GEAR 2025 - Dogwood "Host" - Oct Update

 

Hello Dogwood,  We have an update on GEAR for you.

 

Ed Herbert is our new Dogwood "Host" for the Rally.  Unfortunately, Tim and Sheila will not be able to attend as planned.  Thanks for getting the ball rolling!

 

Jim & Susan Buelow, Paul Cummings, and Ed & Jean Herbert will arrive at Myrtle Beach on Monday, 11/3.  They are in sites 2070, 2068, and 2069 respectively.  They plan to leave home on 11/2 and caravan down together with 1 overnight at a location still TBD.

 

If you are interested in joining their caravan, please contact Jim for more information. 

 

Also, wanted you to know Oceans Lakes has hundreds of golf carts for rent on a first come first serve basis. Rental cost for 5 days is $131.76, and 6 days is $155.52.

 

Thanks! ❤️❤️  

 

 

Hope to see you there!

Ed Herbert, President

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

 

Dogwood Christmas Rally 2025

Greetings Dogwood!!

 

Dogwood Christmas Rally 2025

12/04 through 12/07

 

Rockahock Campground

Lanexa VA 

 

Happy Fall!!  Hope everyone is  enjoying the cooler beauty of fall!  Time has gone by so quickly and we don't want you to forget to RSVP for the Christmas Rally.  

 

It will be held at Rockahock Campground and officially begin on Friday night, Dec 5 for dinner.  That said, most Dogwooders come Thursday night ...

Click Here For Previous Posts and Rally Details

Please RSVP by Thanksgiving and reserve your campsite soon.  Campsites are being held under DOGWOOD.  Campground contact phone number is 804-966-8362.  NOTE:  Half of the reserved sites are being released today (Oct 1st) and the remainder will be released on Oct 31st.  

You can text me to RSVP.

 

Patty  

540-424-8134

Your hosts, 

The Kuikens, Hills, Hunters, and Warrens

Care Person Sept Update – Tom Spiezio

Tom & Carolyn Spiezio

Hello Dogwood.  I texted with Carolyn, and she asked me to share this update with you. 

 

Tom’s 1st round of chemo & radiation didn't not have the results they had hoped for, but still enjoying life as much as they can.   He finished his latest round of treatments last Friday.  For the next 6 months he’ll get 5 days of oral chemo every 28 days. 

 

They see his oncologist next week, but no new MRI until Nov.

 

They are taking it 1 day at a time.  

 

His celebration of life party on Sept 20th was huge success with over 150 family & friends in attendance!  

 

Carolyn said,  “Still need God’s miracle, so please keep praying for my sweet husband.”

 

 

Carolyn, please rest assured you, Tom and your whole family are in our hearts, our minds, and our prayers!   ❤️‍ 🙏 We are your Dogwood Family.

 

 

Sincerely, 

Nanette Meyer, Care Person
FRVA Dogwood Chapter

 

  

FRVA Governing Board Mailing - Sep 5, 2025

View this email online FMCA is now Family RV Association — same great RV community, bold new direction!  The September 5, 2025 Governing Board Mailing is Available Online To view the documents listed below, click on the link to download the PDF. 2025.09.05 President's Newsletter 2025.07.12 Executive Board 2025.07.16 Governing Board 2025.07.19 AMM Gillette, WY 2025.07.19 Executive Board 2025.07.19 Board of Directors Save the Date Perry 2026 Chapter Fair GA26 - Registration Form GO TO THE GOVERNANCE WEBSITE Paul G. Mitchell National President

View this email online 

Dogwood Lobster Fest Rally in Maine - Summary

 Lobster Fest Rally 2025

To all who attended the rally, thanks for a great time! This rally was hosted by Richard & Elli Bonewitz and Berkley & Karen Alexander. We had 8 campers.  

 

The rally kicked off Thursday night with social hour and a dinner of lobster at the campground. 

 

 On Sunday the 31st a full breakfast was provided with bacon, eggs cooked to order, biscuits & gravy and oh yea, some healthy fruit. A free day to visit the countryside and shops. Then onto the evening meal of lobster.  

 

We ate at several of the local restaurants for clam chowder and other local food and visited the local baker for apple fritters.

The campground facilities and sites were good, level and easy to navigate.  

Lobster Fest Rally in Maine - 2025

 

On behalf of your Hosts, we want to sincerely thank all of you for attending this rally, and special thanks to all those who assisted us during the rally with setup, cleanup and other necessities.

Your Rally Hosts,

Richard & Elli Bonewitz and Berkley & Karen Alexander

 

Click here to see the Rally Photo Album 

Dogwood Rally at Old Mill Stream Campground - Summary

Dogwood Chapter

September Lancaster Rally

Old Mill Stream Campground

 

Hello Dogwood friends. To all who attended the rally, thanks for a great time! This rally was hosted by Terry & Dell Tenney and Patty and Henry Kuiken. We had 21 campers and some local members joined us for a total of 27 people for dinner on Saturday night.

The rally started kicked off Thursday night with social hour. 

On Friday we started with a continental breakfast. Nineteen members attended the 3:00 show of NOAH at the Sight & Sound Theatre. It was a really good outing and enjoyable. Afterwards many of us traveled to Shady Maple Smorgasbord for an evening meal. PS.. we all got the senior discount. 😀

 On Saturday a full breakfast was provided with bacon, eggs cooked to order, biscuits & gravy and oh yea, some healthy fruit. A free afternoon to visit the Amish country side or shops. (I heard Sketchers 👟 had a busy day with lots of customers). Then onto the evening meal and games afterwards.

Sunday came and time for the rally to close but not before the continental breakfast.

The campground facilities and sites were good, level and easy to navigate. The rally room was large and easily accommodated us.   

On behalf of your Hosts, we want to sincerely thank all of you for attending this rally, and special thanks to all those who assisted us during the rally with setup, cleanup and other necessities.

Dell Tenney

 

Click here to see the Rally Photo Album 

Happy Birthday to our US Air Force

 

Celebrating the U.S. Air Force's 78th birthday!

The United States Air Force (USAF) was officially established on September 18, 1947, when the National Security Act took effect. This pivotal moment separated the air arm from the U.S. Army, creating an independent service dedicated to air and space power. The USAF's roots, however, trace back to the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1907. Throughout its rich history, the Air Force has played a critical role in major conflicts and global operations, pioneering technological advancements in aviation and aerospace.

Happy Birthday, U.S. Air Force!   Fly, Fight, Win!

Care Person Update - Donna Gruel

Donna Gruel passed away on August 31, 2025.

Donna & Carl Gruel

Hello Everyone,  

 

Sadly, we share the news of Donna's passing.

 

I received the following sad news from Sue Sohles:

 

Former Dogwood member Donna Gruel passed away peacefully on August 31, after a long illness. 

 

Donna and Carl were Dogwood members for many years.  You could count on Donna to get a Dogwood gathering going.  She was the Dogwood's Christmas Party MC for several years. From year to year, you never knew what outfit, hat, or crazy glasses Donna would wear to start out the Christmas Party festivities.

 

Thank you Sue for passing on this sad news.

 

Our condolences to Carl and the Gruel family.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for strength and comfort.

 

Here is the link to his obituary:  Click Here 

Or copy & paste the URL into your browser.

https://www.northbrevardfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Donnette-F-Gruel?obId=45103691

Sincerely,

Nanette Meyer, Care Person
FRVA Dogwood Chapter  

  

Dogwood Rally at Old Mill Stream Campground

Lancaster Rally - Final Update

 

The rally is close and ready to enjoy. Rally fee is $20 per person collected on site..

 

Thursday evening - 5:30pm social. Bring snacks to share along with your favorite beverage.

 

Friday Breakfast provided by hosts.  Showtime is at 3pm so we need to leave at 2pm. Suggested we get there 45 minutes early. We are planning dinner out at a Buffet after the show if interested. We will get a head count on Thursday.

 

Saturday Breakfast provided by hosts. Dinner provided by hosts.

 

Sunday Continental Breakfast provided by hosts as we depart.

 

Please bring your plates, utensils and something to drink to all meals.

 

If you arrive early on Wednesday, you are welcome to join us for dinner out. Please let Pattie Kuiken or Terry Tenney know if you want to join.

Click Here For Previous Posts and Rally Details

 

Dogwood Luncheon in Mechanicsville, VA - Summary

Good evening Dogwood! If you weren’t there, you missed a great luncheon at the VFW Lodge in Mechanicsville this past weekend. We had 25 folks participate and it was really good seeing everyone, including some that we had missed for nearly a year. The setting was very pleasant and the lunch fare was lasagna, drinks (non-alcoholic), salad, bread, and dessert. The setup staff included one of our past Dogwood presidents – Mr. Buck Buchanan and his wife, Linda, along with the managers Cassie and Stephanie. We also had a surprise guest - one of Dogwood’s previous club members – Ms. Carol Warthan and her friend, Gene. It was good seeing Carol again.

 

Folks started arriving just after noon and we stayed together until around 2:30. Sue Sohles spoke briefly to the group about organizing a trip up to Galax in late July 2026 for the Virginia Bar-Be-Que festival “Smoke on the Mountain” – That will no doubt go on our planning schedule at the Christmas Rally in December. 

 

In summary, it was an easy get-together for the club and a great luncheon. I think we need to do this every summer…..

 

 

Ed

2025 Luncheon at the VFW (Greenwoods not pictured)

President’s Message – Jul/Aug 2025

Hello Dogwood – happy summer to all and I hope you are staying cool and enjoying the summer. The heat is on but the traveling is always cool! 

Jean and I just got back from Red Bay, AL – we have a Tiffin; where else could we go? Yes we have a working set of Atwood Levelegs on the RV now. After a year of futzing with them, we did the drive (3 days down, 3 days back) and 45 minutes of repair in the camp yard. Amazing, to say the least. Along the way, I managed to hand out three Dogwood Fliers to fellow campers; none were familiar with FRVA, so I gave them the Dogwood pitch and a flier and told them to log onto FRVA as soon as they had good internet.  At one point we were driving along the Tammy Wynette Highway, so I  just had to sing “Stand by your Man” at the top of my lungs – Jean swears I’m crazy. Now I just have to get a couple more things fixed and we will be ready for Lancaster. 

I also just saw the good news about Tom Spiezio – please keep those good prayers rolling for him. I also read the writeup on the Rally at Breaks Interstate Park – looks like they had a great time! Thanks to Lynn and Wayne for putting that together. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer – stay safe.

That’s it for now – safe travels and we’ll see you down the road.

 

Ed Herbert, President

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

 

  

Treasurer’s Report – Jul/Aug 2025

Treasury balance is $4276.75 as of 8/20/2025.

 

 

 

 

Sonia Kuppert, Treasurer

FRVA, Dogwood Chapter

  

VP Membership Update – Jul/Aug 2025

Hello Dogwood Family,

We hope that all is well with you and your families.
 
In this article I will be discussing Family RV Association (FRVA) membership. As all of you know, you can't be a member of a chapter unless you join FRVA.
 
As many of you know, FRVA is having some major issues at this time to include a loss of membership, low turnout at national rallies, financial issues, dues increase, and other issues. At the August National Rally in WY there were less than 400 RV's. Compare that to over 7000, yes 7000, years ago when FRVA was in its prime.
 
The annual dues about doubled over the past year and no doubt, some members are considering or have dropped their membership in FRVA. If you are one of those considering dropping out, think about and consider my comments before doing so.
 

As an RV owner, you have made a considerable investment, so $100.00 a year is not going to break the bank. In addition, FRVA provides some great benefits. A few of those include: membership, magazine, discounted RV insurance, RV education, discounted campgrounds, national rallies, and one of the most important, a Medical and Travel assistance plan. This plan itself will cost you over $100.00 a year alone.  FRVA includes it in your membership dues. And most importantly, if you are not a member of FRVA, you can no longer belong to our great Dogwood Chapter and hang out with a group of wonderful friends. Think about it.

 

Our current membership stands at 53. We have made a few adjustments since our last newsletter, but for the most part, our numbers remain steady. And remember, never miss an opportunity to make a new friend and sign up a new member.

 

  

Regards and Safe travels,

 

Jim Buelow, VP Membership

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

 

VP Rallies Update – Jul/Aug 2025

2025 Breaks Interstate Park Rally

Rallies scheduled for the rest of this year:

 

August 23rd:  Dogwood Luncheon, The VFW in Mechanicsville VA;  Hosts: Herbert and Buelow

August 29-Sept 4:  Lobster Rally in Booth Bay ME; Hosts: Alexander and Bonewitz

September 11-14:  Old Mill Stream Campground in Lancaster PA;  Hosts: Tenney and Kuiken

         We have 30 seats reserved for “Noah” at Sight & Sound Theater on 9/12.  Request for tickets will be included on rally registration form.  Ticket payment will need to be paid to rally host with rally registration.

October:  Open

November 4-8:  FMCA Great Eastern Area Rally (“GEAR”); Myrtle Beach SC

December 4-7:  Dogwood Christmas Rally in Lanexa VA at Rochahock Campground;  Hosts: Kuiken, Warren, Hill

 

  

Please see all the Rallies and updated information planned for this year.

Happy Camping, 

Dell Tenney, Rally Master

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

   

VP Communications Update – Jul/Aug 2025

Hello All.  It’s been an exciting couple of months!  After being on the road for 7 weeks, Nanette & I made a quick trip to Kentucky to look at a new-to-us coach.  We went in the truck and stayed in a hotel… we are definitely not used to humping our luggage around anymore 😬.  Well, unfortunately, the coach shopping was a bust, but we made the most of our 2 days there.  Two, yes 2, trips to the Buffalo Trace Distillery and of course, a stop at Rebecca Ruth Chocolates.  If you’re not familiar with Rebecca Ruth – it is family owned & operated and has been handcrafting gourmet chocolates since 1919.  AND they are the Inventors of the Bourbon Ball.  If you go, the tour was very interesting.  Then among their other fine assortments, ask for the Boo-Boo bags!  They are all good, no matter which ones you pick!

 

On to Dogwood business.  

 

I last distributed our Membership Directory a couple months ago, so the latest version is June 19^th.  I’ve made a few updates and getting ready to send out a new version.  Please let me know if you have any updates or corrections for me to make.

 

I started making changes to the Blog and some of our documents to reflect the change from FMCA to FRVA.  It is slow going, as expected.  If you see something you think should be updated, please share with me so we can take a look at it.

 

We’ve been busy posting articles to the Blog and sending out emails to give you all the latest chapter news.  I have a couple more articles in the works for after the newsletter and we have a couple rallies coming up on the calendar, so I’m looking forward to posting the rally summaries for those!  Stay on top of all the latest information - Visit often and stay up to date here on the Blog Site!

 

As always, please share your travels and adventures – I’d love to share your stories with the chapter!  

 

Looking forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming rallies.  

Dave Meyer, VP Communications

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

  

Care Person Update – Jul/Aug 2025

Hello Dogwood Friends...

 

I am happy to say that I only have updates on a couple of our members that everyone knows about. 

 

           💟  First up is the below update from Carolyn Spiezio on 8/7/2025:

"Update on Tom. Thank you everyone for Prayers. He started 5th week of treatment today & feels good. Chemo pill & radiation every weekday, only chemo weekend. Lost a tiny bit of hair on left from, but not real noticeable. Told doc yesterday that he is going to beat this. We all pray that is true. Don't forget big party for Tom, Sept 20, Indian River Senior Center behind Wawa & Walgreens in Millsboro, De. 11-2, more details to come. Please kept praying, looks like they are working . Thank u"
 
Keep up the prayers that he will beat this awful disease.
 
 💟  Next up is Mary Lou Dudziak:

I texted her to ask how she’s doing with her recovery and she wrote:
"It's been a slow recovery, but I'm finally feeling better. My doctor said recovery from this surgery is 6 - 12 months, and I'm right on track. My back and leg pain is much better than before surgery, but I still have bending and twisting restrictions for a while, so I just have to be patient, I guess. 😉 Tell everyone I said hello, and I hope to be back to traveling soon!”
 
Good news from Mary Lou, and I know everyone is with me when I say I can’t wait to have her join us for rallies again!
 
 💟  Last up is Susan Buelow:

She is coming along nicely with her physical therapy, according to Jim. Taking it slowly and methodically so she doesn’t strain anything. Looking forward to seeing them soon and they will be at the rally in Lancaster, PA next month.

Well, I just found out that a few other folks have been under the weather. 

 

 💟  Karen Alexander had another stroke the end of July. She is recovering well but needs PT to regain her strength. Sent her a get-well card.

 

 💟  Connie Tilman has been having health issues over the summer, possibly due to medication. Sent her a get-well card.

 

 💟  Larry Sherrow has just returned home from a hospital stay for gallbladder issues. He will be having a cardiac catheterization after he gets better from the gallbladder thing. Sent him a get-well card.

 

 💟  And, Millie Lavalley had some surgeries and will be starting therapy soon. Sent her a get-well card.

 

Thank you to all who reached out to keep me informed of these events. Please continue to let me know whenever you hear of our members being ill, having surgery, losing a loved one (even a pet) or just not doing well for whatever reason at ndmeyer3@icloud.com or text me at 757-813-0828.

  

Sincerely,

Nanette Meyer, Care Person
FRVA Dogwood Chapter