Smoke Signal December 2017

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Click to view this email in a browser Smoke Signal December 2017 Nomads Chapter of Special Military Active Recreational Travelers (S*M*A*R*T) President: Mike Schmitz Vice President: Paul Rider

1 Click to view this in a browser Smoke Signal December 2017 Nomads Chapter of Special Military Active Recreational Travelers (S*M*A*R*T) President: Mike Schmitz Vice President: Paul Rider Secretary/ Treasurer: Melody Thomas thomas4smart@gmail.com Muster Master: Roy Allen Smoke Signal Editor: Doug Blaha amimjs@yahoo.com afchap@pjrider.com royallen805@outlook.com dlblaha@cox.net President... Mike Schmitz Dear Nomads, For those of you that didn't make in the Rayne, LA., I'd like to introduce myself. I am Michael (Mike) Schmitz, retired USAF and I've been a member of SMART since I was the Sec/TRES of the Full-Timers for 4 or 5 years. I would also like to thank Paul Rider for accepting the VP position for a 2nd tern and Melody Thomas for accepting the Sec/Treas position giving Jana a rest after serving for about 5 years. The NOMADS is the largest chapter in SMART I believe and we are unique. Many of us are full timers and we have members all over the US. How many of you have looked at your rosters to see if a fellow member lives close by your current location. If you haven't, you re missing out on one of the best reason of being a NOMAD. In most cases you get together for a meal, maybe make an acquaintance a friend or find out what is best to see in the area. When someone called me last July and asked me if I would consider running for president, my first reaction was NO, but I said I would consider it. Part of that

2 consideration was what have I done for the NOMADS since I joined in 2009? Nothing was the answer. Someone recently told me never volunteer! Guess what, when no one volunteers, nothing happens and within a short while you don't have a chapter or even a club. I did not want the NOMADS to fade into the sunset so I said I would run, maybe a better word would be volunteer. Well you re stuck with me for the next two years, but when I ask for volunteers I need all of our members to search their inner core and step up and say yes, I can help. I would like to extend my and Cheryl's sincerest best wishes for this Holiday Season and safe travels if you are on the road. If you get near the Pensacola area, give us a call. We will be in the area until May except for Xmas week when we will be in Pittsburgh Mike and Cheryl Schmitz Vice President... Paul Rider Greetings NOMADS! We had a great time at the National Muster in Rayne LA. For those who were there, thanks for your support and assistance in making the facilities work with the tight scheduling with other groups. And a BIG thanks to Roger Meyer for cooking part of the ribs when Jean & I ran out of room in our roaster! We had planned to enjoy the post-muster at Poche s, but ended up in Mineola TX with several of the planners for the 2018 National. One good that came out of that was that the NOMADS will not be competing with the BOD meetings for our pre-muster a room was designated for the NOMADS. That should help a great deal with our pre-muster. Jean & I will be leaving our East Texas home base in early December for a meeting in Bullard TX with our local Winnebago chapter, and will go from there to our property between Montgomery and Wetumpka AL to be with our kids and grandkids over the Christmas holidays. We do have an extra full-hookup there if anyone needs a somewhat isolated place to hide out for a few days. :) After celebrating New Year s in Alabama, we will be back in East Texas for a few months participating in local SMART and Winnebago meetings until we hit the road again in May. Secretary/ Treasurer... Melody Thomas Secretary/Treasurer's Report: The chapter met three times this year: twice during the National Muster in Rayne, LA, and once in Breaux Bridge, LA. Mike Schmitz was elected President, Paul Rider was elected Vice President, and Melody Thomas was elected Secretary/Treasurer. Twelve new members joined the SMART Nomads during

National, bringing our current membership to 113. Mike and Melody went to Navy Federal Credit Union and filed signature cards as the new President and Treasurer of Nomads.

