Should FMCA Allow Towable RVs-- Vote NOW

[lmsooter]

4 hours ago, BillAdams said:

Are you saying I sometimes offend?  Harrumph!  OK, maybe, but it was never intentional!   

You are priceless Bill!

[dons2346]

21 hours ago, manholt said:

 

Dons, I said 3 day's, I stand corrected as of now, there is only today and tomorrow left.  You really should have read every word I wrote!!!

 

I did Carl,I really did

[manholt]

Don.

It's OK.  The Vote is now over!  Now, we sit and wait, for "the Fat Lady to Sing"! 

I wonder what the future will bring?  All "Snail Mail" ballots, should be in by the 6th and counted by the 15th!  If it's YES, that is by no means the end of the process....Lots of people on this Forum will say (and they know better) that it is!  If it's NO, then it's a dead issue and FMCA has spent a lot of $$$$ for nothing!

[manholt]

Well, according to Herman Mullins, the Fat Lady sang...70% Yes and 30% No.  Our future is no longer Family MOTOR COACH Association!  Thank you to those of you that voted.  No comment to those that did not !

[elkhartjim]

Wow....I hope Herman didn't catch the loose lips sink ships syndrome. 

I thought when Smitty posted for beta testers for the new website it was a done deal. I wonder what the name is on the new website?  This has been in the works for some time, you don't just build a website in a few days.

[smithy]

1 hour ago, elkhartjim said:

Wow....I hope Herman didn't catch the loose lips sink ships syndrome. 

I thought when Smitty posted for beta testers for the new website it was a done deal. I wonder what the name is on the new website?  This has been in the works for some time, you don't just build a website in a few days.

We have been working on the new website for close to a year. Was going to be done whether a vote was out or not.

[cwswine]

2 hours ago, manholt said:

Well, according to Herman Mullins, the Fat Lady sang...70% Yes and 30% No.  Our future is no longer Family MOTOR COACH Association!  Thank you to those of you that voted.  No comment to those that did not !

And I got my renewal letter in the mail today.  LoL. I will stay a member of Good Sams for the benefits but is the assist worth the money since I have 6 years left on my tires. I’m part time a rarely more than days drive from home.  If you are a full timer isn’t you Motorhome your home.   I think GS Motorhome magazine and is dedicated to just Motorhome is better than FMCA’s but GS magazine comes at a addditional cost.   

[jeff753]

3 hours ago, manholt said:

Well, according to Herman Mullins, the Fat Lady sang...70% Yes and 30% No.  Our future is no longer Family MOTOR COACH Association!  Thank you to those of you that voted.  No comment to those that did not !

So 8% of the membership controlled the outcome. I’m thinking of writing a proposal to change the governing board member to represent “one member one vote” regardless of how many chapters a member belongs to, if any. 

It would be interesting to see how many votes were cast by non chapter members  

Chapter members had more likely good of being aware of the pending change  

For example each region would elect up to 50 delegates. Each delegate would carry their percentage of votes of the entire region. Currently over 70% and growing do not belong to a chapter and thus have no governing board representation. 

It’s not anybody’s fault it’s just where we are today. We also need to be able to vote via ballot or electronic means. 

[hermanmullins]

Jeff, I am sorry if you miss understood, but the ballot did go to all members. All member of FMCA had to opportunity to vote. So whose fault was it if they didn't vote?

As far as I am concerned the people that had a feeling on the subject voted and those that didn't care did not.

The membership has made the decision and I for one  will live with the decision. I will just learn how the successfully park towables.

Now let get on with making FMCA Better.

Herman   

[wolfe10]

Lets wrap up this thread with the results-- no longer a "vote now" issue. This thread will be closed. 

