British Columbia Unit #121 CHARTERED JUNE 26, the news. Greetings Fellow Airstreamers

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1 British Columbia Unit #121 CHARTERED JUNE 26, BC UNIT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1-2 President s Column 2 Community Corner 3 New/Affiliate Members, Roster Changes & Misc. 4 Installation Rally Info. 5 Traveland, Committee Chairs & Misc. 6 Activity Schedule 7 One Big OOPS..!! 8 Seafarers Rally 9 Airstream Wanted, and Mobile Repairmen For Sale Misc. 12 Coincidental Rally, etc. UNIT OFFICERS President Paul Wheeler, paul.jan.wheeler@gmail.com 1st VP Joyce Christenson, joyce355@icloud.com 2nd VP Position open 3rd VP Amir John Showrai, ajs79lincoln@netscape.net Recording & Corresponding Secretary Arlene Matches, matches7403@gmail.com Treasurer Jay Tuason, innotu@yahoo.com Past President Tom Akam, lighthouse13381@shaw.ca Directors - One Year (Term ) John Millard, fmillard@telus.net Shelby Brennan, shel.brennan@gmail.com Directors - Two Year (Term ) Dick Moffat, rsmoffat@shaw.ca Michel Bourassa rmbourassa@gmail.com the news Greetings Fellow Airstreamers AUGUST 2017 ~ PAUL S PERAMBULATIONS ~ Editor: Arlene Matches Home Phone: Cell Phone: matches7403@gmail.com Well, finally, we re back. After 2 months (Janet) and 5 weeks (me) of travelling in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC, we came home to roost in our little 5 th Wheel home base yesterday. It was wonderful travelling, visiting with and meeting lots of people, seeing amazing scenery, and just plain enjoying each other s company. But man oh-man is it good to be home. The last weekend of our trip included visiting with kids and grandkids in Kamloops and Merritt. That raised the possibility of another exciting development in our journey. Turns out one of our daughters is longing to become an Airstream owner/traveller too. She s convinced what she really needs is a 19 Airstream. She thinks the sport model is right up her alley. If anyone knows of a good used one of those, let us know. Now I know I said how happy I am to be home. However, just in case you re thinking we ll now be laying around taking it easy (HAH!!) Janet has already made sure the agenda is jam-packed with at least one, and usually two, commitments every day until August 2 nd. On that day we hook up to the Airstream and head for Merritt to join two daughters at the Merritt Rockin Riverfest. After a long weekend of that we have a few days to spend waxing and otherwise going over the trailer and then it s off to Vancouver Island for the start of the Culinary Road Trip Caravan. Then it s an Airstream caravan, rallies, Installation, friends, good food and so on until almost the middle of September. I m sure I ll be happy to go back to work. So, now I m on the subject of Airstream things to do, I want to point out a specific upcoming event I hope you ll commit to attending. Our annual Installation Rally is September in Merritt, BC (of course you can go early and leave later). It s at the lovely Claybanks RV Park. If you haven t been you ll love it there. All the info you need about this Rally is on page 4 of this newsletter. Be sure to book your own space at Claybanks and then let Alex & Arlene Matches know you re coming. But here s the thing. The Installation Rally is like the annual renewal of our club. The new Executive, who ve committed to do their best on your behalf, will be sworn in and they really deserve and need your support. All the recruiting is already done so you won t get roped into anything unless you want to. So, please plan to be with us for this important weekend. There are lots of notes in this newsletter about upcoming events and activities. I want to point out that Joyce Christenson (Wensley), our soon to be President, has been actively scouting the Lund area for the best places (cont d on page 2...)

2 THE COMMUNITY CORNER by Arlene We learned that new member (Jihong Larson, whose profile appears on page 3) was recently offered a place to park while in the Okanagan Valley. Thank you to Al & Terry Gamache for making a new member feel so welcome. Another new-to-bc-unit couple (Diane Tripels & Evan Sharp) offered to tow Jihong Larson s trailer to a new location while her car was in for service. She had to relocate because of a glitch in the reservation system at a Vancouver Island RV park. Again, Airstreamers at their best... We are so very thankful to everyone for their continued support of our charity and, in this regard would everybody please continue to collect pop and beer can tabs and bring them to the next luncheon or rally you attend. We will, in turn, give them to Sharon, our coordinator, who delivers proceeds to the Children s Hospital charity. For your generosity we THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU (Paul s Perambulations cont d from page 1) to eat and things to do during the upcoming Seafarers Rally in early September. You need to sign up soon as there are only a few spaces left. AND New members may not realize, and some of us old members may have forgotten, that Michel & Ellen Bourassa are planning a 2-month caravan through Mexico early in if that sounds like something you would like to do, then get hold of Michel (see the Activities page in this newsletter for his phone number and ). We re also excited to let you know that the man who runs the company taking us around Mexico will be in BC in September. It will be a great chance to get any lingering questions answered and to participate in the planning. In the meantime, we are desperately looking for a venue, theme and hosts for our October 30 th function. Also looking for hosts for the Christmas lunch or dinner on December 3 rd. If you are able to help out or just have some good ideas to add to the mix, please call Arlene Matches. Her number is on page one of the newsletter. And, finally, ex-bc Unit Members, Ron & Maureen Smith (#20496), are selling their motorhome. They re asking $15,000 obo. It is stored at the Cranley Place RV storage lot. You ll see photos and their ad in this edition. Thanks for all your help and support. See you down the road. Remember, shiny side up and greasy side down. Paul Wheeler President WBCCI BC Unit #121 HAPPY B.C. DAY EVERYONE PAGE 2

