SEACA Newsletter – September 2019

Let me begin by sending a big thank you to Jan and Doug Thompson. They have decided to hang up their RV keys to enjoy being grandparents and totally retired. They have both given so much to the ACA and SEACA and will be missed. On behalf of your SEACA family, let me wish you many healthy and happy years in total retirement.

Fall is nearly here. Our Fall rally is set for October 17-21, 2019, at the Creekside RV Resort in Punta Gorda FL. The rally includes four nights on a waterside site. Creekside RV Resort is a brand-new resort (www.creeksidervresort.com) located a quarter mile east of I-75 at Exit 161 in the charming, waterside town of Punta Gorda. Register and take advantage of the three extra days remarkable rate of $50 a night. Rally hosts Mark & Jackie Belcher, Jack & Joanie Brier and Tom and Cathy Palmer are already at work to provide us a great rally. Registration is available at www.southeast.net.

The annual Christmas Rally, December 5-9, 2019, will be at Sun N Fun RV Resort in Sarasota, FL. This is a very popular event. Extra days are available at the rally rate of $50 per night. Rally hosts Bret and Sandy Sloan, Bob and Sue Moore and Martin Mancuso are putting together a fun filled rally. Registration is available at www.southeastaca.net.

SEACA hosts the 9th Annual Eastern Regional Rally to be held at Lazydays in Seffner, FL, January 11 -14,2020. This rally will be held just before the Florida RV Supershow. Rally includes three nights at Lazydays RV Campground, catered meals and entertainment. This rally is already 2/3 full! Register soon! Registration forms and agenda are available at www.myamericancoach.com and www.southeast.net.

Southeast will again attend the Florida RV Supershow, January 14-19, 2020. Registration for the Supershow Rally will become available October 1 and will quickly sell out. SEACA has attended this event for the past three years and it has gotten bigger and better each year. Make your plans to attend.
Registration must be made through the Florida Recreational Vehicle Trade Association (FRVTA). Updates are available through the FRVTA website hhtp://www.frvta.org/show/florida-rvsupershow/ or call 813-741-0488. Please note: the registration for the Supershow Rally indicates a four-day event, we go in as a group one day early (Tuesday, January 14) at no additional charge. Be sure to tell them you are with SEACA.

The Magic of Disney will be part of our rally schedule again. Mark your calendars, February 3 – 6, 2020 for our return to Fort Wilderness. (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/campsites-at-fort-widerness-resort/). Don and Virginia Eitner and Tim and Pat Male have graciously volunteered to host our adventure that starts with a social hour on February 3. Our sites are blocked from February 1 till the 10th. This is an ala carte gathering as meals and park admissions are not included, we will have our social hours in the morning and in the afternoon. Expect the cost to be about $120 a night for your site. Reservations may be made by calling Hilda Neal (302-598-8892). Be sure to tell her you are with Southeast Chapter of ACA. If you do not want to visit the theme parks, there is still plenty to do.

By popular demand, we are returning to historic St. Augustine. We are booked at Compass RV Resort, the closest campground to St. Augustine. Dates for this rally are April 16-20, 2020. This rally sold out in April 2018. Our hosts John and Jill Schafer and Pat and Dick Lokar are already working to provide a great rally. Registration is now available online at www.southeastaca.net. We only have 30 sites. Register early.

The upcoming issue of the ACA Magazine (September/October issue) includes proposed amendments to the ACA by laws. Some of these amendments have had no discussion prior to printing in the magazine. A few of the others have been discussed and debated, one without reaching any unanimous consensus. That particular amendment deals with the merger of the three western chapters, Southern California, NorCal/NorWest and Southwest. There is precedence for merging of chapters…several years ago Northern California and Northwest merged into the NorCal/NorWest Chapter. This proposed merger is significantly different in that it allows the newly created chapter “the Great Western Chapter” to retain three votes on the ACA Board. No other chapter has more than one vote.

Proponents of the “three votes/one chapter” provision argue that retaining its individual votes even after a merger, was necessary to keep the numbers on the ACA Board at its existing level so that a President would not be short of workers to carry out tasks of the organization and that it maintains geographic balance on the Board. If this merger passes, on the current board, both the ACA President and Vice President would represent the “Great Western Chapter” along with the three other votes this Chapter would have, giving the Great Western Chapter much more influence on the Board.

Analysis of the published July 2019 membership rosters of the three chapters reveals that these chapters have a combined total of 179 records, but only represent 120 coaches due to 59 members with multiple memberships. In July, the national roster held 903 membership records. If the Amendment passes, the newly formed chapter would represent 13% of the ACA member coaches and control 38% of the Chapter vote on the Board of Directors. If we include the current elected national board officers, this merged single chapter will control 42% of the total board vote. This certainly sways the balance of influence on the Board.

The merger amendment was debated at the National rally in Texas. Its was adopted by a 7 to 5 vote. The 5 dissenting votes were: then Vice President, Happy Wanderers, Mac Pack, Great Lakes and Southeast. (The Northeast chapter president was absent and prevented from sending an alternate to vote). Passing by a majority of votes but clearly not unanimous.

Please read these amendments carefully and be sure to vote. If you agree that no one chapter should have three votes and that there should be geographic balance on the board then vote “no” on the merger amendment.

Welcome to our newest members, Donald and Anne Bennett from Seabrook, North Carolina.

Hope to see you at many of the upcoming rallies. Be sure to sign up early to guarantee a space.

Dorothy Strunk
President