This just went out by e-blast to all FMCA members with a registered e-mail address:

 

Results are in for the recent membership vote. Members have voted to welcome owners of self-contained RVs: Total votes: 9,801  In favor: 6,820  Opposed: 2,981  Per FMCA's governing documents, the paperwork is being filed to make the vote official. Until the paperwork is finalized, we cannot accept membership applications from owners of self-contained RVs. So feel free to tell the news to your friends who own travel trailers and fifth wheels, but please let them know we are working on the details! We will tell you as soon as we are ready.  In the meantime, we have gathered a list of questions you may have:

Read FAQs

I want to reassure everyone, regardless of how you voted, that the things you know and love about FMCA aren’t going to change! This is a chance for our RVing family to grow.

Jon Walker, F268778   FMCA National Preside

 

 

And this is the FAQ as linked in that e-blast: https://www.fmca.com/membershipvote

Frequently Asked Questions About FMCA Welcoming All RV Owners

With the recent vote of the FMCA membership to invite owners of all types of self-contained, wheeled recreation vehicles (with permanently installed cooking, sleeping, and sanitary facilities) to join the association, we understand that members may be concerned about what this means for them and may have questions. The following should answer most of them, but if you have a question that’s not addressed here, please feel free to contact the FMCA national office (membership@fmca.com; 800-543-3622 or 513-474-3622).

Remember: FMCA is and will continue to be the organization you’ve known and loved. We’re just broadening our horizons a bit and sharing all of the good things FMCA has to offer with more RVers. The best thing FMCA has to offer, of course, is you – the members! We’re excited to begin this new journey and are glad you are along for the ride!

1) Will FMCA chapters be required to allow owners of towable RVs to join their chapter? No. Chapters still control their own bylaws. Your chapter will not be required to allow owners of towable RVs to join the chapter if your chapter members do not wish to do so. The scope of the chapter will continue to be the chapter members’ decision, and bylaws can be amended at any time (to include – or exclude – based on non-discriminatory factors). Many chapters already have restrictions or special interests in terms of the brand of vehicle, engine manufacturer, hobbies, etc.

2) Are we going to change the name of the association? Why would someone join an organization called Family Motor Coach Association if they own a fifth-wheel travel trailer?  “FMCA” is how most of us refer to the organization today, so our recommendation is to keep the name but move to using only the acronym, much like AARP did when it opened its doors to pre-retirees. The association will still legally be known as Family Motor Coach Association, but we will just refer to it as FMCA.

3) How will the rallies be affected?  Our goal is to keep delivering a great experience to current members while also appealing to the younger crowd. We will re-evaluate our convention structure to provide new and different activities. For example, we may have multiple entertainment options presented at different times of the day to accommodate various ages and interests.

4) Will FMCA be parking all vehicle types together at events? Yes. FMCA leaders have consulted with our layout and staging experts to achieve an optimum experience for everyone.

5) Will we need to retrain our parkers? It’s just a different type of vehicle, driven by equally skilled drivers. The same parking method will be used.

6) What parking differences are there in terms of parking towables next to motorhomes? Because we do pull-through parking in most cases, we do not expect to have any problems with parking at the conventions. Other RV organizations successfully park different types of vehicles together at their events.

7) What about generator usage at conventions? On-board generators tend to be quieter than portable generators. FMCA will continue to offer various parking options as we do now, including “full generator” areas where generators can be run 24 hours a day and “no generator” areas where they can’t be operated. Owners of all RVs will have the option to purchase electricity. We will require that only manufacturer-installed on-board generators be used in general and full-generator lots. Portable generators will not be permitted.

8) Will all RV owner members have full benefits? Yes.

9) Will all members be able to hold national office? Yes, all full (family or life) members will be able to hold national office. Associate members are not eligible to vote or hold an office.

10) What is the willingness of our current members to accept all vehicle types? As demonstrated by the recent vote, most current members are very much in favor of this change.  We know many members who started out with towable RVs before purchasing a motorhome. Our hope is that current members will welcome all new members, regardless of the equipment they travel with.

