Interactive Table of Contents

From or About Our Members

• From The President
• Welcoming the Family & Friends Camping Club to FCRV
• Camping Today/Social Media Forms
• FCRV Health Guidelines
• Help Wanted (Open Volunteer Positions)

Upcoming National Events

• Retiree Rally 2023 – Dothan Alabama
• Campvention 2023 – Richmond Indiana

Event Schedule & Recaps

• Event Calendar & Recaps

Wildlife & Conservation

• “A Little Too Close Call”
• Top Safety Tips For Navigating Bear Territory

Camping Information & Tips

• Dear RV
• Prepare for camping emergencies
• RV Recalls

Past Camping Todays

• 2018-2022

Camping Today Staff

• Research Director: Barb Turner
• PDF Design/Layout: Paul Standiford
• Website Design/Layout: Carl Fromholzer

Please send articles through the new
‘Camping Today’ Submission Portal Page.
https://fcrv.org/camping-today-submission-forms/. 

National Officers

• President: Gerry Pfirsch
• VP of Operations: Jeff Kendle
• VP of Programs: Dora Lewis
• VP of Planning & Development: Amy DeCamp
• Corresponding. & Recording Officer: Beth Standiford
• Comptroller: Debbie Swanson
• Past President: Shari Weber

Camping Today is a publication of the non-profit National Campers & Hikers Association, doing business as Family Campers & RVers (FCRV). Issue frequency is 12 (monthly) on line at www.fcrv.org. Publisher is Family Campers & RVers, 4904 Transit Rd. Bldg. 2, Depew, New York 14043-4906. Office Manager – Pat Wittmeyer 1800-245-9755, [email protected]. Online subscription is included with annual membership. Mailed, printed copies are available by annual subscription of $20. USPS Pub.# 724-710, ISSN# 870-1465. OWNER: National Campers & Hikers Association, doing business as Family Campers & RVers (non-profit), 4804 Transit Rd. Bldg.2, Depew, New York 14043-4906. Bondholders, mortgage, and other security owners holding 1% or more of bonds, mortgages, and other securities: NONE. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed in the last 12 months.

‘Camping Today’ Submission Forms

[ ‘Camping Today’ is currently scheduled for release on the 15th of each month.]

[ All content must be submitted by the 1st.]

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions or problems submitting material.

Click on the hyperlink below for the type of ‘Camping Today’ submission you’d liked to send.

Articles – Event Recap – Birthday Shoutout – Milestone – Farewell –  Dear RV – Event Submit

September is here. Fall is just around the corner for some of us. Nights are getting cooler, and for some the camping year will soon come to an end. Many of us will camp until the snow no longer lets us. It is a time of the year that we all dread. On the bright side for some, the camping year is just getting started. Others will soon be heading south and spending the winter in a warm climate. If this is you, travel safe, and we will see you in the spring.

I would like to have you join me in welcoming the Friends and Family Camping Club into FCRV. We have 82 charter members of this new National Chapter of FCRV. I would like to thank Amy DeCamp and the merger team on both sides for the work in making this happen. We met the members of the Friends and Family Camping Club in Elkhorn at Campvention 2021 as our Campvention overlapped with the start of their gathering. This chance meeting was in no way an accident, I feel. They did not have a national organization so to speak but loved camping. We have a very good National organization structure and love camping. Amy and three others were introduced to me at a meeting in Elkhorn, and the benefits of the merger were plain to see for both sides. FCRV added 82 members and a new chapter. FFCC gained a structured family with a well-staffed office. FCRV also gained a valued member on the Board of Trustees with Amy joining us and her willingness to serve and better FCRV. Let me say to each of you new members, welcome to the family that we know as FCRV. I would like you to know that I value you and look forward to meeting each of you in Richmond at Campvention or around a campfire on a campout. Do not be afraid to ask questions, and the tent flap is open. We have many jobs that we would welcome your help with. If you see an open position that is up your alley, talk to us and let’s see where it goes. You are part of the FCRV family. Welcome.

The Trustees are moving ahead with updates on the Field Manual. This is a slow process, but it is moving ahead. Planning is going well for the 2023 Campvention. Keep up the good work, Great Lakes! They have big plans for 2023. As for the Trustees, we do have a full board again. This is nice and makes our jobs easier. Beth Coniglio, our National Teen Director, is moving ahead with updates to the Teen Program. So, as you can see, there are many things going on as we speak. Keep up the good work, everyone.

We have also to reach out to our Regional Directors and to our State and Provincial Directors to ask you to take a few moments to review your job descriptions in the manual and let us know if you see something that we need to consider updating in the manual. You doing this will help us get the manual done quicker. It is a planned update and is in no way a rewrite of the manual. We are trying to remove the few contradictions and just get it up-to-date with changes that have taken place over time. Also, if you have a talent and know that you would like to contribute to FCRV and the future, consider one of the open positions to put your print on the future of FCRV.

See you at the next campfire,
Gerry Pfirsch, President

Welcoming the Family & Friends Camping Club to FCRV

By Dr. Amy R. DeCamp

Hello, everyone…

I have received quite a few questions since Campvention regarding the merger of the Family & Friends Camping Club (FFCC) with FCRV. I hope the following history and explanation aid in filling in the blanks.

In 1967, the Starcraft RV company held its first Starcraft Camper Club rally for owners. The club was brand-specific and grew rapidly, especially since there were so few RV manufacturers at that time. The group often had anywhere from 500-1000 units at its annual, week-long, international rally, which like NCHA/FCRV, changed locations yearly. Regional rallies were also sponsored, and local chapters flourished in nearly every state of the lower-48 and Canadian provinces.

Management of the club was turned over to Larry and Sherry Branham, owners/founders of Recreational Club Management, Inc. In its heyday, RCMI managed 12+ owners’ groups in addition to Starcraft, such as Jayco, Sunnybrook, Hitchhiker, etc.

As we are all aware, the number of RV manufacturers exploded over the decades, causing the brand-specific organizations to incur membership losses. If a family upgraded to a different brand of RV, they were removed from the membership rolls. The club passionately debated the admission of “some other brands” (SOBs) for many years to ensure its survival, but it took until the Great Recession of 2007-2009 for the change to occur. Jayco purchased Starcraft in 1991 and halted its financial support of both camping groups at the end of the 2008 camping season. While most of the owner groups faltered and disbanded, the Jayco and Starcraft clubs continued under RCMI with no outside financial support whatsoever. The Branhams raised their children in the Starcraft Club and shouldered its survival as a labor of love. Larry passed away in 2010 and Sherry followed in 2016. Their children, Kevin Branham and Teri Rector, who own Sports Image Apparel of Indiana as their primary business, continued to manage the yearly rally. The Jayco Club eventually disbanded from dwindling membership, but the Starcraft faithful remained strong. The club’s name was changed to Family & Friends Camping Club to accurately reflect its vision and membership. Event managers Regie and Brenda Price, along with the help of rally co-chairs, oversaw the operation of its yearly rally, and regional rallies became the sole responsibility of local chapters.

Membership continued to decline as lifestyles changed, and a hearty 100 or so units kept the club afloat. In 2019, Kevin announced RCMI’s decision to cease management of the club following the 2022 rally. His daughters spend their summers raising 4-H animals and participating in the local county fair, which conflicted with the rally week. Maintaining the club without any dedicated office staff or financial backing was just too difficult. The Branhams/Rectors remain beloved family members of FFCC, and this transition has been difficult emotionally. As president of FFCC’s largest state chapter and member of the RV industry, I volunteered to investigate future opportunities for the club to continue.

Due to a fairground error in Elkhorn County, WI, the 2021 FCRV Campvention and FFCC Rally briefly overlapped. I arrived on the grounds a few days early as part of the FFCC parking committee and met numerous FCRV members. It quickly became apparent that FCRV and FFCC were quite similar! The Prices and I met with President Gerry and VP Matt to discuss the logistics of the clubs’ respective members entering/exiting the fairgrounds at the end of the week, and I introduced the subject of the FFCC joining FCRV. We agreed to begin preliminary “merger” discussions and within a couple months, 5-member teams were formed in each organization to address questions and procedural matters. After months of organization, chapter bylaws and application for charter were submitted to the FCRV Board of Trustees. This ultimately led to FFCC joining FCRV as a “national” chapter. As of this writing, approximately 85 units are already onboard, with more expected by next year’s Campvention in Richmond, IN.

FFCC held its last independent rally in Amana, IA, this past July, and elected its first slate of officers: President Craig Davelis (IL), Vice President Carl Frisque (WI), and Secretary Loretta Hebert (IL). The chapter will meet once a year at Campvention, charges no dues, and maintains no treasury. Its members are excited to be part of the FCRV family and anxious to meet everyone! This is an amicable joinder, and we look forward to sharing decades of fun together. For now, this merger does not include the local chapters previously under the FFCC umbrella. These chapters are, of course, welcome to file an application for charter at any time if their members so choose.

