National Rally V

[dalej]

Tom had a great idea to have a national rally in SD in Sept. should we have Jim go ahead with the planning the thing? He needs to know what everyone thinks on this.

I like the idea of having our annual rally the second full week of September, or the second weedend. We need to have a five day rally, I think.

We need to get going on this....lets not get side tracked this time.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Count me in. I like knowing that far in advance.

Di wonders what there is to do after you have seen Rushmore and Crazy Horse, just a question, not a complaint about the site.

[dalej]

Jon, that depends.....are you bringing you Vette?

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Dale I hate to question you, or DARE to correct you, however, a POG Rally in Sept. 2008 would be # VII wouldn't it? :confused:

Sieverville, TN is POG Rally V. Pahrump, NV is POG Rally VI?

Unless the "National" Rally nomenclature means something else as far as the number status? :rolleyes:

Just trying to keep things straight if possible. :eek: :D

Gary S.

[dalej]

Your right Gary, I guess I have the spring rallies behind me in my mind, since they are planned.

I called and talked to Michelle at Elkorn ridge RV park and she said that the second week of Sept. 14-20 is open for a rally, she also said that the whole month is open as of today.

Check it out and post your comments

http://www.elkhornridgervpark.com/index.php

[rfoster]

Spearfish sounds good to me. According to Billy, Jody, and Truk- its the place to be. Sign me up.:cool:

[bill&jody]

Count me in. I like knowing that far in advance.

Di wonders what there is to do after you have seen Rushmore and Crazy Horse, just a question, not a complaint about the site.

us too!

di- this link shows a calendar for some of the things that went on the 2nd week of sept this year: http://events.blackhills.com/cgi-bin/webevent.cgi?cmd=calweek&y=2007&m=9&d=9&cal=cal1&token=&sb=0&cf=cal&lc=calyear&swe=1&set=1&sa=0&sort=e,m,t&ws=0&sib=1&de=0&tf=0
there are several small towns with shops . . . a scenic drive away like deadwood.
devils tower national monument http://www.nps.gov/deto/
spearfish canyon http://www.spearfish.com/canyon/
badlands national park http://www.nps.gov/archive/badl/exp/home.htm

100 miles south in Hot Springs, SD:
Wild Horse Sanctuary- Home to more than 400 wild mustangs
Evans Plunge- Indoor, natural spring fed, 87 degree mineral water pool with indoor and outdoor waterslides (whooo hooo)
Mammoth Site- North America's largest mammoth research facility with 55 mammoths, fossils beds and hands-on activities
Wind Cave National Park- Fifth longest cavern and largest concentration of free roaming buffalo in the US

haven't been to these things - just thinking ahead!!!!
jody

[Jon Wehrenberg]

No Corvette. Hummer. Lady Di hates Corvettes and when she drives she wants a vehicle to offer some protection.

To her the bus is not big enough. I gotta work on that.

[bill&jody]

To her the bus is not big enough. I gotta work on that.
oh no, jon - we're not going to lead the discussion back to those H5-60's (www.rockstarcoaches.com) are we?
hahahahahah just kidding- don't want jim c to get all excited!!!
jody

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Wouldn't this be great converted;):D:D

Sure seems big enough:eek:http://www.heartlandbus.com/VehicleDetail.cfm?StockNo=1316

[Joe Cannarozzi]

There is a fellow on busnuts, Sean Welsh, that did one and a pretty good job of it too.

He was featured in bus conversions mag on one of last years issues.

They full time it and have a pretty good blog going as well.

[garyde]

It is approx. 1700 miles from SouthernCalifornia to South Dakota, maybe a little less from Northern California , Oregon, and Washington. The question ;
Is there anyplace closer which would accomodate POGGERS from all over the country?

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

It is approx. 1700 miles from SouthernCalifornia to South Dakota, maybe a little less from Northern California , Oregon, and Washington. The question ;
Is there anyplace closer which would accomodate POGGERS from all over the country?

