By Jon Walker, F268778
FMCA National President
What a whirlwind beginning to serving as president of FMCA! Since the swearing-in ceremony in Indianapolis in mid-July, my wife, Sondra, and I have been on the road almost nonstop. We drove to Syracuse, New York, to attend the Northeast Area Rally, and then on to Amana, Iowa, to attend the Midwest Area Rally. We would like to thank all of the area officers and other members who welcomed us with open arms. We had a great time and met many new friends.
After leaving Amana, Iowa, we drove straight home to Elkhart, Indiana, to see how much of our “stuff” sold at the estate sale we had. In our effort to downsize and in the process of selling our home, we decided an estate sale would be the best way to get rid of everything we could no longer use and our kids did not want. Amazingly, most of it sold.
After that quick stop, we headed to the FMCA national office in Cincinnati for meetings with staff and consultants. As we arrived at your FMCA campground on Round Bottom Road, the Tri-State Traveliers chapter was having a rally. We caught them at the end of their rally, but it was nice to be able to visit with some of their members. One chapter member, Mike “Fuzzy” Overbeck, lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Judith, and drives through the campground almost every evening just checking to make sure everything is okay and to see whether any of our members need anything. What a great service the Overbecks provide to our members using the campground.
I would like to share with you a couple of new projects that we have started that will make YOUR campground even better. Do you know that you can use one of the 15 full-hookup, concrete sites two days per month FREE as a member benefit? After that, you can stay up to five additional days for only $20 per day. We also have nine electric-only sites and a dump station and potable water connection. This valuable member benefit is included in your yearly dues.
Up to this point, the campground has been available on a first-come, first-served basis, apart from scheduled chapter rallies. I have suggested that we set up an online reservation system so any FMCA member can sign up in advance to stay, pay a deposit (nonrefundable in the event of a no-show), and have a spot guaranteed and waiting for them when they arrive. Our very capable IT staff is working on that now.
We also have moved the Chapter Services Department down to the building at the campground location. The benefit of that is now we will have actual staff members at the campground Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. With staff working there and with the new reservation system, members will be able to schedule future visits and even schedule future chapter rallies at the campground office while they are there.
How would you like to have a real dog park at your campground? For the many, many members who stay at our Round Bottom Road location, the only choice they have for exercising their dogs is to walk around the campground or to cross the busy road and stroll through the cemetery. My vision is to start a fund and build a first-class dog park facility entirely through donations from members. No FMCA funds will be used to develop this new asset. Stay tuned as to how you can contribute to this great project. I mentioned this idea to one of the chapters I belong to, and out of nowhere, we received a check for $1,400. What a great gift this chapter has given all of us.
I have been staying at our campground for years and only recently learned of a hidden gem right next door — Lake Barber. How would you like to be able to walk 1.4 miles around a beautiful 55-acre lake next to our campground? We have been given permission to use the lake, which is owned by the village of Newtown, where the campground is located. We plan to build a nice gated entrance to the lake, install a doggy-bag station, and give the code to unlock the gate to our campground visitors. During the recent trip to Cincinnati, I took one of my kayaks and put in at the lake and paddled for several hours. The water is clean, and the time on the lake was wonderful.
The lake’s pathway is paved; it has nice benches and swings around it, as well as doggy-bag stations; and it is secluded enough to give you the feeling of being in a different world for a time.
While staying at our FMCA campground in mid-August, I met a very nice group of people from the Cardinal chapter who were preparing for a rally there. One night I visited with the chapter president, Teresa Kinberger, F442338, and her husband, Mark. They shared with me what their chapter has been doing to make rallies more enjoyable for their members. As a result of their work, their chapter is growing and thriving. One evening, sitting around in a group, I was able to bring chapter members up-to-date on the initiative to invite owners of other types of RVs to join FMCA, and to share details about the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program, as well as our membership programs. We had a very good exchange of ideas.
Speaking of welcoming owners of other RVs into FMCA, if you haven’t already voted (one vote per member number), please see page 82 for your ballot. And please urge all of your friends to vote on this important issue. The deadline is November 30, 2017.
Join Jon’s Journey. I’d like to invite you to follow along on the adventures I’m having as FMCA president. I’ll be sharing news along the way via a blog called “Join Jon’s Journey.” You’ll be able to join the fun in several ways. Visit JoinJonsJourney.com and subscribe so that you will be notified via email when new posts are available (subscription info at the bottom right side of the page). We also have provided a link to this website at FMCA.com; look for the Join Jon’s Journey menu item on the home page (must be signed in).
The blog posts also will appear at RVillage.com in their Blogs area; visit www.rvillage.com/4687/blogs and when you click on a post, you’ll have the option to subscribe. We’ll also be sharing the posts via FMCA’s social media. By the way, Twitter users can follow me @fmcaprez. Join the journey; join the fun!
Coming events. Sondra and I will continue to work hard on your behalf. We hope to see many of you at an upcoming FMCA event. If you haven’t already done so, please register to take part in FMCA’s “Southern Charm” convention in Perry, Georgia. We’re planning some fun new twists for this gathering, set to take place March 15 through 18, 2018, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. Register online at FMCA.com; by mail or fax using the form that appears on pages 71-72; or by calling the FMCA staff at (800) 543-3622 or (513) 474-3622.
Don’t stop there! Mark your calendars now for July 18 through 21, 2018, and make plans to attend FMCA’s 98th International Convention and RV Expo in Gillette, Wyoming. We had a great time when we were in Gillette for FMCA’s 50th anniversary convention in 2013, and I expect nothing less next year. Gillette is close to some of the United States’ national treasures, so plan to bring the kids and grandkids and explore this majestic part of the country.
Meanwhile, don’t forget: It’s still all about having fun!
In an ongoing quest to improve Family Motor Coaching magazine and to ensure its responsiveness to the needs of readers, we are seeking new members for the Magazine Panel. Members of the panel evaluate each issue of the magazine and share feedback with the magazine staff. The goal is to make the magazine attractive and fun to read and also to make sure that it serves you, the reader, by providing the type of information you need to make the RV lifestyle even more enjoyable.
Magazine Panel members evaluate each issue; share ideas for potential articles; serve as a source of information about subject areas where they have expertise; and gather feedback from fellow members they meet in their travels. Magazine Panel participants also learn more about how FMC magazine operates and then pass that type of information along to other members.
If you are interested in applying for a spot on the Magazine Panel, please send an email to magazine@fmca.com to request a form. The deadline for returning forms is November 30, 2017.