Executive Director’s Commentary
By Don Eversmann, F240000, Executive Director
October 2009
This month, I would like to touch on two subjects. The first one is very dear to me, and I suspect many FMCA members are not aware of its availability and potential value as a member benefit. Each year, FMCA’s Stoppin’ Spots listing is published in the January issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine, providing four category lists of unique volunteers. This is one of the few times that we identify some personal information relating to FMCA members. Here you will find the names, hometowns, and phone numbers of FMCA members who have volunteered to assist fellow motorhomers.
As you are traveling, or possibly as you are planning your travels, you can contact any of these identified members for assistance and support while you are on the road. I have heard wonderful stories of individuals who have taken these members up on their offers and have found the true meaning of family. My wife, Sharon, and I personally have befriended several “Come Visit” families we enjoy seeing during our travels, and we plan our overnight stops at their homes. Let me briefly describe each of the four categories of volunteers.
The “Stop Over Spot” category in the Stoppin’ Spots listing is full of FMCA members who welcome you to park at their homes on a 24-hour emergency basis.
The “Come Visit” designation lists FMCA members who welcome a visit from other members on a friendship basis for a 24-hour period, unless they are invited by the host to stay longer. Remember, if these members didn’t want you to stop, they wouldn’t have offered this friendly gesture.
The “Mechanic’s Helper” portion lists members who are available to advise FMCAers whose motorhomes have broken down on the road as to where in that area they can obtain good, knowledgeable service.
The “Pinch Hit Driver” listing is for members who, because of an emergency situation, need someone to drive their coach for them. Keep in mind that pinch hit drivers who live in the vicinity of the current location of the coach or its destination may be of help. Also, please remember to defray any costs incurred by the pinch hit driver.
I highlight these programs during the Member Benefits seminars I present at FMCA international conventions and area rallies, and I share personal stories as well as those that I have heard from members who have used the services of their fellow members. I also hear from many of the volunteers whose names appear in the Stoppin’ Spots listings that they do not think FMCA is promoting this program enough, since members rarely have stopped at their location or called for assistance. I really encourage you to consider visiting with your fellow FMCA family members. Take them up on their offer.
FMCA members who are interested in volunteering in any of these categories should contact the Member Services Department at the FMCA national office (513-474-3622 or 800-543-3622). The deadline for signing up to be included in the 2010 directory is October 30, 2009.
The Stoppin’ Spots listing is described in the January 2009 issue of FMC on page 235; the listing itself begins on page 236 of that issue. You also can search for Stoppin’ Spots listings online at FMCA.com. Access to this information is limited to FMCA members and requires a sign-in. Click on Members and then Member Directory. At the top part of that page, you can specify the state in which you’re searching; then, click on the Stoppin’ Spots categories you’re interested in, and click “search.”
The second subject I would like to address concerns telephone costs. If you have a cellular phone with an allotted number of minutes per month “” including long-distance “” the way you use it to call the national office in Cincinnati can make a financial difference to the association.
I’ve noticed that most FMCA members have cell phones. I would assume that most members use them as they travel and, in fact, use them rather than a pay phone if they need to call the FMCA office about their mail forwarding or other business.
With my cell phone, whether I make a long-distance call or call a toll-free number, the time I spend is still recorded as a reduction against my monthly minutes. Most people have their cell phones set up this way. If you use the 800 numbers to call the national office or the mail forwarding department with your cell phone, the time will be deducted from your allotted monthly minutes, and FMCA will be billed approximately 3 cents per minute on the toll-free line. Members who use a cell phone to call the national office are charged the same, regardless of whether it’s a toll-free or toll call. In other words, using the 800 number does not save you any money, and it costs the association money.
Members can continue to use the toll-free numbers for the national office and for mail forwarding when calling from a pay phone or their home phone. But we would appreciate it if you’d program FMCA’s non-toll-free national office number and mail forwarding number into your cell phones. That way, you can avoid creating a telephone charge for FMCA. Of course, if you have unlimited long-distance on your home phone, we would ask that you use the local phone number when calling FMCA from that phone as well.
This is a small change, but it represents a substantial amount of money. Therefore, if you use a cellular phone with an allotted number of long-distance minutes per month, or have unlimited long-distance on your land line, I encourage you to use (513) 474-3622 instead of (800) 543-3622 to make those calls to the national office. Also, use (513) 388-5315 instead of (800) 448-1212 when calling our mail forwarding department. We would certainly appreciate your assistance in helping us to keep FMCA’s telephone costs down. In the end, it will benefit all FMCA members.