GOOD LIFE NEWS. From the President. A Publication of the Florida Unit of the WBCCI. Volume 9 Issue 6 March 2010

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GOOD LIFE NEWS A Publication of the Florida Unit of the WBCCI Volume 9 Issue 6 March 2010 From the President I ve been at this for a couple of months now and with all the things happening at the

Many of you responded, and I thank you for that. Things didn t go exactly like I had hoped for, and the International Dues was raised by $10.00 for next year.

1 GOOD LIFE NEWS A Publication of the Florida Unit of the WBCCI Volume 9 Issue 6 March 2010 From the President I ve been at this for a couple of months now and with all the things happening at the Unit, Region, and International levels, it s kept me quite busy. For those of you that have , you received several messages from me about the IBT meeting that was being held January 19 23, Many of you responded, and I thank you for that. Things didn t go exactly like I had hoped for, and the International Dues was raised by $10.00 for next year. Frank Carson has been looking at our financial position and we may try to reduce our Unit dues somewhat to reduce the net cost of continuing your WBCCI membership to something less that the $10.00 increase. I sincerely hope each and every one of you will stay with us in spite of that small increase. There is a summary of the IBT actions in this newsletter. It is my opinion that the IBT can do much more to cut costs and increase the value of membership. For example, it is scheduled to take 17 days to set-up the International Rally in Gillette, WY this year at a site that has full hookups and 30amp service for 1,000 units. As of this Month there were 667 units registered for the rally. We just got finished with the Florida State Rally with a little over 350 units attending, and we set that up in 3 days, with no full hookups. Reducing the on-site time could reduce the overall cost of the event to everyone. In my last article I asked that anyone with ideas on how the Florida Unit could better serve your needs and enhance your experience as a WBCCI member to call or me. So far no one has called or ed to give me any suggestions. Please don t hold back, I would love to hear from you. You may also want to start a thread on our private Unit Forum on AIRForums.com so that everyone can participate in the discussion. I look forward to hearing your ideas. Our bi-monthly newsletters get to everyone by or US Mail, but when a lot of things are happening fast, as it does this time of year, and the Internet is a means to quickly get the word out to everyone. As you may know, I ve been trying to give everyone an blast when anything important is happening. I hope everyone appreciates the s and doesn t think of them as Spam. I know this leaves out several of our members who don t have , so I hope those of you that do will talk it up and pass the word. Phil Drugge, our 2nd Vice President is working on a telephone notification tree as one means of getting the word out. This is Julian Clements last few months as our Region President, and I hope you share with me the feeling that he has done a wonderful job. Elections will be held at the upcoming Region 3 Rally. Rick Bell, the Region 3 1st VP has accepted the nomination of Region 3 President for the There are no nominations for the offices of 1st VP and 2nd VP. The Florida Unit may nominate a candidate for these offices. It is especially important that we fill these offices if we want to keep Region 3 the largest and one of the most active Regions in WBCCI. Please call me if you have any candidates in mind. I don t think any of us would like to see the Region dissolved, but contingency plans are already being developed if we can t collectively find new officers. And lastly, a big THANK YOU to all the contributors to this newsletter. Your response to my plea for help in getting this out when our Editor was taken ill was overwhelming. Randy Godfrey 1

2 WBCCI Florida Unit (027) President Randall Godfrey #7591 (321) st VP Williard Pickrel #6242 (352) nd VP Phil Drugge #4941 (352) Corr. Sec. Joan Carson #23343 (352) Rec. Sec. Pat Finn #15496 (321) Treasurer Frank Carson #23343 (352) Legist. Chm. Frank Carson #23343 (352) Membership Joan Carson 2343 (352) Newsletter Donald Clarke #11801 (407) yr Trustee Victor Smith #6782 (321) yr Trustee J. Ron Allen #3433 (904) yr Trustee Marilyn Blasdell #3663 (321) yr Trustee Lucille Clarke #11801 (407) Webmaster Victor Smith #6782 (321) Welcome New Members Please give a BIG WELCOME to our newest members: New Full Members: George and Pamela Millis 6910 Bayfront Rd Port St. John, FL Telephone (George) (Pam) mainebeme@yahoo.com (George) pammillis@yahoo.com (Pam) George and Pam came to the Florida State Rally as non-members and joined us at the end of the rally. New Affiliate Members: Kathi Wilbur SW 153 Ave Miami, FL Telephone (Home) (Cell) khwilbur@bellsouth.net Bradley and Kay Yount PO Box Lakewood Ranch, FL Telephone kwyount@gmail.com WBCCI #4003 Bradley and Kay are friends of Tom and Ann Moore, and also joined us at the Florida State Rally. Next Three Rallies Don t forget our next three rallies coming soon: Bluegrass Festival Rally; March 17 22, 2010 at Ft. Christmas Historical Park Fort Christmas Road; Christmas, Fl Everyone should have received a flyer and coupon for this rally either by or US Mail. Please call Randy Godfrey (321) if you didn t get the information and would like to go. The flyer is also on our website. St. Augustine Easter Rally; March 30 April 5, 2010; St. John s County Fairgrounds; Elkton, FL. There is a nice write-up on this rally by Vic Smith on page 27 of the February 2010 issue of 2

