January 2013 Issue #70
Hi guys,
Hope you have all enjoyed
a safe holiday season. For our members who travel to Florida, I wish you safe
and warm travels. I hope everyone is set
for a new RV season.
At the Croton Rally last
October, Mal Ford stepped up to take over for the Metropolitan Wagonmaster
position. He has been working hard to research and book new rally locations.
Please give Mal as much input and support as you can.
Carol and I have been
busy setting up our new home. We have 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths and welcome
anyone who wants to come down. We are 10 minutes from 190 Tanger outlet stores
plus many fine fish restaurants. No problem if you bring your coach because we
have ample parking in the yard. Our Delaware telephone number is 302-703-6091.
Everyone, please have
safe and healthy winter months.
Roger Whitford
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2013 Metropolitan Rally Schedule
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Month
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Campground
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Host
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Date
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Apr-
2013
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Myrtle Beach Travel Park, 10108 Kings Rd., MB, SC 29572
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TBD
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Myrtle Beach SC
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May-2013
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Mohegan Sun
$40.00 per rig.
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Roger & Carol Whitford
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5/17-5/19
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Mohegan Sun
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Croton Point Campground
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NEED VOLUNTEERS
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TBD
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Croton-on-Hudson, NY
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Jun-2013
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Interlake RV Park http://www.interlakervpark.com/
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Mo & Pat Magliocchino
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6/21 -6/23/13
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Culinary Institute of America
Luncheon
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Jul-2013
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Deer Park KOA Cuddebackville, NY http://koa.com/campgrounds/deerpark/
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NEED VOLUNTEERS
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TBD
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Port Jervis, NY
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Aug-2013
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Waubeeka at Copake, NY www.campwaubeeka.com
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Joint Campout with
Empire FMCA
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Bainbridge Invitational
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Labor Day
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Sep-2013
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Saugerties KOA http://koa.com/campgrounds/saugerties/
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Mal & Elsie Ford
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9/27-9/29/13
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Catskill - Garlic Festival last
weekend in Sept
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West Point Military Academy
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NEED VOLUNTEERS
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TBD
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Army Football and Camping on North
Dock (hopefully)
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Oct-2013
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Brook-n-Wood Elizaville, NY http://www.brooknwood.com/
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NEED VOLUNTEERS
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TBD
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Columbia County
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Nov-2013
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Flory's Campground
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TBD
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Lancaster PA
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Dec-2013
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Holiday Party
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TBD
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Holiday Party
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From our Wagonmaster Mal Ford
Hi, I’m Mal Ford the new Wagonmaster for the Metropolitan
Club. We need volunteers to help run each of the Rallies. Please email malford27@hotmail.com to host a rally
or to offer your help in any way in order to make these rallies a reality! You
can also friend us on Facebook-FMCA Metropolitan Chapter. Thank you.
Also for your consideration are the following rallies in
2013
Feb 6th to 10th The Southeast Area Rally located at Hernando
County Airport in Brooksville, Florida.
June 19th to 22nd FMCA’s 88th Family Reunion and
Motorhome Showcase CAM-PLEX in Gillette, Wyoming
Oct 10th to 13th Eastern Area Rally in York, Pa.
From our !st Vice President Jim Kelly
Hi Everyone, I hope your winter is going well.
We had a great holiday party again this year. It was great
to see so many of you enjoying each other in a setting other than our
motorhomes. The dinner at Casa Rina was
excellent, as usual, and all 44 of us were in the holiday spirit. Next year our
party will be on December 1st at the same location.
Please take a moment and check if you are up to date with
your club dues which were due last June.
We all want to extend a warm welcome to our newest member of
the Metropolitans, Mr. Martin Steenbock from Morristown, N.J. Welcome aboard, Martin.
From our National Director
Bill Colbert
The Governing Board meeting was
called to order at 9AM on 8/27/12 by President Charlie Schrenkel. Of 473
possible members of the board we had 315 (67%) in the morning and 312 (66%) in
attendance in the afternoon.
The Executive Board has approved
the appointment of Jerry Yates as Executive Director.
Will Young gave the Treasurer’s
report and the discussion of the budget for 2013 was rescheduled until the
afternoon. A marketing firm has been hired to assist in securing new members.
The economy has had an impact on our investments and we have seen a substantial
decline in membership (about 82,000 members at present) and advertizing in the
past few years. Our investments continue to see a modest improvement.
There were 3 bylaw proposals and 2
were approved. Most notable was the proposal that permits a member to serve as
an officer in 2 chapters except as National or Alternate Director (may serve as
ND in only 1 chapter but can assume another office). The other notable proposal
was the possible admission of towables as associate members of FMCA without
voting rights. This was defeated but chapters may invite towables if they wish.
Of the 14 Policy & Procedure proposal the most notable was the Member Staff
proposal that defined the monetary stipends paid to some of the advance crew.
The end result was that the whole P&P was deleted so that all will be
VOLUNTEERS and not receive any remuneration. There were other minor changes and
corrections.
Our medical evacuation coverage
with On Call will end on 10/1/12. The Evac Benefit special committee presented
proposals from taking funds from reserves, self insuring member purchase to
dropping completely. After a very effective and complete presentation the
Governing Board approved a plan for member purchase that will be less expensive
than those currently available and it will be a member benefit. The cost will
be $85 for an individual and $105 for a family per year.