3 MEMBER, WEBSITE, and ROSTER CHANGES PLEASE WELCOME NEW B.C. UNIT MEMBERS: LARSON, Jihong WBCCI #13888 (son Orion, 11 & daughter Makena, 8) # Paul Kane Place Victoria, BC, V9A 7J8 Cell Phone: Airstream: foot Flying Cloud BOEHM, Gary & Donna 185 Arlayne Road, RR#1, S8C C23 Kaleden, BC, V0H 1K0 Phone: Cell Phone: Airstream: foot Flying Cloud WBCCI # tba ROSTER CHANGES: (shown in red) Please make changes to listing in last month s newsletter for new Associates: WEBB, Joseph & SUMMY, Victoria WBCCI #1070 Victoria s Cell Phone: Victoria s vssummy@yahoo.com Joseph s Cell Phone: Joseph s jbwsahome@gmail.com Trailer: foot Land Yacht (custom) Courtesy Parking: Yes (dry camping only) Don t forget to carry old expired Blue Beret magazines with you when you travel. There are future members all over North American (and now Europe) who would love to enjoy the Wally Byam Airstream Club lifestyle. Many owners (new and old) don t know of the club and an old Blue Beret may be just the incentive to join us. PAGE 3

4 Getting to Know You Installation Rally 2017 Claybanks RV Park in Merritt, BC September 15-17, 2017 Yes, it s Installation time again!! We are holding 20 spots at Claybanks for our annual Installation Rally which we are also calling our Getting to Know You Rally as there are many new members among us. At time of writing we already have 6 rigs with reserved spots. Please phone Marlene of Claybanks at and make your own reservation mentioning the Airstream Club so you are parked with the rest of us. Also, phone or me so I can plan accordingly for catering purposes (and so I can let any unused RV spots free up or add more to the 20 we have reserved). We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. A proposed agenda is shown below left. Arlene & Alex Matches or matches7403@gmail.com Rally Agenda Friday, September 15 Day of Arrival Set up, relax and say hi to friends old and new 4:00 pm Happy Hour in Clubhouse or on the grass 6:00 pm Pot Luck Dinner (last initials A-M entreés; N-Z dessert, salad, starter or miscellaneous item) 7:00 10:00 pm Cards, games, puzzles, visiting in Clubhouse Saturday, September 16 8:00 9:00 am Muffins and coffee in the Clubhouse 9:00 3:00 pm On your own...shop, sight-see, check out Merritt 3:00 pm Installation Ceremony in Clubhouse 4:00 pm Wine & Cheese reception following ceremony 6:00 pm Pizza dinner (supplied by Unit 121) 7:00 10:00 pm Cards, games, puzzles, visiting in Clubhouse Sunday, September 17 8:00 9:30 am Deluxe Bun on the Run as done by Bob Halliwell and his fantastic crew 11:00 pm Farewell to those leaving today please drive safely 4:00 pm Happy Hour for those staying extra nights 6:00 pm Dinner on your own (or try a local restaurant) 7:00 10:00 pm Games, games, puzzles, visiting in Clubhouse Monday, September 18 Morning Say good-bye and please drive safely......now the money part... Rally fee for the Installation Rally will be $10 per person plus $5 each for children over 10...under 10 are free. And, of course, your RV park costs which are paid directly to the park office. BUT, it is also time to think about renewal of your 2018 membership those dues may also be paid at the Rally. There are three ways to pay next year s dues: $112 in Canadian dollars (which includes International dues, BC Unit dues, bank fees, and exchange rate); OR, a US draft for $65 plus a $25 CDN cheque; OR, you may pay your dues online (PayPal directly to WBCCI headquarters) your choice. By paying WBCCI directly you will pay $85 US ($65 for International and $20 US for BC Unit dues). Dues MUST be received in Jackson Center prior to November 1st to be included in International Roster. PAGE 4