Dale and Jan's Farm! :cool:

[hhoppe]

Gary: Drawing lines from Maine to San Diego and Seattle to Florida puts the center about Kansas. Unless you are into wheat, corn or soybeans that would not be a good choice. East and West seperate rallys sounds like one solution, but I think one main rally where we all get together will reap the best rewards for all. It does mean lots of miles, but that's why we own busses, to travel. It is easier for us retireds to get the time to do it, so I'll let you working family folks do the deciding and we will be there.

[dalej]

Gary, I can see your point about the miles. I think at this point of the rally planning, we need to suggest some RV Parks that can handle the 50+ bus's that POG will grow to.

Tom, Nancy, Bill, Jody and I have stayed at the mentioned park in SD and like it. We just can't wait to long to book somthing for a rally of this size.

Kerrville was perfect but I don't want to always go back to the same area each time.

[Jerry Winchester]

Before we get all spun up on this, how about a moment to reflect.

We have two rallies planned for the spring and I am all for a "national" rally since these two are kind of east and west. We have also been on a more or less 6 month rotation as well, so this September date seems a bit early.

I would rather we had one big rally vs the east-west thing in the future and that we put the time into finding a great spot, lining up the best technical resources, get some spousal entertainment / functions planned and give folks the time to block the dates out.

This sounds like a good place, but it was the only one suggested and I would suggest we take some time to reflect on some options rather than ready, fire, aim a location which is exactly what we are doing here.

[BrianE]

I would rather we had one big rally vs the east-west thing in the future and that we put the time into finding a great spot, lining up the best technical resources, get some spousal entertainment / functions planned and give folks the time to block the dates out.



JDUB does have a way of getting to the point and we agree with an annual rally concept for the same reasons. The other consideration is location and it seems we can easily make choices that are much less than a 2000 mile drive for all. As a start, Spearfish fits the criteria very well.

[jello_jeep]

Well here is my 2 cents...

While still working, its pretty tough to make 1700 + mile trips, as it works out for us it takes up about two weeks, rally included. And all that driving is through a lot of places I would love to take the time to check out as opposed to driving until the white lines run together, and not shutting down the Detroit for several days!

When we get full on retired in a few years, it will be great to be able to go to all the rallies, and actually get time to enjoy the trip, and stop and see all the nice folk along the way.

Until then, hearing someone mention a place like Pahrump, that can be reached in 4 or 5 hours sure sounds good!

To be clear, I don't feel left out or anything, its just logistics, and I know when that nasty "work" word goes away we will be dialed in for sure!!

[dalej]

I'm in favor of a national rally only. Since the two are planned for this spring, lets do a fall rally in the fall of 08 and every fall after that. We will get enough bus's on a annual basis to keep the attendance high enough to keep the the sponsors coming.

I personaly like the second full week of Sept since the weather is still nice enough through out the contry for people to make it.

[dalej]

Logistically, I would like to see the rallies held along I-40, I-20 or I-10 in the southern part of the
country somewhere close to the middle. Just seems the bus’s in FL and southern CA would’ t mind the
trip as bad.

Dallas, TX and Spearfish, SD are the same distance for me.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I think you should do one in Chicago so a couple of poor-folk like Deb and I can make one:D

Seriously I think that this topic perfectly fits the description that you can please some of the people some of the time.

Never having been to one yet and looking from the outside in it is my observation that so far the current scheme is workin pretty darn good.

I say keep things flexible with as little HARD RULES as possible and see no reason to not continue both cenerios simoltaniously.

[phorner]

First and foremost, I highly recommend retirement.... sure makes planning the little things in life, like "where ya wanna go in the bus this time, honey?" a WHOLE lot easier!

That being said, kind of by virtue of the nature of our passion for busses, all rally's are "national" in that there is really no "chapter" or "regional" events. If the bus can get there, you can attend, right??

Anyway, you could go through a lot of gyrations trying to figure out where the most members will be travelling from, maybe weighting the states with more members to shift a preference toward their location. Then again, wouldn't it be fair to weigh the travel distance for the sponsors or the guys that went to all the work putting together seminars??

