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It is very interesting reading some of these FMCA posts. aaa travel service An Open letter to FMCA is from younger person reaching out, begging for change and offering suggestions. The responses to that person have been very polite and often in agreement. Another thread points aaa travel service to the issue of Declining Rally Attendance . That was also politely responded to by many. These postings and others are alarm signals and should be heeded.
The FMCA is currently experiencing tough times due to a serious membership decline and its resultant financial issues. Many people are getting rid of Cass A and C motor coaches, according to the dealers I have spoken to, in exchange for smaller, fuel-efficient, aaa travel service more agile and versatile units such as Class B RVs, 5th wheels, trailers and truck campers. Money is tight. It is either all they can afford, aaa travel service are willing to spend or they refuse to drive a gas guzzler. aaa travel service There is nothing wrong with these people or their rigs. FMCA needs them - badly.
I suggest to you that it would be in the best interest of FMCA to develop a Towable Chapter (maybe even limited aaa travel service to units with self-contained sanititaion sytems). aaa travel service There are thousands of them out there. Marketing to them would bring many to join FMCA, thus bolstering the ranks with young, active members and contributors. Where else is FMCA going to get more members?
Now, here is the strange thing. In a recent email exchange regarding this very topic with president, Charlie Schrenkel, he pointed out that the board overwhelmingly aaa travel service rejected the idea even though they had a 2009 study saying that the idea had merit for FMCA. Could someone explain their decision?
aaa travel service The hope is that Charlie Schrenkel would be prompted to show Family members, via statistics and facts, the current FMCA situation. Objective information would offer Family members the chance to air their ideas to promote evolution that could result in growth.
aaa travel service I beleive it was in Hinkley, Ohio around 1963 a group of familes got together aaa travel service and thought,wouldn't it be nice if we could do this more often so our kids can have fun with kids and families from lots of different places. The key word seemed to be FAMILY . Today many of those kids now have their own families and are now empty nesters that still love the get togethers with their friends at Rallies. But if you look around now it seems to be Older Family Motor Coach Association.
FMCA needs to put alot more infise in Family . International Meeting need to be during vacation time so families can come and bring their children. Each and everyone of us needs to recruit younger families into FMCA. How about starting new chapters for People with children. They can hold their rallies during spring breaks and summer vacations. In places where their children can have fun and enjoy.
I love all of the friends we have made in our Chapters. But the one thing that is missing are the children aaa travel service . Maybe Chapters need to look at holding their Rallies at those times and start bringing the Grand Kids. I know my Grand Kids keep us young.
Rest assured, had the U.S. and world economic situation, unemployment rate and fuel prices been in the 60's what they are today, the Association would never have become the motor coach-centered thing it is today.
But let's face it, the FMCA is in deep trouble aaa travel service financially. It is approaching the tipping point. For some reason, the top of the organization apparently aaa travel service does not want to talk about it or or present facts to the general membership.
As a member of the National FMCA Executive Board I try to visit this forum on a daily basis as I feel it is important that we should know what our membership is thinking and this certainly is a way for them express their views.
In the past several months I have seen many posts expressing concern about the declining membership and financial situation of FMCA. FMCA is no different from most volunteer organizations during this difficult economic period. Membership aaa travel service is on a steady decline and with that comes difficult financial times. When our membership was over 100,000 members, we had a steady stream of advertising coming into our magazine. Money was not a problem. Once our membership dropped below 100,000 members, our advertising also declined as advertisers felt they were no longer reaching enough people aaa travel service to justify the expense.
I do not pretend to speak for the other members of the National Executive Board, as they have their own views and are entitled to either state them or not. I am speaking as an individual and with the blessing and agreement aaa travel service of the Executive Board of the Northeast Motorhome Association. We feel that we have an important stake in the future of FMCA as Hinckley, Maine, in the Northeast was the birthplace of FMCA. We want to be the place of the rebirth of FMCA also. It is no secret, we are having a difficult time. Our revenue is not meeting our expenses. We cannot continue to draw from our reserves and survive. We need to address two issues in order to survive. One is to greatly increase our membership, and the only way that we are going to do that is to attract younger members and the only way that this can be accomplished is to put the emphasis on families and make it attractive and affordable for younger persons with families to join. They are not interested in going into debt to purchase a motorhome . They are buying towables that can accommodate a family.