3 National, bringing our current membership to 113. Mike and Melody went to Navy Federal Credit Union and filed signature cards as the new President and Treasurer of Nomads. Melody moved $1,000 from savings to a 1-year Certificate of Deposit where the interest rate is 3%. Checking balance was $ and savings $66.69 as of 4 November I have just received the new swingers so they will be mailed out shortly. Please Welcome the Following New Members Gene & Sharon Bennett William & Judy Atchison (sponsor Diane Tamborino) Jim & Theda Collier (sponsor Melody & Paul Thomas) Dave & Dot Fisher (sponsor Mike Schmitz) Scott & Evelyn Mattheus (sponsor Carl & Gwen Hopper) Tom & Sandy Pearcy, Sr. (sponsor Melody & Paul Thomas) Willie & Joyce Pollard (sponsor Carl Hallada) Buddy Samuels & Deborah Carter John & Debi Shore Chuck & Freida Trenchard (sponsor Chuck Tamborino) 2018 National Muster Planning The 2018 National Muster has a Talent Show on Saturday. We are asking chapters and individuals to display their talents or provide skits for the entertainment of the muster participants. Any thoughts as to what we can do. I do have a skit "The top 10 indications you might be a SMART Longtimer" that was done 2 Rayne NMs ago. Any other ideas or talented volunteers? Craig Christen 2018 National Muster

4 Post Muster Was Great!

Nomads 2017 Winter Travel Plans The purpose of this section is so we can connect more easily with one another when we are traveling. Have fun! Be Safe and have a mini-muster when you can!

5 Nomads 2017 Winter Travel Plans The purpose of this section is so we can connect more easily with one another when we are traveling. Have fun! Be Safe and have a mini-muster when you can! Jon & Nancy Katin are home for the Holidays in Oregon with all their kids, G'kids and Great G'kids! We had a great time in Rayne, scouting out Mineola and then celebrating veterans week in Branson. The trip back to So. Cal. was challenging from a limited time-frame as well as some motor-home challenges. We will return to So.Cal & Az to snow-bird during January - March, followed by our annual trip the last 2 week of March with "friends of SMART" to Puerto Penasco, Mexico and in April the SW regional muster in Las Vegas. We wish everyone a safe and "Happy Holidays". Hope to see all soon somewhere down the road. Jim and Sandi Anderson will be in Tempe, AZ until the end of December. Then based on the input from a doctors appointment we will continue to be in AZ or we are really hoping to move to the Houston area and work with Hurricane relief. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Larry & Cynthia Sockwell. Planning a quiet Thanksgiving & Christmas, do have a Muster with the Magnolias in early Dec at Parkers Landing in Biloxi, Ms. Maybe some time in Texas with Family around Christmas. New Year should be uneventful. Then a

6 Muster with Cajuns in Feb at Sun Roamers in Picayune, MS. Y'all Come in Apr at Poches Fish Camp again w/cajuns. Hopefully by then we will be back in 19' Coachmen Van for good, but as of today, don't have it yet. If traveling US 190 between Baton Rouge & Opelausus, give us a call, come by for a spell & relax from your busy schedule, free hookups & cabin if needed! Fay Welsch We enjoyed the Cherry Blossom Caravan so much we have decided to do 3 caravans next year. We will be on the Northern Adventure, Two Step to Texas, and the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Travel safe everyone. Carl and Nan Hundley are finally back on the road. Albeit a short trip from Killeen to Junction, TX where we will be volunteering at South Llano River State Park December - February. If your travels find you heading East or West on I- 10 and you see Junction stop on in and have a visit. We are planning on leaving there in March to head for Arizona and eventually making our way to Alaska next summer. Alice & Charlie Anderson will be wandering northward along the East Coast after a quiet Thanksgiving with friends in SW Florida. Likely mostly along the US-17 route up as far as Norfolk, then over to DelMarVa on the way to a few days in the DC area. Then Harrisburg, PA prior to our New York destination. We wish all the best of the coming Holiday Seasons Larry Crofoot and Ruth Cox-Crofoot are camp hosting in Georgia. We will be at George L Smith State Park in December 2017 and March We will be at General Coffee State Park in January and February of Stop as see us. Craig & Terilu Christen are planning on being at our new home in Crossville (Fairfield Glade) TN thru mid April when we will go to the South Central Regional in Lebanon TN and the Cajun's Y'all Come. We can put up an RV in our driveway for a few days if anyone is passing thru East TN on I-40. Lots of golf and other fun activities. Safe travels to all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Melody and Paul Thomas We thoroughly enjoyed our first muster at national. We saw many friends we made on past caravans and made new friends at this event. We left Breaux Bridge, LA and headed out to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to visit with family. We then made our way to Phoenix, AZ where Jana Nunemaker (past treasurer) will turn over the Nomads' records. Then it's off to Lake Havasu, Boulder City, and ultimately, Las Vegas for Christmas (again with family). After that, we expect to explore the west coast before heading east for the caravan in Minnesota. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Be safe and healthy in your travels.

