By Charlie Schrenkel, L140050
FMCA National President
August 2012
My wife, Jean, and I spent some time at the New York Centrals’ 35th anniversary rally in Camillus, New York, this past June. We were cordially invited by Paul Hallagan, chapter president, and Bart Barton, the chapter’s national director.
While there I met the first president of the New York Centrals chapter, Andrew Mancini, who shared with me some newspaper clippings that included a poem he had written back in 1977. The words remain relevant today.
Ask Yourself This . . .
What kind of chapter would my chapter be,
If all the members were just like me.
You can thoughtfully ask yourself that question,
If not, perhaps it’s a swell suggestion.
You can sit by the fireside, smoking your pipe.
Find fault with the officers, censure and gripe.
Or you can be one who is always on call.
Both ready and willing to carry the ball.
To your fellow members you soon will be known,
As true loyal worker, or else as a drone.
You can pass on new members, or you can refuse
To take any part beyond paying your dues.
You can stand on the sidelines, or jump in and play,
Attend every campout or just stay away.
You can visit his home when a member is ill,
Or leave all the calling to JOE or BILL.
Whatever your talents, some job you can do,
So say to yourself as the past you review.
What kind of chapter would my chapter be,
If all the members were just like me.
It’s an appropriate poem for our entire association, not just for a chapter. Simply substitute the word “association” for “chapter.” Especially as FMCA is about to host our 87th Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase in Indianapolis, Indiana, August 27-30, we need to remember that all of us, whether we live in the Lower 48, in Canada, or elsewhere, are members of FMCA and have a vested interest in seeing our association grow and prosper.
I do hope that you are planning to attend the Family Reunion this month. It will be a perfect opportunity to show off FMCA to prospective members, and just enjoy time with RVing friends. Bring your fellow motorhome owners, or even non-RVing friends who may be interested in the lifestyle. It’s like having a family reunion in a new area and inviting everybody to join in the festivities.
The 87th Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase in Indy will be the kickoff, so to speak, of FMCA’s 50th anniversary celebration year, culminating at the 88th Family Reunion in Gillette, Wyoming, June 19-22, 2013. We plan to celebrate a little each month until then. The 50th anniversary committee is hard at work on some exciting things so they will be ready for launch by the time of the Indianapolis convention.
As I write this, it is late June, and Jean and I are at the Midwest Area Rally in Pecatonica, Illinois. The thermometer hit 100 degrees today. But that did not discourage the 300 or so FMCA members from attending and sharing in this four-day event. We are adaptable people, we motorhoming enthusiasts. Too hot? Time for the generator and a little air. Too cold? Fire up the furnace for a time and get comfortable. These are the joys and benefits of motorhoming.
FMCA recently partnered with TPR Associates in a marketing campaign to promote our association and, most importantly, our lifestyle, to attract prospective new members. One of the first observations of the firm was that FMCA is the oldest and the largest motorhome association in the world! That’s right; you and I belong to a unique group. When I meet other motorhomers, be they members or not, I instantly feel that common bond. We are not that different from each other at all.
While Jean and I were sitting in front of the coach last evening for a short time, several members stopped by to chat — two Vietnam-era veterans, a retired postal worker, and a retired New York City firefighter. All of that was in their past. They all were talking about, what else, motorhomes. “Are you drawing enough power for your A/C?” “You have enough water for the full four days or will you need some?” “Where’s the nearest dump facility?” “What did you pay for fuel on your way out?” So, you see, FMCA member or not, we all have the same questions. The difference is that as a family, we share all of that information and more each time we meet. It is this product that we should be trying to pass on to nonmembers.
Tip of the month: It takes a long time to dig a leveling jack out of a gopher hole! So, if you are boondocking or parking in a remote spot in a field or on Bureau of Land Management property, before you drop those jacks, make sure no one lives beneath the spot where you are intending to set up camp. (Sent in by a member who wishes to remain anonymous.)
I’ll see you in Indianapolis!
Safe and healthy travels.