Then again, as attendance increases, the ability of the resort or campground to accommodate a large number of busses may turn out to be the determining factor.

Also, if there is but one rally a year, we're kinda putting all our eggs in one basket (Lew taught me that phrase) and it's either boom or bust. If there were, say, a spring and fall rally, at least you have an option as a member when it comes to scheduling.

So, my point is that there are any number of variables, and you could probably build a good case to hold a rally most anywhere.

For what its worth, my opinion is that a rally location should be convenient to the "major" east/west interstate highways and in a location that has a good chance for favorable weather when the rally is held. Seems to me that would encourage travel as best as can be from either coast.

Even though it's a trek for us from South Florida, we really enjoy the western states.

Other than that, we're ready to party!!.... er LEARN, yeah, that's it, learn..

[garyde]

The following is a incomplete list on this subject;
1. Time of year ; Fall, Spring, Summer
2. Location ie; which RV Park , 50 plus Coaches
3. Participation; Families, Individuals, Retirees, Semi- retired, Working,
Full timers, Homeless, Busless
4. Where in the USA; North, South, East , West.

5. Distance and time; The nagging problem , It takes time to get to Rallies
which is simply dead time for
working people and people
with families.
6. Too much of a good thing;

At some point, as much as I would like to attend, I will have to Pass on a
POG rally. No harm , no foul.

So, Jim , just do the best you can .;)

[truk4u]

The problem with the east/west from my perspective is we don't get a chance to see and meet the other Poggers (although your better off not meeting Jeep) many of whom we have met at Kerrville and Santa Fe. As big as this group is getting, a national rally seems to make more sense, once a year.

The reason I thought Spearfish was a good place, there is so much to do for everyone from seniors to kids and the park was large enough to handle our numbers. I agree it's impossible to accommodate everyone, I guess will let it up to the great Skiffer.

We can still have mini rallys, a long weekend, with no structured itinerary, just get together and have fun.:cool:

[rickdesilva]

Wendy and I agree with Truk's idea of one major rally each year and then we can organize small east, west, north, south mini rally's. This way everyone has the opportunity to make a rally somewhere.

[bill&jody]

hello ladies and gents,
i love the ideas of yoga and other exercise classes for the next rally. i enjoyed the wine glass bead markers the calif ladies' crowd did at kerrville . . . i know way back when i did a class with the POGI group and we had a good time.
AND . . . i was prepared to do a fun presentation with everyone at Branson. i'm sorry our current situation (we are STILL in OH, btw) changed our plans. in fact, i had ordered all the supplies and started prepping them for our card-making class.
oh - and since i ordered 8 lbs of customized M&M's i went ahead and put together Halloween bags of M&M's for each coach - with extras to go home with the missing wives . . . . i'm just wondering since i UPS'ed them to Branson on Tues. - did anyone get them? or did skiffer decide they would make great Halloween trick-or-treats back home???? hahahahaha i haven't heard anything, and the couple of POGGERs i talked to didn't know anything about them . . . i'm just wondering . . .

we have been the recipients of some really cool stuff (t-shirts, hats, koosies, glasses, umbrellas) other poggers have brought to these rallies, we just wanted to share something unique (don't own a biz) and fun.
hope to see you all next time - and i'm prepared to play with paper, ladies!
jody

[rfoster]

Hey Jody and Bill--Yes, we did get M&M s from you thru the Skiffer. Thank you for the candies. I like Candy. I am sorry we haven't made mention of them and that you had to ask. Just the way it is around a bunch of guys. I saw an Englishman eating his. Fe Fi Fo Fum.

