Welcome to the New Year with many exciting things to do and new places to go in the coming year.

Lou and I attended the New Officer Orientation, Executive Board Meeting and Committee Meetings in November at Cincinnati. The minutes of the Board meetings have been sent out to keep all posted on the work being done to improve your association. The Board has put new procedures and the 2008 approved budget in place to improve operations so we can continue to grow.

It is Time for the Membership Drive
All of us need to work hard to get new FMCA members. I would like to see the South Central Area grow at a faster rate than we have in the past. If each of us signed up one new member this year, most of the Area Chapters and FMCA problems would go away. We have to go back to having fun doing new things at each chapter rally, showing other motorhome owners what they are missing and causing them to want to be part of this fun. Let’s go to work talking to and signing up motorhome owners to increase our Chapter and FMCA membership while having fun. We cannot take NO for the answer. PLEASE SIGN UP NEW MEMBERS NOW.

Your FMCA Membership Record
The importance of chapter certification each year is to update chapter membership records. The chapter secretary does this yearly. This works to tell the national office who belongs to each chapter, but they cannot change your individual membership records. Each member needs to review their records to verify all data that they show. You can go online and make the changes on your record only. They need address, telephone, cell phones, e-mail address, coach make--the same as you did when you joined FMCA. If this changes during the year you should make the correction at that time. You are the only one who can change this information. Many updates are long overdue as the information is no longer useable to contact you. This may be why I get calls that members are not getting information they have asked for or needed.

Chapter Officers’ Information
This newsletter only goes to Officers; so if you do not pass on the information to your members, they have no way to read your mind. Please share this information with all chapter members. We put this letter on the Area Web page shown as the President’s newsletter. Check it out--FMCA.com, then Areas, South Central Area, newsletter or any other area items wanted.

RVIA 2007 Show at Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, KY
The new FMCA Officers all took their turn working the FMCA booth at this 3-day show at the end of November 2007. This trade show is a yearly affair where the recreation vehicle manufacturers show all their new products for the coming year to dealers. Lou & I were happy to be a part of this big show, but it is too big to see it all without your running shoes. The industry is working very hard to improve their coaches with new state-of-the -art features. The fuel cost is being worked on by all manufacturers to improve mileage and get weight down. It is a start to help motorhomers as manufacturers come up with new ideas and improved vehicle operation.

FMCA Campground in Cincinnati, OH
If you travel to the Cincinnati area, all should plan to stop by the FMCA Office. The staff will give you a tour and show you what they do for all of us. You are in for a treat to learn many new things about your membership and benefits. Do not take your motorhome to the main office at 8291 Clough Pike, as there is no place to park in the parking lot. Go to the Round Bottom Road office where the campground is ready with 15 full hookups. Call the office to see if there are rallies or meetings taking place that would make the sites unavailable. When you arrive, check in at the office during office hours and they will show you where to park. You can stay for 2 days free to see the area and the offices. They are waiting for you to come visit.

Changes
With the passing of the new budget, beginning in January 2008 each chapter will have a choice of free items from FMCA. In the past your president has called FMCA and asked for the chapter prize package. You will now also have two other options. In lieu of the $110 prize package, you can request a coffeepot or you can request a vinyl banner with your chapter’s name. The chapter name is the official name as indicated in FMCA records. Let me know how you like this change.

Chapter Visits
Lou & I are trying to visit as many chapters as we can in the coming year. We look forward to meeting each and every one, plus we enjoy going to chapter rallies. We would appreciate receiving your chapter newsletters and rally schedule so we can work as many as possible into our schedule to visit you. Please send them to: fkennedy@fmca.com

Chapter Anniversaries 2008
Blue Bonnet Travelers 10/11/2003 5 years
Texans on Safari 5/2/1998 10 years
Monaco Wan-Na-Go’s 10/30/1993 15 years
Ozarks Prairie Sooners 3/20/1993 15 years
South Central Wanderers 10/27/1988 20 years
Thousand Trails of Texas 12/5/1987 20 years celebrated 1/11/2008
Westex 7/25/1978 30 years
Arkansas Travelers 7/21/1973 35 years
Rollin Okies 7/21/1973 35 years

Dates to Remember for 2008
80th INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, MINNESOTA STATE FAIR-ST PAUL, MN, JULY 14-17 2008
35th SIX-STATE RALLY, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR, SEPTEMBER 24-28, 2008

Lou & I have started the year with a Six-State board meeting and workshop January 6-9, 2008. Then it’s on to a chapter visit January 11-13, 2008, 20th Anniversary party for Thousand Trails of Texas. We will be making more chapter visits before we are to be in Pomona, CA, on February 19th at the 79th International Convention. We are planning to have a big party at the 35th Six-State rally in North Little Rock. Please plan to attend this fun rally (put it on your schedule now); it will be nothing like you have ever seen before. Now is the time to plan for the New Year to use your motorhome and come to the Six-State rally. We hope to see you on your trips as we enjoy our lifestyle in the motorhome visiting with our many FMCA friends at rallies. See you down the road.

Fred Kennedy, F44281
South Central Area Vice President
8291 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244-27962