Family & Friends
By Ann Hoffmann, F251805
December 2005
The Senat’s RV Club chapter held its Fall Rally September 1 through 4, 2005, at the Wild Frontier Campground in Ocala, Florida. Hosts Howard and Carol Schiffhauer, F319887, and Keith and Shirley Nickerson, F290932, welcomed 46 members who arrived in 22 coaches. Fred and Mabel Latulip, F249796, brought their daughter, Cynthia Kuefle, with them, and she had a ball.
On Thursday after everyone had arrived and parked, we joined for happy hour followed by a potluck dinner. Howard and Carol prepared delicious barbecue. Among the other dishes offered by our great cooks were baked beans, green beans, butter beans, corn, deviled eggs, and red beans and rice, along with salad, bread, fruit salad, and dessert.
After dinner, chapter president Jack Bunting, F204922, welcomed new members to the chapter: Richard and Carol Baldwin, F364172; Richard and Connie Doback, F305719; Bud and Marilyn Penoyar, F342238; Jill Stanton, F311258; and Lloyd and Janice Walters, F356259. Following the introductions, Libbie Atwater, F170570, stood up and told a few jokes to entertain us. Libbie loves to put a smile on our faces. At 8:00 p.m. some folks called it a night and went back to their coaches, while others stayed and played games.
On Friday morning attendees were treated to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, juice, and coffee. Then at 2:00 p.m. a group of ladies got together to make candleholders out of beads, which turned out beautifully.
At 5:00 p.m. it was time for happy hour, followed by a fantastic dinner that featured baked ziti, salad, and breadsticks. After dinner, we played bingo.
Saturday started with a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, juice, and coffee. Then at 2:00 p.m., we had an auction. Auctioneer Burl Risner, F311171, did a fine job, as we raised $164.
This was followed by an ice cream social, happy hour, and then dinner. On this night the meal consisted of chicken, pork, and beef barbecue catered from Sonny’s Barbecue. Along with the barbecue were baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and bread.
After dinner we had our 50/50 drawing. New members Bud and Marilyn Penoyar were the lucky winners, pocketing $56.50. Burl and Millie Risner won one of the door prizes, a $25 gift certificate to Wal-Mart. Bill and Joan May, F223557, and Jill Stanton each won a free 2006 chapter membership.
All too soon, Sunday rolled around. The group enjoyed muffins, juice, and coffee as we said our good-byes for another rally. We all hope to meet again at the Christmas rally December 5 through 8, 2005, at Sugar Mill RV Park near Thomasville, Georgia.
Pipe Dreamers Chapter Accepting New Members
By Jim and Ginny Holifield, L387
Did you join FMCA before the end of 1977? If so, you’re invited to join other long-time members in the Pipe Dreamers chapter.
The Pipe Dreamers chapter was chartered on July 17, 1991, at FMCA’s summer international convention in South Bend, Indiana. The chapter was started by some of the earliest members of FMCA and originally was restricted to family membership numbers “” “F” numbers “” having three or fewer digits. The name of the chapter comes from the monthly editorial column “Pipe Dreams” that FMCA executive director, Ken Scott, L63, wrote for Family Motor Coaching magazine. The logo for this column depicted Ken smoking his pipe, hence the Pipe Dreamers chapter.
The original intent of the chapter was for members to get together at FMCA’s two annual international conventions to renew old friendships and to reminisce about the past. As time went on, membership in the chapter decreased and it was decided to raise the membership restriction to folks whose membership numbers had four digits.
At the chapter’s most recent meeting in Minot, North Dakota, during FMCA’s 74th International Convention this past August, the members present voted to raise the “F” number cutoff to F28284. This number was selected because it was the last family membership number issued in 1977, the year that Ken Scott retired from the executive director position. Attendees also voted to set the annual dues at $5 for all members.
All current members of FMCA who have membership numbers below F28284 are eligible to join the Pipe Dreamers by sending $5 to chapter treasurer Ed Proksa, F726. His address is P.O. Box 468, Auburn, IN 46706. Current members should contact Ed to pay the $5 annual dues.
The chapter’s next meeting will be held during FMCA’s 75th International Convention at Fairplex in Pomona, California, March 20 through 23, 2006. Come to enjoy the fellowship of our chapter. We hope to see you all then. Happy traveling.
The Great Pig-Out Rally
By Dave Ellis, F263992
On the weekend of August 26 through 28, 2005, the Constitution Cruisers chapter held its Great Pig-Out Rally, which was hosted by Dave Ellis and Murielle Madore, F263992, and Ed and Maureen Shortoff, F322044, in Scotland, Connecticut. Twenty-two coaches from the Constitution Cruisers and Massachusetts Minutemen chapters attended this fun-filled event.
The weekend started off at around noon on Friday with coaches arriving at the Highland Campground throughout the day. With the help of our parking crew, everyone was parked by 8:00 that night. At 4:00 p.m., cocktail hour started with hors d’oeuvres filling two tables for all to enjoy. As folks sat and ate, talk turned to the location of the pig roast on Saturday. The many first-time attendees were excited to see the private grounds where the event was to take place.
The pig roast was held at the camp of Murielle’s parents, Paul and Sue Noel. It is located on the Shetucket River in a place that most folks would consider quite tranquil “” rustic, but still modern. The view is outstanding and people always comment on the beauty and privacy of the grounds. Of course, getting the site to look like that has taken years of constant work by the owners, and it has paid off.
Saturday morning everyone was up early and then the grills came out for breakfast. This was unplanned, but as usual we had volunteers to make eggs and bacon with the fixings. Thanks go out to Lou Snow, F201098; Dick Thayer, F169705; Wally Neely, F202306; Charlie Archambault, F198477; and Don Phaneuf, F202618, for helping park coaches, hang signs, and cook breakfast.
Around 10:00 a.m. everyone piled into their cars for the ride to the camp. Those who didn’t bring a towed vehicle were shuttled by others who had room in theirs. As camp owner Paul Noel directed the cars into their parking spaces, folks piled out and ran to stake out their favorite spot with lawn chairs.
There were a variety of games and contests held. Kelsey Monroe, the daughter of Robert and Cindy Monroe, F317399, won the pig hunting contest, in which participants searched for hidden little “pigs” instead of eggs. Second place went to Sandy Neely, F202306, and third place to Sue O’Hara. Lou Snow and Diane Cirelli, F323557, won their respective divisions of the pig hollering contest. And Mike Tarantino, F211011, captured the “pin the snout on the pig” title; second place went to Brian Madore.
It was a picture-perfect day as folks swam and canoed in the river. Others relaxed on the hammock or in lawn chairs and held impromptu discussions about the past year and upcoming rallies.
Throughout the day everyone was interested in watching as the pig was cooked in the large roaster. Dave, one of the owners of Sir Loin, the catering company that took care of cooking the pig, answered everyone’s questions about the dinner that evening. As he cooked the 97-pound pig, people were able to sneak a peek and take pictures. It was as though a celebrity were there, with all the paparazzi present. After about six hours of roasting, dinner was ready. Out came the pig and then the fun began with Dave and his helper carving the meat to perfection.
The pork was then brought over to the table to join side dishes made by the hosts themselves. And if that wasn’t enough, there was a full table of desserts that we had to finish, because the hosts didn’t want any leftovers. And believe me, there weren’t any.
This was the fourth rally that we hosted at this location, but the first pig roast, and it turned out to be very successful. After dinner, as the sun set over the river, everyone returned to the campground with full bellies and great conversation about the wonderful day they had just experienced.
Sunday was another great day. After everyone had their coffee and doughnuts, we held our chapter meeting. After the meeting, as everyone was packing up to leave for the weekend, talk turned to what awaited us next year.
Until then, happy camping.
Why Tow If You Can Stow?
By Kathleen Hendriksen, F74765
My husband, Tom, and I joined FMCA in 1986 to meet other people with the same interests as us. In the mid-1980s we met a man named Harold O’Brien, F87250. It was a bright, sunny day when he entered our yard, introduced himself, and asked all sorts of questions about boating and camping. At this time our family had a boat and a motorhome. Our vacations were spent camping all over New Jersey and twice a year in Florida. It didn’t take long for us all “” Tom and I and Harold and his wife, Betty “” to become great friends.
The more time we spent together, it became evident that Harold and Tom had the qualities and talents that researchers and builders possess. So, as we camped and boated together, the two men spent time discussing new projects and experiments. Tom pursued his boating ideas, such as converting inboards to outboards and transoms; Harold’s projects included converting work pickup trucks, golf carts, and automobiles. Watching Harold pursue and actually produce these ideas made us see him in a different light. This is when we decided to give Harold the nickname “Herbie,” taken from a Disney movie, and it just seemed to fit him perfectly.
Of all of Harold’s projects, my favorite is the red 7-foot-3-inch 1972 Honda 600 coupe that stows under the 1968 GMC 4903 “Buffalo” bus he converted. When Harold bought the Honda two years ago, it already was shortened from its original 10-foot-3-inch size. He exchanged the stock doors with wood ones, moved the seat back 7 inches for more legroom, and licensed it in New Jersey. The car is named “Lil’ Herbie.”
Harold did quite a bit of work on a golf cart as well. He chopped the seat down, added headlights, moved the batteries in back of the seat, made the cart 3 inches shorter, and installed a removable steering wheel that can be taken off when the cart is loaded into the side bay of the bus. This cart could do “wheelies”!
About seven years ago, Harold converted a Cushman work truck. It was a two-cylinder cart that he shortened by 2 feet. This cart could really move. I remember that it really drew attention at an FMCA rally in Augusta, New Jersey.
So what’s next? Since Lil’ Herbie is a little too small for Harold’s legs to fit in comfortably, he has another Honda that he’s getting ready to convert that will be a bit longer. However, he’s still working on the specs, since the storage bay in the bus is only so big and can accommodate only so much car.
As for Tom, he is working on a modified air-cushioned airboat.
In between all of this modifying and converting, we go camping. There is never a dull moment in either household.
Come visit us sometime and see some of the neat things these guys have created. Our FMCA chapter, Knot For Busses Only, is located in New Jersey. We would like to share our experiences with you.
Keep up the great work, guys. We are proud.