Thanks again. No more of this awol stuff, ya here?:cool:

[merle&louise]

I would like to suggest Tiger Run RV Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. It is a great facility and can easily handle 50+ buses. It is only one state over from Kansas, so it is centrally located for a national rally. It is really nice in the summer months, cool mornings and mild days. Mountain bike riding for the kids, horseback riding, shopping, beautiful mountain views. Check it out on the www.tigerrunresort.com

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

. . . . i'm just wondering since i UPS'ed them to Branson on Tues. - did anyone get them? or did skiffer decide they would make great Halloween trick-or-treats back home???? hahahahaha i haven't heard anything, and the couple of POGGERs i talked to didn't know anything about them . . . i'm just wondering . . .

jody

Jody, you tried to ply the Poggers with M & M Candies, and I tried to supply some bottles of great Wine for the rally, brought by JDUB on my behalf, but like you I only heard from one of the members, Jim C about the wine. :o

So either one or two Poggers really got wasted by themselves and had a hell of a chocalate overdose or They are just being GUYS, and are afraid to say thanks ? :( :D

At any rate, I know the rally was a great success for everyone. Peg and I will try and make one of the next rallys.

Gary S

[dalej]

Gary, sorry to hear that. I never heard about the wine you supplied. We can't let these acts of kindness go un-noticed. Thanks Gary and Peggy! ;)

Since we were at the Outdoor Resorts, we didn't hear or see everything. When Jody ask, I had to say that I hadn't seen the M&M's, sure wished I had of! Thanks Jody and Bill! ;)

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Gary, sorry to hear that. I never heard about the wine you supplied. We can't let these acts of kindness go un-noticed. Thanks Gary and Peggy! ;)

Since we were at the Outdoor Resorts, we didn't hear or see everything. When Jody ask, I had to say that I hadn't seen the M&M's, sure wished I had of! Thanks Jody and Bill! ;)

Dale, you were boating at the time.

It was the Karaoke night. Gary furnished the Wine. I supplied the chips and snacks. Bill& Jody sent M&Ms. Skiffer made an announcement to the effect, but everyone was apparently too nervous about the singing that they forgot about everything but!

[dalej]

It won't happen again...not going to stay off sight again.

[MangoMike]

We served the wine at the cocktail party on Thursday and took full credit.

After all that's what friends are for...


Jody enjoyed your power snack all the way across 64.

Thanks

Mike

[jonnie]

Who was nervous about singing? I never met a microphone I did not like or for that matter one that I needed. Friday night was terrific! GO TRIBE!!!!!

[jello_jeep]

The problem with the east/west from my perspective is we don't get a chance to see and meet the other Poggers (although your better off not meeting Jeep)

Mediocrity crying out yet again :p

[rfoster]

Johnnie on Karoke Night
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g31/parkwayautoofbristol/CIMG3426.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

and He did good!

[jonnie]

Mediocrity my butt! If you want to run with the big dogs you have to get off the porch or lift your leg a little higher. Hopefully, you don't pee in your pants while attempting to do so.

[jonnie]

Roger,

Thanks for the support. You know if you ain't the lead dog the view never changes, so sometimes you just have to step up and take a chance. Toby Keith Rules

John

[garyde]

I would like to suggest Tiger Run RV Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. It is a great facility and can easily handle 50+ buses. It is only one state over from Kansas, so it is centrally located for a national rally. It is really nice in the summer months, cool mornings and mild days. Mountain bike riding for the kids, horseback riding, shopping, beautiful mountain views. Check it out on the www.tigerrunresort.com

This looks like a great place any time. I like the Tiger Tail.

[jello_jeep]

Jonnie, I wasn't pickin on you, I was pickin on that nasty ol Trukster, for the lewd and rude Jeepster comment qutoted!:D

[jonnie]

Jeep,

I knew that, but I thought I would put in my 2 cents worth and stir the pot a little bit.

John

[jello_jeep]

Okey dokey Jonnie!

[truk4u]

Gary - Thanks for the bottle of wine, it was enjoyed. If you sent more than that, it's in Jdub's bus.

Jody - Thanks for the candy, but while everyone one was enjoying the music fest, Mango scooped up all the bags and mumbled something about Halloween at home.

Dale - Glad to hear you'll be with us in the future, we missed Jan.

