From opening day to the last song performed by Ron and Kay Rivoli, the GetAway in Jamestown, North Dakota was non-stop fun. The civic center provided us with a perfect set-up for all of our seminars, meals, entertainment and meetings. Our parking crew worked throughout the day on Monday to get everybody set up and into the center for our Welcome Party. After cocktails and dinner we had The Rivoli Review entertain us with music, humerous stories and Kay's magnificent voice. Whether listening or dancing, it was a thrilling experience.

Tuesday we had a Q & A with service techs. Steve Roddy and his crew fielded questions from the audience. A very popular addition to this was our afternoon Q & A for the ladies. No questions from the men in attendance. Steve was impressed with the diversity of questions and knowledge of the ladies and is eager to do this project again. And all of the ladies were equally pleased to have their own forum. Good job Steve, and we knew you could hold your own with a room full of females.

Tuesday was also our day for big winners. Our treasure chest, filled with prizes and gift certificates, was unlocked by Joan and Jerry Smothers. This was also our night for drawings and Bingo. Our blackout ended in a 5-way tie, so the winner was determined by the spin of the wheel. Talk about a tri-fecta. The winner of the big prize was Bernice and Arnold Hendrickson. They had purchased a new coach earlier in the day, won the $1,000.00 spin for a fuel card, and won the free rally pass. Oh yes, this was also their first time attending a GetAway. Congratulations to all of our winners.

Wednesday was golf day and the teams were at the Hillcrest Golf Course bright and early. The winners were Bob and Opal Ingram and Brad and Joseph Albrechtsen. No, this was not a set-up. We understand Brad sunk a 25 foot putt at a critical juncture in the game. Second place went to Gary and Nancy Elwood, Ed Davis and Joe McDermott. Third place winners were Steve Roddy, Robert Schwab, Dave and Pat Trapp. Great job golfers.

Entertainment this evening was by Sherwin Linton and the Cotton Kings. Great old country/western songs performed by a gentleman that has been inducted into the South Dakota and the National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. His telling of the Johnny Cash Story and thrilling performance brought everybody to their feet. This was a special evening - one that we will always remember.

The final day of our event included a rousing game of Blongo Ball. Because of the large number of participants we had to change the rules a little. But what a huge success this turned out to be. We took a break during the middle of the game for a hot dog BBQ and ice cream social. (Thanks again Farm and City.) Our Blongo winners were Ed Hessener and Diane Rivers. Second place was Mary Colby and Art Bradley. Third place went to Loraine Mc Ghee and Jim Easley. However, everybody that participated in this game was a winner because it was so much fun. It was a beautiful day, we were outside enjoying the clear blue skies and green grass, and meeting and making new friends. The cheering section lined up beside the new coaches kept us all going for the win. A great way to spend time with club members, NRV staff and crew. We will definitely do this again.

Our final evening of entertainment was Ron and Kay's parody of rv'ing. This is a must for anybody that lives and loves our lifestyle. And a perfect way to end our Jamestown party.

Many of you expressed how much you enjoyed your time in Jamestown. From the staff at the civic center, the local merchants, residents of the city, to the local disc jockeys on the radio - everybody was talking about the party National RV was throwing. The local businesses welcomed us to town on their marquees and billboards. The newspaper gave us the front-page headline when we came to town. The police department provided our security and made a special gesture of giving us a gift of the patch worn on their police uniforms. They all wanted us to know how much they appreciated our choosing their unique city for our event. When everybody is working together, it makes for a fun time for all.

And a special Toot, Toot, for the train lovers.

Harold & Marie Upton
Rally Directors