By Charlie Adcock, F311374
August 2017
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Well, we are finally down to my farewell column. This may be a little short. I know it will be hard to write.
These have been the most rewarding four years of my life. Gloria and I have met so many wonderful people. We have traveled across the U.S.A. and attended many area rallies and chapter rallies, as well as the international conventions, of course. I know withdrawal pains will set in by July 2017. I will be totally lost for a while, but I’m sure I will figure it out.
Gloria and I were invited to attend a Cruisin’ Cajuns chapter rally in May in honor of Memorial Day. The entire rally was focused on those who gave it all. I was asked to do a reading for the POW/MIA table. Remembrance tables such as the one the chapter set up often appear at military balls, in chow halls, and at functions hosted by military veterans groups. Many Chick-fil-A restaurants set one up on Memorial Day. The items on the table hold symbolism in terms of honoring our fallen or missing comrades. I decided to do it right. I bought a new Air Force dress uniform to wear to the ceremony. What a touching tribute we experienced. When they played “Taps,” not many eyes remained dry. A story about the rally appears in the “Family & Friends” column this month.
A funny aside: A lot of members asked how I could still fit into my uniform after all these years. I had to confess that the uniform was only three months old. You may recall that I mentioned buying the new uniform while staying near Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
I am really proud of all the accomplishments of the Executive Board, staff, and all of the committee members who have volunteered over the past four years. They have worked hard. One thing I’m proud of is the turnaround in membership. FMCA has been experiencing steady growth, and we’ve added some great member benefits in the past few years.
We have a hard-working Education Committee that has put together quite a program —from our RV Basics workshops held just prior to conventions to the online classes that are forthcoming. Our Membership/Member Services Committee continues to add new benefits, which correlate with member recruitment and retention. Our Policy & Procedure Committee and Constitution and Bylaws Committee have the toughest jobs of all. They make sure all of our governance is working for the good of FMCA. Our Youth Committee always prepares a great program for the children at our summer conventions.
We also have the Technical Advisory Committee, Risk Management Committee, Nominating Committee, Magazine Panel, Long-Range and Development Committee, Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee, FMCA Review Council, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, and our FMCA chaplains. I’ve listed all these committees and groups to say thank you to those who serve and have served, and to also show the membership what it takes to keep FMCA running.
Next, I want to thank all the many volunteers who work at the conventions. And to also mention one committee I haven’t talked about yet: the Convention Committee. They work to make the international conventions fun, entertaining, and educational for the membership.
There are not enough words for me to express my gratitude to all the staff, Executive Board members, and the multitude of volunteers who have had my back for the past four years.
By the time you read this, I will be out of office, and the convention in Indianapolis will be in our rearview mirror.
It is time for Gloria and me to start a new chapter in our lives. We are not going away, just stepping back. Finally, I want to say thank you for giving me the privilege of serving you as your president.
Remember, “It’s all about having fun!”