Join these FMCA members as they explore sites in Oklahoma and Texas.
By Delores Holloway, F278472
These Red River Rovers members were the hosts for a rally last November in Kerrville, Texas.
An adventure awaits Red River Rovers chapter members every time we arrive at a rally. As you can tell by our chapter’s name, our focus is on the area of the Red River; specifically, the part that forms the border between southern Oklahoma and northeast Texas. Rallies are held in both states.
We have 60 friendly, active members who enjoy each other’s company. We originally met at an organizational get-together led by Darrell Gilliland, past national vice president, South Central Area. The chapter was formed at our second meeting. It’s been 18 years now and we are still going strong, with many charter members still attending.
Some of our adventures have included a rally in Hugo, Oklahoma. Hugo is “Circus City” and home of Showmen’s Rest, a cemetery for circus workers with amazing show-related headstones. The Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, made for an exciting rally destination also. We could drive one of the racecars on the track! During a 2019 rally in Shawnee, Oklahoma, we toured the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary, a sanctuary for these noble birds.
Our rallies are held Thursday through Sunday, but most members arrive on Wednesday to get the fun started. We have seven rallies a year, on the second weekend of the month.
We split up sometimes when it comes to activities. At Wichita Falls, Texas, in March 2019, a ladies’ day trip to the arts district included reservations for lunch and shopping. The men weren’t left out; they toured P’s Crazy Car Museum for a trip down memory lane.
At the campground, the men hold their Saturday tech sessions, exploring topics such as power supplies and inverters, water systems, and how to winterize an RV. The women have Saturday afternoon craft time, during which we have made jewelry and seasonal decorations, done some painting, and so forth. We have some talented quilters in our group, and over the years more than 100 quilts have been donated to needy people at South Central Area “Six State” Rally locations.
We’ve also had rallies with Hawaiian, 1950s, and Western themes. On a more somber note, at one rally we set up a missing man table and learned about its significance in honoring fallen, missing, or imprisoned military service members.
We hand out a special award to fellow members who have goofed. Hey, we all sometimes forget that the RV antenna is up, or the entry steps are open, or we just back into objects! Laughter in the club room shows how much we enjoy being together. On Sunday morning after breakfast, we have a devotional before heading to our next adventures.
You are welcome to join us at any of our upcoming rallies in 2020. They are listed on our website, www.redriverrovers.com, on FMCA.com’s Chapter Rallies pages, and in the magazine’s FMCA Events column. For more information about the Red River Rovers, contact chapter president June Guess at (580) 369-3918; jj.guess@yahoo.com.
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.