Since 1965, this friendly group has been offering good times to RV travelers.
By Doug Erman, F267966, Chapter Treasurer
November 2019
Friendship, good company, and good times are just a few of the things that the Midwest Coachmen chapter offers. With approximately 60 current member families and 54 years under our belts, we think we must be doing something right.
We are one of FMCA’s original three chapters, chartered along with two others on the same day in April 1965. We have a proud history that includes Charles Owens, our chapter’s first president, who served on FMCA’s first board of directors and became FMCA’s third national president in 1967.
Most of our members are from Ohio, but some are from adjacent states. We welcome owners of motorhomes and towables.
Usually we have one rally per month from April through October, and rallies run from Thursday through Sunday. Most are in Ohio, but on occasion we go to a neighboring state. In 2018 we went to the Great Lakes Area Rally (GLAMARAMA) in Allegan, Michigan, and visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky.
Some highlights from 2019 included a return to GLAMARAMA, plus rallies at Brown County, Indiana; the Duck Tape Festival in Avon, Ohio; Amish country in Walnut Creek, Ohio; Shipshewana, Indiana; and the Grape Jamboree in Geneva, Ohio. As you can tell, we like festivals, and we make sure members have things to see and do at our rallies.
Besides the rallies, we also plan Valentine’s Day and Christmas dinners. Because we have members who are in Florida over Valentine’s Day, we hold two separate dinners. This year, the northern group met in Wooster, Ohio; the Florida friends met in Bartow, Florida.
You might consider coming to visit us at one of our rallies and get to know us better. Our rally schedule for 2020 should be posted on our website later this year.
Our dues are $15 per year; new members pay a $20 enrollment fee to cover the cost of name badges and a membership directory, which we will provide when your join.
Visit www.midwestcoachmen.org to learn more about our chapter and to print a membership application. We’re also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/midwestcoachmen/. Or, contact Doug Erman, dougerman@embarqmail.com; (419) 233-4713.
For general information about FMCA chapters, contact the Chapter Services Department at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622; chapters@fmca.com.
If you would like your chapter to be featured in Chapter Spotlight, contact FRV associate editor Peggy Jordan, (800) 543-3622, ext. 212; pjordan@fmca.com.