QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTHWEST ALPINE COACH ASSOCIATIONVolume 8 | Issue 3 | October 2016

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEby Lori Gailey (lorigailey@icloud.com)

President | Lori Gailey

Vice-President | Jay Emory

Membership/Treasurer | Debra Humphrey-Keever

Secretary | Patty McGuire

FMCA National Director | Fred Royce

Alt. FMCA National Director | Dave Dahners

Newsletter Editor | Barb Smith

Sunshine Lady | Elaine Ellis

Dear friends, What a terrific annual meeting rally we had in Sisters! It was wonderful to have so many in attendance! We always look forward to seeing everyone, and this time we were able to reunite with members we hadn’t seen for a while, and to welcome several new members. We’ve got some catching up to do and a lot of exciting plans to tell you about! A while back you received a “Save the Date” email about rally dates for 2017. In the coming months, you will be receiving those kind of news flash emails regarding some of the rallies next year, as some require you to make your own reservations. When you receive those, please act quickly, as spots will fill fast because spaces are limited at these popular locations. Please mark your calendars and come join the fun!

John and I have been on the road since mid-July. On our way to New York City, we took a northern route through Minnesota, Wisconsin, the upper peninsula and thumb of Michigan, and Ontario, Canada, and visited many places we’d never been but had heard so much about! Mackinaw Island, Michigan was a “bucket list” place and it didn’t disappoint! If you’ve never been there, we highly recommend it. It’s a step back in time as there are no cars on the island, only bikes and horse-drawn carriages. Even all the business and restaurant supplies are delivered from the dock via carriage. In late August, we attended the US Open tennis tournament in New York – another bucket list item, and a couple weeks ago, we attended John’s 45th college reunion. We are currently in North Carolina, westward

bound for another winter in Arizona. We look forward to more NoWACA gatherings there this year. If you’ll be in the Phoenix area this winter, please let me or Elaine Ellis know so we can be sure to include you on the announcement emails as those events come together.

Have you visited our NoWACA website lately? Linda Cain has done a wonderful job developing the photo roster and member travel blog pages. Both are password protected and if you’ve forgotten the login or password, please let us know so it can be securely resent to you. For those of you who missed the Sisters rally where the photos were taken, or if you prefer a different picture, please contact Linda.

I want to draw special attention here to a 2017 event. Tom & Nancy Polk, 1st VP & Rally Directors for Alpine Coach NorCal, have invited NoWACA to join a combined Alpine Coach NorCal/SoCal rally July 10 to 17, 2017. This will be a “Mystery Rally & Poker Run.” It will be the 7th time he and his wife have hosted a Mystery Rally & Poker Run. It is limited to 52 coaches and has been a sell-out every time. The only information he’s provided at this point is that it will be somewhere in the Western United States. The registration form and more “non-information” will be out in the Spring of 2017. There will be no additional charge to other Alpine chapters, we want all to come and enjoy. By coincidence, John’s uncle is a friend of Tom and Nancy’s and has participated in almost all of these Mystery Rallies. We’ve heard countless stories about how fun and well organized they are, so if these dates are open on your calendar and you are interested, PLEASE LET ME KNOW NOW as I’d like to let Tom know how many NoWACA coaches want to participate.

In closing, we are saddened to hear of Sue Kunst’s passing. Please keep the Kunst family in your thoughts and prayers.

I look forward to serving the club as president for the next couple of years. John and I are grateful for the friendships and camaraderie we have found here. See you down the road!

Lori

I want to thank my fellow NoWACA members for asking me to serve as your vice president – I consider this an honor and a privilege. I promise to do my best to faithfully perform the duties asked of me.

Linda and I have been with NoWACA since its inception. Linda had the honor of serving as the first treasurer. That was also the beginning of our motor homing days, and we are forever grateful that we joined up with such a wonderful group of people. We love the NoWACA rallies and the camaraderie they bring. We are itching to be on the road again and look forward to seeing everyone at the next rally.