the Blue Beret, and a coupon on page 54. As of press time this rally is full but we always find space for our members. Frank Carson needs to know by March 10th if you re planning on attending.

3 the Blue Beret, and a coupon on page 54. As of press time this rally is full but we always find space for our members. Frank Carson needs to know by March 10th if you re planning on attending. Region 3 Rally Discover Charleston, America s Historic Treasure April 27 May 2, 2010; Exchange Park; Ladson, SC. There is a write-up on this rally in the Region 3 News on page 31 of the March 2010 Blue Beret, and a coupon on page 58. The flyer and a coupon can also be found on the last page of this newsletter. Who is going to Region 3? Gillette? If you are making plans to go to the Region 3 rally, or the International Rally this summer, please call or send a message to our Unit President Randy Godfrey. This is so we can get a headcount and make plans for Unit get-togethers, or possible caravans to the rally locations. Making Plans to Travel This Summer? If you are planning a long trip or caravan in your Airstream this year, take along a journal. Jot down your daily doings and take pictures. When you get back, please share your experiences and pictures with us in this newsletter by writing a short article and supplying a couple of pictures. We ll publish it in our next edition. Some of our members are using the Internet and post a daily blog of their adventures. And some have started using Twitter to post a short message of what s happening now as they travel about. If you are doing either of these, please share the website or Twitter feed with us in this newsletter, so we can all follow along. We may not be able to go where you are and experience your adventure, but we can all travel vicariously through you. IBT and the State of WBCCI Mid-Winter IBT summary results are as follows: 1. International Rally over budget for 2009 approved; funds moved from rally fund to cover $103K loss 3 2. Reduction in International Officer expense by 25%: Passed 3. Reduction in Region Officer expenses by 10%: Passed 4. Dues Increase of $10, July 2010: Passed 5. Voting by individual count: Defeated 6. Change of International Rally date/calendar: Withdrawn (no change) 7. Marketing budget of $5K: Passed 8. Grievance changes: Passed 9. Reorganization & consolidation of Regions: Sent to 2020 committee for rework IBT meeting audio recording is archived for your listening online at: Check the IBT section. Can Opener Rally Review by Tim & Alice Wymer January 8 10 saw several of our Florida Unit WBCCI members took part in a Rally that was organized by our own Steve Martin through the AirForums.com website. This is the fourth year that Steve has been doing this. Also in attendance were members from other units in Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Alabama and Washington DC. Airstream owners who were not WBCCI members were also in attendance as the event is open to everyone. The Can Opener Rally was held at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The area provides for some great outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking. Many local shops also provide for some good shopping. The weather on Friday was very cold but thanks to the hospitality of Joe and Annette Conoly of our Florida Unit those brave enough to venture out were able to survive. Joe and Annette

Good Life News March 2010 provided Bloody Marys and two 15,000 btu propane heaters for everyone to gather around at their site.

We had a guided tour and saw the super little store with its antiques and then went into the tractor barn and saw some 75 or 80 tractors, all old, all running, and all Farmall s! Really impressive.

Then we took a walk down to the barn and saw all the memorabilia there: all original placards, posters, photographs, memorabilia, etc. We had the chance to watch a movie, but time didn t permit.

Saturday started with the Park s Fundraising Pancake breakfast. This was followed by The Can Opener Open House event. It was a great opportunity to go into Airstream trailers both old and new.

