The 2001 Annual Rally of the RV Fellowship of Rotarians.
Another Wagonmaster success story.
Report
from Our Immediate Past President Dick Roberts and his wife Cay
While regional rallies
provide regular chances to enjoy the fun and fellowship of the RVF, it’s the
annual rally that brings together Fellowship members from all over. This year’s
annual rally was held at the Alamo Fiesta RV Resort in Boerne, Texas, from
Thursday June 21 to Thursday June 28, and timed to allow attendees to enjoy the
RI worldwide convention in San Antonio. Wagonmasters Byron and Angela Maxwell
planned a series of events showcasing Texas history and hospitality. Like all
the Rotary world, the RVF is becoming more internet oriented: rally
confirmations were mostly done via e-mail, questions were asked and answered on
line, and all RVFers can view rally highlights (pictures courtesy of Bob Scott,
the 2002 Annual Rally Wagonmaster) on the Fellowship’s web site, www.rvfellowshipofrotary.org.
The rally began Thursday
evening with Happy Hour in the Rally Hall, followed by an Old Fashioned Texas
Fish Fry and some genuine foot-stompin’ Texas western music. After a tasty
continental breakfast on Friday, RVFers had a free day to explore the region,
from the San Antonio Riverwalk to the antique stores and shops of Boerne or the
cowboy milieu in Bandera. Friday ended with another happy hour and then German
Heritage Evening, featuring German food and the oom-pa-pa of the Boerne Village
Band. Generous RVFers participated in a raffle that earned over $1100 toward the
annual Highway Safety project.
This year’s annual rally
was open to RVing Rotarians who attended the Convention regardless of whether
they were already RVF members. More than 100 rigs housed RVF members, and total
annual rally attendance was 299 people. Past President Dick Nevins brought in
"the West Coasters," 17 rigs caravanning from the West to Texas by way
of Arizona’s spectacular Karchner Caverns and other scenic stops. In addition
to USA residents, participants included RVers from Canada, Portugal, the United
Kingdom, and Scotland.
Organizing an annual rally
is a big job, and the Maxwell's were ably assisted by Al and Ann Brieger, Clyde
and Janice Glosson, and Chuck and Carol Ward, plus other Rolling Rotarians and
others attending the Rally who helped fill out the ranks of "The
Hosts." All of their efforts combined to make a smooth-running event, from
coffee for early risers to Happy Hours with hors d’oeuvres provided by the RVF
zones. RVF member George Mannschreck planned and set up the Recreational Vehicle
Fellowship booth in the Convention’s House of Friendship and made sure it was
staffed by friendly RVFers eager to recruit new members. (Membership Chair,
Jerry Haley reported at the Breakaway Breakfast that the Fellowship had gained
44 new members.) Rotary bus service to the convention venue began on Saturday,
while member and retired Lutheran minister Fritz Treptow led a Sunday morning
devotional service in the Rally Hall.
With good Rotary bus service from Boerne, rally participants could enjoy the fellowship of the RVF and a pleasant, low-key campground while fully participating in all the activities of the international convention, which closed spectacularly on Wednesday evening. Thursday morning the 28th was the RVF breakaway breakfast at the Fair Oaks Country Club. Members present were thrilled that Past President Norm Paul and his delightful wife, Joan, were able to join us. It was a thrill to see them. As usual, the outgoing president has some farewell remarks, and Dick provided "thank you's" to his Board in the form of hand carved "Li'l Hombres," carved by Past President Gordon Lipp. Incoming president Bob Hamblin began his two-year term by expressing his support for the Highway Safety Program, a welcome and encouragement for all to attend next year’s annual rally, June 6-9 in Colorado Springs. Another highlight of the breakfast was the RVF’s Annual Highway Safety presentation to the Kendall County,TX EMS: a digital capnographer, which is a life-saving device that measures a victim’s blood gases and provides valuable information to the responding EMTs and allows them to better treat the patient enroute to the Emergency Room.. The rally ended with thanks to the Wagonmasters and their committee and a reminder to departing Rotarians to "keep it between the ditches" and drive safely on the road.