Let’s go camping! 😊

Dr. Amy R. DeCamp
Vice President of Planning & Development – Family Campers & RVers
President – Ohio Stars Camping Club

Camping Today/Social Media Forms

By: Barb Turner

Camping Today submissions have been technologically streamlined.  By using the submissions forms below, members can easily submit articles and share upcoming events, recaps of activities completed, as well as farewells, milestones, birthday shoutouts, and ask questions of Dear RV. 

Click on the hyperlink below for the type of ‘Camping Today’ submission you’d liked to send.

Articles – Event Recap – Birthday Shoutout – Milestone – Farewell –  Dear RV – Event Submit

In addition to Camping Today, submissions other than the articles are placed in queue for  sharing on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.  After research and recommendations, promotion and publicity of FCRV and our activities via these formats will enhance our exposure, both to our members and the RV world.  From the beginning, NCHA/FCRV has been referred to as ‘the best-kept secret’.  Survival in the modern world won’t happen as the ‘best-kept secret’.  Let’s shout that we are here!  We are ‘happening’!  And, we welcome all campers & RVers!

If you have any questions submitting material, contact [email protected]. 

Hey Happy Campers! (And you Grumpy Campers, too!)

Your Trustees have been very busy this winter and I wanted to share some important news with you.  

Last May, Camping Today, published some information for you regarding COVID and how FCRV wanted to handle all the differing viewpoints and widely variant information on staying safe at Campvention.  In this ever-changing world, the Trustees want you to know we are still concerned about the many variants that seem to be popping up as well as “hot spots” of disease and how we can keep our campers safe without coming on too strongly. 

That being said, the article printed in the May issue covering meeting and social gatherings has been completely revamped.   It has been replaced with kinder, gentler, but no less effective, health guidelines. So please take a look at our new FCRV Health Guidelines and stay safe out there!

FCRV HEALTH GUIDELINES – EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2022

These are simply guidelines and as such supplement—and do not replace—any state, provincial, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations that govern any meeting or social gathering.   

We recommend campers and their guests are up to date with vaccinations and immunizations and carry this information on a medical card as well as showing all current medications, medical conditions, and allergies that emergency medical personnel may need to know. 

Have a mask available to use for your protection and the protection of others as they can be used for more than deterring COVID.  

Use common sense in protecting yourself and others.  

Official CDC Guidelines change quickly so be aware of the local conditions and be prepared to adapt to them.

Vaccinated?  No mask may be necessary.     Unvaccinated?  Mask is recommended. 

Event coordinators will announce if local conditions change, requiring adjustments to these statements. 

FCRV needs your help.  Please consider filling one of these positions.  They are very important to the operation of FCRV. Contact VP Ops – Jeff Kendle, or Immediate Past President – Shari Weber for details.

Volunteers are needed for the following National Positions:

Membership Director – Reports to Vice-President Planning & Development and is a member of the Advisory Council.  Primarily responsible for the growth and retention of membership.  Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Commercial Director – Reports to Vice-President Planning & Development and is a member of the Advisory Council. Main responsibility is the development and retention of commercial membership/accounts. Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Youth Director – Reports to Vice-President Programs and is a member of the Advisory Council.  Works for the betterment of future youth programs in FCRV.   Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

State/Provincial Directors for Maryland, DC, Ohio and Connecticut – Reports to their Regional Director and is a member of the Advisory Council.  Position is to administer and coordinate the activities of the State/Providence in the areas of membership and National programs at their level.  Maintain current membership list for said State/Providence.  Appoint Field Director(s).  Keep Regional Director apprised of chapters status.  Approve constitution/bylaws, promote FCRV and State/Provincial activities, submit reports to Regional Director, hold meetings with field staff.  Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Communication & Security Director – Reports to the Vice President Planning & Development and is a member of the Advisory Council. Communication to be used for FCRV Campventions and Retiree Rallies.  Integration of electronic communication into a balanced communications system.  Responsible for electronic (walkie-talkies) equipment.  Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Conservation Director – Reports to the Vice President of Programs and is a voting member of the Executive Board.  Conservation is at the heart of FCRV.  Maintain existing program guidelines and formulate new as needed.  Maintain records of the program.  Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Historian – Reports to the Recording/Corresponding Officer and is a member of the Advisory Council. Preserve FCRV’s history through media and memorabilia.  Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Veterans – Reports to the Vice President Programs and is a member of the Advisory Council. Show support FCRV members who are Veterans, conduct or arrange for, informational seminars featuring other Veterans and promote information about FCRV Veterans about activities and opportunities for them. Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Travalong Director – Reports to the Immediate Past President and is a member of the Advisory Council. Program is designed to help travelers enjoy group-planned activities and help members and non-members learn about areas of travel and who to contact for information. Establish Travalongs with at least one to coincide with National Campvention.  Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change.

