Am I A Past Or A Present?
FMCA national president Jon Walker reflects on his time in office: the accomplishments and the people he and his wife, Sondra, have met as a result.
National President
Jon Walker, F268778
jwalker@fmca.com
The National Weather Service issued a high-heat warning for Elkhart, Indiana, this morning. The warning said to expect a heat index of 105 to 110 degrees and urged people to stay indoors and drink plenty of water. It is now early afternoon and I am sitting out on the porch at our lake house. The temperature is 72 degrees; a light wind is blowing from the northeast; and I am enjoying a gentle summer rain. So much for knowing what the weather is going to be.
I also am trying to write this column, which is due over a month before it will hit our members’ hands. And, I am a few days away from heading out to Syracuse, New York, to enjoy attending the Northeast Area Rally in late July. From Syracuse, Sondra and I will start the journey to FMCA’s 100th International Convention and RV Expo in Minot, North Dakota. The problem with this situation is that by the time you read this message, many of you will know whether I have been re-elected as your 23rd national president, or whether I am now an official past president. It sure is hard writing about how things will turn out for me, similar to predicting the weather! I have learned that the best practice is just to do the best job you can and let the chips fall as they may.
Win or lose, I know for certain that serving as your president has been an honor and has been the most gratifying “job” I ever had. Sondra and I have met hundreds of members during the past two years. We have been blessed to have good health in our travels, and we have been able to see how beautiful the North American continent really is. In fact, we have decided that our favorite national park is Glacier, and our favorite national monument is Devils Tower. We simply love to go to Devils Tower and sit outside our coach and watch the colors change on this majestic formation. Sondra likes to use binoculars to keep track of each climber on the Tower, and to know where they are at all times!
Win or lose, we have worked tirelessly every day since taking office, trying to increase/maintain our membership, avoid borrowing from FMCA’s investment accounts to subsidize the association’s nearly $9 million operation budget, and to get the association on solid financial ground.
FMCA national president Jon Walker addresses the FMCA crowd prior to evening entertainment at the March 2019 convention in Perry, Georgia.
In the short term, we are going to have to go to convention sites where we know we can make a profit. FMCA’s financial picture has changed. For one thing, the wonderful magazine we all love and enjoy is not breaking even in cost. We have a streamlined publication staff who works very hard. This team does a great job each month on the magazine as well as digital and other projects. Unfortunately, we cannot control the cost of paper, printing, and postage, and digital disruption in our world, along with consolidation in the RV industry, have resulted in reduced advertising revenue for FMCA’s magazine. Other publications face similar challenges today. Without the substantial revenue the magazine once produced for FMCA, our financial position is such that we must choose convention sites that we can afford and that will bring financial success for each event, even if it means making return visits to certain sites.
In the long run, if we can keep increasing our membership numbers, if we can continue to add partners who provide revenue for FMCA, and if we can continue to provide valuable benefits, our financial condition will be strong enough to enable us to be a little more “risky” on where we go for conventions.
I told you that this administration has been working very hard for you. What have we done during the past two years while I have been president? In a nutshell, we have accomplished the following:
*We have added 7,000 new memberships, which brings our family membership total up to over 80,000 member RVs, and more than 150,000 individuals
*We have added nearly 5,000 new members with nonmotorized RVs
*We have had 23 out of 24 positive membership growth months
*Our last three conventions have broken attendance records going back to 2011
*Our Events Department showed a profit in fiscal 2018, compared to losing $700,000 in fiscal 2017
*We have added both an RV driving school and an RV backing school at our conventions
We have launched the following initiatives:
*New group rates on our own FMCA Roadside Rescue® plan, now with almost 15,000 members
*Hankook tires added to our tire savings program
*Tech Connect+ with Sprint hotspot and tech discounts
*Verizon hotspot
*FMCA Health Plan
*Briter Products partnership
*FMCA University
*Completely redesigned FMCA magazine
*Completely redesigned websites: FMCA.com and FamilyRVingmag.com
*Proteng fire suppression system benefit
*New mobile app
*Member Engagement process where we are gaining a pool of talented member volunteers
This is a recap of what has happened during my first term as your president. If I am now a past president, please know that I am very proud of what this administration has accomplished. If I am still your president when you read this, I have lots still in the works to keep FMCA moving forward, including the following:
*Working on more great partners for FMCA that will bring us benefits that we cannot have without being an FMCA member
*Working to expand our FMCA University by offering online classes that can lead to certification in many areas
*Striving to make FMCA a more member-driven organization
Win or lose, I am a happy person. If I am still your president, I will work tirelessly on your behalf to keep FMCA moving forward. If I am now your past president, I will work tirelessly in support of the new administration.
