By Marie Upton

The Tucson GetAway is now in the memory bank. Three hundred coaches came to Arizona to attend this National party, and they were not disappointed. Trying to fit so many events into such a short period of time is a challenge, but everybody seemed happy – in fact, many of them signed up for Lake Skinner before leaving Tucson.

Our National RV Service techs were on hand from day one to help the coach owners with the minor repairs required on their rigs.  This crew is so great – everybody appreciates how hard they work and they always have smiles on their faces and a great attitude. Thank you guys – we couldn’t do it without you. Also, the Q & A with the service crew is always a tremendous hit. And now that we hold this event specifically for the ladies – in addition to the regular Q & A – we get positive feedback from everybody.

The meals, served by the catering staff at Beaudry RV Resort, were great and bountiful. Huge servings – nobody went away hungry. Also, it was served in a very timely manner. With a rally this large this is always a concern. Good job Beaudry.

Seminars were held throughout the rally covering everything from towing to fire safety. And the vendor’s tent was busy throughout the event. Chuck Mc Cubbin designed a plaque for our club that is both attractive and durable. Ours is proudly displayed on the back of the new Tradewinds that we are driving. (See Harold’s article regarding this coach.)

Entertainment varied from the Rivoli Review with their RV parodies to the “Frank Sinatra” show. We also had gospel music with Ron and Kay at our Sunday breakfast. Whether you wanted to dance, sing-along, or just listen, there was something for everybody.

Blongo-Ball is now a permanent part of our GetAways. It was so popular that the players wanted to continue to games into the afternoon. At Lake Skinner we will be playing Blongo and Gonzo Golf. We will keep everybody up, moving and involved.

Of course, we had our bingo and drawings. There were three winners for the black-out game so we gave them all free rally passes to the rally of their choice. There were also fuel cards, gift cards from Target and Wal-Mart, and National RV clothing certificates. Lots of winners!

Jennifer Diaz, our rally Coordinator, is now a full-fledged, trained, and enthusiastic participant. She loves the people – and they love her. She is a real asset to our events and we couldn’t do it without all of her support.

Also, the volunteers are always there to assist us. We keep getting more and more club members interested in volunteering. They see what a great time we are having and know that this is the perfect way to meet people. We have to limit the number we use at each event, but try to bring in new faces at all rallies. Whether you are working registration or parking – or anything other strange thing that we ask you to do – we absolutely depend on your help. Thanks – to all of you.

And, of course, without the support and loyalty of our club members there would be no rallies. You follow us wherever we go – and we have brought you to some out-of-the way areas. But you always see the beauty of the land, the interesting sights to see, the local atmosphere, and the support of the community. You are the backbone of the organization and the reason the company goes that extra mile to put on an event that you will remember. If you have a great time, we have done our job. If you do not – well, we want to hear about that too.

Get out those 2006 calendars and start penciling in the events that you will be able to attend. Sign up early and get involved. Research the area, as we do, and take advantage of all the things that interest you. And most important, make new friends that share your passion for rv’ing. You will always have a smile on your face!