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Another month, another rally. Everyone has to be somewhere and we chose to be at the Basswood RV Park in Platte City, Missouri. Who was there? Well I am glad that you asked. Attending were the Cooks, Couchs, Stremmings, Severes, Mathes’, Genrichs, Drennons, Ballards, Welchs, Careys, Sidebottoms and our special guests FMCA South Central Area Vice President Fred Kennedy and his wife Lou. The reason for their attendance will be addressed later in this newsletter.
By Thursday evening everyone had arrived at the park and the fun began. There is always a lot of catching up to do and finding out what everyone else had been doing since the last rally. For the reception, our hosts, the Couchs and Stremmings, enticed everyone with ice cream and all of the toppings. Before and after everyone was still in the conversation mode. Following the reception our ever-present card game was started.
Friday morning saw us all gathered in the club house for breakfast where Dan Couch was flipping those pancakes. Meanwhile, Marilee Couch and Ken and Ruth Ann Stremming were making sure the rest of the breakfast went as planned.
Following breakfast we had our business meeting the report of which is elsewhere in this newsletter. After the business meeting several of us got together to make plans for a rendezvous prior to arriving at the Six State Rally next month. After lunch we headed to downtown Kansas City to visit the Steamboat Arabia Museum. I know, you are asking what is so special about one steamboat? This steamboat sank in the Missouri River just above Kansas City in 1855. It was dug out of a corn field in 1988 and yielded a treasure trove. In fact, the museum houses the world’s largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts. If you want to know more you will have to visit the museum, which I highly encourage. You can visit their web site at: http://www.1856.com/. Friday evening started with a meal of hamburgers and all of the fixins’. That was followed with a dessert of brownies and ice cream. Later in the evening Jerry and Shirley Vinyard joined us at the RV park.
The Saturday morning breakfast consisted of three different egg casseroles plus toast, juice and coffee. Anyone not fully nourished was not paying attention. During the morning many of our former members arrived for the 40th anniversary party. As we started the party there were 28 current members, 18 former members and three guests. Included in the current member list were new members Jon and Fran Thornton who joined the chapter Saturday morning and Gary and Brenda Nash who drove in just for the party. Two of our guests were Fred and Lou Kennedy. The first item of business was a catered taco bar luncheon which included a cheese cake dessert. After the luncheon Fred Kennedy was introduced and made a number of nice remarks about the chapter and the length of service in FMCA for the chapter. Forty years is unique since the average lifetime for an FMCA chapter is 20 years. He addressed the hard work of all of the HOA members over the years and read a 40th Anniversary certificate signed by the current FMCA President Charlie Schrenkel. Included with the certificate was a check for $250. Fred also presented a certificate from the South Central Area signed by the Vice President, Fred Kennedy. TJ Ballard, HOA president, received both certificates and thanked Fred for the recognition. After the presentations a large 40th Anniversary cake was cut. After the cake was consumed, current and former members spent the rest of the afternoon in conversation, mostly talking about the history of the chapter. Also, many were seen looking through the photo albums from past rallys. The former members in attendance were:
Frank & Phyllis Anderson
Juanita Rathjen
Dwain & Maybelle Jones
Connie Andrews
Jack & Elaine Richardson
Shirley Myer
Estle & Hazel Ware
Norma De Gonia
Mary Warren
Wilma Zisner
Bonnie Dever
Leo Andrews
Finally, a special nod to honorary members, Elvin and Jean Steva and a guest Sherri Myer.
The Saturday evening meal was a baked potato bar plus we had a chance at the food left over from all of the previous meals. In addition, a huge watermelon was cut and devoured. After the meal all of the table decorations and other prizes were distributed. By this time it was well into the evening but that ever-present card game resumed as others remained in conversation about the weekend.
Sunday morning saw us at the get-away breakfast. The pastries were quickly dispatched as last minute discussions took place and the rally equipment was packed up. Wayne Cook was seen merrily placing all of the containers into Carol’s new Saturn Vue Hybrid auto. Then, one by one, we all departed the park and headed home. Finally, a special thank you to our rally hosts, Ken and Ruth Ann Stremming and Dan and Marilee Couch. See you in Shawnee.
Six State Rally. Fred Kennedy stated that as of our rally weekend 629 coaches were registered for the Six State Rally in Shawnee, Oklahoma. If you want to go, there is still plenty of time to register. Just click on the Six State Rally link. A number of us are going to get together and enter as a group so we can park as a group. If you would like to join us, give me a call.