Big John - Do you have MPD yet?

[Ray Davis]

Try this link instead. I think it goes to the right place.

Ray

http://prevostownersgroup.com//photoalbums/index.cfm?fuseaction=photoalbum.photoalbum&photoalbumid=766

[dalej]

Ok guys....

We have two nominations on the floor for our fall rally (Spearfish, SD. or Breckenridge, CO. do we
have a motion to close nominations?

We have a nomination on the floor for a annual date for our national rally (second full week of
September), do we have a motion to close nominations for the date?

Or do you just want Jim Skiff to put the events together and surprise us?

I really think that well planned and timed events will be the most rewarding. Sorry, it’s who I am!

[Ray Davis]

Before we start nomininating the where and when, I think we need to consider the "who". And the who being "who" is going to be the rallymaster for that particular event.

For POG3 the southern CA guys got saddled ( :eek: oops, I mean the honor :D) of being the rally masters for Kerrville. Ken Z and I (along with our wives) met many times planning events for not only the guys, but the gals as well. Jim Skiff augmented what we had planned with the participation of the coach vendors etc.

My point is that a rally needs to me more than just a place. It needs someone to coordinate speakers, topics, crafts etc. I don't think it's fair to expect Jim Skiff to do this.

Perhaps I'm way off base. I wasn't able to make Branson, so I'm not really sure who planned the activities there.

Ray

[Jon Wehrenberg]

While I think having a rallymaster is a great idea especially after seeing the great job you guys did in Kerrville, I see no problems with Jim pulling it all together with help from whomever he asks.

All we need to know is where, when and what do we eat, and what are we going to do during the day to occupy our time. Jim handled that quite well in Branson.

I think the group should stick the ideas for locations out there to get a consensus, and then when we know where, it is more likely we can find local folks, or folks familiar with the site to assist in the rest.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Sorry, it’s who I am!


WHO are you again ? :D

Gary S

[dalej]

hey Gary..this is Jan....I live with the guy...and I ask myself that A LOT ;)

[MangoMike]

I'm wondering, that just a few months after the TN get together, we're planning another full on Rally.

To keep the interest and support of the converters/Prevost it seems to me that we need just a once a year major rally. I wonder if doing something twice a year we're going to wear out our welcome.

Wouldn't be wiser to start planning this for the Spring of '09? Giving us full year from the TN gathering?

We could supplement this with some mini gatherings during the year.


My 2¢.


Mike

[Jerry Winchester]

Now we're talking. I think letting some time build between the two spring rallys and a big blingfest is worth considering.

Now that doesn't mean I won't find some time to attend Loc's Fat Beagle Dog Throwdown and Prevost Gathering, but I think we need to consider our sponsors / technicians in this endeavor.

[Jim Skiff]

Mike & Jerry,

I think that is what will work best. It will be a rough fall but with small rallies in between I think we can manage.

So 09 at Elkhorn or Breckinridge? Summer where families can attend?

I'm listening here.

[jonnie]

Truk,

I have a been afflictted with a terminal case of MPD for many years. Unfortunately, I am also dealing with a case of champagne taste on a beer pocketbook- very hard to balance these two. I will keep hanging around with you guys, if you will let me, and try to live vicariously thru you exploits and purchases' until I am cured or take the plunge.

John

[phorner]

Mike, you make a very good point. You can only expect the sponsors to do so much and back-to-back events is asking a lot.

We probably stand to gain more by having a single "major" rally each year which will hopefully allow the sponsors and technicians to afford us the most attention that they can give.

Balanced with a number of smaller rally's, perhaps a little more socially oriented than technically oriented, might be the best compromise and allow us to get the most bang from the sponsors' buck.

Count me in for April in any event....

[rbeecher]

Mike & Jerry,

I think that is what will work best. It will be a rough fall but with small rallies in between I think we can manage.

So 09 at Elkhorn or Breckinridge? Summer where families can attend?

I'm listening here.