5 COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Audit Committee Tom Akam plus volunteers Budget Committee Tom Akam & the VPs Caravan Committee McGills & Van Iderstines Nominating Committee Paul Wheeler with Joyce Christenson and one other to be selected Community Service Alex & Arlene Matches Equipment Chairman Ron McQuarrie Hospitality & Sunshine Arlene Matches Membership & Mentoring Alex Matches Newsletter Editor Arlene Matches Roster & Handbook Tom Akam Safety Chairman Barry Hook Telephone Committee Joyce Christenson Unit Historian Alex Matches Webmaster Monty Sheldan WEBSITE INFORMATION: Because of the many updates and changes made to the website recently, you may not be able to access the 'members only' section with your old log-in procedure. For your Username, use your surname with first initial at end (case sensitive) e.g. MatchesA (see illustration at left) OR your address and your password.your old password may have been changed by the Administrator of the site to your last name with capital letter and the 4 or 5 digits of your trailer number...e.g. Matches7403. Then you can go ahead and log in and change your password as you see fit. PAGE 5

6 British Columbia Unit # Activity Schedule DATE/TIME EVENT HOST(S) (Almost) Check with... Every Tuesday Breakfast at Ricky s Tom Akam 9:00 am Ricky s Country Restaurant` King George Blvd. in South Surrey 2017 August Culinary Road Trip Caravan Doug & Debra McGill Southern Vancouver Island with (standby only available) Gene & Marilyn Van Iderstine Aug.26-Sept.2 Seal Bay Rally John & Jane Neilson Courtenay, BC September 2-6 Seafaring Adventure Rally Joyce Christenson Lund, BC September Annual Installation Rally Alex & Arlene Matches Claybanks RV Resort in Merritt, BC October 4 Vancouver Island Luncheon Ron & Carolyn Wills 1:00 pm Cottonwood Golf & Country Club, Nanaimo October 30 Social Function Details TBA Need hosts December 3 Annual Christmas Lunch or Dinner Host to be advised Venue to be determined 2018 June WBCCI International Rally Register online or through Blue Beret Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem, OR This space being held for your ideas on what you would like to see happen in the balance of 2017 and all of Call President-elect, Joyce Christenson, with your suggestions at or her at joyce355@icloud.com 2019 January 18 - Mexico 2019 Caravan Michel & Ellen Bourassa March 20 Let s Re-ignite The Wally Byam Spirit..! Calling All Adventurers! Cities, Countryside rmbourassa@gmail.com & Beaches! Ruins, Culture & Cooking! Exclusive Airstream Caravan You Only Live Once! PAGE 6

7 ONE. HUGE. OOPS!! the road Ellen and I, disgruntled with the wet cold spring, and on impulse, decided to hook up the AS and pull it down to warm Nevada for two or three weeks. And we did! Driving down the eastern edge of Oregon, into Nevada to Lehman Caves on its border with Utah then along Highway 50 (The Loneliest Highway in the US). We sort of forgot that most of Nevada is high No, not on weed, which is legal, but high in altitude. We camped at Great Basin National Park at 7400 feet, and while the sun shone, it wasn t strong enough to melt the snow!! So much for balmy days relaxing under the awning! However, we never rued our decision to go to Nevada even though we did not attain our goal. It s a fabulous state to explore by road. yuck I had this irresistible desire to follow one of the many dirt roads that seemingly disappeared into the mountains or deserts. Think what a picture we would get! I explained to Ellen. Sure enough, humming along Hwy 50 just past Eureka, I spotted a nice dirt road off to the south leading up some undulating hills to what appeared to be a fantastic lookout for us. Four-wheel drive, a new truck? Why not! I didn t think about the recent snowfall; now melted. We slowed down, took the left, shifted to low 4- wheel drive, our eyes looking up to the mountain top and got all of about 100 feet from the highway on said dirt road. well, the pictures tell the story better than I! This was the most glutinous, yuckiest, slimiest muck I have ever seen, much less driven on! Good sense (Ellen) prevailed and I started backing up to get out of there; no turn around of course. We slipped, slid, had to go forward to uncake the wheel wells, back up some more slipping and sliding. Well, that took about an hour but that s another story. Moral? All that glitters are not gold or Watch out for wet muck on side roads! As told by Michel Bourassa, #2568 PAGE 7

