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President’s Message
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You must LOG IN to view this content. For full access to website content, plus many other valuable benefits, JOIN FMCA today.
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Have you ever been driving along in your motorhome and crossing over a railroad track, only to find that the back wheels suddenly are off the ground, and you are stuck on the tracks? April Fool’s Day joke? No, this is a true story.
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By the time you read this month’s “President’s Message,” Sondra and I will have been on the road since New Year’s Day 2018, serving our members. We left Elkhart, Indiana, in blowing snow, icy roads, and a windchill factor of 21 below zero. By the time we got to Chicago, our water lines were frozen . . . in spite of the fact that I had the generator going to power our fireplace, an electric heater in the water bay compartment, and an electric heater in the water tank bay. Plus, the Aqua-Hot heating system was going full blast, along with the dash heater. I don’t think most motorhomes are built to withstand such extreme temperatures.
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It is my great pleasure to officially welcome anyone who owns a self-contained towable RV to FMCA! As a result of the recent vote of the FMCA membership, you and others can now join us as full members of our not-for-profit, member-owned association.
Some of you might be asking, why is this happening now? Haven’t we always been a motorhome owner’s association? I’m fortunate to have been an active member for a long time, and I have witnessed the history of the discussion regarding whether to maintain the status quo and keep membership restricted to motorhomes or to extend membership to owners of other self-contained RVs.
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You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. January is traditionally a time for looking ahead to a bright new year. In planning for the future, it is really important to study the past to see where we have been.
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December, to me, is special because I am able to devote time to just sitting back and watching the magic of Christmas take over in our family. When I was younger, I rushed around going to Christmas concerts with the kids, working at church bazaars, buying the “right” presents on my children’s lists, decorating the house for Christmas — all while working 12 hours a day keeping my business operating.
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It’s difficult to be sitting here in September writing an article that will not be published until November, but such is the world of magazine deadlines. Sondra and I have been quite busy visiting chapters and meeting lots of new and interesting FMCA members.
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What a whirlwind beginning to serving as president of FMCA! Since the swearing-in ceremony in Indianapolis in mid-July, my wife, Sondra, and I have been on the road almost nonstop. We drove to Syracuse, New York, to attend the Northeast Area Rally, and then on to Amana, Iowa, to attend the Midwest Area Rally. We would like to thank all of the area officers and other members who welcomed us with open arms. We had a great time and met many new friends….
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I am pleased to offer my greetings for the first time as your new FMCA national president. You do not know how much I appreciate your confidence in me to head up this great organization. I pledge to you that I will work 24/7 on your behalf.
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Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Well, we are finally down to my farewell column. This may be a little short. I know it will be hard to write.
These have been the most rewarding four years of my life. Gloria and I have met so many wonderful people. We have traveled across the U.S.A. and attended many area rallies and chapter rallies, as well as the international conventions, of course. I know withdrawal pains will set in by July 2017. I will be totally lost for a while, but I’m sure I will figure it out.
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By Charlie Adcock, F311374
July 2017Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. With my time as FMCA national president drawing to a close, this is my second to last “President’s Message” column. My, how the time has flown by. It seems as though June 19, 2013, just happened. That’s when I was first elected to serve you as your national president. It’s been a very busy four years, but I will save all that for my farewell column next month.
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FMCA national president Charlie Adcock has invited me to share thoughts in this column several times during our time in office, and he’s asked me to do so again this month. In a short time, I will finish my four years of serving you as your national senior vice president. It has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience for me. During this journey, my wife, Sondra, and I have met thousands of FMCA members; have traveled back and forth all over North America; and have participated in many, many FMCA events. What we have found to be true is that FMCA is all about people, good people.
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Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Gloria and I enjoyed a somewhat leisurely trip en route to Chandler, Arizona, site of FMCA’s 95th International Convention, March 7 through 10. At least it was leisurely compared with our earlier travels this year, when we crisscrossed the country going from one area rally to the next. Someone recently asked whether the tires on our motorhome ever cool off. The answer to that since I took office as FMCA national president in July 2013 has been, “Not often.”
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Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. All of the associated festivities are now in our rearview mirror, and it is time to start talking about New Year’s resolutions.
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Gloria and I finished this summer in really busy fashion. We returned home to Searcy, Arkansas, in late August to find that everything had grown like wild. We spent several weeks working harder than I can remember. Right in the middle of all that, the floods in south Louisiana occurred.Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. What a great time we had at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, in early August. A total of 1,305 motorhomes were on hand for the “Celebrate Your Freedom” event, FMCA’s 94th International Convention, including the 248 motorhomes that were on display and open for touring. And celebrate we did!
I’m excited about the many initiatives we have in place currently to continue to make FMCA the very best it can be. I’m pleased with the growth we have been experiencing this year, and I want to thank all of you who have helped by spreading the word about FMCA to your motorhome friends and to new people you meet in your travels. Members are indeed the best recruitment tool FMCA has.Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. Gloria and I have been pretty busy. We just returned from attending the Great Lakes Area Rally — GLAMARAMA — in Goshen, Indiana. And it was a perfect rally.