4 Good Life News March 2010 provided Bloody Marys and two 15,000 btu propane heaters for everyone to gather around at their site. That evening most of those attending The Can Opener met at the local Red Bar for a bite to eat and some socializing. Leesburg. We met the owner, Stuart Paquette and his wife Michelle. We had a guided tour and saw the super little store with its antiques and then went into the tractor barn and saw some 75 or 80 tractors, all old, all running, and all Farmall s! Really impressive. Later Stuart showed us one of his new acquisitions, a Farmall Cotton Picker. He had just finished restoring it and started it up for us. No cotton though! Then we took a walk down to the barn and saw all the memorabilia there: all original placards, posters, photographs, memorabilia, etc. We had the chance to watch a movie, but time didn t permit. So it was back to camp where Ron & Chris Allen put on a hamburger and hot dog cookout. Yummy!! Then we all sat around Dave s modern campfire pit (gas operated) inside the pavilion and swapped stories. Saturday started with the Park s Fundraising Pancake breakfast. This was followed by The Can Opener Open House event. It was a great opportunity to go into Airstream trailers both old and new. The evening concluded with a Pot Luck Dinner then entertainment provided by one of the Can Opener attendees. Sunday began with a Pot Luck Breakfast. Once again we had some really great food. After we all ate everyone began the task of packing their units for the road trip home. For those that stayed an extra day we headed to town for an unscheduled dinner out at Dewey Destins. The evening was very relaxing and enjoyed by everyone. The Can Opener is a great event to attend and we have already made plans to go next year (January 7 9, 2011) Life is Good II Rally Review by Phil Drugge Saturday morning, Phil Drugge and Betty cooked up eggs in a hole and sausage for everyone. A really nice treat for all. Then it was off to explore again. Some went to the big Market of Marion Flea Market, and others just traveled around The Villages or just took it easy at the campsite. The weather was a little chillier January and there were more winter campers at the rally site, the Life enrichment Center in Fruitland Park, but the Airstreamers from the Florida Unit were enjoying themselves. Saturday night saw a wonderful fried turkey dinner! Dave Wenger brought along his turkey fryer and we cooked two turkeys. Everyone brought a dish to share and we had a great evening meal. Thanks for doing the cooking, Dave!! Thursday night those of us who were there went out to dinner at Cane Garden, a country club located in The Villages. The place was full of snowbirds, but we found ourselves a quiet place to sit and wait for our table. When we sat down the food was good as always, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Friday morning saw Dave and Betty serving up coffee, Dunkin Donuts, and other goodies along with breakfast fare. Then it was off to tour The Villages, go shopping, have lunch, and then meet at the Paquette Historical Tractor Museum in nearby 4

That night it was Joker Night and while Dave and Betty took on Ron and Chris, Phil and Doris taught Bill and Bonnie Herb how to play. And Bill & Bonnie won!

5 That night it was Joker Night and while Dave and Betty took on Ron and Chris, Phil and Doris taught Bill and Bonnie Herb how to play. And Bill & Bonnie won!! Sunday morning after breakfast, Phil Drugge conducted a short worship service for all, before we went out on the road. Then we got the place ship shape; everyone hitched up and headed home. We had a great rally. Unfortunately, Keith Hollister and Barbara Durham could not attend due to illness in Barbara s family and Howard and Susan LaRose had a death in Howard s family. I m sure they would have enjoyed the rally. The campground is really nice, full hook-ups and a good rally site! Sorry you couldn t make it, folks. Next time for sure!! We also added a couple of Airstreamers that are work camping for the winter at the campground. They are Rita and Lenny Doucette from Farmington, ME. WBCCI #1038. Florida Unit members in attendance were Dave & Betty Wenger, Randy & Pat Godfrey, Ron & Chris Allen, Phil & Doris Drugge, Bill & Bonnie Herb, Don & Lucille Clark, and Steve Martin and his daughter Breanna. Hope to see more Florida Unit folks there next year. It s a great place to enjoy with friends. Space Shuttle STS-130 Launch Rally Review by Laura Funk In May 2009 I revealed my intention of hosting a Space Shuttle Launch Gathering on the AIRForums website. There was only sparse interest expressed. Regardless, I finally committed to a mission date, jumped in with both feet and placed an invitation to camp with me at the NASA/KARS Park to celebrate the last night launch of the Space Shuttle on Sunday, February 7, So you can imagine my surprise when over 25 Airstream owners accepted my invitation by RSVP on the AIRForums Rally Calendar! Folks from all over the US were on their way to Florida! That impressive response obliged me to put a bit more thought into the Rally and a bit more anxiety. You see, KARS Park is not only a member-only park (10 guests total per member) but also a first come, first serve, no reservation park. 5 Thankfully, KARS agreed to overlook the guest rule and also allow dry camping to accommodate anyone and everyone who rolled in. This is a secluded, small government park located about 13 miles south of the Kennedy Space Center. It is on the Banana River in Merritt Island and has about 80 sites with water and power. There are various activities (tennis, basketball, horse-shoes, racket ball, fishing, boating, etc) and amenities (laundry, store, recreation room) available. When everyone began arriving, the KARS park personnel agreed to open some secret sites allowing all of us to have 30amp service and water! By Saturday, 19 Airstreams were in place from California, South Dakota, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vermont, Texas, Mississippi, New York, Alaska, and Ohio including our own Unit members Phil and Doris Drugge. I enjoyed watching the attendees socializing, playing holey board, flying kites, and exploring the park. Saturday night again commenced with a pavilion Happy Hour, followed by a space themed pot-luck. There was some wonderful food like Asteroid Alfredo, Blast-off Barbeque, Blackhole Beans, and much more. After a wonderful feast most everyone quickly retreated to the warmth of their trailers. It was a little too cold for the bon fire but the skies were clear and we went to bed expecting an early morning launch. Around 4:15 am on Sunday we joined a crowd of spectators on the park pier to watch the Launch. Unfortunately, clouds over Kennedy Space Center forced a launch scrub; rescheduled for a Monday liftoff at 4:14 am. Everyone hurried back to get a few more hours of shut-eye. During the afternoon I noticed everyone enjoying the park and the company of the other Airstreamers. Super Bowl XLIV was broadcast Sunday evening. Too bad the cold weather was not conducive to an outside party. Early Sunday morning we again assembled on the park pier in anticipation of launch. I was a little anxious when I noticed the clouds and hearing of

