Western Rally at Cowichan Exhibition Park Report

In Duncan  May 28 -30, 2016 

We had a great time at the Western Rally this past weekend.  Susan & John VanSchaik and Linda & Henry Schwagley went all out with good eats and entertainment.

We enjoyed a potluck with Roast Chicken provided the first evening. Pass the Ace followed.

Our first breakfast of Oatmeal, Sunny Boy and fruit compote with ice cream set us up for the day.  We needed that fuel in the afternoon, when we started throwing Cow Pies!  Beef Pot Roast with baked potatoes, veggies and fruit pies with ice cream were on the menu that evening and Horse Races later, where we could win some cash!  Winners of the Best Cowgirl and Cowboy outfits were Audrey Hauge and Barry Delege and they received $25 gift cards.  Well done!

Second breakfast was French toast with bacon and all the sides. A quick Executive Meeting was held in Matt Bloggs' new Dutchstar.  Nice rig Matt! Most of us joined the Crib Tournament that afternoon and evening. The tournament was won by new member Rick Woodrow and he received a $25 gift card. That evening we had Pork Loin with buns, veggies and Cole Slaw and dessert of Berry Brown Betty for dinner.  The Ken Williams Memorial Award for the free rally was won by Jim and Eileen Sharples. Glad to see some longstanding members finally get it!  Again, some lively Pass the Ace to finish the evening.

Sunday morning we enjoyed biscuits and gravy with sausages. Immediately after breakfast we proceeded with the annual General Meeting.  Highlights are that the Executive all stays the same for another year and we have started the plans for a BIG PARTY for the May rally next year to celebrate our 15th Anniversary!

In the afternoon very entertaining Swing Golf was played.  When the Swing Golf moved inside because of weather, it was so much easier to score! John VanSchaik was the winner and received a $25 gift card. Dinner was Hamburgers with veggies followed by cake and ice cream and then an evening on our own.

Monday morning everyone enjoyed the Continental breakfast and we were all packed up and gone in good time!

Many thanks to the VanSchaiks and Schwagleys!

Western Rally in Duncan May 28-30

Calling all Vancouver Islanders Cowboy and Cowgirls to celebrate spring with a wagon round-up at the Cowichan Exhibition Grounds May 26-30. 
Please do not come before 11.00 on Thursday. 
John & Susan Van Schaik and Henry & Linda Schwagly will host this western-themed rally.  More volunteers are welcome. The rally will include 4 breakfasts and 4 suppers.  Please bring an 8-serving sized salad (last names starting with A-M) or dessert (Last names starting with N-Z) for the first meal (Thursday) evening. During the day Friday the best-western-dressed male and female will be chosen, for anyone wanting to sport a theme outfit! The winners will be a announced at the horse race game that evening. 

Rally fees are $130/couple/rig, $104 single/rig.  Sorry, but the site doesn’t have enough room for non-member guests rigs.  
There are a few electrical sites at an additional cost of $16 for the 4 days, to be collected on site.  

The sites with electricity are on a first come first serve basis (contact John Van Schaik at 250-686-4463).  Send the fees to John at 559 Broadway Street, Victoria, BC V8Z2G3.  The deadline for registration and payment is May 19th.

Please arrive at 11am or later on Thursday 26th. We’ll break camp by 11am on the Monday the 30th. 

Address any questions to John at vanschaik.john38@gmail.com or 250-686-4463. 

Happy hour starts at 4pm, on Thursday, the 26th. 

Hope to see yo'all there

Rally Schedule

March 2, 2016

Hi folks!  I hope you have all enjoyed the winter.  Wayne and I have been in Yuma since October and are just starting to think about when to head north.  The weather is getting warm here!

With warmer weather comes thoughts of rallies, so here is the projected schedule:

May 26 - 30 Cowichan Exhibition Grounds, John and Susan Van Schaik, Henry and Linda Schwagley hosting.

June 13 - 16 Driftwood Bay at Strathacona Park,  No host. Limited sites available.

July 26 - 29 Seal Bay RV Resort, No host.

August Possibly Cowichan Bay

September 15 - 18 Cowichan Exhibition Grounds, No host.

More details will be available at the General Meeting in May at Cowichan.  Hope to see you then.

