President’s Message March 2009

Hello Cruisers,

I hope that you enjoyed the cold New England winter or the cold Florida winter. This only helps us to appreciate the warm summer more. Now that that weather is just about behind us and the camping season is about to begin, Halleluiah! Let’s get those coaches out of mothballs and get ready to get on the road again.

We recently manned a booth at the Camping and RV Show at the Big E in W. Springfield, MA, to promote FMCA and chapter membership. We talked to many nice people who seemed very interested in joining us. Time will tell if this was a successful venture. I’m sending a big thank you to Bill Gavigan for helping Dick and me set up on Friday and for getting the wonderful display banner made. Leo Ouellette from Worcester made a presentation CD of rally photos which we ran on the computer and this generated a lot of interest. Thanks, Leo! I also want to thank Dick Thayer, Brenda Morassini, Patty & Frank Guthman, Tom Rosa, Gail & Bill Gordon, Joan Dwight & Frank Cebula for all the time they spent working at the show for the Constitution Cruisers and Minutemen. Bill & Jean Gavigan, John & Cathy Wrona and Mark & Janice Girouard worked on Saturday promoting Mountain Laurel Travelers and New England Race Chasers. If we do this again, more help would be greatly appreciated. Paul DuBois, 1^st VP of NMA contributed a certificate for a free reservation for the summer convention at Essex Junction to be used in a drawing for those who join any of our four chapters as a result of the show, and NMA contributed $200 toward the cost of the booth. FMCA sent magazines and handouts as well. Our thanks go to NMA and FMCA for your generous support.

Our schedule of rallies for the coming season is filling in and hopefully we will have all the dates set by this newsletter.  If you have an idea or a location for a rally, please contact me. You don’t have to host, but we need new things to do and new places to go. We are hoping to do several weekends with all four sister chapters participating. If you belong to an organization that owns property they would let us use for a weekend, this would be wonderful.  We are trying to keep costs down, but camping fees are rising very fast and therefore, rally fees must go up as well. Also, we really need your commitments sooner to attend rallies. Campgrounds are requiring more lead time to turn back sites not needed. Therefore, we are reserving fewer sites initially. You may not be parked with our group if you don’t reserve early!

If you plan to attend our rally at Charlie Brown, get your check in the mail ASAP. We only have 12 sites together. There are two other clubs sharing the safari area with us this year.

The Northeast Motorhome Association (NMA) has a new web site.  www.nmafmca.com. Check it out!

Please keep your prayers and cards going to Wally and Sandy Neely. He is now at a rehab hospital and is improving slowly but steadily. Wally has been a great supporter of FMCA and the Mass Minutemen for many years and we know he will be back with us before too long. We love you, Wally!

Safe travels until we meet again, Sharleen

President's Message September 2008

We really enjoyed the NMA rally in Essex Junction and helping the Mass Minutemen with their assigned tasks. We hope that many more of you will join us there August 12-15, 2009. Next year, I would like for us to volunteer as a chapter. We will also need to decorate and staff a Chapter Fair table for the specific purpose of recruiting new members. Please email me any good pictures you may have taken at any rallies so I can display them at our table. If you’d like to help me with this, or if you should have access to a Connecticut flag with a carrying pole and holder we can borrow for the opening ceremony, please contact me.

Four bright and shiny coaches and eight happy campers arrived at Partridge Hollow Campground on Thursday afternoon for the Twin Lobster Feast. We welcomed new members Henry and Joanne Pazzuoli. Leo Ouillette brought his wonderful dining tent and the erection committee set it up right away. During dinner hour the Monson Monsoon descended upon us with a vengeance, but we were happy and dry and socialized after eating. Finally, when a river ran through the tent, we all ran home between downpours and went to bed. Thanks so much, Leo. No campfire tonight.

Five more coaches arrived on Friday and we all enjoyed liquid libations and snacks followed by a pizza party and “make your own” sundaes. And, of course, the second Monson Monsoon came to dinner as well. The river in the tent was deeper tonight. Our bodies were dry and our feet were soggy but everyone stayed until the pizza and ice cream were consumed. We had to suffer another evening without a wonderful Walter campfire. Tragedy times two! But Leo, you are our “Hero”.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and beautiful. Everyone loved our bag omelets and bagels and talking in the tent most of the day. By late afternoon the sky had grown ominous, but we were blessed with a wonderful evening after all. The Lobsters and chicken and all the fixings were terrific. The band played on next to our camping area and Walt Brzoska “The Fire King” kept us warm and cozy with his arson artistry. Kudos to Walter.  Sunday morning Dick and Linden served us sausages and pancakes with wild blueberries from Maine. How can we keep eating this way and not waddle?  After stowing all of our gear and many hugs and kisses, we all headed out on the road again until next weekend in Bethel, CT. Thanks a bunch for everyone’s help, you make my job so much easier.

The rally in Bethel, CT. was attended by fifteen couples.  This was our biggest group of the camping season.

Our hosts, Frank & Natalie Serfilippi, Chuck & Beth Hancock and Jack & Mary Morrisroe provided everything to make us happy for the entire weekend. The food was excellent as was the company of so many old and new friends. The field was good and the pavilion provided shelter for the cooks.  Frank’s culinary expertise is astounding! We even had an air conditioned dining room for Saturday night’s Italian feast. Many thanks go to our hosts.  It was a wonderful weekend with perfect weather as well.

We’re hoping to see many of you at the Croton-on-Hudson fall roundup October 10. This gathering was truly spectacular last year, with wonderful meals, entertainment and fall foliage. There is so much to see and do here.  A visit to West Point or Hyde Park would be a memorable experience!

We will be looking into having club shirts and maybe hats made if there is enough interest. We will probably have t-shirts or possibly polo shirts screen printed, because embroidery is so costly. The set up charge is outrageous. Email me if you would be interested in buying shirts or hats. We may have to order in bulk to get a decent price. It would look nice to all wear club colors in Essex and at meetings.

The election of officers and our final chapter meeting for 2008 will be held at the End of Season rally at Brialee. If you want to run for any office, contact Walt Brzoska at  JulieBRZ1@aol.com. We need a new wagon master. Someone please show your club spirit and volunteer!

Until we meet again, Sharleen

Presidents Message October 2007