8 SEAFARERS RALLY ~ Lund By the Sea, Sunshine Coast September 2 to September 7, 2017 UPDATE Recently I had the opportunity to visit Lund, BC in preparation for the Lund Rally. For those of you who are signed up for the rally September 2 nd, I want to let you know that Lund exceeded all my expectations. What a beautiful part of our province with so much to see and do. I m certain you will enjoy yourselves. The town of Lund, known as the end of the road is tiny and almost everything is within walking distance. The setting is a lovely harbour with lots of activity, looking out towards Savary Island. Pleasure boats on the way to Desolation Sound stop at Lund to visit the General Store (best ever) or to eat at one of the several restaurants. There is a boardwalk to take you to and from the campground and to the Boardwalk Cafe or simply to enjoy an evening stroll or watch the sunset. Also, there are several nice areas for taking a drive. The itinerary for the rally is formalized and includes dinner at the Laughing Oyster, a day at Savary Island by water taxi, and, of course, the 5-hour lunch cruise, which I have done and it is great, as well as dinners and lunches and, let s not forget, our usual happy hours. The rally will offer a very nice experience. To get in on the fun, follow these directions. Call the Lund By The Sea RV park at and quote Airstream Club. The official rally dates are Sept. 2 and out on Sept. 7, (5 nights). Once you have made reservation please let me know so that I can keep track of the numbers. Wow, this should be a great way to wind down the summer. I look forward to seeing y all. Joyce Christenson (formerly Wensley) First Vice-President or joyce355@icloud.com Joyce piloting the boat through Desolation Sound (...way to go, Captain...) Lunch on board Lund, BC harbour at sunset View in Desolation Sound PAGE 8

9 AN AIRSTREAM TRAILER Dan & Carolyn Stewart (a really nice couple from Abbotsford) are still dreaming of and searching for a later model Airstream trailer with queen bed layout. It seems they just hear about one for sale and it is snapped up all too quickly. Maybe we can assist them in their search? They can be reached at dancarolynstewart@gmail.com or phone them on their cell at Here are cards for technicians that are proven to be reliable (and who are able to bring their garage to you!!)!!...smile!! President, Paul Wheeler, requests new and affiliate members to please forward their info (photo and bio) for inclusion on the BC Unit website. We also encourage our regular and affiliate members who haven t done so to add a picture and update their biographies as well. There is a printable roster available from the website. Please contact our Web Master, Monty Sheldan or Arlene Matches with regard to accessing the website (if you haven t already done so). The address for Monty is: msheldan@mac.com and for Arlene use: matches7403@gmail.com. Tom Akam also has a printable and up-to-date version of our Mini Roster in Word format which he will upon request. Tom s address is: lighthouse13381@shaw.ca PAGE 9

10 We are selling all our camping / RV stuff. Dishes, pots & pans, electric kettle, stove/gas kettle, two small BBQs, outside rug with cloth bag holder, screened-in tent, silver (glamping, as they were Bryan s Mom s), two wheel blocks, square levelling blocks, RV sewer hose and hose for water. Queen sheets, small blanket and more... I have photos! Selling as a lot for $325 obo OR individually if that is your preference.just call Shelby at to dicker or her at shel.brennan@gmail.com If you wish to advertise Airstream/travel related items for sale or items wanted, please send a photo, description and price to me at matches7403@gmail.com. FOR SALE 2005 Ford Excursion This vehicle is in excellent condition and is a great vehicle for towing a trailer. The V10 gas engine provides plenty of power in all situations. It has an automatic transmission, 4WD, leather interior with removable third seat and all the bells and whistles found in a luxury vehicle. Battery was recently replaced. Tires have very few kilometres and mileage is 161,000 kilometres. Price $18, Call maryanneparker@shaw.ca PAGE 10

11 FOR SALE foot Airstream Motorhome Ex-BC Unit Members, Ron & Maureen Smith (#20496), are selling their motorhome...asking $15,000 obo. Specifications are: Queen bed; sofa bed with 2 easy chairs; across the hall shower/bath; 1000-watt inverter; back-up camera; levelling jacks; Kingdome satellite dish; 96-watt solar panel; front seats are 6-way; Anacoa aluminum wheels; spot light; Hadeley airhorns; two airconditioners; and a new awning. Ron can be reached at in South Surrey or by at smiffy@shaw.ca. PAGE 11

12 A COINCIDENTAL RALLY Has this happened to you? You are sitting in a campground when another Airstream comes along and, by coincidence, it's someone from the club! Moe Storoshenko and I each had our trailers in Anacortes meeting with Judy & Gerry Greth when along came Jay & Castel Tuason, and, voila a Coincidental Rally was born. Photos are at the open air music night in Anacortes, WA on July 21, Joyce Christenson Gerry Greth, Moe Storoshenko and Castel Tuason Judy Greth And Jay Tuason Blowing out candles to celebrate their July birthdays at weekly Coffee Klatch are Marilyn Van Iderstine & Tom Akam. Thanks to Janet Soucy for both the cake and photo. KEEP WATCHING THIS SPACE FOR AN UPCOMING AD FROM OUR NEW ADVERTISER MIDTOWN RV IN PENTICTON, BC PAGE 4