Happy trails,Jay

VICE-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEby Jay Emory (jayemory46@gmail.com)

SECRETARY’S MESSAGEby Patty McGuire aka Flipper (patty_mcguire@hotmail.com)

MESSAGE FROM OUR SUNSHINE LADYby Elaine Ellis (jeellis7@msn.com)

Just a note from the Sunshine Lady – please don’t forget to send me any information as to any illnesses or accidents that you are aware of that have happened to any of our awesome member friends. Just email that information to jeellis7@msn.com and a contact for the person involved so the membership can send a card of well wishes, or maybe an email pick-me-up letter. I would very much appreciate that.

Jim & I are wishing you all safe and happy travel and adventures.

Have a wonderful fall season,Elaine

Holy Cow! Where has the summer gone? As I sit here this morning writing this article there is a definite nip in the air. Along with that come the gold and red tones in the trees and the smell of the furnace as it kicks on for the first time this season. It seems like only a month or so that we were putting the finishing touches on NoWACA’s Tenth Anniversary Rally in Bend-Sisters, Oregon.

Speaking of that rally I am still over-the-moon excited about the success of the money we raised for the favorite charities of the families of those members we have recently lost. You all generously opened your hearts and your wallets to make it more successful than I could have ever dreamt. The raffle of two quilted wall hangings made and donated by our President Lori Gailey raised $300 and both quilts were won by Leda Wynn, lucky lady. The 50/50 raffle was won by Larry Smith who donated his half back keeping that pot at $200. A rousing game of “Playing Card Bingo” and the “Tip Jar” raised another $200. The fun continued with the Silent Auction of items donated by the attendees of the rally. I must say there was some very spirited bidding going on for some of the items. Most memorably was the bidding on the Linda Emory Flamingo oil painting, on the bags of fresh cherries, yummy homemade preserves and a certain Seahawk fleece blanket that the donor made sure she won, you know who you are…Julie. After all was said and done I was able to send checks to five charities each in the amount of (drum roll please) $292.50. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all deserve a pat on the back.

The NoWACA rally schedule for 2017 is looking great. Right now there are three rallies and one KISS rally on the calendar. Terry and I will be the lead for the General Membership Rally in May at the Hee Hee Illahee RV Resort in Salem, Oregon. How wonderful it is that we had several people step forward to help us with this rally. Our co-wagon masters will be Ed and Dianne Doerne and Mary Ann and Debra Humphrey-Keever. We also received help from Salem residents Phil and Barb Sperl who are helping us with their insider knowledge of the Oregon State Capitol. A big thank you goes out to them.

So as the days get shorter and cooler Terry and I start looking forward to and planning our departure time to head south for the winter. We spend most of our time in Apache Junction outside of Phoenix. There are several NoWACA members around Phoenix during the winter months and we try to get together from time to time for dinner. If you find yourself down in the area for an extended visit e-mail either me or Elaine Ellis so we can gather the troops. I know many of you continue to travel even during the winter months so be adventurous, have fun and stay safe. And before we know it will be summer again.

Flipper

I know you thought you wouldn’t hear from me again but due to divergent travel schedules I have just been able to transfer the financial information to our newly elected treasurer, Debra Humphrey-Keever. Since she has not had a chance to review the information I thought I would provide a short treasurer’s report. Barb keeps promising wine for getting the reports in, but I have given up on actually receiving any [the glass is in the mail, Doug].

We currently have 59 members which is a little lower than prior years. Our cash balance is $5,218. Since we have no receipts or expenditures for 2017 rallies this amount is also our current net worth.

We had a great annual meeting rally in Sisters, Oregon, in June 2016. This area is always great for things to do and has a beautiful RV park. We remembered all of our great rallies in the past 10 years. We also passed out new name badges with the official logo.

Renee Perrault organized a great rally in Prosser, Washington, which is the original location of the beginning of the Washington wine industry. There were many wineries to visit along with a great wine & art festival downtown. This was followed by a fun visit to a local alpaca farm and fiber processing center.

Next year there are several scheduled rallies which should provide a lot of fun. We hope to see you at one or more of them.

Finally, if you have any questions please contact Debra. Hope to see you next year.

