Text Box:   ‘A Changing World!’

Text Box: Smith Family Newsletter August 2008

Text Box: We only have to look around to see a changing world.  We are about to have a presidential election that will make history as we are all adjusting to the gas prices.  Here in Elkhart, which has been the RV capital of the world, change is in the form of businesses closing and unemployment lines.  Those of us who live full time in our homes on wheels are making daily decisions based on the price of gas.  I wish I could say we stayed in Northern Indiana because of gas prices, but when you look at what we did, spending our money on gas would have been the cheaper way to go!!  It was however, all for the sake of change.      

Text Box: The Rally in Hopkins was actually in July, with the HRRVC International Rally taking place in Goshen, Indiana at the beginning in August.  It was July 31st when we all caravanned to the Goshen Fair Grounds.  Chapter 400 traditionally does volunteer work at the International Rally and this one was no exception.  It is usually our responsibility to ‘man’ the ice cream stand during the rally.  Ray & Karen took the responsibility, but Ray became ill for a good part of the time in Hopkins.  Feeling better he was able to work, but we all chipped in and made sure he had plenty of help.  We served between 3 and 4 thousand servings of ice cream.  See pictures.  Only a few days into the Rally, we all needed to head  for a shelter, along with our pets, at about 10:00 PM because of tornado  a warning.  Nothing like a little excitement to spice up a rally!  Among the great entertainers in the evening were Ron & Kay Rivoli, who are our favorite RV entertainers.  See picture.  Other activities were numerous vendors, motor home sales, seminars, the Monaco Coach Corporation entertainment and refreshments in the sales area.  The Rally ended August 7th.  

Text Box: After spending almost a week at the Elkhart Campground in Northern Indiana, Bob & I traveled the short 75 miles to our Chapter 400 Pre-Rally in Hopkins, Michigan.  Hidden Ridge RV Park may be ‘the campground of the year’ as it was so very pretty!  We all parked on concrete pads, facing water and the beautiful club house, which was on the other side of the pond.  Nancy and Winnie actually did a significant amount of gourmet cooking, which included a ‘Christmas in July’ celebration plus the Red Hat Luncheon. These were new ideas used to make the rally more interesting and the food was outstanding!  Then there was Winnie's ’scavenger hunt’, which was great fun.  The tours included The Saugatuck boat ride on the Kalamazoo River, the Air Zoo, and Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.  On a more traditional side, the pre-rally is the one where old and new chapter officers are sworn in for another year.  This year my Bob was sworn in as the new Vice President.  The following are a couple of pictures of that Rally.

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