By Patricia G. Turpin, F185178
Times change and require at least a little flexibility to keep up. That’s one of the things that has made the Country Coach Texans RV Club — or CCT, as we call ourselves — such a great FMCA chapter. We were formed in November 2001 for Country Coach motorhome owners. We had 29 charter member couples, most of whom resided in Texas. The club’s key mission was “to have fun.” Over the years, though, we adapted as other Country Coach owners wanted to join. As a result, our membership grew to include members from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Dakota. Before you knew it, we had 117 member couples. That was exciting, though it created some challenges in finding parks large enough to accommodate our biannual rallies, which usually drew 60 to 70 coaches.
When the Country Coach manufacturer declared bankruptcy in 2008, it became difficult to maintain the bylaws requirement that members must own Country Coach motorhomes. So, we adapted. Appropriate changes were made during the years, and current membership is 36 Type A, B, or C diesel coaches made by Country Coach and other manufacturers. At our fall 2021 rally in Vidalia, Louisiana, the members unanimously voted to amend club bylaws once again in keeping with the times. If nothing else, we are flexible.
Such flexibility has allowed us to continue as a chapter for the past 20 years, and on September 21, we were honored to have Herman Mullins, national vice president, South Central Area, and his wife, Bobbie, present us with our 20th anniversary certificate from FMCA. We were also delighted to have charter members Lonny and Lavada Stevens, who are still very active in the club, at the rally.
CCT is proud of our history with FMCA, and we look forward to many more years of the camaraderie we all enjoy with our RVs. The only thing we haven’t adjusted over time is our mission. We still are here “to have fun.”