rossboyer Report post Posted August 6, 2017 Topic Started! Note: I just edited this first post to change the title from "voting in the future" to vote NOW. Ballots are in FMCA magazine (September 2017 issue as well as next months magazine) OR Available on the FMCA website. FMCA is YOUR organization. Please VOTE for what you feel is in FMCA's best interest. Brett/Moderator Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 7, 2017 If you want Family Motor Coach Association to become just FMCA, and allow towables, VOTE. If you want it to remain the Family Motor Coach Association for motor homes only, VOTE. Either way don't complain if you don't VOTE. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casuall454 Report post Posted August 7, 2017 My opinion is mine, just vote. Vote folks, get engaged, get involved. Vote Some will agree with the final decision, some will disagree. Either way, vote and then respect the decision of the membership. Looking forward to a resolve on this "hot button" topic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted August 7, 2017 If every active member on this site (literally everyone!) voted that would be great but that would still leave 49,950 of the 50,000 members who have no idea what's going on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossboyer Report post Posted August 7, 2017 Hopefully, the articles in FMC that goes along with the ballots will be clear to the membership. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted August 7, 2017 Ross. Not a perfect world and the scary part, is that less than 1% of the membership voted to put the other 99+% in the place we are now at ! So, Please take the 5 minutes to VOTE and buy a stamp and send it in by Snail Mail ! Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted August 7, 2017 I agree with Carl. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted August 7, 2017 Ross, good title! The "RV's" after "Towable" makes it clear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossboyer Report post Posted August 7, 2017 Typically nay sayers are the individuals that post about issues, but hopefully posters here will post about the positives on both sides of this issue. We have heard a lot of negatives. I for one still have not made up my mind. There is still about 3 months before our ballot needs to be sent in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted August 7, 2017 What are the positive aspects of this? Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rfsod48 Report post Posted August 7, 2017 New young members instead of us cratchity old men!😀 Maybe lower dues? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossboyer Report post Posted August 7, 2017 In the early years of FMCA, towable RVs could join as Associate Members. Doing so allowed young adult family members the ability to be in a chapter and socializie with friends that the knew as the grew up with their parents that were FMCA members. Today, associate members can only be those that were family members that had owned a motor home. An associate member today has all the rights and privileges as a family member except they can not hold an office (national, area or chapter) or vote. Technically, they could attend conventions, area rallies and chapters. I would like my children or grandchildren be able to join FMCA as associate members as they once for us to be able to socialize as a family in this organization. But today that is not the issue to be voted upon. The issue is should FMCA allow all RVs to join. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted August 7, 2017 Just respectfully suggesting,,, in order to increase participation in voting, add a "VOTE NOW" flashing icon on the FMCA membership home page? This seams to me that this will be a HUGE issue for this organization, as the outcome could change the face (and name) of the "Family Motor Coach Association" forever. Please Vote!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
earlmumma Report post Posted August 7, 2017 Towable should be permitted Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossboyer Report post Posted August 7, 2017 I am interested in why you think so. The information may help others that are undecided. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhartjim Report post Posted August 7, 2017 When we picked up our new coach last week, I asked the sales manager what he thought about FMCA and if they ever discussed it with customers. Boy did I get an ear full and it wasn't nice. He was at a FMCA rally in Perry at some point representing the Newmar dealer network when he and all the other dealer reps heard about a meeting where some individual was telling the attendees how to buy a motorhome at cost. I guess I don't have to tell you, they were upset and after a few days the group had decided to do all they could to NOT support FMCA. I'm just repeating his story. I don't have a clue if its factual or a bunch of bunk. I do know that our Newmar had a prominent brochure for CoachNet. The dealer is Holiday World in Katy, TX, with multiple locations. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimnorm Report post Posted August 7, 2017 I understand that there are incredibly expensive all inclusive Towables out there, but be honest, how many? Let us look at the average MH vs the average towable. MH has an engine, transmission, genset, automatic or semi-automatic leveling, steering gear, air suspension, (OK, not all) a large windshield, and requires specialized support for all. The average towable has none of the above. There are 8.9 million 8,900,000 RV owners out there, if even only 10% 890,000 are MH owners we have only attracted about 5% of our target audience! So with this outstanding success in attracting members from our target audience, why do we think that going up against Good Sam will bring in many new members? I will bring info with me to CGs I visit to share with other MH owners and I talk up FMCA membership. We all need to recruit one member, that would double our membership. I personally believe that including Towable RVs will not grow us in the end, but will rather be the death knell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted August 7, 2017 I don't need to recruit anyone so that some guy in the golden office who clearly doesn't know how to run his own business can get a bigger paycheck. While there are a lot of volunteers working on behalf of FMCA, there are a lot of folks making a living running this business. Why is it my responsibility to ensure they don't starve? Bad business is just bad business and sometimes it takes a huge wake up call to force the businesses to run their businesses as a business. That's what this vote is all about. FMCA, as a business, has failed due to their own failure to recruit new members below the average age of 71 so they are grasping at straws in hopes that they can find a new business to keep those paychecks coming. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimnorm Report post Posted August 8, 2017 Bill you have been at this a lot longer than I have, at least as a member of FMCA. I've been a member of a number of other organizations and no matter what the group, they all do best when members recruit. That said, an organization has to have a reason to exist as well, just being there is not enough, it has to know what it is and sell its mission to its members. FMCA is losing its focus on what is is as an organization. In part this is due to the aging membership and how much of the membership has over time either perceived themselves or allowed themselves to be perceived by the RV/MH public. I know when I joined I had at first a very negative feel. Seemed that it was a old rich guy organization. Being neither I was a bit put off, but I gave it a shot. I am now sort of Old, and owning a MH, not especially rich. I think the chapter level could do more for growth than any reorganization or national program. We need the chapters to be family friendly. That means you can't only rally during the week. The people we want to join us are at work and their kids are in school. I joined when I was 54, I worked 50 weeks of the year. My daughter was in school and would not take a day off for any reason. So we did not get to go to any rallies, local or national. Last year after 10 years we went to our first, it was during the summer, it was close enough to go and get home in a week, no need to bridge over into a second week. We will attend our first chapter rally this fall. We no longer are as constrained by days off. Still work, but have a lot of flexibility now. 40 -60 YO usually don't. If we make the organization friendly towards the target we won't have to recruit, people would seek us out. Inviting towable RVs in is like a sailing club inviting ski boats to join. both play on the water, but that is where the similarities end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rfsod48 Report post Posted August 8, 2017 We have had all this conversation, I think all of us have made up our mind by now. We all need to vote and make an effort to get the other 80-90% of the membership to vote also. Going back and forth is not likely to change any minds on the forum. I think it is time to move on, just my 2 cents. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
isaaac1 Report post Posted August 8, 2017 10 hours ago, manholt said: Ross. Not a perfect world and the scary part, is that less than 1% of the membership voted to put the other 99+% in the place we are now at ! So, Please take the 5 minutes to VOTE and buy a stamp and send it in by Snail Mail ! Carl I have to wonder what percentage of the membership never reads the magazine, or at least does not read it in a timely manner Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted August 8, 2017 I don't think letting trailers in is going to add to the membership. I think we will lose as many current members as we gain new members. We should be going after the current owners of qualifying coaches to get new members. I have recruited 24 new members since I joined in 1978. The chapter I help form was made up of about half working couples with small kids. We had rallys on a wide spot in the road or BLM land with no hook ups. Remember, motorhomes are self contained! Our get togethers were on weekends within 125 mile radius of Lk Havasu City so everyone could attend. Now it seems that everyone needs full hookups and catered dinners. Thats not the RV lifestyle that I enjoyed when I started 42 years ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 8, 2017 Well said Bruce. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dons2346 Report post Posted August 8, 2017 " I don't need to recruit anyone so that some guy in the golden office who clearly doesn't know how to run his own business can get a bigger paycheck." So Bill, why don't you tell us who is in the golden office that gets a big paycheck? I would like to know as would everyone else on this board. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted August 8, 2017 Pick anyone who is paid to work for FMCA. If you would like me to withdraw the big paycheck wording, fine (define big), but this is not a charity and there are a great number of folks depending upon volunteers to ensure they get paid every 2 weeks. I don't know who makes what but there are a number of actual employees getting actual paychecks from the CEO down to the folks to run the mail room. Am I expected to believe that in all the years this BUSINESS has been in business no one has ever profited from the business they started and that none of that profit has been derived from the facts that a great deal of this business' profit comes from the saving generated by volunteers? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
