Dave Shank & Lynn Barley
“The holy passion of friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.” – Mark Twain
In our last issue, we had just completed our two main rallies of the year, and since our article was written before they were held, we have more details for you now. The NKK Fulltimers Rally and Annual Business Meeting was held in Fountain, Colorado at the Colorado Springs KOA Campground, July 21st – 26th, 2024, the week before International. Our time together began with check-ins, a photo of each attendee, which can be viewed on our Facebook page album, and a catered welcome dinner.
Our Monday began with a catered breakfast followed by our business meeting where the officers’ reports were presented and accepted as such. Since Tom & Barbara Palmer were gracious enough to continue their duties as secretary until mid-year when Sandi & Kent Gardner accepted the position, a special presentation of a bottle of wine in a vertical dispensing stand was made to thank them for their service as both secretary and past presidents. Victor & Pamela Lorentz had announced early last year that they would not be running for office again and spent most of the year working on a succession plan. Unfortunately, no one stepped up to apply for the position, so they were willing to once again fulfill the role. The slate of officers was introduced as:
Dave Shank & Lynn Barley – President
Victor & Pamela Lorentz – Vice President
Sandi & Kent Gardner – Secretary
Ted Vigeant – Treasurer
New business included a discussion of providing hosts and co-hosts with reimbursements of rally fees in order to entice more participation and the possibility of shifting our annual rally dates to accommodate for those in attendance who were required to pull out of the rally early in order to attend the Freightliner and Spartan training classes held the 2 days before the International Rally began. Our final announcement was that Lynn & I will not be submitting our names for re-election as president next year.
After the meeting some of our guests caravanned to the Triple B Ranch for a horseback trail ride including a mountain top mid-afternoon lunch while others enjoyed free time to explore other venues that were made available in the area. We gathered together again in the evening for our fireside social circle.
Tuesday began with a breakfast buffet, followed by our adventuresome members going on a rafting trip on the Arkansas river. No one fell overboard! We gathered again for a Deluxe Plated 4-course dinner.
Wednesday included a sponsored continental breakfast by Kleen Tank including an informative presentation. Our adventure this day was a side-by-side ORV trail ride with a box lunch in the Pike National Forest. We stopped several times to change drivers. Yes, everyone had a chance to drive. Some liked running at full speed through the mudholes! We concluded our day with a combination Coach Stroll and poker walk. We experienced many favorite hors d’oeuvres, snacks and liquid refreshments from all around the country. We are, after all, from everywhere!
Thursday started with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and pancakes. We needed extra energy for most of us to take the drive up to Pike’s Peak, enjoying the stops along the way to take in the scenery and allow us the time to acclimate to the elevation. We also held our bucket raffle including 4 items that we auctioned off, all to raise funds for this year’s humanitarian cause, the Colorado Springs Therapeutic Riding Center. We’re happy to announce that we raised $5,476.00 for this worthy cause. We would like to thank Victor & Pamela Lorentz for their hard work in finding, organizing and promoting this valuable cause.
Our Annual Rally came to a close with the farewell dinner at MacKenzie’s Chop House where we enjoyed a choice of entre and a dessert.
Twenty-nine of our guest coaches caravanned to the International Rally in Pueblo, Colorado. Once again, this year at International, the Fulltimers Chapter hosted the ever-popular lemonade and popcorn station with extended hours. We presented three informational seminars to share our collective knowledge including Point – Counterpoint debates and stories from our “Old Timers”. Impromptu get-togethers and a chapter social also took place. In addition, this year the Fulltimers were asked to provide volunteers to be shift supervisors for the shuttle carts. We would like to acknowledge all of the volunteers who stepped in to cover the above-mentioned activities. Our chapter never fails to impress us with their willingness to participate.
Registration is open for our Fourth Annual Holly Jolly Rally to be held in Bradenton, Florida December 8th -12th, 2024 at the Linger Lodge RV Park. Get into the holiday spirit with the Fulltimers Chapter. Three (3) breakfasts are planned along with a welcome dinner, a holiday party and a farewell dinner at the Linger Lodge. We are planning a day to visit the Ringling Museum complex including a Museum of Art, Circus Museum (2 buildings), and Bayfront Gardens. The highlight will be a guided tour that explores all five floors of Ca’ d’Zan, from the entertaining spaces at ground level to the panoramic views atop the Belvedere Tower. Learn about Ca’d’Zan’s famous residents, John and Mable Ringling, and the design elements that influenced the Mediterranean Revival mansion on Sarasota Bay.
We are also trying to arrange an outing to an Elephant Conservation Ranch for a Spa Enrichment Experience. Spa enrichment is an integral part of the elephant’s daily life! The Spa Experience consists of a group of people that participates in caring for the Elephants. This is a hands-on experience including washing, brushing and touching. The Spa Enrichment also includes an Educational Encounter. In addition, you will have free time to explore other historic sites of interest.
We anticipate that all 30 spaces have been taken, however we will maintain a waitlist for the event. Contact president.nkkfulltimers@gmail.com to inquire about the status.
We also have preliminary plans for a Newmar Owners Luncheon, to be held in Polk City, Florida, pending confirmation of a February 27, 2025, date.
We are working on a location for 2025 where our Fulltimers Rally and Annual Business Meeting will be held the week before the International Rally in Lewisburg, West Virginia. More information will be announced in future issues. At this time, we think it will be held from May 30th-June 3rd, 2025.
Upcoming Chapter Events:
December 8-12, 2024 – Annual “Holly Jolly” Rally in Bradenton, FL.
February 27, 2025 – Annual Winter Luncheon at the Mount Olive Shores clubhouse in Polk City, FL.
May 30-June 3, 2025 – Fulltimers Rally and Annual Business Meeting.
SEE THE KLUB CALENDAR ONLINE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS AND CONTACT INFORMATION.
Join the Fulltimers Chapter by accessing the application form from the Fulltimers web page at https://newmarkountryklub.com/fulltimers-chapter-membership/ or contact Chapter Secretary Sandi & Kent Gardner at secretary.nkkfulltimers@gmail.com