Doug

TREASURER’S REPORTby Doug Hallander for Debra Humphrey-Keever (debra-cpa@comcast.net)

Northwest Alpine Coach AssociationFinancial Transactions SummaryAs of August 25, 2016

Cash Balance - December 31, 2015 6,899.73$

ReceiptsMembership Dues 2016 1,000.00

2017 220.002018 20.00 1,240.00

Replacement Name Badges 10.00Receipts for Charity 1,462.50

Expenditures ( )Bank Charges (15.00)Charitable Donations (1,462.50)Membership Expense 0.00Memorial Donations 0.00Miscellaneous Expense 0.00Name Tags / Placards (1,440.16)Net Logo Wear Sales (9.40)Office Expenses 0.00Web Site Expenses (286.80)

(3,213.86)Net Rally Income / (Loss)

Bend-Sisters Receipts June 2016 1,885.00Bend-Sisters Expenses (2,465.85) (580.85)Prior Year Net Expenses (711.00)

Prosser Receipts July 2016 1,922.09Prosser Expenses (2,522.09) (600.00)Prior Year Net Expenses 0.00

Cash Balance - August 25, 2016 $5,217.52

Deferred Rally (Income) / Expenses included in Cash BalanceSalem - May 2017 0.00Clarkston - Aug 2017 0.00Casey's Westfir - Sep 2017 0.00

Net Worth - August 25, 2016 $5,217.52

Current Year Change in Net Worth ($2,393.21)

NEWS FROM FMCAby Fred Royce (fhroyce@olypen.com)

Our coach has recovered from a bad case of “itchy wheels” due to lack of use for about five months. Fortunately, it is in use again and this summer we are having fun attending rallies and visiting friends. The coach is happy and so are we. We especially enjoyed being able to attend the two NoWACA rallies.

FMCA Actions at Massachusetts ConventionThe FMCA Governing Board at the recent Massachusetts Convention voted to increase yearly dues from $40 to $50 effective October 1.

I am not surprised at the increase. Reinstituting the FMCA Medical Emergency and Travel Assist program two years ago was paid by using reserve funds. Hopefully, the action taken will eliminate the need for dipping into reserves. This and other actions will be reported in a future issue of the FMCA magazine – probably October.

FMCA AssistFMCA Assist is a benefit available to all members worldwide as long as one is more than 100 miles from home. You can travel in a motorhome, car, plane, ship, or motorcycle and still qualify. In essence it provides emergency medical evacuation or repatriation. Medical expenses are not covered. The main action to take is to contact the provider, Seven Corners, if there is a medically necessary emergency requiring transport to a facility capable of providing the needed care. Seven Corners will arrange for the transportation. There is also a vehicle return benefit which is available if an emergency occurs not only in the United States, but Canada and Mexico as well. Seven Corners can be reached by calling 877-202-4176 or 317-582-2619 (collect from Mexico).

There are other benefits which even include return of mortal remains, dependents, and pets. Details can be found in the FMCA Members Benefit Guide or by going on the FMCA website. FMCA also plans to send a member kit in early 2017 that includes information for FMCA Assist.

Fred

New friends from Spring Harvest Fiber Mill, an Alpaca ranch in Sunnyside. Photos by Linda Emory

LET’S GET READY TO RALLY!First of all a big “shout out” to all who have hosted NoWACA rallies – beginning May 2006 in Dayton, Oregon. Total rallies 27 and counting!

2017 is shaping up to be a banner year for keeping our NoWACA group thriving. After all, without rallies we wouldn’t get to know our outstanding RV friends (2 and 4 legged)!

Be sure to mark your calendars for these fantastic 2017 rallies. Hope you will join us in discovering a new part of the state(s) or marking something off your bucket list. Registration information will be coming out early in the year, watch your emails. Some RV parks have limited spaces available for rallies, so don’t delay in getting registered.