problems with backup landing sites. Thankfully, the weather cleared long enough to get Space Shuttle Endeavour off the Pad and launched! It was a spectacular launch and a great view from the pier.

6 problems with backup landing sites. Thankfully, the weather cleared long enough to get Space Shuttle Endeavour off the Pad and launched! It was a spectacular launch and a great view from the pier. The sky was illuminated for miles and the rumble of the shockwave was impressive. The cool and clear morning allowed us to see booster separation and main engine shut down. Sunday was filled with activity; packing for departures, helping each other with maintenance and repairs, reliving the launch and trying to stay warm. Though most folks were gone by Monday morning, a few remained hoping to see the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket. Its launch date was subsequently delayed to February 11 (due to the shuttle delay). For such slight beginnings, the STS-130 Launch Rally was a surprise success. Like others, this was my first time attending a Rally (and hosting one). I thoroughly enjoyed it and am thankful for meeting so many inspirational people! Florida State Rally Review by Randy Godfrey It was a very cold rally this year. Saturday night, February 13, when all the early workers arrived to dry-camp in the parking lot, it went down to 31. Some of our members batteries went dead and I heard others saying they ran out of propane. Sunday night was another cold night 32, but we all had electricity and could keep the furnaces running without draining the batteries. It was a smaller event than last year. This is my third time at the Rally, and I have watched the attendance go down a little each year. The total this 6 year was something better than 350 units (trailers and motor homes). However, the entertainment this year was the best that I have ever experienced at one of these major WBCCI rallies. A fiddler entertained us on Wednesday night that had a good repertoire of music from all genres. On Thursday we had a great male singer from Canada who had only been performing for four years. He was so good he sold out all of his CDs after the performance, and dedicated half the proceeds to the rally charity, All Faiths Food Bank. Our WBCCI sound engineers worked the soundboard for him and the acoustics were perfect. The rally Board of Governors approved the purchase of a new mixing board and it was a good investment. On Friday we had a troupe of young girls sing and dance for us. Many attending were doubtful this would be good, but were they wrong. Their high energy, excellent singing and choreography, and engaging personalities had all of us on our feet applauding. And on Saturday, the last night of the rally a very funny comedian had us all rolling with laughter. I got ahead of myself, so lets go back to our arrival on February 13. After all our Unit members who were working the rally arrived, we carpooled over to Yoder s Amish Restaurant for a tasty Amish dinner, and the best fruit pies I have ever tasted. Sunday was set-up day, and after the layout crew completed their tasks, the parkers began getting all of us in our assigned places. Once all of us early workers were in place, we were ready for the rally attendees. That was a continuous process from Sunday to Tuesday afternoon. The opening ceremonies were held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night and I carried the Unit flag in the presentation. I didn t get a final count of the vendors. I had heard some had canceled because of the weather up north; they couldn t get to Florida. There were some empty spots in the vendor area. There were a couple of new vendors though, and they seemed to be doing a good volume of business throughout the rally. Camping World was on-site with their technicians doing repairs and selling parts and accessories at President s Club prices to the rally attendees.