Drive safe,

Sandy

EUROPEAN VACATION FOR THE VANCOUVER ISLANDERS

   A wonderful European vacation was enjoyed at the latest Vancouver Islanders rally.  Seal Bay RV Resort, near Courtney, was the site and 32 coaches attended. Laurel & Wayne Macauley, rally hosts, thought of every detail and escorted us through an amazing cornucopia of European foods and entertainment.

   Our first breakfast, in Glasgow, was an assortment of porridges with stewed fruits  (and our favorite…ice cream)  beautifully prepared by John and Susan Van Schaik.   Scones with marmalades and jams were included.

   Attendees were asked to make a hat or fascinator with recycled items to wear at the English High Tea and to come up with a "royal" name.  The Best Fascinator was made by Judy Fedirchuk, Best Hat fashioned by Barb Lucas and Best name change, Sir Brooke of Trout, Brooke Williams.  These winners and their partners were seated at the head table for tea.  The table was very formal with a beautiful fine china tea set, tiered silver dessert stands and hand embroidered linens. Our tea menu included Broccoli Quiches, Mushroom Quiches, Pigs in blankets and Cornish Pasties.  Sandwiches were Cucumber, Deviled Egg, Salmon Salad, and Chicken Curry.  Stella Blogg supervised sandwich makers who made spirals of cream cheese and gherkin, cream cheese and asparagus, cream cheese and maraschino cherry and peanut butter with banana.  Desserts were Lady Laurels Bon Ton Tarts, Ecclescakes from Sandy Quesnel and buttery shortbread cookies. Impossible to try everything, but so hard to miss anything!

   From Tea we progressed to a lively Cribbage tournament.    Unbelievable, but everyone stopped several hours later to enjoy Scotch broth or Lentil Vegetable soup!  Norwegian cookies filled with Lingonberry Jam and Whipped cream prepared by Donna Goodacre made a decadent dessert.  The evening was spent finishing the crib play-offs and groaning about over-full tummies!  In the finals, Brooke Williams prevailed over John Van Schaik and won a beautifully hand-crafted Cribbage Board.  Winner of the second set was Susan Van Schaik.
The next morning we were welcomed to France!  We enjoyed Monte Carlo Sandwiches, Croissants with jam and fresh fruits. In the afternoon, our hostess Lady Laurel, and MaryAnne Tennent, demonstrated the assembly of Wine Cork Trivets.  The kits were all ready for us with corks, frames and twine for framing! Very French looking!

   By dinner time, we had arrived in Germany.  Everyone enjoyed Roast Pork, Potatoes and gravy, veggies, red cabbage, Spaetzle and Black Forest Cake.  After clean-up players strained their brains playing European trivia.  Congratulations to the winning team:  Ken Morrison, Joan Sabourin, Art Jackson and Sandy Quesnel.  I think there must have been a few "lucky guesses".

   I must have slept through a flight or something, because breakfast next morning was in Sweden!  We were served Pancakes and sausage, pastries and bagels with cream cheese, lox and capers!  Delicious!

   Later on more trivets were made and others enjoyed the campfire before happy hour.  Our last dinner had us catching up with a few countries we had missed. We enjoyed Chicken Souvlaki, pitas, hummus, creamy pasta, Greek salad, Caesar salad and Tiramisu for dessert.  This wonderful meal was followed by Bingo, played with European words.  The Bingo prizes were huge gift baskets, each representing a different country and filled with delicacies from those countries.

  Following a continental breakfast on the last morning we all slowly packed up and waddled away!  Special thanks to all of the volunteers.  Lou and Avis Tenhave a special thank you for all of the different veggies you prepped.

  This rally was certainly "over the top!"  Laurel and Wayne Macauley spent 3 years making plans, gathering and preparing for it.  This couple have hosted rallies before, and each rally seems to outdo the previous one.  A hard act to follow!
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European Vacation Rally is coming up in just 5 days

Hello Vancouver Islanders,

Our European Vacation Rally is coming up in just 5 days, September 14 - 18!  The Lady Laurel of Pointe has a few last minute reminders:

·         Check in time at the RV park is 1 pm or later,

·         Have your hats and fascinators with a recycled article on it ready for Tuesday, the 15^th,

·         Make up a royal name, which we will all be voting on,

·         Bring your teacups, teapots and glue guns,

·         The hosts may need to borrow a couple of crock pots, if you have them.

See you all at the rally!

Barbara Lucas

Secretary

Vancouver Islanders Chapter

Family Motor Coach Association