Embrace the Pace - June Rally

The bustling downtown of Nappanee Indiana is a busy gateway to Amish Country with friendly people, an on the go RV industry, and underneath it all, the quiet rhythms of Amish life. From motorcoaches, to buggies and sleighs, join us for a great weekend June 10-12, 2010. Denny and Linda Filson with the help of Steve and Cassie Lisle have put together a fun filled and educational weekend that we believe all will enjoy.

Members arriving on Thursday will enjoy leisure time to visit with friends. No dinner is scheduled however we suspect many will group together and go out to eat.

Friday morning we will enjoy a carry in of breakfast dishes, fruit and pastries. After breakfast we will be touring Precision Painting, a short drive away in Bremen. They specialize in full body painting, detailing, and interior renovations of coaches. It is a nationally advertised and known business. Open toed shoes are not allowed in their factory. In the afternoon we have a chance to watch a motorcoach be born from the first nail to the last as we tour the Newmar factory in Nappanee. Again, no open toed shoed are allowed. Friday evening dinner will be catered in the pavilion and will consist of lasagna, chicken alfredo, salad, a vegetable, breadsticks, and cheesecake with tea and lemonade included. We will have a guest speaker following dinner who will share with us the heritage and history of the Nappanee area. Saturday morning we will gather at the pavilion for another pitch in breakfast with contributions of your choice. Juice and coffee will be provided. Following breakfast, we have a unique opportunity to tour Martin’s Buggy shop where the makings of an Amish buggy will be explained and you will watch Amish craftsmen at work building and restoring buggies and sleighs. An added attraction is a large building filled with these gleaming jewels ready to purchase. We will also make a stop at the Union Center Store which is an Amish owned general store specializing in archery, guns, fishing equipment, Coleman supplies, kitchenware, and bulk foods. The owner told us he repairs all types of guns from antique to present ones and will be happy to ship yours back to you should you need one repaired. Another stop will take us to Mint City Millwork where we will tour the shop of an Amish man who makes beautiful Grandfather Clocks. Saturday evening will conclude with a wonderful traditional Amish dinner at Mullett’s Family dining, both prepared and served by the Amish. You will not want to pass on this dinner! Sunday morning the Rally masters will provide rolls and donuts, coffee and juice and breakfast will be followed by a short church service. That will bring this exciting rally to an end with farewells, wishes for safe travels, and anticipation as we look forward to our next time together.

CAMPING INFORMATION

Location:  PLA-MOR CAMPGROUND

2162 U.S.6 East

BREMEN, IN

We will have 30 amp service with water and electric.

IMPORTANT: Registration deadline is May 22, 2010

If you have questions call Denny or Linda Filson at 574-936-6493 or 574-780-0676

Registration Form - Click image on right to print.

Angel Bus

Jerry Hardacre shared the following information about an opportunity for persons who have a coach to help others.  Angel Bus is an organization that helps people who have a medical condition and limited resources to get to a distant facility for specialized medical care.  For many of these folks, a motor home is the ideal mode

to make this trip. The purpose of Angel Bus is to identify these people and put them together with volunteer motor home owner/drivers who can provide the needed transportation. 

There are three different organizations involved.  They are the Angel Bus itself, the FMCA Angel Bus chapter, and the Angel Bus Support Group.The actual missions (trips) are run by Angel Bus. They ensure that the passengers actually need the mission, that their condition will not be worsened by it, and that the driver is qualified. Angel Bus actually plans the mission and informs everyone involved as to the schedule. The Angel Bus chapter will be an FMCA social chapter that is part of the International Area. Rallies and meetings will be held where member can share their experiences and have a good time. In addition to having fun and meeting folks who have a common interest, they will also have a mission of recruiting new motor home owners for both Angel Bus and the chapter. Anyone is welcome to join any, or all, of these three groups.

Angel Bus started in 2000 and regularly conducted missions, where bus conversion owners provided transportation for people who had serious medical problems and had to get to a distant hospital or get back home. Mercy Medical Airlift currently is managing missions and has established a web site for Angel Bus at http://www.angel-bus.org/. If you have any interest in running a mission you should check out
the "Volunteer Handbook" section on the site. It should answer most of your questions.

SOME KEY POINTS

• Angel Bus volunteer drivers only provide transportation, not food or medical assistance.
• Most passengers, including all children, will be accompanied by an assistant (parent).
• Each volunteer will be thoroughly briefed on each mission before committing to it.
• Each volunteer has the right to refuse any mission for any (or no) reason.
• Trips more than 500 miles are usually arranged in a relay with additional volunteers.
• Most volunteers will be offered about one mission a year unless they ask for more.
• In most cases, each mission will begin or end near the volunteer's home.
• Angel Bus and FMCA are not affiliated with each other.
• You must be an FMCA member to belong to the chapter.
• Chapter membership does not require that you are an Angel Bus volunteer.
• Angel Bus is a 501(C)(3) charity and all expenses are tax deductible.
• By joining Angel Bus, you too can experience the personal satisfaction of knowing that you helped make a significant difference in someone's life.

If you have an interest in assisting  in this worthwhile endeavor contact Jerry Hardacre:
jhardmailto:jhard1138@gmail.com

Nominations for GLASS Vice President

Are you interested in serving as the Great Lakes Area Vice President? It is open to anyone who is not a chapter officer. This is an office of importance because the Vice President serves the chapters represented in GLASS. This person shares the views and votes on issues that will impact the district members. The length of term is 2 years. If you have any questions contact me at bjwessel@hotmail.com. I need this information by April 10, 2010. Thank you, Bettie Wessel, National Director.