October rally. Now posted in the blog is the flyer for the next HOA rally. Just click on the Flyer link. Note the date as it is very early in Oct.
By Thursday evening everyone had arrived at the park and the fun began. There is always a lot of catching up to do and finding out what everyone else had been doing since the last rally. For the reception, our hosts, the Couchs and Stremmings, enticed everyone with ice cream and all of the toppings. Before and after everyone was still in the conversation mode. Following the reception our ever-present card game was started.
Friday morning saw us all gathered in the club house for breakfast where Dan Couch was flipping those pancakes. Meanwhile, Marilee Couch and Ken and Ruth Ann Stremming were making sure the rest of the breakfast went as planned.
Following breakfast we had our business meeting the report of which is elsewhere in this newsletter. After the business meeting several of us got together to make plans for a rendezvous prior to arriving at the Six State Rally next month. After lunch we headed to downtown Kansas City to visit the Steamboat Arabia Museum. I know, you are asking what is so special about one steamboat? This steamboat sank in the Missouri River just above Kansas City in 1855. It was dug out of a corn field in 1988 and yielded a treasure trove. In fact, the museum houses the world’s largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts. If you want to know more you will have to visit the museum, which I highly encourage. You can visit their web site at: http://www.1856.com/. Friday evening started with a meal of hamburgers and all of the fixins’. That was followed with a dessert of brownies and ice cream. Later in the evening Jerry and Shirley Vinyard joined us at the RV park.
The Saturday morning breakfast consisted of three different egg casseroles plus toast, juice and coffee. Anyone not fully nourished was not paying attention. During the morning many of our former members arrived for the 40th anniversary party. As we started the party there were 28 current members, 18 former members and three guests. Included in the current member list were new members Jon and Fran Thornton who joined the chapter Saturday morning and Gary and Brenda Nash who drove in just for the party. Two of our guests were Fred and Lou Kennedy. The first item of business was a catered taco bar luncheon which included a cheese cake dessert. After the luncheon Fred Kennedy was introduced and made a number of nice remarks about the chapter and the length of service in FMCA for the chapter. Forty years is unique since the average lifetime for an FMCA chapter is 20 years. He addressed the hard work of all of the HOA members over the years and read a 40th Anniversary certificate signed by the current FMCA President Charlie Schrenkel. Included with the certificate was a check for $250. Fred also presented a certificate from the South Central Area signed by the Vice President, Fred Kennedy. TJ Ballard, HOA president, received both certificates and thanked Fred for the recognition. After the presentations a large 40th Anniversary cake was cut. After the cake was consumed, current and former members spent the rest of the afternoon in conversation, mostly talking about the history of the chapter. Also, many were seen looking through the photo albums from past rallys. The former members in attendance were:
Frank & Phyllis Anderson
Juanita Rathjen
Dwain & Maybelle Jones
Connie Andrews
Jack & Elaine Richardson
Shirley Myer
Estle & Hazel Ware
Norma De Gonia
Mary Warren
Wilma Zisner
Bonnie Dever
Leo Andrews
Finally, a special nod to honorary members, Elvin and Jean Steva and a guest Sherri Myer.
The Saturday evening meal was a baked potato bar plus we had a chance at the food left over from all of the previous meals. In addition, a huge watermelon was cut and devoured. After the meal all of the table decorations and other prizes were distributed. By this time it was well into the evening but that ever-present card game resumed as others remained in conversation about the weekend.
Sunday morning saw us at the get-away breakfast. The pastries were quickly dispatched as last minute discussions took place and the rally equipment was packed up. Wayne Cook was seen merrily placing all of the containers into Carol’s new Saturn Vue Hybrid auto. Then, one by one, we all departed the park and headed home. Finally, a special thank you to our rally hosts, Ken and Ruth Ann Stremming and Dan and Marilee Couch. See you in Shawnee.
Six State Rally. Fred Kennedy stated that as of our rally weekend 629 coaches were registered for the Six State Rally in Shawnee, Oklahoma. If you want to go, there is still plenty of time to register. Just click on the Six State Rally link. A number of us are going to get together and enter as a group so we can park as a group. If you would like to join us, give me a call.
October rally. Now posted in the blog is the flyer for the next HOA rally. Just click on the Flyer link. Note the date as it is very early in Oct.
