President’s Message
By R.G. Wilson, F21025
National President
August 2004
FMCA’s 72nd International Convention “” dubbed “Cascade Mountain Magic” in honor of the host area “” will take place at Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon, August 16, 17, 18, and 19. We visited Redmond in 2001 for a convention and have chosen to return to this location for many reasons. First, who would not like to leave the heat and humidity of the Southern states in August and spend time in the beautiful mountains of central Oregon? I have made many trips through the Northwest in my lifetime, and I am still inspired by the beauty of the plains, the mountains, the forests, the rivers, and the lakes of this area. In addition, the facilities at the Expo Center are superb. The Expo Center is only about 5 years old and is quite suitable to our needs. Most of our family members will be parked at the Expo Center next to all the action. In the event that satellite parking is needed, we have arranged for additional parking at the holding area located at Hemlock Avenue and Ninth Street, four miles away. School buses will provide transportation to and from the site as needed.
As the theme suggests, there will be plenty of “magic” taking place during the event, with sensational coach exhibits, impressive supplier and component displays, interesting seminars, and top-notch entertainment.
The first night we will be entertained by the one and only Frankie Avalon. The second night the “Rat Pack” is back. A group called “Frank, Sammy, Dean … Hear and Now” pays tribute to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin, the trio that ruled the Las Vegas showrooms during the 1950s and ’60s. The last night we will be entertained by The Kingston Trio and The Brothers Four. The 5:30 p.m. time for entertainment was so popular at the Albuquerque, New Mexico, convention this past March that we decided to try it again in Redmond. This permits folks to go directly to evening entertainment from the displays and seminars and eat later instead of going to eat early and having to rush back for entertainment. Bring a snack if you need something to hold you over.
We have had a huge demand for indoor exhibit space and are making plans to add two smaller tents to accommodate our indoor exhibitors. Those of you who attended our previous convention in Redmond will remember that the fairgrounds are laid out in a circle. This year all of our outdoor exhibits will be in a semicircle on the northwest side. Our morning coffee hour and daytime entertainment tent will be in the middle of the circle, and the indoor exhibits will be on the southeast end of the circle. The seminars will all be within the circle but will be in various buildings where space is available.
Since this is our summer convention, we will be holding our Governing Board meeting and our annual membership meeting. At this time we already have enough Governing Board members registered, of the 465 possible members, to provide a quorum for the meeting. So, we are expecting a large turnout.
I hope you have already registered and are planning to make this wonderful trip to the Northwest to enjoy our “Cascade Mountain Magic” experience. If you haven’t made plans, it’s not too late. The last day to register at the early-bird price is July 30, and after August 7 registrations will be accepted only at the gate. Jeri and I hope to see you there.
Safe travels, good health, and may God bless you.
Trip Routing Announcement
Effective September 1, 2004, Rand McNally will no longer offer its trip routing service. FMCA had been using Rand McNally to fill FMCA member requests for trip routings. FMCA currently is searching for a new provider for this member benefit.
Deductible And Coinsurance Reimbursement Programs To Be Discontinued Effective January 1, 2005
FMCA’s Risk Management Committee has had some tough decisions to make over the past year in the wake of tremendous insurance rate hikes. In order to keep the most popular insurance plans, which experienced huge rate increases for 2005, we had to see where the other benefits were headed. Due to a substantial increase in the renewal cost of the Deductible and Coinsurance Reimbursement Insurance Plan, the plan was converted to an accident and dental only plan for 2004. With the changes, we have found that the claims do not warrant the amount of premium that is being paid for the coverage. Therefore, the committee recommended to the Executive Board that the Accident and Dental Deductible and Coinsurance Reimbursement Insurance Plan be cancelled effective January 1, 2005. The Executive Board has approved this change. In addition, the policy for the bonus deductible and coinsurance program, the DeductiPay Travel Plan, which allows additional reimbursement for medical and/or accidents and is purchased by individual FMCA members, also will be cancelled on January 1, 2005. There is no conversion to a personal policy for either coverage.
We would like to remind FMCA members how the Accident and Dental Deductible and Coinsurance Reimbursement Insurance Plan is used. You have 180 days from the date of occurrence to file an insured claim (for accidental bodily injury or dental injury). Up to $1,000 reimbursement is available for the deductible or coinsurance related to accidental injuries and $500 for accidental dental injuries that occur while you are traveling more than 100 miles away from home. Claims must be filed to your private insurance coverage first. Proof of residence (driver’s license); explanation of benefits (EOB) from your primary provider of coverage; detailed bills from the providers (doctors and/or hospitals); and the claim form in Family Motor Coaching magazine (January 2004, page 197) or on FMCA.com are required for filing claims. If claims are filed for medical services not related to an accident, or received after the 180-day filing deadline, or incurred while traveling for the purpose of receiving medical care, they will be denied. If you file a partial claim within the 180 days from date of occurrence with an explanation of why you cannot file the entire claim in a timely manner, you may extend the time limit.
We apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may cause to the membership, and hope that you will be able to find suitable coverage to replace it prior to January 1, 2005. Remember, member benefits can be changed or cancelled without written notice to the membership at any time. The Risk Management Committee continues to seek new insurance benefits for FMCA members while considering the financial aspects and overall usage by members.
“” The Risk Management Committee: Judy Allen, F193946, chairman; C.B. Edwards, F221778; Richard Poe, F297488; Jack Rivers, F201884.
Help Us Update Our Records
Please note that the deadline for making changes to the information included in the January 2005 membership directory issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine is October 29, 2004. So, you’ll want to check the 2004 directory to determine whether any of the information contained therein has changed, and contact the Membership Department at the FMCA national office to report the change.
Changes may be reported in several ways. You can call the Membership Department at (800) 543-3622 or e-mail them at membership@fmca.com. In addition, you can make changes to your membership records via FMCA’s Web site “” www.fmca.com/membership. Click on the Update Info link, and log in using your FMCA membership number and expiration date.
Although members’ phone numbers are for FMCA business use and not for publication, please remember to notify the FMCA Membership Department if your area code or phone number has changed. Similarly, if any other information has changed “” your address, zip/postal code, coach code, e-mail address, etc. “” please let us know.
We continue to add e-mail addresses to our membership records. These addresses will be maintained for FMCA business use only. If your e-mail address is not currently on file with us, please be sure to provide it. It is preferred that members submit their e-mail addresses online at www.fmca.com/membership. However, members without Internet access can e-mail the address in the following way:
Updateemail@fmca.com
Subj: Update e-mail
FMCA Membership Number (no spaces) (e.g., F123456)
E-mail address (e.g., user name@provider name.com)
Please check the information in the Stoppin’ Spots listing as well. This list begins on page 1051 of the January 2004 issue. If you are not included in this listing and wish to have your name added in one or more categories “” Stop Over, Come Visit, Mechanics Helper, or Pinch Hit Driver “” let the national office staff know that as well.