And always remember, it still is all about having fun!
Internet On The Go!
FMCA offers two discount plans that provide members options for staying connected while on the go.
Executive Director
Chris Smith
csmith@fmca.com
Chris Smith
For most of us, internet data is one of the must-haves in our day-to-day life. It affects almost every aspect of our existence. We use it for work, play, and to stay connected with the important people in our lives. When you are on the road, data can become elusive. Your smartphone can handle many of your connectivity needs, but you may burn through that data quickly. What if you need to use your laptop? What if you want to stream your favorite TV show or a movie? FMCA provides some excellent solutions to meet these needs.
FMCA offers two options for on-the-go internet. One of those is FMCA Tech Connect+. When you sign up for this member benefit, you receive access to a truly unlimited Sprint hotspot. This benefit costs $49.99 per month, along with a one-time $39.99 device rental fee. Below are some of the other perks that come along with Tech Connect +:
*Video chat with family and friends using Sprint’s reliable coverage
*Upload and share your adventure without worry of exceeding your data limit
*Stay connected with work while on the road
Mobile internet devices such as this one help RVers to stay connected to work, friends and family, and entertainment options as they travel. FMCA plans offer members discounted rates.
*Free two-day shipping of the device
*No contract
*Includes travel-friendly discounts from CellBooster.us, WiFiRanger, and DishForMyRV
To take advantage of the offer, your FMCA membership dues must be paid for at least a full year. You must also pay the one-time device rental fee. There is no contract to sign, and you can use the hotspot to connect all of your Wi-Fi-friendly devices.
The second option is an offer from Verizon. Signing up for FMCA’s Connect-on-the-Go mobile internet plan gives you access to a Verizon hotspot with 25GB of data. This member benefit also costs $49.99 per month. Members must sign a two-year contract directly with Verizon, and your FMCA membership dues must be paid for at least two years.
More than 4,000 members have signed up for a plan. Both offers are better than the average person off the street can get. Your individual needs will determine which option would work best for you. In my opinion, the main thing to consider is coverage. The Sprint hotspot tends to work very well on the eastern side of the United States. The coverage can be somewhat spotty out West. Verizon has a pretty good reputation of having coverage across the United States. Check out each of the company’s coverage maps to determine which will best meet your needs: https://coverage.sprint.com/IMPACT.jsp? and https://vz.to/2tOIdQY.
While the Verizon plan offers advantages from a coverage standpoint, the Tech Connect+ plan with Sprint comes with many of its own advantages. As mentioned above, the Sprint plan does not require a contract. Also, the Sprint plan offers truly unlimited data, whereas the Verizon plan is hard-throttled at 25 GB.
For information about both plans, visit https://www.fmca.com/rv-wifi.
We have some exciting news! FMCA recently assigned its 500,000th membership. Stacey and Shari Froemming of Omaha, Nebraska, are F500000. FMCA extended their membership for five additional years in recognition of this milestone. A story about the couple will appear in next month’s issue of the magazine so you can learn more about them. Meanwhile, I wanted to congratulate them on receiving this very special membership number.
As I write this, FMCA’s 100th convention is just a few weeks away, but by the time you read this, “Minot Magic — 100 Times The Fun” will be in the FMCA history book, and we’ll be turning our attention to our 101st convention. That will take place March 26 through 29, 2020, in Tucson, Arizona. Registration for the “Sunsets and Saguaros” convention will begin on September 26. Please join us!
The theme for this convention stems from the fact that Tucson is known for its breathtaking sunsets and the saguaro cacti that dot its landscape. If you find yourself wondering, how in the world do you say “saguaro,” here’s a pronunciation guide: suh-WAH-roe. These are the largest cacti in the United States, and iconic symbols of the American West. They grow exclusively in the Sonoran Desert, specifically in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico. Here’s a fun fact: According to the National Park Service, the tallest saguaro ever recorded was 78 feet tall but fell down in 1986. Currently, a saguaro in Scottsdale, Arizona, holds the title at 53 feet tall. And to that I say, wow!
Sign up for the Tucson convention online at FMCA.com or via telephone at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622 if you want to pay via credit card. The registration form that appears elsewhere in the magazine can be used if you’d like to pay by check.
I can’t believe September is here already. Didn’t summer just begin? No matter where your travels take you this month, enjoy the journey!