- HISTORY -
SIX STATE RALLY ASSOCIATION
'In The Beginning'
The South Central Area held its first rally in 1974. The Cruisin Cajuns took the
initiative, planned and hosted the first rally which was billed as the "Four
State Rally". The only chapters of FMCA in these four states were: Arkansas -
"Arkansas Travelers". Oklahoma - "Rollin Okies", Louisiana - "Cruisin' Cajuns"
and Texas - "Lone Star".
The following year the event was referred to as the "Five Chapter - Six State
Rally. The Rollin Okies Chapter served as host. The area chapter that joined the
four mentioned above was a Kansas & Missouri chapter, "Jayhawks". In 1976 the
Jayhawks became the Heart of America Coachmen. The Jayhawks were the 14th chapter
in FMCA.
The rally fee for that first rally was $15.00. The rally was held in conjunction
with the State Fair of Louisiana and the rally fee included parking, entrance to
the fair, coffee, donuts and hors d'oevres. Grandstand entertainment was free.
The rodeo and Auto races were optional activities for a small admission charge.
The rally fee today is considerably more. Parking is included but much more is
spent on entertainment and food. Rental of the fairground facility is much greater.
Larger crowds require more services, all costing money. Examples of added services
are trams for moving people, radios for communications, golf carts for worker
transportation to cover much larger rally grounds and electrical power for all
motorhomes.
During these thirty three years the number of chapters in these six states has
grown from five to forty five. The growth of chapters has led to other ways of
obtaining host chapters and distributing the opportunity to be part of the area
rally production. The concept of the area association was created with the primary
purpose of planning and staging the annual area rally. FMCA's Bylaws also directs
that the area associations facilitate communications with the membership.
Governing Board members of the South Central Area chapters voted to form an
association at an area meeting in 1996 while in Billings, Montana. The association
bylaws were approved at an annual rally in Sedalia, Missouri in October of 1997.
The 1998 area Rally, the 25th Anniversary Rally, was the first rally hosted by
the Six-State Rally Association, Inc. in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
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