FMCA.com
By Todd Moning
Web Editor
March 2002
FMCA.com is not in the campground business, but it does operate an online motorhome “resort.” It’s called For Members Only.
Plenty of activities are offered in this special area of FMCA.com. The groundwork has been laid so that FMCA members can perform basic membership management tasks and gain access to various association documents and forms.
Free hookups — or links, as they’re called on the Internet — are the norm at this resort. Members can connect to categories such as Membership, Mail Forwarding, Chapters, President’s Newsletters, Constitution & Bylaws Committee Newsletters, and a Directory Of Sanitary Disposals.
Logging in
Gaining access to the For Members Only area is easier than plugging in to shore power, even though it is a protected area. To get to the For Members Only login screen, click on the “For Members Only” link in the navy-blue navigation area that is located on the left side of every FMCA.com page. The Member Login screen calls for two pieces of information: your FMCA membership number and your membership expiration date. Here are a few login guidelines:
- Each FMCA membership category — Full/Family, Life, Associate, and Commercial — is distinguished by the letters F, L, A, and C, respectively. This letter prefix is part of your membership number and must be included when logging in to For Members Only. Letters in your membership number may be typed in as uppercase or lowercase.
- The expiration date must contain the month and the year (using only the last two digits of the year). Acceptable formats for an expiration date of March 2002 are: 3/02, 3-02, 03/02, and 0302. Note that when you enter the expiration date, each digit is seen as an asterisk coded in the entry box.
- Life members — those with an L prefix on their membership number — should contact Membership Services (800-543-3622; e-mail: membership@FMCA.com) to obtain their expiration code.
An example of a proper login format is provided on the login screen in parentheses next to the entry boxes. If you attempt to spell out the month, or if you enter an invalid membership number and/or expiration date, an error will result. Simply click the Back button on your browser and try again.
If your login information does not match FMCA’s records, you will be asked to retype your membership information. All inquiries regarding membership status and expiration date should be directed to Membership Services.
Amenities
For Members Only can be a great convenience and time-saver. In fact, once you begin using it, you may liken it to having a slideout on your coach: an extension that’s hard to live without.
After logging in, you can:
- Renew your membership or update your membership records by following simple prompts.
- Check on your Traveler’s Message Service account status by keying in your membership number and a password. Your password is your membership expiration date (month and last two digits of year) at the time when you signed up for the Message Service. If you would like to change your password or have difficulty logging in, contact Membership Services.
- Download and print selected member benefit forms, such as Postal Form 1583, which is required when signing up for FMCA’s Mail Forwarding service.
- Print out a copy of the Association Calendar mail-in form and use it to submit information about your chapter’s next rally. The calendar appears on the Web site as well as in Family Motor Coaching magazine.
- Read updates about important association news. For instance, newsletters from the Constitution & Bylaws Committee in this section discuss the proposed changes to FMCA’s Constitution and Bylaws. FMCA’s Strategic Plan is also available.
For Members Only offers ways to enhance your FMCA membership. If you’re thinking about becoming more involved, download the Member and Volunteer Handbook. Familiarize yourself with chapter governance and meeting procedures by downloading the Chapter Standing Rules Format and the Chapter Bylaws Format.
What is PDF?
Many of the links in For Members Only are followed by a notation, such as “(118K),” or “(PDF).” The 118K denotes the file size — in this case, 118 kilobytes. PDF stands for Portable Document Format. PDF displays documents exactly as they were created. Viewing PDF files requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at www.adobe.com. When you click on a PDF link, your Web browser automatically opens the document if you have the Adobe Acrobat program installed on your computer.
Growth
Like the most successful full-service resorts, For Members Only regularly updates its resources and conveniences. You’ll want to spend more time at this expanding resort as time goes by.
Send your Web-related comments to webmaster@fmca.com.