Hi Skiffer,

You have our vote for the 09 gathering at either location.

We are also looking forward to TN because it's close and because Jon and Fast Roger live there so it must be a great state to visit.

Richard Beecher

[garyde]

As previously said, Too much of a good thing can limit the attendance, so we'll have to fight off the Fall 'urge to merge' and plan for the spring. My vote is for Colorado as it is closer for we west coasters. I am also in favor of a wagon master as Ray has said, maybe two.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Just courious about some things.

Is it not the number of coaches in attendance that will determine if it is feasible for a vendor to come to a rally?

When did we "need" to have vendors come to our rallies. SF had only one that I can remember, and he did not make a huge attempt to "sell".

I think guys like Nick and Rick and Doug and Bill who were at Branson are an asset. I would like to hear from them on this topic.

The idea that was floated by someone to have a selling rally I think is a fantastic idea. Rather than arbitrarily limit rallies, what if a "national" rally is held every year, including 2008 and we flip the focus from one year to the next, with one year dedicated to selling coaches and having seminars that relate to ownership such as insurance, storage of coaches, maintenance costs, how to buy a coach, how to inspect a coach, etc., and the next year the rally is heavy in mechanical how to do.

This group is in a state of transition. There are a bunch of people that haven't even spoken on this issue and we do not yet know if membership has peaked or is still climbing. We don't yet know what is the best rally size, we don't know if we should set firm dates for rallies, and we don't know what the vendors yet think.

One of the most important group of people (to me anyway) that has been absent is the service techs for converters. Rick and Nick and Doug have been a huge benefit in this respect, but I still feel a large rally with converter specific groups and seminars would be a tremendous opportunity for owners to get a better and deeper understanding of their coaches and their systems.

[Loc]

I am working on plans for the Fat Beagle / Unruly Kids Throwdown and Prevost Gathering. It will be the second Fat Beagle micro-rally. FB1 was in Asheville and had a total of two buses. However there were some day pass attendees and an interloper from Virginia. FB2 is likely to only be attended by me and maybe JDUB. Bob and Debi, I will book a place that holds at least three campers and hope that you will come and bring all the dogs. I was thinking about Fast Roger's parking lot in Bristol?

I like the idea of a summer rally and think either location would be great. Breckenridge is cool in the summer and has great Jeep trails nearby. Spearfish is usually cool with the exception of this summer and has all of the Black Hills attractions.

[bill&jody]

we might be in sturgis again for bike week which is a few weeks earlier than the sept dates being discussed. it would be just as easy for us to swing over to breckenridge after sturgis. we have friends who summer at tiger run every year and LOVE it. either and both seem to work for us at this time.
jody

[JIM KELLER]

I agree with Jon. Without Rick, Nick, Doug and Jon's seminar we would have been without exposure to technical information. All of us owners need to better understand our coaches. All of the people I talked to were extremely appreciative of the knowledge they gained at our lasy Rally.

How do we attract the Service Techs from various Converters ? Is POG big enough to send them invitational requests ? Should members be doing this to help generate momentum ?

[MangoMike]

Without a doubt the techs at P4 were invaluable. But I'm sure having these guys show up 2x a year is a strain on their resources.

MIke

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Nick should correct me if I am not stating the truth, but I think he indicated these rallies are very valuable for him, not necessarily because he is able to do business at the rally, but because of the exposure and the referrals.

I still do not think we should build our organization (that erroneously suggests we are organized) around vendors. If we have good, well attended rallies the vendors will decide if it is worth it to show up.

[Denny]

I echo Jon and Jim's comments. I also like the idea of the smaller East and West rallies with a National rally. The E/W rallies would be more of a social interaction with the National one being available for converters, suppliers, etc.

Even at the regional rallies there would be a lot of learning just by talking to one another and learning from each other. It is my understanding that the service techs charge for their work. Where else can they go and find 30 or more buses in one location. I feel it is a win/win situation. At Branson we picked up one new member, Dan Parisi from Chicago, who just happened to be there. POG was exactly what he was looking for and did not know it existed.