The Accidental Death &
Dismemberment Insurance coverage has been cancelled.
As a special program for the 50th
Anniversary of FMCA there will be a life membership (with no benefits other
than not having to pay dues). It will be offered to those who contribute $1050
to FMCA.
Judy Czarsty was approved to
receive a Life Membership (as all retiring presidents do) and will have her
photo hung in the gallery in FMCA headquarters. Judy’s contributions to FMCA
are very long and have been very beneficial.
The budget was discussed at
length. Items were deleted and some added. It is anticipated there will be a
small surplus. A motion was made and passed providing that the Governing Board
will not receive a reimbursement of their convention registration in 2013 and
going forward indefinitely as in 2012.
The meeting was adjourned at about
4:45 PM.
Natural Disaster
Bring Out the Best and Worst in Us
Mo Magliocchino
No
denying that Sandy is rated as the worst storm in modern history. What bothers me is how we act in these situations. We have the media who seem to thrive on bad
news, dire predictions and the creation of overall panic. Unfortunately, this time the media was spot
on. The first thing that happens is people flocking to the
grocery stores and cleaning the shelves of every imaginable item, whether they need it or not. More disturbingly is the manner in which they
go about it. They cut you off
in the parking lots; they run their shopping carts up against your Achilles
tendons, they cut in the express lane with 50 items, and then back
to the parking lot for more rudeness. Mind you, these are the same people who were sitting in
church with you last Sunday. The storm hits, devastation occurs, people are hurting,
confused, in need of help. Here comes
the Politicians making all kinds of promises that even Jesus
would have a problem fulfilling. Then
comes all the helpful organizations, some of them excellent and
well organized, and then you have the government- sponsored groups who usually get their act
together 6 months down the road.
It gets worse. Other
states send convoys of trucks to help with downed trees and electrical repairs,
except most of them end up parked in some shopping center
or side streets due to lack of leadership on the part of the local utility companies. So they ventured many miles, wasted lots of
workers time and consumed thousands of gallons of fuel for naught. Fuel, which we now have to line up for, for
hours, not because there is a shortage, but because there is no
emergency delivery plan in effect.
Then come the evil doers, the scammers who prey on
the people in need of genuine help, the looters who seize the opportunity to steal whatever earthly
possessions these unfortunate people have left! We really don’t have to fear terrorism as much as we
do, we have ourselves, the most advanced nation in the world, without a game plan on how to deal
with natural disasters.
We were without power for 7 days, which is tame
compared to what many others have experienced. Thank God for the motor home, the generator, the
wood stove and the strength to keep them all going. We survived another one. Thank you Lord.
Metropolitan Chapter Application
No person may be a member of
the Metropolitan Chapter of FMCA unless he/she is a member in good standing of
FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association). Application for membership in FMCA may
be made simultaneously with application for Metropolitan Chapter.
Name:
______________________________________ FMCA #: ___________ Expiration date:______
Address: ________________________________ City:
_____________________________ State: _________ Zip:_________
Telephone number: (___)_________________Cell
phone (optional): ( ) ______________
E-Mail address: ________________________________
Coach Length: _______ Coach Make: ____________________________ Coach Model:
_______________________
Dues are $10.00 annually. Please make check
payable to Metropolitan Chapter of FMCA and mail to:
Jim Kelly, 56 Stuart Rd., Cortland Manor, NY
10567
New application? ____ Renewal? ____
Signature:
_______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
BADGE
ORDER FORM
Pilot
___________________________ Co-Pilot__________________________
FMCA#
----------------------------
Address-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
City-------------------------------------State-------------------------------
Zip
Code____________________
Badges
are finished with pin, clip and bolo tie @$10.00 each and includes 1st class
mail
shipping.
Mail
Orders to:
SPECIALTY
ENGRAVING COMPANY
134
BATEMAN LANE
LOUDIN,
TN 37774-7323
CALL
865/986-4147 FAX 865/986-7920 E-MAIL SpecialtyEngraving@juno.com
2013 Chapter Officers
President - Roger Whitford, 68 Winant
Place, Staten Island, NY 1030
Mrwiff@verizon.net Home # 718-356-2524 Cell 917-886-4756 Delaware
Home 302-703-6091
1st Vice President - Jim Kelly, 56 Stuart Road,
Cortland Manor, NY 10567
Secretary - Barbara Amabile, 13 Mandy
Lane, Mahopac, NY 10541
bamabile727@yahoo.com 914-628-4376
Treasurer - Elaine DiGilio, 107 Drisler
Ave., White Plains, NY 10607,
elainedee316@optonline.net 914-592-3859
Wagonmaster – Mal Ford, 2694 Ridge Street
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
malford27@hotmail.com 914-245-2119
National Director
Bill Colbert 2993
Lexington Ave., Lake Mohegan, NY 10547
wdcbus@juno.com 914-528-6148
Newsletter Editor –Marisa Hicks 264 East 240th Street
Bronx, N.Y. 10470
marisahicks@gmail.com 718-324-3408 Cell: 914-821-7421
Sunshine Chairman - Carolann Brown, 212 Collabar
Rd., Montgomery, NY 12549
*If
you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of the above. This is
your chapter and we encourage you to communicate your wishes.