We must also have activities that will attract both young adults and kids. Perhaps a sister organization under the FMCA umbrella aaa travel service is the answer. We in the Northeast Area have a very active youth program at our rally and will be welcoming towables at our NEAR 2012, 20th Anniversary rally July 19th-22nd and have many exciting events aaa travel service to interest everyone.
In order to attract these members we must have a product for them to be interested in. We must have benefits that will meet their needs. If we are successful in doing this the advertisers and revenue will return. If not, FMCA faces an uncertain future.
Would those on the governing board opposing the admission of towables, please come forward and explain your case. How do you plan to increase memberships aaa travel service and increase revenues. And remember, please address increasing revenues, not cost cutting. Also address what will happen to the special insurance of such importance aaa travel service to older members when the membership falls to a slightly lower level. What about covering the expense of the national convention? How will we cover the cost of all the directors? What will happen to the current staff as membership declines?
Paul, Let mer offer a suggestion. Advertising revnue. All the add.s in the Mag, are geared to Coches. Which is good. However there are a lot of Ad dollars that address issues most of us need. Harbor Freight spends a lot of ad dollars in many publications. RVers need tools. How about the AARP. WalMart, Sams, Cosco. Whats the Company that Is always in the AARP Mag for clothing. Then there is Gander Moutain, Bass Pro. Even the boating industry. There are so many thing out there that don't shout RV but if presented right can benifit the RVing public.
Hmmmmm, As I stated in a earlier post, I must side with Executive Board, as it was not them was the National Directors from the chapters that surprised me by the attitudes I saw from them in regards to recruiting and forming a new association under FMCA for towables and younger families. It was as if the snob factor was in play at the meeting. As I attended the meeting as a Alt. Director, and my 1st meeting, I didn't know if I had a voice or not. I sat their beside a past president during aaa travel service the debate and voting, and asked her if the voting members knew that they just signed FMCA's death warrant by means of a long slow death. Her response was no, they just don't want change.
19. To approve that a committee be appointed to research aaa travel service the process, aaa travel service cost, issues, and benefits to establish a separate corporation, to be affiliated with FMCA, for selfcontained towables and report back to the Executive Board in a timely manner.
question was raised on item #19 concerning establishing a separate aaa travel service corporation for self-contained towables. A statement was made that this is a motorhome organization. It was reported that towables were allowed at the Perry
convention as an experiment and to bring in additional aaa travel service revenue. A suggestion was made to consider towables if it would keep the organization aaa travel service alive by increasing attendance and dealer participation. The board was reminded that
this action was only to explore the issue of self-contained towables. It was clarified that the Marketing Strategy Committee suggested aaa travel service allowing towables at the Perry convention to generate revenue and expose more people to the
We are currently in an RV park where there are 2 other motorhomes. There are many 5th wheelers here and these are not inexpensive rigs when you consider the cost of the unit and the vehicle required to pull them.
Our son and daughter-in-law cannot aaa travel service justify the purchase and upkeep expense of a motorhome to use 3 or 4 weeks a year but they can justify a towable. Therefore, when we want to make a trip with them, it is not to FMCA sponsored events but it is to Escapees and Good Sam events.
Have shown what happen to a good idea. I spoke with wvr3567 last night and suggested that he poll the different chapters to find out what the reasons were in voting this down. I also suggested that he contact the Area Vice Presidents to assist.
aaa travel service I just talked to Charlie aaa travel service Schrenkel and Paul DuBois about this issue yesterday. The Executive board is looking into the issue. I do think a poll of the membership would be a better choice, it is our organization, if we want
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