7 The days started with coffee and donuts and then were filled with seminars, or trips into town to see the many sites and attractions around Sarasota. On Wednesday, the FL Unit went to dinner at Troyer s Dutch Heritage Restaurant and on Thursday we had a Unit pizza lunch on the rally site. It was so cold during the week that nobody wanted to sit outside for a Happy Hour, so on Saturday we reserved a block of time in one of the buildings and had an indoor Happy Hour great turnout and lots of snacks to share. For the last two years, we have opened this rally to all Airstream owners, members of the WBCCI or not. This year we had two non-member couples register, and by the end of the rally both had signed up to be members of the WBCCI. George and Pam Millis joined our Unit. We must be doing something right. Frank Carson, the rally Director, says anyone wanting a chairman's job at next year s FL State Rally should let him know now. The price for Sarasota will probably go up by $5.00 next year. Camping World is now an Airstream dealer, so Airstream parts will become available at next years rally. Beverly Trask Obituary One of our long-time members Bev Trask passed away in February. Beverly Irene Stribl Trask 74, of Palm Harbor, Florida, passed on February 1, Beverly was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. She was born in Mystic, Connecticut. She was a member of the Airstream Club International. Beverly is survived by her husband of 55 years, Earl; three daughters, Carol O Haire, Janis Moore, Sandra Brown and six grandchildren. Beverly was predeceased by her brother, Charles Stribl; sisters, Thelma Belyea, Bernice Castagna, and Dorothy DelGrosso. Beverly was laid to rest on February 6 at the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery in Groton, Connecticut. Sunshine List Please keep all members in your thoughts and prayers and especially: Flora Benham was placed in a nursing home on February 1st. Don was fearful that if she fell she would take him down and neither one of them would be well enough to help the other. Wray Finn will be going into Shands Hospital for surgery on Monday, March 8th. Donald Clarke is recovering from pneumonia. If you or someone in the club that you know has been ill please let us know so we can report their names in this column of the newsletter and let others in the club be aware. Join us on AirForums Did you know we have a private forum for our unit on the Airstream Knowledge Sharing Forums We can use this forum to have on-line discussions of our Unit s business, or anything else that concerns us that is not appropriate for posting on the public boards. Only Unit 027 members will be given access to this forum, and you have to be joined to be able to see anything that is there. To be a part of this forum, first you must be a member of the online Airstream Forum. Go to and follow the sign-up instructions that appear in the top right of the window. Once you have joined the Airstream Forum, you need to join the Unit 027 forum. On the Portal or Forums page, there is a box of quick links on the left hand side. Toward the bottom of this box is a link to the WBCCI Unit Forums. Click on this link. You will see WBCCI #027 - Florida Unit in the list. Notice that you have to be approved by SilverCabin (that s me Randy Godfrey) to join the group. Click on the two join buttons, and then in the request window that comes up, type in your WBCCI number so I can check the roster and join you to the group. I get many requests from those who aren t members of our Unit so please give me a hint as to who you are. 7

8 Region 3 WBCCI Rally Discover Charleston, America s Historical Treasure April 27 - May 2, 2010 Exchange Park Ladson, South Carolina Last Name First Spouse WBCCI # Address City State/Province Code Office Present Past Handicapped? Region Unit Telephone Vintage Parking? Yes No Arrival Date: Rally fees: Departure Date: Airstream w/2 adults $ $ Airstream w/1 Adult $ $ Guest (per person) $ $ Weekend (Friday arrival per person) $ $ Saturday Banquet (per person) $ $ Sub-total rally fee: $ Early Parking: Nights x $ per night (April 24, 25 and 26) $ Rally Parking: Nights x $ per night (April 27 May 2) $ Total fee: (rally fee & parking) $ Make checks payable to Region 3 Rally. Include the coupon and a *SASE. Mail to: Martha Kerns, Nantz Road, Cornelius, NC *Self Address, Stamped LARGE (4x9) Envelope 8

GOOD LIFE NEWS. A Busy Rally in Astor Florida Attendees enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, games, and lots of great food! FLORIDA AIRSTREAM CLUB MAY 2017

GOOD LIFE NEWS. A Busy Rally in Astor Florida Attendees enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, games, and lots of great food! FLORIDA AIRSTREAM CLUB MAY 2017 GOOD LIFE NEWS A Busy Rally in Astor Florida Attendees enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, games, and lots of great food! Members of the Florida Airstream Club gathered for a busy rally in Astor, Florida; April