The 2010 Maintenance Session … An Anniversary to Remember!

Many months ago, when I took the job as Maintenance Session Coordinator, I knew there would be some challenges. However, I never thought that one of the most difficult would be to give a BRIEF summary of this year's MS. Not to worry, it won't be as long as the Welcome Meeting, but you may want to take a comfortable seat, sit back and enjoy the story.

What a way to celebrate our 20th Anniversary as a chapter! We had the highest attendance yet with 245 coaches, 75 of which were First Timers. Those 245 coaches came from all over North America – 35 States and 4 Canadian Provinces. There were 10 new coaches on display thanks to Monaco RV and Veurink's RV. We had 40 vendors, 18 suppliers, 9 ladies seminar leaders, and many 419 folks that presented more than 100 seminars and round tables as part of 150 scheduled events. These also included tours, dinners, crafts and meetings. Oh yeah, we can't forget the bingo, ice cream social and anniversary celebration cake and ice cream. I was reminded the first night to never, never get between a group of Holiday Ramblers and ice cream…that is a very dangerous place to be!

We tried a lot of new things this year based on feedback from years past, listening to folks on the E-Group, and hearing from members in campgrounds and at rallies around the country. The schedule was adjusted to provide more consistent start times and to allow walking time between seminars. Adding new seminars devoted to renovation and upgrading your coaches as well as a vintage coach round table offered more to those with older coaches and systems. Seminars were added on solar systems and multiplex which turned into round table formats as our members exchanged experiences on these systems. A new vendor was recruited from the Elkhart area that specialized in solar systems. We retained a good concentration of the basic systems and Cummins/Allison to educate members on coach basic equipment. Seminars were also added on RV Insurance and extended service contracts so that members could learn what to look for and what factors influence their cost.

One thing that was consistent with years past was Lynn Yeargain's Hospitality "Spread" each morning. Lynn does a wonderful job of getting us all energized each morning to survive the day's information flow and activities. Lynn and her 'wonderful volunteers' certainly helped make our week a big success. And, by the way, she set a new record this year by serving 500 people ice cream in 12.5 minutes!!!

Mac, the fire guy, and Dale Sumner were also added this year after members heard them at other events around the country. Mac gives an outstanding seminar on fire safety and Dale teaches electricity for the RVer in terms that we all can understand. Both of these gentlemen are consistent with our mission to educate our members. The feedback from their seminars was outstanding.

Perhaps some of the best parts of the MS were the round table discussions where members shared issues and solutions with each other. Round tables were divided by coach model, a ladies round table and a vintage coach round table. Many of our seminars such as satellite systems, electronics and tires became round tables since our members are frequently the best resource for solutions…somebody out there has probably seen it before. A mentoring program was started this year as an extension of round tables. First timers could submit requests for help with specific systems or issues. Then a member would go to that person's coach and help them with the problems. Feedback was very positive on the Mentoring Program but perhaps even more rewarding was the informal mentoring that took place as folks helped each other solve problems. One member invited everyone in his round table to come to his coach to see how he had solved a particular problem. This is truly what our Chapter is all about…Member to Member finding solutions and learning from each other.

Monaco RV and Navistar also participated in many aspects of the Maintenance Session. With executive presentations, seminars, new coaches, special deals on parts, and a customer service table, Monaco RV made their presence known and gave us the confidence that they are back and committed to the current owners. Without a doubt they are building a strong future for Holiday Rambler! Their participation is reviewed elsewhere in the newsletter so I won't go into a lot of detail other than to say "Thank You" to Monaco RV/Navistar for their support.

Believe it or not, a few coaches arrived at the fairgrounds with service needs!! Service technicians on site completed over 370 work orders during the session. In addition there were 71 work orders completed before and after the event. Service Center Sponsors on site during the week were All 4 One Service, Alliance Coach, Elkhart Service & Collision, Master Tech RV Service and Pinnacle RV. Cummins Crosspoint also provided almost 100 engine service and recall upgrades. What a great way to get things repaired and maintained while we learn!

Due to the increased number of vendors, our service sponsors, OEM service, the number of new coaches on display, and the Alliance Coach parts truck from Florida, we had to move activities into Building A. What a great venue this turned out to be. We added a Gathering Area in the middle where folks could eat lunch or just take a 'brain break' as well as check out the good deals and service specials. The word continues to spread on what a great event this was and we have more vendors wanting to be part of it next year. One comment heard from vendors many times was "What a great group of people you have in this Chapter"!

One last area that can't be overlooked is volunteering, because without volunteers we wouldn't have a Maintenance Session. We had over 200 workers that helped in every aspect of the session (no comps for anyone-not one!). Whether it was parking, security, office, morning hospitality, serving ice cream or helping another member, every person at the MS participated in some way. Once again this is a great testimonial to the makeup of our membership. I hope you all learned a lot, renewed old friendships, made new ones, and can feel more comfortable in your HR Diesel Pusher as you Ramble along the highways of our great country. During the MS we added 17 new members to our Chapter 419 enrollment…the total enrollment now stands at 874 members strong – and growing. Gerry and Charol Shiffman were the latest members added to our Chapter 419 family … they were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary and purchased a Sceptor during the event. 20/20 and a new coach – Congratulations to the Shiffmans! Congratulations also to Hugh and Vera Skidmore and John and Jane Buzzelli who purchased new Neptunes. All three couples were First Timers!

I invite you to join our E-group, take advantage of our newsletters, and follow activities on our web site to benefit from the wealth of knowledge of this great Chapter. Spread the word to others in campgrounds and communities across the country so that we may continue to grow and learn from each other.

In closing, I want to send a special "Thank You" to the MS Lead Team who worked countless hours to orchestrate this event. They were: Dean Yoesting (Co-Coordinator, Grounds), Sue Woodie (Co-Coordinator, Member Services), Bob Wolnewitz (Co-Coordinator, Seminars-Scheduling and a lot more), Ralph Gallagher (Co-Coordinator, Finances) and John Miller (Chairman of Moderators-Mentors-Roundtables). Without this group of dedicated people, the Maintenance Session would not have been what it was for all. This group inspired a theme of "customer service" which carried throughout the entire MS. Of course the remaining 200+ volunteers deserve a "Standing Ovation" as well. I am sincerely grateful for all your time and efforts.

A frequent comment heard at the end of the week was "We're tired, but we will be back next year to learn more." Thank you to everyone who attended!! We hope to see you back next year. For those that didn't attend this year, a new planning team is already at work - so mark your calendars for the same time and same place in 2011.

Safe travels and see you down the road … Dick

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