Region 5 Director – Reports to the Vice President of Operations and is a voting member of the Executive Board.  Represent FCRV in the region, assist State Directors in the region and provide coordination of administration between the States and the Vice President of Operations. Recommend appointments and/or releases of State Directors to the Vice President of Operations. Coordinate activities between the various States in the region. Act as the State Director in those States that have none. Within the region, administer National bylaws, Constitution, regulations, policies and directives.

Volunteer Background Records Custodian – Member of the Advisory Council Reporting to the Vice President Programs. This position receives permission forms from volunteers working with teens or youth to run a background check. Full job responsibilities are in the field manual. Field Manual job description is currently under review and subject to change. 

Variety Show

By: George Walters

I am glad to be hosting and organizing the Variety Show at the 51^st 2023 Retiree Rally. As you all may know, this year it is being held at the National Peanut Festival Fairground in Dothan Alabama. The dates are March 28 to April 2, 2023.  The early days are March 24 to March 27.

One highlight of the Rally is the entertainment.  Included in the entertainment is our Variety Show, put on by our very own campers. It’s always fun to see the talents of our very own campers.  Many of our FCRV members have talents that our campers don’t realize we have.

How ‘bout we keep them hidden NO LONGER?

So if you can:

• Sing
• Play an instrument
• Tell a funny (clean and short) story
• Get a group together (maybe line dance?)
• Put together a short skit
• Do anything I didn’t think of

Please consider joining in the fun. And remember that this is NOT a competition.
Sign-up sheets will be available at the Registration table.

Let’s keep this tradition alive and have fun at the same time!

George Walters
Variety Show Chairperson

FCRV International Retiree Rally Changes in 2023

By Ron & Reba Ray, Rally Coordinators

Hello Fellow Retirees and Friends,

In just a few shorts months, we are gearing up for the 2023 International Retiree Rally in Dothan, Alabama.  The dates are March 28-April 2, with early days to start on March 24.

You don’t have to be retired; come and join us.

So come early, as this is a new place to explore, and they have a lot to see.  There are peanut men all around the city; we will try to get maps for you to find each and everyone.  They also have murals all over the city, and there are maps for those, also.  We will have those available

for you on the early days so you can have something to keep you busy.  They have many shops, antiques shops,  shopping mall and many other things to see.  There are 2 RV dealerships there if you are in the mood to trade campers.  Doesn’t hurt to look.  One is just north of the fairgrounds.

We are changing things up a little at the Retiree Rally this year.  You will still get all the perks at this rally; we are just making it a day shorter.  Since Monday night will be included in your stay a for the week, we will have opening ceremonies Monday Evening; so, plan to be there.  We will have Entertainment on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; the variety show is still on Thursday night.  The King and Queen Ball will be on Friday Evening.  The Grand Finale will be Saturday night with the International Parade.  As over the years, a lot of people are leaving on Sunday, and they miss the International Parade.  To me this is one of the better parts.  Everyone will be leaving the fairgrounds on Sunday.  We will be able to have a church service before we have to leave. Everything else will go as usually planned.

Last year in Mineola, Texas, we had a great time.  It was a trying time to get everything back to normal. So, let’s make Dothan’s Retiree Rally even better.  We are looking to have a good crowd there.  If you have never been, then give us try; we think you will like it.

Ron and Reba Ray will the Coordinators for this Rally along with David & Jackie Jurek as Co-Coordinators.  We have a good group of people who are chairman and co-chairman.  We are looking forward to working with each and every one of you.

We will try to post the updates as time goes by until the rally.  Keep up with the updates in the Camping Today.

See you in Dothan, 2023

FCRV International Retiree King & Queen Info

By: LaNelle Ishmael

The 2022 Retiree Rally is behind us as is Campvention 2022. I am guessing most regions have had their regional rallies. Now it is time to start thinking of next March’s FCRV International Retiree Rally. As Leon and I have taken over the king and queen coordinators, we would like to encourage you to be thinking of running from your state or province in 2023.

