FMCA Insights
By June Davis, F158928
Chairman
May 2005
I hope many of you have taken advantage of one of the greatest benefits offered to FMCA members “” educational seminars designed specifically for motorhome owners.
Along with Aon Recreation Insurance, C95 (formerly RV Alliance America), FMCA cosponsors the Fire & Life Safety seminar, which is presented by veteran firefighter Mac McCoy, C7648. Aon and FMCA also cosponsor the RV Safe Driving Course, a great way to sharpen your driving skills. The RV Weight & Tire Safety seminar, presented by the RV Safety Education Foundation, C5999, also is available; FMCA provides a subsidy to the program’s coach weighing option, so that members pay a nominal fee to have their coaches weighed. And Personal Safety First, C9296, presents seminars about how to prevent yourself from becoming a crime victim. These four seminars are available at FMCA’s international conventions and at most FMCA area rallies.
If you are a chapter national director, you’ll want to take advantage of our national director training program, which assists and informs national directors, alternate national directors, and chapter temporary delegates. The four-part program will be offered just prior to FMCA’s 74th International Convention in Minot, North Dakota, this August. Phases 1 and 2 of the training program will be presented in the morning on Saturday, August 13, at the convention site, and phases 3 and 4 will be presented that afternoon. Nova Cullen, F179623, will again be conducting these informative sessions, so mark your calendar now and plan to attend.
On the recommendation of the Long-Range & Development Committee, chaired by Tony Vincent, F161584, we implemented a program for chapter presidents and vice presidents at the Perry, Georgia, convention this past March. The event was hosted by Pat Dickey-Olson, F31142, a member of the Education Committee; Jeff Jefcoat, L118344, immediate past national president and a member of the Long-Range & Development Committee; and Judy Allen, F193946, chairman of the Risk Management Committee.
Also available at most FMCA conventions is the President’s Forum, conducted by FMCA president R.G. Wilson, F21025; and the chapter secretary and chapter treasurer educational programs, under the direction of Ginger Painter, F23514, national secretary, and Jim Kern, F63208, national treasurer, respectively. In addition, an orientation for first-time convention attendees; a seminar explaining FMCA’s member benefits; and a session focusing on FMCA national headquarters support for chapters and area organizations are conducted by FMCA executive director Don Eversmann, F240000.
Max Durbin, F76454, chairman of the Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee, referred several issues to our committee. One of the committee’s recent members, Bob Gummersall, F127494, wrote an article that appeared in Family Motor Coaching (October 2004, page 120) titled “Surviving Spouses Need a Plan.”
The Membership/Member Services Committee, under the direction of Nelson K. Stubbs, F107765, referred to us issues dealing with CPR, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and computer training. Barbara and Gary Resnick, F146323, selflessly provided the computer courses for the Executive Board and developed an outline others can use in teaching a computer-related seminar (www.fmca.com/membership/features/2003/0603.asp). The Red Cross supplied CPR and AED training. The May 2004 issue of FMC contained a health awareness article discussing prostate cancer (“Learning About Prostate Cancer”), which was written by Arthur A. Stamler, M.D., F8100, and contained a note from Jeff Jefcoat, a survivor of this disease.
The Risk Management Committee recommended that we develop a current parking hand signal guide so members and parkers would have the same understanding when parking coaches at conventions and rallies. Look for this guide in your confirmation packets at the Minot convention this August. Also, as requested by the committee, information about the general principles governing directors’ and officers’ liability was provided to the Executive Board.
Charles Powell, F191230, a member of the Education Committee, is working with an FMCA staff member to provide FMCA members with information to assist them in dealing with customer-service-related issues associated with their coaches.
On behalf of the Education Committee “” Jay Blumenthal, F230605; Pat Dickey-Olson; and Charles Powell “” I say thank you for attending the seminars intended to make your travels safer and to keep you better informed. Please continue to critique our current programs and recommend any issues you wish us to cover in the future. It is our pleasure to serve you.