President’s Message
By Charlie Shrenkel, L140050
November 2009
Greetings, FMCA friends. I would like to focus this month’s column on two important items.
The first relates to the 65 percent of our Family Motor Coach Association members who do not belong to chapters. Chapter membership has its own rewards and benefits, just like your membership in the association.
When I bought my first motorhome, I looked for sources, publications, associations, or clubs that would give me more information about the RV lifestyle. In my dealer’s magazine rack, I came across an issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine. My wife, Jean, and I joined FMCA and started to receive this very informative publication. A while after we joined, we were approached by FMCA members Sue and Ralph Marino, F111272, who asked us whether we would be interested in joining a new chapter, as they were involved in starting one. Not being familiar with chapters in FMCA, I will admit that we were skeptical at first. This skepticism vanished at the first meeting, which was attended by 78 other members. I left that initial meeting as the new vice president of the Constitution Cruisers chapter of FMCA, a Connecticut chapter, and also as the alternate national director, and I had suggested the name of the chapter to boot!
The rest, as they say, is history. The point here is that I learned more about my motorhome by attending chapter rallies with members who had been RVing a lot longer than I had at the time. Also, I learned about full-timing, cooking, where to go and where not to go, where to stop overnight while on the road, the best restaurants in certain areas of the state and country. I learned about motorhoming! I met and have kept up friendships with those members of the Constitution Cruisers over the many years that have passed since. I became a volunteer at many rallies and at international conventions. In essence, by joining a chapter, my wife and I opened up a whole new world for the use and enjoyment of our motorhome.
I’m sure many of you have had the opportunity to join a chapter and some have visited with chapters and have decided not to join, as the particular chapter that you visited with did not seem to be the right fit for you. Let me assure you that out of the 500 Family Motor Coach Association chapters in the United States and Canada, you will find one that interests you. And, by the way, you can join as many chapters as you like in as many parts of the United States and Canada as you so choose. Enjoyment and use of your motorhome will be the reward.
And even if you choose not to join a chapter, at least share your motorhoming experiences with like-minded friends who may be looking into buying a motorhome, and communicate with them the benefits afforded by membership in your Family Motor Coach Association.
The second item this month is actually twofold. One is Veterans Day, November 11, 2009. There was a time on this continent that Americans and Canadians alike stood shoulder to shoulder and gave the supreme sacrifice so we could enjoy the freedoms that we do today. Let us remember these brave men and women on this day.
Also during this month, let us give thanks for the freedom and the right of expression that we enjoy. Thanks for the health of our families and children, and thanks for being able to assemble with our loved ones on Thanksgiving Day and partake of all of the turkey and trimmings, keeping in mind the gross weight of our front axle.
Until next month, safe and healthy travels.