Let me take a moment to tell you what it meant to me when we ran in 2012. First, it was a great honor to be chosen by South Carolina to represent them. As we were campaigning at the rally, we made new and lasting friendships that might not have happened. When we were elected, we felt humbled that so many had given us support. We attended the summer Campvention in Canada to cut the ribbon for opening ceremonies. We probably would not have gone otherwise. If not, we would have missed out on several unique experiences we had during the week. We traveled to other state’s campouts and made many new friends of people who never attend the rallies. We saw many interesting places that we would not have ever thought of going to.

Most people think they must travel if elected, but the only thing asked of you is, if at all possible, to return the following year to relinquish the crowns. Leon and I traveled because being newlyweds it was like a long honeymoon.

If your state or province would like to run a couple for 2023, please contact us for the forms. We are setting a deadline of January 30, 2023 for forms to be in to give time to order trophies and get the program set up. Contact information: [email protected] 515-520-7958

Thanks, LaNelle Ishmael

Campvention Seminars

If you, or you know of someone or a company who may, want to be a seminar presenter during the Campvention in Richmond, Indiana from July 9 – 15, 2023, please complete the Seminar Presentation Form and email to [email protected] or mail to Ray Suennen, 2563 Turnbury Road, Green Bay, WI 54313; or contact Ray Suennen at mobile phone 920-606-0289 for additional information.

Campvention 2023 Teen Center Request

The Teen Center for Campvention 2023 is asking that States, Provinces, or Regions will ‘take over’ the teen center for 1 night of Campvention week.  If your State, Province, or Region would like to host one evening, please contact [email protected] to get more information.

Richmond, Indiana – Site of FCRV International Campvention 2023

by Barb Turner, Campvention Publicity Chair

In the August issue of Camping Today, the 2023 Campvention Committee issued the invitation, with the basic info, to attend the 63rd Campvention at the Wayne County Fairgrounds & Expo Center in Richmond, Indiana July 9-14.  The theme is ‘A Rose by Any Other Name is FCRV’.  Over the next several months, information will be shared in regards as to what to expect at campvention and what are ‘must-sees’ in Richmond and the surrounding area.

Let’s start with Richmond.  The Northwest Territory, from which Indiana was carved, was established in 1787 following the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, officially ending the American Revolutionary War.  The territory included land west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and south of Canada.  (The states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, & Wisconsin were created from the Northwest Territory.  Ohio was the first to become a state in 1803, Indiana in 1816)  The first settlers to what would become Richmond were Quakers led by John Smith & Jeremiah Cox from North Carolina, arriving in 1806 and settling on the cliffs of the Whitewater River.  “Richmond is still home to several Quaker institutions, including Friends United Meeting, Richmond Friends School, Earlham College and the Earlham School of Religion.”  By 1815, the town was a bustling trading center, and it was incorporated in 1818.

“Richmond is sometimes called the ‘Cradle of Recorded Jazz’ because the earliest jazz recordings and records were made at the studio of Gennett Records, a division of the Starr Piano Company.  Gennett Records was the first to record such artists as Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Hoagy Carmichael, Lawrence Welk, and Gene Autry.  The city has twice received the All-America City Award, most recently in 2009.”

Campvention 2023 highlights Richmond as ‘The Rose City’.  Richmond designated itself ‘The Rose City’ in the early 1970s because Richmond was the home of Hills Rose Growers.  “The E.G. Hill Company and the Joseph H. Hill Company together with the Hill Floral Products Company were the premier rose growers and marketers of cut roses, accounting for the sale of millions of roses annually in the United States and around the world.”  With establishing ‘The Rose City’ designation, the next step was creating a public Rose Garden to exhibit varieties of roses.  The Rose Garden became a reality in 1985, with the first roses planted in 1987.  To the west of the garden is the formal E.G. Hill Memorial Rose Garden which was started in 1937 to honor the Hill companies.

Today, the garden “highlights over 100 varieties of All American Selections® Roses, amidst blooming annuals, perennials, and ornamental trees that add an interesting texture to the garden.”   The garden is open 365 days a year with no admission charge. The garden is wheelchair accessible, and restrooms are available in Glen Miller Park at the concession building.  Enjoy an aerial tour to prepare for your visit in July, 2023.  https://richmondrosegarden.com/aerial-tour/  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk4boJkGJNs

Tour Richmond, Indiana:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tukDjjNpoVE; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wrIiUgnXqA ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kniHfwTg0hs

Links to explore:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,_Indiana
https://richmondrosegarden.com/history/