By Charlie Adcock, F311374
FMCA National President
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family:
Well, here it is mid-December, and my column for the February issue of the magazine is due. A lot has happened since my last column. However, for those of you who really seem to enjoy hearing about my adventures (and misadventures), I’m afraid this issue may disappoint you. I have actually behaved myself this month and stayed out of trouble!
Gloria and I enjoyed Thanksgiving at home in Searcy, Arkansas, and then we left on the Sunday after Turkey Day and traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, for the National RV Trade Show hosted by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). RVIA is the national trade association representing RV manufacturers and their component parts suppliers that together build more than 98 percent of all RVs manufactured in the United States. This annual event showcases the very best products the RV industry has to offer.
FMCA national senior vice president Jon Walker, national secretary Gaye Young, and I agreed to help Jerry Yeatts and some of the FMCA staff man a booth and do some networking with many of our advertisers and FMCA partners. While there, we attended an industry breakfast with several guest speakers; had many meetings, including a meeting of FMCA’s Commercial Council; and were able to get a look at some of the new motorhomes coming out this year.
During one of the meetings, a report given by an RVIA official noted that in 2015, sales of RVs (motorhomes and towables) were the best they have been since 2007, and that 2016 looks even better. I think the current fuel prices are giving our lifestyle a big boost. Yesterday in Searcy, gasoline was $1.669 a gallon, and diesel was $1.909 a gallon. Those prices make me want to fill up and hit the road! We all enjoyed the RVIA show and were able to visit with a lot of longtime industry friends and also to make many new ones. I left there with my glass half full, not half empty. It was a very good show.
Gloria and I left Louisville on Thursday, December 3, for our 500-mile trip home. We had to leave really early so Gloria could make a hair appointment by 3:00 p.m. that same day. (We guys have to pay attention to what is REALLY important on our schedules!)
The very next morning, December 4, the motorhome was rolling at 5:00 a.m. and headed to Rayne, Louisiana, for the Cruisin’ Cajuns chapter’s Christmas rally. While there, I had the privilege of presenting the chapter with their 45-year anniversary certificate and installing the chapter officers for the upcoming year.
Gloria and I have been members of this chapter since 2003, so this rally was very special to me. I am telling you, this club really knows how to have fun. There were 165 coaches in attendance. What made this so special is that Mary Jane and Ferdie Hebert (pronounced “A-bear”) were among the first couples we met after joining FMCA. When Mary Jane asked me during the Family Reunion in Madison, Wisconsin, this past July whether I would install her as chapter president at the Cruisin’ Cajuns Christmas rally, I was absolutely delighted to oblige.
We arrived in Rayne at 1:00 p.m. and spent the next eight hours visiting with all our friends and catching up on all the happenings. Saturday morning found us having a pancake breakfast, followed by a board meeting and then the general membership meeting. At this meeting, I presented outgoing president Thomas Guidry with the chapter’s 45-year anniversary certificate and a check from FMCA for $300.
On Saturday evening after the officer installation ceremonies, chapter members performed a skit about the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” During the evening events of music and dancing, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived on a “sleigh” driven by me with Gloria by my side. It was pulled by Cruisin’ Cajuns “reindeer.” We managed to get Santa and Mrs. Claus safely to the party so they could do their thing.
Gloria and I returned home on Sunday and started getting ready for Christmas. By the time you are reading this, we should have finished our Christmas celebration, trekked to the West Coast to enjoy the Western Area Rally in Indio, California, and then moved on to Quartzsite, Arizona, to kick back in the desert and visit with as many FMCA members and prospective members as we can during the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation, and RV Show.
I want to remind everyone about FMCA’s next Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase event, set to take place in Perry, Georgia, March 17-20, 2016. We will have a lot of fun things to see and do, and we have some really great entertainment planned.
Details about the entertainment lineup appeared in last month’s issue of the magazine. In case you missed reading about what’s on tap, here’s a brief look. Comedian Lee Marvin Adams will start things off on Friday night, March 18. Then, on Saturday evening, we’ll enjoy a night of “Country Unplugged,” featuring three — yes, three — very talented country music stars — Mark Chesnutt, Lorrie Morgan, and Joe Diffie. On Sunday evening, Pamela G. and Jackie B., who have been described as “the sweethearts of Mountain View, Arkansas,” will sing a variety of music while playing the piano, mountain dulcimer, guitar, and spoons.
In this issue of the magazine, check out previews of Perry seminars and exhibits that appear starting on page 66.
I am excited about returning to Perry. The Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter is such a wonderful facility. Also at Perry, FMCA is providing, for the first time, a hands-on driving school prior to the official beginning of the Family Reunion. Preregistration is required. Participants must first register for the Reunion and then can register for the driving school at the same time. The course will consist of two sessions: classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel driving. It will be conducted by professional driving instructors using the student’s own motorhome. Instructors are Walter Cannon, executive director of the Recreation Vehicle Safety and Education Foundation (RVSEF), and other RVSEF driving experts. The cost is $400 per person, and the class size is limited to 50. For questions or additional information, contact the FMCA events staff at (800) 543-3622 or (513) 474-3622.
I hope to see all of you in Perry, so until then, remember, “It is all about having fun!”
Save The Date
Make plans now to join us August 3 through 6, 2016, for FMCA’s 94th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase. This fun-filled event is set to take place at Eastern States Exposition, home of the BIG E, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. So, mark this on your calendar and start making a list of all the things you’d like to do and see while you’re with us in New England this summer.