We are Sue and Jerry Argabrite of Crossville, Tennessee. We would like to thank Laurie Hunt, Duane Paige, the Newmar Kountry Klub Board of Directors, and the Regional Directors for their support, trust, and the opportunity to serve the Klub as the inaugural Regional Directors—Special Events.
By way of introduction, Sue has Bachelor’s and an advanced degree in Food Science with a specialization in Meat Science, Jerry’s Bachelor’s degree is in Environmental Biology. Jerry is a USAF veteran having served four years in Germany and Viet Nam. Sue held various Brewing management positions at Anheuser-Busch, Inc., retiring in 2002. Jerry also held various Quality Assurance positions at Anheuser-Busch, Inc., retiring in 2001.
After retirement, we spent many years volunteering as Court Appointed Special Advocates, serving on the Board of Directors for Advocates for Children in Bartow County, Georgia. We also worked as educators at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia.
We have been campers all of our lives, and RV’ers since 1993, when we bought our first tag trailer. We purchased our first class A diesel in 1996, and have been exploring on the road ever since. We began hosting events in 2010 for Winnebago Itasca Travelers, and although we are relatively new to the Newmar family (2018), we have extensive experience leading rallies, caravans, and special events. By the time we host Branson this fall, we will have been on over 73 events and caravans and have led over 35 of those, from Alaska to Mexico, from the Rose Parade to New York City, and many points in between. This includes 12 events planned and hosted for the Newmar Kountry Klub. We are members of the Tennessee Volunteer Kruisers and have attended each International Rally since Syracuse in 2019. We have served as volunteers at Lewisburg ’21(day trip tour hosts), Rock Springs ’22 (food service), and Sedalia ’23 (food service and day trip tour hosts).
As we began with the Kountry Klub, we soon realized there was a tremendous interest among Klub members in Special Events events. It quickly became apparent that interest far exceeded our capacity to fulfill this demand.
At the request of our new International Directors, Laurie Hunt and Duane Paige, we have sought out members who have expressed interest in planning and hosting Special Events for the Kountry Klub. In early January this year, we began the NKK Tour Host Training Academy and Host Certification Program. We held video-conference training with fifteen individuals, providing them step by step guidance on how to plan, budget, and host a Special Event. The goal of this class is to provide Klub members with additional high-quality events filled with exciting, memorable, and fulfilling experiences.
As additional Special Event plans develop, look for announcements on the Kountry Klub web site, The Legacy, and The Happenings. Currently in the planning stage are 2024 Christmas in Branson (November), 2025 Washington, D. C. (April), and the 2025 Alaska Caravan (July – September). The graduates of the Academy are working on their own Special Event projects which we look forward to offering to the Klub members in the near future. Stay tuned.
If you are interested in becoming a Special Event host, please look for our seminar in the Grupio app at the International Rally in Pueblo.
We can be reached at sargabrite90@outlook.com or 678-986-7122.
