Presidents Message

Welcome Back to the lovely BC weather to all you lucky members who spent the winter in the sun! I just wanted to update you on plans for the May rally and the August Redmond rally. I will have more information for you on the August rally upon our return from the final planning meeting in April.

For all who have signed up to be volunteers, thank you in advance and we still have room for more!!! Just email me at akcbalogh@telus.net as soon as possible, as we will be leaving on April 12th for Oregon.

Membership fees can be paid at the first rally in May at Sandown to Sandy. Please don't mail them in from now on, as both Stella and I will be away for all of April.

Remember at the May rally, we will be holding elections for President, Vice President, National Director and 1 Director position.

See you all at Sandown for the May 25-27 rally. It is always a GREAT time!!! You will be getting more information on the rally soon from Joan and Wayne Hardy, our hosts!!

Thanks! Andy

Message from the President

Hello everyone! (See Past Post: Dues or Due)

Andy has asked me to contact everyone regarding the FMCA Rally in Redmond,
Oregon, in mid August.

As of today, the following people (along with Joe & I and Andy & Kathie)
have volunteered to operate the Handicap & Activity Golf Cart Service at the
Rally, driving people to and from venues:


Bruce & Joan Morin

Wayne & Joan Hardie,
Drew & Sherry Ralph
Reg & Dorene Gustafson
Cary & Merrilee White
Cec & Karin Hamilton
Bob & Jan Orr
Russ & Carol McAvella
Vern & Audrey Hauge
Ian & Sandy Tarves
Dick & Marion Lutener
Dick & Jo Padget
Wayne & Sandy Quesnel

Would the above people please reconfirm that you will be coming to the Rally
(please contact Andy at akcbalogh@telus.net). If there are any other people
who would like to join our "Bumper Car Brigade" please contact Andy BEFORE
March 24th. Andy will be going to Redmond at the beginning of April to
attend a planning meeting and he needs to know FOR SURE how many volunteers
are coming to the Rally. As a reminder, if you plan to attend the Rally,
please DO NOT send in your registration until Andy finds out how we go about
registering as a group. As volunteers at this Rally, we will also be
parking together in the "Volunteer Section" which is close to the main fair
grounds. Volunteers will have to be in Redmond by August 10th and leave
August 17th.

Do-Si-Do and DUES are Due.

It's that time of year again - time to pay your Dues!
Many of you have already paid your dues for 2007, but if you have not paid
them, please send your $10.00 cheque (made payable to Vancouver Islanders)
to me at 3382 Hatley Drive, Victoria, B.C. V9C 1W3 as our Treasurer, Sandy,
is away. Remember, dues must be paid by the first Rally of the year.

Cheers!

Stella Blogg,
Secretary,
Vancouver Islanders

Any previous blog entry WRT Fall Rally went in, in error and has been removed. Gary

NOTE - NOTE - NOTE

From: Secretary, Stella Blogg

Hello everyone!

President Andy has requested that I contact everyone regarding a couple of
items:

First, if anyone reads the "Motor Home" Magazine, recent issues have
featured a full page ad for "The Rally - All Roads Lead to Redmond", July
19 - 22, 2007. Please note this is NOT the FMCA International Rally but
one hosted by the Good Sam Club. The FMCA International Rally will be held
August 13 - 17, 2007.

Secondly, if you are planning to attend the Rally in August, Andy has
requested that you DO NOT send in your registration forms until he hears
from the Volunteer Committee as to how we all register so we can all park
together - the rally dates, again, are August 13 - 17 with the volunteers
arriving on August 10 - 11.

Thanks a lot and we'll keep you posted!!

Sincerely,
Stella Blogg,
Secretary,
Vancouver Islanders

Roving Rally Report & Pics

Roving Rally
September, 2006

Our roving rally started on Thursday, September 21st at Arbutus Meadows, just east of Parksville with 13 coaches camping overnight. We parked in a large field and had to dodge the “meadow muffins” from the horses. Luckily, they didn’t smell! The weather was beautifully sunny, but windy. At 6:00 we enjoyed dinner and dessert (and a few drinks for those who wished) at the Rocking Horse Pub. Kathie and Andy Balogh joined us for dinner and managed to talk a few people into attending the Redmond Northwest Regional Rally next August. Our members will be volunteering to transport disabled attendees back and forth to various venues using golf carts. Good work Andy in getting us a choice job!


Friday morning twelve coaches headed to Port Hardy. Hauges were unable to continue with us as they were getting ready to head out on a cruise to Fort Lauderdale (poor them!!). Several of us offered to trade places with them, but they weren’t interested.


We had a beautiful day for traveling up Island. At Port Hardy we had the Rotary Pavilion at Stories Beach booked for the weekend. It is a lovely spot on a picturesque bay with a nice sandy beach and wooded area and a huge grassy area with picnic tables and fire pits. The pavilion had a small room with sink and power and a large cemented covered area. We easily parked in a spacious, level lot beside the grassy field. Everyone had a spectacular water view.

We had asked members to bring a “little bit” of firewood and, like a pot luck dinner, had more than enough. We were able to keep the fires going continually and certainly found out who the pyromaniacs are! It was sure nice to be able to have a campfire in the evenings and roast marshmallows. Nobody seemed eager to eat marshmallows from Cary’s special roasting stick.

Friday we enjoyed another wine and cheese happy hour. A few even managed to have some dinner afterwards. Saturday many ventured out to see Port Hardy, Winter Harbour, Alert Bay and surrounding areas. The weather, once about 2 kms from the beach, was gorgeous. Unfortunately, the sea fog hung around until mid afternoon at Stories Beach. Saturday evening we enjoyed another happy hour and a Spaghetti dinner with dessert.

At noon on Sunday we had a fabulous pot luck dinner so that those who had to get home could travel on a full stomach. As usual, the food was varied and wonderful and there was way too much. Leftovers served us well later that evening.

That night, those with firewood were getting a little panicky that they might have to lug their wood home again, so we had two “little” fires going and someone lit the huge barbeque grill that is a permanent structure beside the pavilion. It took our wood by the wheelbarrow load, but Oscar was still packing logs from the beach and trying to get them into the pit. Even with all of the fires going, we still left a donation of wood and kindling.

On Monday Wayne and Joan Hardy gave us all a special gift of either salmon or halibut donated by Corey Hayes Fishing. Corey runs a fishing charter business out of Port Hardy. We certainly appreciate his generous gift and would encourage anyone interested in charter fishing to check out Corey Hayes Fishing.

After saying our goodbyes, our roving rally ended with most units heading over to the free dump and potable water stations. The weather for the trip home could not have been better.

Thanks to the Bowdens and Coopers we have another site for a future rally. We joined them at Kitty Coleman Provincial Park near Merville for Monday night. This park has fabulous, level spots right on the beach for $10.00 per unit per night.

We would like to thank everyone who pitched in to make another rally such a success.

Cary and Merrilee White
Rally Hosts