When national president Charlie Adcock asked me to write this month’s President’s Message, I was very pleased, because July is my favorite month of the year. Living in the northern climates, one experiences four distinct seasons. July finally brings summer to us, and all of the great outdoor activities that go with it.Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. I can't believe we were just celebrating Christmas, and now, by the time you read this, half the year will have slipped by. I must have dozed off! I have a cute story I want to tell…Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Gloria and I recently spent time at Happy Trails Resort in Surprise, Arizona, catching our breath and getting plenty of rest. We accomplished both and feel much better. We were there for a wonderful four weeks, during which time the temperature averaged about 70 degrees each day.Speaking of fun times, I want to talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience that Gloria and I had while we were still out West. One evening in January Gloria said to me, “We have been invited to go with the 4-Wheelers chapter for a ride in the desert at Quartzsite, Arizona.”
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Is it just me or is 2016 already slipping away from us too fast? In my February column, I mentioned that Gloria and I were on our way to Indio, California, to attend the Western Area Rally. We have just completed that event. Western Area members should be very proud of themselves.Well, here it is mid-December, and my column for the February issue of the magazine is due. A lot has happened since my last column. However, for those of you who really seem to enjoy hearing about my adventures (and misadventures), I'm afraid this issue may disappoint you. I have actually behaved myself this month and stayed out of trouble!First, I want to thank FMCA national senior vice president Jon Walker for giving me a month off by writing the December “President’s Message.” My biggest regret is that I was not there to see him fall out of the kayak three times. I know his grandsons really enjoyed watching him get dunked!When our son was a youngster, my father bought him a small sailboat so he could “roam and explore” our lake. I thought I would do the same thing for our grandsons. So, I went down to our local kayak specialty store …
Don't you just love holidays? Those special days set aside on the calendar to remind us of the events, people, activities, or accomplishments that we are encouraged to commemorate and celebrate in various ways as a nation and as individuals. The next one coming up is on November 11, set aside as Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the United States.Well, the summer 2015 Family Reunion at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, is in our rearview mirror now. And what a wonderful summer this has been.
Since my last column, Gloria and I got to spend three weeks up in Petoskey, Michigan, on our lot at Hearthside Grove. We both needed the downtime. I walked a lot, ate a lot, and spent a lot of time sleeping. What a relaxing three weeks!
Those of you who have been reading my articles may remember that I have reported on a few of my own mistakes while pursuing this lifestyle we all enjoy. Even though some of them have given us a few laughs, I am happy to report that I am making progress to avoid repeating them when given a second chance.
I just realized that this is the 24th column I’ve written since being elected as FMCA national president. As you’ll recall, I’ve had my good times, my bad times, my lost times, and my found times. Through it all I’ve maintained my sense of humor and my love for RVing.As I was pondering what to write about this month, I recalled a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine, Jean Pryor, L12913. We were discussing her long association with FMCA, and she told me that she had written about what FMCA and family mean to her. She gave me permission to share her letter, and I do so now.It did not take me very long to decide what to write about this month. Since we observe Memorial Day here in the United States in May, it seemed appropriate to write about veterans.
Well, here it is the first week of February, and I’m trying to write this column for the April issue of FMC magazine. From the time I am writing this to when you end up reading it, Gloria and I will have been to many places.
As the saying goes, time marches on. As I write this, national senior vice president Jon Walker, Gloria, and I have just left the Western Area Rally in Indio, California. We are getting ready for the Southeast Area Rally in Sarasota, Florida, in February, and we expect we will have a great time with many of you there.Happy New Year to my FMCA Family! Can you believe that another year has slipped by? Sometimes I feel like I’m racing against a clock. I have so many things I still would like to see happen in FMCA, and it seems as though time is running out on me.I never really intended to make it a habit of sharing my misadventures in this column, but for some reason, when I was considering what to write about this month, the story of how I got lost in Michigan this summer came to mind.A funny thing happened to me the other day. But I have to go back several years to lay the groundwork for this story. Twelve years ago I was diagnosed with …
Well, this certainly has been a fast month. National senior vice president Jon Walker and I left Essex Junction, Vermont, site of the Northeast Area Rally in July, and ran down to Syracuse, New York, for a …
Well, it’s that time again — time to bring you up-to-date on our activities. As I write this, we have just departed Essex Junction, Vermont, for the Northeast Area rally (more about that later).
The title of this month’s column could be “Tightwad Charlie.” I think you will understand why when I finish my story. I am almost too embarrassed to admit to this latest bonehead move, but I will, and maybe you will get a chuckle out of it.
It is hard to believe, but this is my 12th “President’s Message.” I’m trying to figure out where all the time went. This month I thought I would recap my first year in office. I want to start out by thanking each and every one of you for giving me the privilege of serving you, the members.
Since the FMCA Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Perry, Georgia, this past March, life has slowed down a bit for Gloria and me. We were able to spend a little time at home in Arkansas, and we had our annual Rally in the Pasture …
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