07/09/2016
Here is a rundown of our CVC rally in Bernardston, MASS.
First I want to thank Rick & Sandy Bianco for selecting the rally site at the Shriners RV Park. This was a great facility for our 11 coaches who attended. We had excellent cooking facilities and our catered dinner restaurant choice by Rick was superb. It was a fun rally and the people at the park were extra great to work with. After I gave them a jar of my lime sweet pickles, she made me promise to send recipes of all the canning that I do.
Barb and I took a side trip to Rutland, VT to visit the Westminster Cracker Company and we brought back huge boxes of their products which you will see if you visit the Old Cracker Barrel restaurants where I first ate them. We served them with a big pot of chili and hot dogs at the rally.
The big surprise for those attending the rally was that our board voted to give everyone back the $120.00 rally fee. Two members paid but could not attend so Barb sent back their rally fee. Because we cook and feed ourselves, we eat good and can do a great rally at a low cost, and we don’t do potlucks which makes the members happy.
When our CVC rally concluded we went down to West Springfield, MA to a large exposition facility that could accommodate 1200 coaches. Our parking for National Directors was excellent. The three evenings of entertainment by the Texas Tenors, Dave and Daphne and young country singer Ayla Brown were enjoyed by all.
Our CVC Chapter was presented with a certificate and a check for $250.00 from FMCA for being 40 years old in 2016. As I have said before, I have a copy of the original signup sheet for those in attendance in Harlingen, Texas in 1976.
In Springfield, MA there is a Shriners Hospital for Children with cleft palate disorder. Barb and other ladies in the Bethany, IL vicinity gather here at our trucking company every Tuesday afternoon to knit and crochet anything and everything. I told them I would pay for yarn for them to knit caps and little blankets for these little nippers and we would present them while we were there. We did this and received a nice letter to the Bethany Knitters thanking them for their kind donations. I had hoped to get a picture of Barb presenting these items to the hospital, but that is another story. Along with this, Rick Bianco had boxes and boxes of tabs off of aluminum cans that they also use, which he donated. There may be something in the FMCA magazine about this in a month or so. I think this is really benevolent for our people to do things like this.
Now I will tell you about the Governing Board Meeting which I have attended many times. After all these years, I conclude that the only thing this bunch can agree on is to adjourn at 5:00 PM or thereabouts. We have become so overburdened with by-laws, standing rules and constitutions that it is impossible to give a sane answer to all that we are encumbered with just trying to justify the existence of these people who keep muddying up the water of what FMCA stands for.
With that being said, before our body of some 490 National Directors is what can we do to keep old members and gain new ones. At one time years ago our membership was 125,000 and our investments and savings were somewhere on the lesser side of 15 million dollars. Well, due to dipping into our reserves for rainy days and for keeping their financial ship afloat, we are now down to about 7 million and membership on the dark side of 70,000. Now out of the gloom and doom, for those attending the board meeting, things are looking up. We are not losing members, but are holding our own and maybe gaining. Motor home sales are up and just maybe if we can talk to those with new trailers to join FMCA, we can right the ship and sail on if we don’t have too many rainy days!
So here is what we spent a long time talking about. The FMCA rule for membership is without quoting the fine print: own or have an interest in a motorhome and be a member. A motorhome that qualifies is a vehicle that you the driver can go from the driver’s seat to the living area without going outside the vehicle. So they said from looking at all these things called trailer of the RV variety sitting by the hundreds on dealer lots waiting to be sold, why don’t we allow these folks to join FMCA and be a dues paying member. So at the meeting up comes the problem. Our people who research all our rules say but these trailers don’t qualify as meeting our stipulation for a qualifying vehicle. We’ve got to change our rules, laws and such. So now folks our wise and learned leaders consulted with our legal eagle. What can we do to allow as we now call these travel trailer, toy boxes and such towable rv’s. Well, we voted to put the legal wheels in motion to again rewrite our charter, by laws, standing rules and all the structure of our governance to allow people who own a towable to join FMCA.
Now here is the clicker. To do all this as we voted to approve will be drawn up and be presented to us at another governing board meeting to be voted on and we do all this in about two years. And, oh yes, will only will cost FMCA about $10,000 in legal fees. This proposition has to be submitted to the membership for a yes or no vote. This will be accomplished by a ballot in the FMCA magazine that will allow all members to approve or disapprove.
Stay tuned…….this story is just beginning and there will be more to it if I don’t get shot.
Hollis Dick, President CVC & National Director
September, 2016