NoWACA Membership Rally – May 17 - May 21 (4 nights) Hee Hee Illahee RV Resort – Salem, OregonCo-Hosts: Terry & Patty McGuire Ed & Diane Doern Debra & Mary Ann Humphrey-Keever

NoWACA Jets thru Hell’s Canyon* – August 2 - August 6 (4 nights)

Hell’s Canyon Resort – Clarkston, WashingtonCo-Hosts: Doug & Debbie Hallander Jim & Julie Gearheard

NoWACA KISS Rally – August 6 - August 10 (4 nights)Immediately following the Clarkston rally ~ 162 miles from Clarkston to McCall

McCall RV Resort – McCall, IdahoHosts: John & Lori Gailey

Riverside Fall Festival – September 25 - September 29 (4 nights)

Casey’s Riverside Resort – Westfir, OregonCo-Hosts: Jim & Elaine Ellis Doug & Debbie Hallander

Once again, thank you to all who have ventured into the world of rallies. We’re always looking for new RV Parks, activities and people to get out of their comfort zone and host a rally.

Your rally coordinators,Debbie & Renee

* Something to cross off your bucket list – a jet boat trip on the Snake River thru Hell’s Canyon. This will be an all-day adventure. Start saving your $$ as this will most likely be around $200 per person.

In addition to our NoWACA rallies, please note these upcoming FMCA events on your travel calendar:March 7-10, 2017, National Convention, Chandler, AZJune 22-25, 2017, Northwest Area Rally, Longview, WAJuly 12-15, 2017, National Convention, Indianapolis, IN

PROSSER – Wine & Craft NightThere’s no getting around it…Prosser in July is HOT. Really, really, HOT! Fortunately, the heat didn’t stop anyone from enjoying the area for wine tasting, Saturday farmers’ market, and most importantly, the Art and Wine Walk which was the main draw for the rally.

We started the rally on Thursday night with a wine and appetizer party. Recently, we went to a funeral of a dear friend and realized during the service there were so many interesting things about him and his life that we hadn’t known. With that in mind, and also that there is so much more to all of us rather than Alpine talk, the game of “Guest Trivia” was brought out. Basically, guest trivia works best when everyone contributes little nuggets of information about themselves G = Good at; U = Unusual; E = Employment; S = Sports; and T = Travel. It was pretty entertaining

to watch everyone circulate and try and fill out their card with answers. The game lasted until Sunday night, giving everyone a chance to learn interesting facts about each other. Here’s some highlights of what we learned about various members: Climbed Mt. Fuji, lived in Scotland, kayaked with whales in Alaska, and once considered being a jockey. At the next rally, ask around and maybe you’ll find out what people did these things.

As with any NoWACA rally, food and beverages were ever present. We had Italian food, barbeque, and a catered lunch. Lots of

visiting at meals and meeting new members and guests.

With so many wineries, some even within walking distance, everyone kept busy during their free time. Prosser also has a great farmers’ market.

Saturday night was the “Art and Wine Walk” in downtown Prosser. The local wineries were very generous with their time and wine, educating us on the type of grape and the process.

Their investment paid off, many of our group went to the wineries the next day to purchase product.

A highlight of the rally was a visit to Spring Harvest Fiber Mill, an Alpaca ranch in Sunnyside. The owners gathered up all of the Alpacas and spent two hours telling us about breeding, shearing, and processing the alpaca wool. Needless to say, we all wanted to take an alpaca home! We settled for buying yarn or some of the scarves made on site.

As with any NoWACA gathering, it was hard to say goodbye to old and new friends. We ended the rally with homemade Egg McMuffins, (Thank you to our guests Bruce and Lynne Milnor for their expertise in making egg McMuffins!). While it’s always sad to say goodbye to everyone, we’re cheered by the fact the 2017 rallies are in the works.

Wine Country RV Park was very accommodating and easy to work with. Great place. Hosting a rally is a lot of fun…try it, you’ll like it

FOR SALE - 2006 Alpine APEX Motorhome40 foot / Quad slideFront doorNewer Whirlpool residential double-door refrigeratorSplendide washer/dryer comboEuropean reclinerAquahotKing bedStorage drawers operated with remoteSilverleafNewer TVsStorage cabinet under dining tableVery good conditionNon-smokersAlways garaged

For more information please call Jim Ellis 541-472-0008 (home), or 541-441-1222 (cell)

For details on how to advertise your RV-related items in the NoWACAtalk, contact Barb at nowacainfo@yahoo.com.