7 Gene and Sharon Bennett. In Virginia, most campgrounds stay open all year around. We favor King's Creek (aka Cheatham Annex), as they have level pads, W/E/S, 30/50 amp service although all sites are back-in, and the price is reasonable for $30.00 per night. The local campgrounds start at $65.00 and up. Our travel plans this year include the End of the Year Luncheon at the Officer's Club on Ft Belvoir, 1030 AM, on 3 December. Next will be the walk-through with the activities director for Beth Page, the hopefully future site of the 2019 National Muster, on 8 Dec. I have my new poster for the Complimentary SMART membership for Active Duty personnel. I'll be trying it out as soon as I can. Don and Donna Stuckey will be in Reno, Nevada December 4th thru December 7th and Heading home on the 8th. Merry Christmas to everyone Richard and Kitty Moore After a busy traveling year which started in March and took us into October, we have arrived home to stay for the winter. Our early travels this year took us into Florida followed by our annual trek to New England visiting family and friends. Departing New England in early August, we headed out to Kansas to visit my brother, an Army retiree living in Junction City. Along the way, we stopped to smell the roses in Hermitage Pennsylvania and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Both great stops and perfect for a few days rest at each. We arrived at Junction City and stayed for a week at West Rolling Hills, Milford Lakes maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Can t beat the price as with your Keep America Beautiful card, or Senior Pass, the price is ½ the daily rate. I think we paid like $12.00 a day. Enjoyed a great visit with my brother for a week and our stay was complimented by a visit from Don and Keech Beaton; RV ing friends whom we traveled to Alaska with back in Leaving Junction City, we made our way east to Perry State Park, Ozawkie Kansas, another park run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We stayed for another week visiting our grandaughter and two g-grandsons. They came out and camped with us and we had a great time catching up and sightseeing.

8 We then headed up to Napersville, Illinois where a bunch of us submarine guys with wives and girlfriends got together for a Navy Reunion for five days. Along with a Chicago River cruise tour and a visit to the Chicago Museum of Science and History plus a lot of time in the hotel hospitality room catching up with back in the day, we had a great time. We arrived home on September 15 th and less than a month later found ourselves in Rayne Louisiana at the SMART National Muster. It was great seeing our SMART friends whom we have traveled with in the past along with making new friends at the muster. After a brief stay in Oriental North Carolina, we finally made it home again on November 4 th and we have no traveling plans till April If you are in our neck of the woods and want to come by, we have 50amp electrical and plenty of water. Lots of things to do with sightseeing in Williamsburg, visiting the early settlement in Jamestown and of course the Yorktown battlefield tour where the American Revolution surrender documents were signed between Great Britain and the American Colonists. Come on by, you will not be bored.

9 Nomads Membership Application You can download the application form on the SMART website. Nomad Membership Application

10 S *M *A *R *T Special Military Active Recreational Travelers 600 University Office Blvd Suite 1-A Pensacola, FL 32504

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Smoke Signal September 2017

Click to view this email in a browser Smoke Signal September 2017 Nomads Chapter of Special Military Active Recreational Travelers (S*M*A*R*T) President: Paul Rider Vice President: Vacant Secretary/ Treasurer: