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Fishing licenses are issued by state governments. RVers who want to fish in a new state must first buy a license in that state. FMCA member Ron Johnson of Wilsonville, Ala., asked FMCA for help in promoting a national fishing license. He and his wife, Delores, have been RVing since 2000. They love to fish at U.S. national parks and other federal lands. The cost of out-of-state fishing licenses strains their budget, Mr. Johnson says, particularly when they want to fish for only one day or when bodies of water border more than one state. He ponders, "Wouldn't it be nice to have a federal licenses program whereby we could fish anywhere on federal lands for a nominal fee (or even better, a one-time fee like the Golden Age Passport program) and be exempt from state requirements." Vicky Ferrari, chair of FMCA's Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee, and I thought this would be a good topic to post here. So, what do you think … Is a nationwide fishing license a good idea? Could states agree to a reciprocal license that would allow Americans to fish nationwide while abiding by the fishing regulations of the state where the fishing takes place? Could such a bill be passed? Or, would a regional or multi-state license be more reasonable? By the way, Passport America, the discount camping club, has a Petition for a National Senior Fishing License on its Web site.

To view ALL of your content, click your display name next to your photo at the top right corner, which contains your profile and other settings. From that drop-down menu, select "My Content." You can see all of your Forum posts. To view your Blogs and Gallery entries, click the respective tabs.

Here's an article from the September 2004 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine: Terra Wind Amphibious Motorhome

Sam's Club $10 Gift Card -- more info and print out the Sam's Club Membership Certificate, which entitles FMCA members to receive a $10 gift card when they sign up for a new Sam's Club membership or renew an existing membership during promotionary periods. Information about all FMCA member benefits

Cell phone and texting laws from the Governors Highway Safety Association Web site.

IE9 is still in development, and our forums software provider is not supporting it until it is released as final. Currently, IE9 is a "Release Candidate," meaning that Internet Explorer has most of the features that will be included in the final release, but it's still being tested. According to Microsoft, if you are trying Release Candidate IE9, you might experience more errors than you would using an earlier version of Internet Explorer. I would go back to IE8, until the final IE9 product is released.

On March 14, FMCA.com will show two popular towing-related seminars -- Towing Roundtable and Supplemental Braking for Towed Vehicles -- via live webcast from FMCA's convention in Perry, Ga. Click this link for the times, and bookmark the page: Watch motorhoming seminar webcasts live If you watch the webcast(s), be sure to come back to this thread and tell us what you thought.

We have darkened the color of the links. Adjusting your monitor brightness/contrast settings might help, as well. Sorry, we don't have the option to enable users to configure their own colors. The Add Reply box has been moved up, closer to the text entry box, to reduce scrolling. And of course, the Fast Reply function -- located at the bottom of the discussion thread -- is a quick way to post a reply, without having to open a separate reply page. Thanks for the feedback! Oh, a note about the View New Content link, which can be found near the top-right of the page: View New Content reveals a list of threads/topics containing posts that you have not yet read. Click a topic and it should take you directly to the first unread post within that topic.

Here are some tips for using the new software, based on what I've seen so far. Feel free to add to this, but confine your posts here to helpful advice. If you have problems, please post those comments in the Software Upgrade Feedback thread. Thanks for all your input. "View New Content" reveals a list of threads/topics containing posts that you have not yet read. Click a topic and it should take you directly to the first unread post within that topic. Click the "View topic preview" icon in the topic listing or search results views, and see the first and latest posts without leaving the page. To make changes to your Profile, click on your photo in the top right corner, then hit "My Profile" button on the right. To view all of your content (posts, blogs, photos), click your display name in the top right corner and seelect "My Content" from the drop-down menu. You can make your e-mail address public or private. Click on "My Settings," then the left checkbox called "Notification Options." Under the Privacy Settings heading, check or uncheck (your preference) on "Hide my email address from other members." The "Notification Options" area is also where you can decide how to receive things. You can choose Email, Personal Conversation (like a Private Message) and/or Inline Notification (pops up in your browser window). Members can update their "status" by going to the main Forums page and typing it into the window on the right rail. Or by going to Profile and typing it in. The status updates will show in the feed on main page to the right. Members can Like a topic by scrolling to the very bottom and hitting the "like" button on the left. Members can Share a topic at the very bottom left through various options such as Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Buzz, Reddit, e-mail, etc. Changing Your Password, E-mail Address To change your password and/or e-mail address, click My Settings from the drop-down at the top right corner. Under General Settings, you'll see links for Change Email Address and Change Password. These links will take you to the FMCA.com Update Account page. To change your displayname, which is also the name shown next to your topics, posts, etc., contact webmaster@fmca.com. Enjoy!

We did a full upgrade to our software on Feb. 28. We are working to get everything fully functional. There will be a few bugs as we get acquainted with all the new bells and whistles. You will notice more changes during the next week or so, concerning layout, logging in, etc. In this thread, please alert us to any issues or problems related to the software update. Be specific in describing the issue. And in your post, indicate the Web browser version you are using (IE7, IE8, Firefox, Safari, etc.). Thanks for your patience!

We will be undergoing a full upgrade to our software this week. During the next week or so you will notice new and enhanced features as well as color and layout changes. Keep in mind there will be a learning curve for Moderators and Admin with the upgrade. We will do our best to learn and complete all the modifications as quickly as we can. Once the updated site is running, I will highlight some of the new features. You'll also create a feedback topic so you can alert us to any issues or problems related to the software update. We hope this goes as smoothly as possible.

There is a related thread in the Family Motor Coaching magazine forum: Magazine Electronic Version

Receive one complimentary issue of Family Motor Coaching, and see why FMCA members consider it one of FMCA's most popular member benefits. Start your risk-free trial

Here is a link to the Grounds Map for FMCA's 85th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, set to take place March 14 to 17, 2011, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, Ga. Grounds Map (PDF) For more information about the event, including registration, seminars, exhibits and entertainment, CLICK HERE.

The use of car seats and seat belts is not federally regulated, and laws vary by state. Some states require the use of car seats -- and that all RVs be outfitted with seating that accommodates them. Other states mandate that only some seat belts be available. Some RVs have seats and seat belts for car seats, but the orientation might be sideways instead of foward. Or, the seat belt position might be in a location that's not safe (e.g., behind a table) if a crash were to occur. The Governors Highway Safety Association lists Child Passenger Safety Laws by state: www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html Use the NHTSA Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator to find a child safety seat inspection station near you. A certified technician will inspect your child safety seats and make sure they are installed correctly.

Lake City has become RV friendlier. Signs stating, "No RV Camping or Sleeping Enforced" were removed Feb. 3, according to the Lake City Reporter. Read article

Family Motor Coaching magazine's alphabetical list of motorhome reviews is a nice resource for anyone looking to buy a new or previously owned motorhome. Motorhome Reviews

Blogger Gramps writes: "Becoming a Motor Coacher has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me and my wife. Has owning one depleted my bank account? I suppose it has, but then, maybe not." How do you feel? Do the costs of motorhoming outweigh the benefits? Or, do unmatchable memories, experiences and opportunities supersede economic concerns? Gramp's blog: Depreciation

If you like to cook and eat in your RV, at least once in a while ... By submitting a recipe on FMCA.com, you can help to feed the hungry and earn a chance to win microwave-convection cookware. Details: FMCA kicks off RV Recipe Drive

Here's an article about a 2006 Tour Master with a Mercedes-Benz MBE 926 engine. Gulf Stream Tour Master T40

After typing your text, scroll down a little and you'll see the Add Reply button near the horizontal center of the page. Similarly, when you are posting a new topic, after entering your text, scroll down and you'll see the Post New Topic or Preview Post buttons. It's a simple click, but in most cases you do have to remember to scroll down. Excuse me ... I'm about to scroll down right now and click Add Reply.

What's the difference between Add Reply, Reply and Fast Reply? And What purpose does the Quote button serve? Add Reply -- found both at the top and bottom of a topic thread. Opens a page with a full reply box and all of the options for text formatting. Use Add Reply to add your post to the discussion without quoting existing posts. Reply -- found beneath each individual reply within a thread. The Reply button is set to reply specifically to that post, so clicking it opens a reply with that post quoted at the top. (Note: You can delete the quoted post, if you like.) Quote -- found beneath each individual reply within a thread. The quote is a multi-quote feature. If you would like to reply to multiple posts within a thread, click the quote button for each of those posts and then hit the "Add Reply" button. Each post is quoted in the reply box. Fast Reply -- found at the bottom of a thread. Opens a simple reply box at the bottom of a thread. Enter a reply and then click "Add Reply." When replying to messages on the forums, choosing the appropriate reply button can save you time and enhance the communication among all forum participants.

FMCA's billboard casts a striking presence on Interstate 75, southbound, at the Perry exit, across from the Perry welcome center.