The National rally would be on a much larger scale with 50 to 75 buses present. There aren't too many other places converters, vendors and techs, can go and find that concentration of Prevost. It is also a good situation for individuals buying or selling.

Many organizations, FMCA, Good Sam, manufacturer clubs,etc., have several chapter rallies a year and than have at least one national rally. FMCA has two national rallies a year, Country Coach club has two Family Reunions a year in addition to the individual chapter rallies, for example.

I believe we have nearly 300 members and can make a great impact on the bus market.

As for me, national rally in Sept, 08.

[Ray Davis]

Just out of curiosity, how many coaches/people ended up coming to Branson? I never did hear any figures.

[hhoppe]

Regarding Service Tech's being available we need to remember only two of them were self employed, the others work for one of the converters or Prevost. Some thank you letters need to go out to their employers for allowing them to join us with very valuable information. The techs indicated to me, they would rather come and work with our group than any other. We get into the repairs with them and want to learn. They say most groups just want it fixed and how much $.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Ray, about 21 member coaches at Branson KOA and about 50 head at the functions.

[lewpopp]

While we are on the subject of techs, what happened to Lester. I would like to look him up on the way thru Lakeland if I need some work done. I heard from a reliable source that he will not leave that area for any amount of $$$$$$$.

[JIM KELLER]

While we are on the subject of techs, what happened to Lester. I would like to look him up on the way thru Lakeland if I need some work done. I heard from a reliable source that he will not leave that area for any amount of $$$$$$$.

Lew, Lester is still there. Phone # at facility is : 800-233-7951. Lesters email is : lesterburgess@tampabay.rr.com. Hope this information is helpfull to you.

[shookie]

check out www.associationislandresort.com ...been there...quite nice....

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Oh WOW, when and how can we fit this campground in to our POG schedule? Looks like a winner to me.

Gary S.

[lewpopp]

Jim Kellor,

Lester is still there. I thought Ken Robertson closed up. do you know the name of the company? thanks

[JIM KELLER]

Jim Kellor,

Lester is still there. I thought Ken Robertson closed up. do you know the name of the company? thanks

Lew, The company is still called Ken Robertson R V and it is still open and doing business in the same location as far as I know. The phone number I gave you is the same number they had before and you can contact Lester at that number or on his email. He is a great guy with a lot of knowledge in the industry. I have used him for electronic issues as well as mechanical.

[bluevost]

Hello POGgers,

Interesting reading all of the posts regarding a National Rally. It's not often that a thread gets 7 or 8 pages of posts. It would be hard to put up an argument against any of the points, Summer '08 v waiting til '09. Would the sponsors come, would they not, Do we need them, do we not, etc. I think our sponsors and our tech people are important, and a ralley is better if they are in attendence. But these rallys don't happen by themselves and one thing I HAVE NOT SEEN here is someone stepping forward to chair the rally, or get a group of co-chairs. In planning POG III Ray, Mike, and I had no less than 6 sitdown together brainstorming sessions, phone calls back and forth to Skiffer, e-mails and phone calls back and forth to Mooney, to Buckhorn, the golf course, etc. The "to do" list for a rally this size is huge. And you need people to step up and help. GaryD took care of the golf, Warren and Kelly Jo helped out with their smoker at BBQ night, Harry and Shirley helped out at California Cocktail night, some of you helped out as presenters, and some of you just plain helped out.

The daily schedule was the hardest thing, getting the tech topics, and then the presenters. Another challenge was what to do for the people who don't want to go to the tech seminars. A luncheon, shopping, art walk, a trip to a spa, whatever. This all takes a lot of time and planning.

Frankly it might already be to late for a summer '08 rally. Places fill up fast for the summer months. So if we're talking '09, someone has to step up right now. When you charge $350 or more in rally fees, and figure $1000 or more just for fuel back and forth, you have to have a great program in place. And the time to start is now.

That's my .02 worth.

Ken