. From all reports, most of the attendees who were visiting Hutchinson for the first time made it to one if not both museums. The space museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is so comprehensive that some members visited on two different days so that they could see all the exhibits.
The Kansas State Fairgrounds offered a variety of facilities to Six-State Rally Association (SRA) planners for scheduling its regular activities, plus additional buildings and attractions to make attendees’ stay more enjoyable. One of those activities was a Combine and Auto Demolition Derby scheduled for Saturday afternoon in the Sprint Grandstand. Unfortunately, the combine portion of the show had to be cancelled, but the auto demolition derby went as planned, and no one left the stands before the last auto had been “crushed” and was out of commission. For many attendees, this was the first time they’d seen a demolition derby.
Because of this particular location, rally planners invited chapters to arrive early and have a prerally if desired. More than 100 coaches arrived on Sunday to attend a rally that wouldn’t officially begin until Wednesday. On Monday, another 150 coaches were parked, with the remaining motorhomes arriving Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The official rally coach count fell just short of 500 coaches.
Some five or six years ago, one of the older exhibit buildings at the fairgrounds was demolished, and the huge Cottonwood Food Court was built to provide indoor dining during the Kansas State Fair. The SRA rally planners selected one of the fair’s 10 food vendors to be the exclusive caterer for the rally, and the dining hall was used extensively throughout the event. Besides the volunteer dinner on Monday, the rally provided three full breakfasts for all those registered. In addition, the ladies who attended the Red Hat Luncheon used this facility to enjoy a delicious meal of lasagna, salad, and bread prepared by the caterer. The Ice Cream Social also was held in this building. The chairman of the Ice Cream Social was Fred Kennedy, past national vice president, South Central Area. Fred spent his career in the dairy industry and was able to use his contacts to make sure everyone received a full pint of Turkey Hill’s best ice cream.
The Frustrated Maestros-South Central chapter entertained members during the breakfasts and the Ice Cream Social.
There were many exhibits, both indoor and outdoor. Members had numerous merchandise choices to select from to help them enjoy the motorhome lifestyle.
All four of FMCA’s newly elected national officers and their spouses attended the rally. They included national president Charlie Schrenkel, senior vice president Allen Rein, national secretary Vicky Ferrari, and national treasurer Wil Young. These officers were quickly put to work as seminar presenters covering topics related to member and chapter benefits, chapter governance, etc.
The entertainment, held in the Meadowlark Building, was extra special this year. On Wednesday night Mayor Sellers, State Fair of Kansas general manager Denny Stoecklein, and newly elected South Central Area national vice president Charlie Adcock welcomed those attending the rally. Ventriloquist Ken Karter opened the festivities, and his routines kept everyone laughing until long after the show was over. One of his “dummies” was Charlie Adcock, and you wouldn’t believe some of the things that came out of his mouth. I’ve never seen anyone’s face turn as red as Charlie’s did that night.
Thursday night the Quebe Sisters Band performed to a packed house. The audience marveled as sisters Grace, Sophia, and Hulda, each a champion fiddler, demonstrated their talents with a bow and sang songs in their vintage-style three-part harmony.
Friday was Patriotic Day, and most wore the red, white, and blue. Our guest speaker for the evening was Lt. Col. Russell Smith, U.S. Army Retired, editor of Purple Heart magazine. Lt. Col. Smith was injured while serving in Baghdad, Iraq, and he told of his experiences there and how the injury has affected his life. The entertainment for that evening was the Diamond W Wranglers, who performed their classic cowboy music. Another great show!
Because Saturday’s entertainment, the demolition derby, was an afternoon affair, an optional evening dinner was planned. More than 490 members paid the additional fee and were in attendance for the special dinner. Members were served at their tables, and accolades are extended to the caterer, who added more than 20 servers from the local area to make this a first-class dining experience. After our meal, we enjoyed a fine performance by Sarah Getto.
At each annual rally, SRA selects a local charity to help, and this year it was the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Hutchinson. Sales from the 50-50 drawings on Thursday and Friday generated more than $1,200 for the selected organization. Also again this year, a large number of quilts were made, displayed at the rally, and then donated to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and to the Heart of Kansas Quilters Guild to donate to local organizations. The Professional R.V. Vendors Chapter (PRVVC) collected canned goods and nonperishable items for the local food bank and also left a large donation.
Plans are already under way for the 39th Annual Six-State Rally, which will be held September 26 through 30, 2012, at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma.