We need a chapter representative for Gillette 2025

 Hello Dogwood.  I am looking for a club member going to the FRVA International Rally in Gillette, WY, this summer July 16-19. Jean and I have family coming in from out-of-town that week and our alternate, Rob Hill, has already booked a caravan tour with friends.  So, we will need a chapter representative for the business meeting and Officer Voting process. 

If you are going (and would be willing to be our rep at the meeting), please let me know ASAP so I can direct the representative notification to FRVA and the information packet to you.

 

Thanks,

Ed

 

Ed Herbert, National Director

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

National Director Update – Mar/Apr 2025

Reminder – Hopefully you all saw the letter we published from the Eastern Area regarding the Nominations for the FRVA Review Council.  The deadline for submitting nominations is APRIL 30, 2025.  Nominations should be submitted to me as your National Director.

 

Here is a link to the letter we posted:

 

2025 EAMA request for Review Council Nominations

 

Ed Herbert, National Director

FRVA Dogwood Chapter

National Director Update – From Redmond, OR - Aug 2024

 

Governing Board Meeting Highlights

Redmond, Oregon

August 14, 2024

By Eric Britz (representing Dogwood)

 

·      2025 Budget was approved after some debate and revisions.  

o   FMCA has been in a financial downturn for years. 

o   The proposed budget was to eliminate the magazine.  It has been losing money and is projected to lose $600,000 in 2025

o   FMCAssist was not funded in the proposed budget as the cost was too great.  Chubb had more than doubled the cost for the renewed contract from $0.67 per F# to $1.91.  A new Insurance provider, ARCH, will provide a similar product for $1.10/F#

o   Flood damaged the basement of the FMCA Headquarters that insurance did not cover

o   FMCA’s largest source of revenue is membership.  There has been a drop in membership.

o   The proposed budget would eliminate both International Conventions, they have been losing large sums of money with Redmond expected to lose $400,000

o   6 FMCA staff were let go April and 4 have since resigned.

·      In order to pass the 2025 Budget, the Governing Board voted to:

o   Increase dues to $100/year.  The vote was 89 to 75 to raise the dues to $100/year.

o   Keep FMCAssist- to be given a new name reflecting what it is/does with new provider.

o   Keep the magazine for the time being every other month.

o   Keep the 2 International rallies for 2025 Perry, GA in March and Gillette, WY in July.

·      Constitution and BYLAWS 

o   Proposal to simplify the title of Area Vice President to Area President.  PASSED

o   Proposal to simplify the title of National SR. VP to Vice President.  PASSED

o   Proposal to change the date for receiving proposed Bylaws amendments from January 1 to March 1.  PASSED 

o   Proposal to include the requirements for electing the Area Sr, VP, That position to be filled by a person that is qualified to fill a vacancy of the Area President.  PASSED

·      Policies and Procedures

o   Proposal to allow dues to be paid for 5 years out.  DID NOT PASS

o   Proposal to Dissolve an Area that is unable to get a candidate for Area President.  This was rejected and sent back to committee

·       Approval of a DBA (Doing Business As) “The Family RV Association”.

Click here for a copy of the PDF.

National Director Update – May/Jun 2024

Hello Dogwood Family,

We recently sent out a ballot form to elect Eric Britz as the temporary National Director to represent Dogwood at the FMCA Governing Board meeting at Redmond, OR in August, and the results are in.

Sixty ballots were sent out and 30 were returned, all in favor of Eric. We have met our requirements and President Ed Herbert has provided Eric's name to FMCA to satisfy that requirement.

We will also ask Ed Fisher to provide Eric with any necessary information and or Dogwood issues or concerns which need to be addressed at the meeting.

If any members have items or issues that you would like discussed at the FMCA Governing Board meeting at Redmond, OR in August, please provide your inputs to either Ed Fisher or Ed Herbert no later than July 5th.

Thank you for your inputs. 

Regards,

 

Jim Buelow, Alt National Director
FMCA Dogwood Chapter

 
Ed Fisher, National Director
FMCA Dogwood Chapter 

National Director Update – Sep/Oct 2023

National Director’s Report - Gillette WY,  August 23-26, 2023

 

The new National Officers elected to serve for the next two years are:

·           President:  Gary Milner  F409834

·           SR Vice President:  Paul G Mitchell  F165576

·           Secretary:  Pamela A Richard  F455687

·           Treasurer:  Barbara Smith  F329936

The Convention Committee reported that the 108th International convention will be held Tucson AZ, March 20-23, 2024, and that the 109th is recommended to be held in Redmond Oregon the Summer of 2025.

There were only 800 Family Coaches in attendance at the Gillette convention. That was 100 less than last year’s summer convention. By comparison, the writer has attended conventions with over 5000 Family Coaches in attendance. During those years, FMCA membership exceeded 100,000, and this year it is right at 70,000. Without the recent change to allow towable RVs, that membership would now be about 63000.

 

At this point, it is appropriate to review the Long-Range Planning Committee’s report. It is too lengthy to go into detail, but the key points are:

 

Changing demographics require FMCA to change their policies and thinking. The average age of our existing membership is 71 years. They are by and large a more affluent group. They have leisure time and money to travel longer distances. The future target group should be ages 55 to 65. Their interests are different from our existing membership. They use their RV’s in support of hobbies rather than long distance to events such as our rallies and conventions. There is much room to grow FMCA as FMCA membership comprises only .69% [point-69%] of existing RV owners, the vast majority of which are towables. To survive and grow, FMCA must attract this demographic. 

 

There were 7 bylaws discussed. The first 6 were housekeeping in nature. The 7th added a new class of membership, called Pathfinder. These are people interested and shopping for an RV. Such a membership could last a maximum of 5 years. Dues and benefits will be the same as the Associate membership, except their magazine will be digital only. Their sequenced membership numbers will begin with a P instead of F.

 

The Government Affairs report was too long to review here, but anyone who desires a copy can contact the writer at aandedfisher@gmail.com and a copy will be forwarded to you via email. The DEF sensor problem was discussed briefly in that report.

 

The Treasurer’s report was not too rosy. Income was down from the following:

·           Membership dues, magazine income, Tech Connect+.

·           Conventions had loses due to reduced attendance. 

The issue of Tech Connect that raised its ugly head last year is not fully resolved, so that is an unknown in this year’s budget. The issue was that Tech Connect was so successful, and it was carried in the nonprofit side of the ledger, that FMCA was in danger of losing their nonprofit status with the IRS. This issue must be resolved, and the association is studying the least expensive way to resolve it. The end result must be that Tech Connect must be transferred to the profit side of the ledger. Anyone wishing a copy of the final financial report can email me for a copy. 

 

Hope we have better news next year, and that the Long-Range Planning Committee can guide to the growth we had in past years.

 

 

Ed Fisher, National Director

FMCA Dogwood Chapter