January 2015
By Charlie Adcock, F311374
National President
Happy New Year to my FMCA Family!
Can you believe that another year has slipped by? Sometimes I feel like I’m racing against a clock. I have so many things I still would like to see happen in FMCA, and it seems as though time is running out on me.
When I was elected FMCA national president, one of my first goals was to work on reinstating FMCAssist as an association-paid member benefit. And we (you) did. Thank you! Second, I wanted to present a balanced budget. Not only to present it but to live within it. We have. Thanks, everyone, for your sacrifices. Third, I wanted to stop the membership decline, and we have, thanks in part to all the member benefits that the staff has been able to get for us. Great job, Jerry Yeatts and staff. All these things have been accomplished in the past year.
Now I would like to share with you an idea for the coming year. This is not necessarily a new idea, but I would like to try and implement it.
I am not above borrowing good ideas. I have heard of rallies held specifically to teach attendees how to properly operate and maintain their RVs, how to select campgrounds, and many other things that are RV-related. I would like to see FMCA do something similar. These rallies likely would have to be restricted in size to ensure the quality of the learning experience. I envision at least a half-dozen learning rallies a year spread all over the United States and Canada. Some of the subjects I would like to see taught are fire safety, motorhome maintenance, chassis maintenance, coach weighing and tire pressure, driver training, and how to use a microwave-convection oven. I am sure many of you could add a dozen more things to the list.
In the past, we have held smaller learning sessions, such as the Co-Pilots Motorhome Rodeo, put on several years ago by several chapters in the Northeast. And we currently offer seminars related to many of these subjects at our Family Reunions, but the idea is that these tech rallies would be more intensive and “hands-on.” Anyway, this is one of my dreams for FMCA for 2015. Please give me your ideas, suggestions, and feedback.
Now, for all you guys out there who are blessed to have your wife as copilot, I have to tell you my most recent story about my copilot, Gloria. Recently, we were caught in a time crunch where we had to be in too many places at the same time. We were in Cincinnati for the committee and Executive Board meetings, and when they were over, I needed to fly to Madison, Wisconsin, for a Family Reunion site visit. The site visit group and I made it to Madison on Sunday, and we all left on Tuesday. Gloria and I had to be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by Thursday for a niece’s wedding. The only way for the timing to work out was for Gloria to drive the motorhome 599 miles on Sunday from Cincinnati to our home in Arkansas. She did, with no problems, then picked me up at the airport in Little Rock on Tuesday afternoon. We left home on Thursday morning and made the wedding. Because she could drive the motorhome, we were able to make all our commitments work. Gloria is a huge advocate of having ALL women know how to drive their motorhome, just in case of an emergency. I am so proud of her.
Speaking of coordinating (and communicating) with your copilot, I am sure many of you can relate to those initial years spent learning the motorhome life. Some of you have heard our story before, but it is still pretty good. The first couple of years we spent motorhoming were pretty scary at times. We had quite a learning curve and really needed to attend one of those tech rallies. As might have happened to you, we just stumbled along and learned from our mistakes.
Initially, we were intimidated by that big, expensive motorhome we had just purchased. At first, I looked in the local want ads and found a motorhome for sale, so I called and asked how much it was. The guy said $100,000. I quickly hung up and thought he had to be crazy. I did find a beginner coach to start with for $24,000.
When Gloria and I took off on our first trip, she had packed enough groceries in there for us to go six months without visiting a store. I explained to her that all that food was heavy, and it took energy (fuel) to move it. I assured her there would be a grocery store when we got to where we were going. So, on our second trip out, about noon as we were approaching a rest area, I asked if she wanted to stop for lunch. She informed me that we would have to find that grocery store first, because she had unloaded ALL the food (to save gas). Fortunately, we have climbed the learning (and communication) curve quite a bit since then!
I haven’t mentioned pickleball lately. For you pickleball players or wannabes, I wanted to let you know that we are scheduling games in Pomona, California, during FMCA’s next Family Reunion (March 26-29, 2015). We will have Pickleball paddles for sale in the FMCA Store. FMCA is an affiliate partner with the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), and we may sponsor some tournaments in Florida this winter. So, if you haven’t caught the pickleball wave yet, you need to get on board!
Before I close, I have to re-emphasize for a moment how great the FMCAssist program is. Should you ever have someone try to tell you that it is a half-baked policy, let me assure you that it is the farthest thing from the truth. Seven Corners carries our policy, and it is backed by Lloyds of London. I also want to remind you that if you have to sell your motorhome or for some reason you can no longer qualify to be a full family member, you can remain an associate member of FMCA and still be covered by FMCAssist. So, when you visit the grandkids out of state, take a cruise, or travel overseas, you are covered. That’s a pretty valuable benefit that is included in your $40-a-year dues. If you have any friends who fit this category, all they have to do is call the FMCA office at (800) 543-3622 to have their membership reinstated and once again be covered by this great benefit. They don’t even have to pay back dues to be reinstated.
Furthermore, it is important to note that an associate member of FMCA receives all the benefits that a full family member receives (FMC magazine, Michelin Advantage, FMCA Tour Connection, etc. — see the “FMCA Member Benefits” article that starts on page 136 of this magazine for a complete overview). The only difference is, an associate member cannot vote or hold an elected office. They even keep their original FMCA member number, except it will begin with an “A” instead of an “F.” Such a deal!
Well, I’ve rambled enough. Gloria and I wish each of you a Happy New Year.
Remember, “It’s all about having fun!”