11) Towable owners’ educational needs may differ. Will FMCA focus on their needs? We don’t anticipate dropping any of our motorhome educational programs and will continue in our historic role as the authoritative resource for motorhome information; however, over time our content and seminars will naturally expand to include helpful and educational information about all RVs as members with other equipment join us.

12) Does FMCA offer seminars regarding starting new chapters? We don’t have such a seminar currently but we certainly can, if members are interested!

13) Will we keep the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program?  Yes. Opening FMCA to more RV owners will help the organization and spread out the cost of this expensive benefit over a larger pool of members.

14) Some people look at FMCA as an elitist organization. Will opening up the membership to all RV owners help with that? It’s easy for people to think that way based on the previous motorhome requirement, but we know that FMCA members are warm, wonderful people. With the recent vote, we will welcome all RVers so they can experience our exclusive benefits without feeling “excluded” because they don’t own a motorhome! Many of us started with an RV other than a motorhome, and we strongly believe it’s not about the equipment; it’s about the people who chose the RV lifestyle.

15) How do we keep younger kids active in FMCA? This presents an opportunity to revisit our Youth Program. We don’t want to just have an on-site babysitting service. Our goal is to provide meaningful activities for the children and young adults, too. With an infusion of new and perhaps younger members, we’ll have new ideas and new energy for our “family” members with families!

16) Why should I continue to be a member? FMCA is unique. It is a not-for-profit RV association, the largest in the world. Our mission is education (and fun) and, with that in mind, we continue to develop the offerings of the FMCA Academy. FMCA also provides great benefits, such as the tire buying program, the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program, and the Connect-on-the Go and the Tech Connect+ Benefit Package. FMCA will continue to be unique among the major clubs because it is the only one owned and governed by its membership.

17) How will FMCA fulfill the vision that the founders had that FMCA would be an exclusive club for motorized RVs? We recognize your concern about this issue. However, to continue to exist as an association, we also recognize that we need to avoid stagnation. The RV marketplace has changed and evolved over time. We’ve looked around and seen that our families and friends – those we want to welcome as new FMCA members – have many choices of RVs that are not motorized. We want to make sure FMCA flourishes well into the future, and broadening our focus is a way to help ensure this.

18) What happened to cause us to change our minds about non-motorized RVs?  This isn’t the first time this idea has come up. Members have repeatedly asked FMCA leadership why the association didn’t welcome all RV owners. After all, it’s not about the equipment; it’s about the people who choose the RV lifestyle. Our goal is to make sure FMCA is around for the next generation. So, we need to continue to welcome younger RVers to ensure continued growth of the association.

19) Did FMCA do this just because of the money?  No. It’s about the family! Motorhomes don’t go to conventions; people do. We want dues to stay affordable for everyone while providing top-notch benefits. With more members over whom to spread the cost of the member benefits, FMCA can serve more RV owners.

20) Younger people are known for not being interested in joining organizations, and they may not want to volunteer. How will we handle that?  It’s true that younger people with families may be busy working, raising their children, and have other day-to-day demands that can make time for volunteering difficult. But we won’t know until we ask. By talking with them, welcoming them, and inviting their participation as volunteers, we may find they bring a higher level of energy to our volunteer efforts, even if they can’t participate as often as current members. Extend a greeting the next time you see a younger RVer, and you may find those who would be interested in FMCA membership aren’t so different from you! After all, millennials and Gen-Xers are the future of the RV industry.

21) How will we adjust our methods of communication as we welcome owners of towables, many of whom are likely to be younger than today’s FMCA members?  We don’t have any plans in place to eliminate publications or current communications tools.  We are already using email and social media effectively, and this will continue to evolve as we gain experience with these methods.

22) Will our benefits change? They may – but only for the better! Even today, benefits evolve to serve our members.  As we see an increase in membership, we’ll just have a wider audience of member needs and interests. FMCA will never stop delivering value (and fun) to our members.

23) Why couldn’t we have just grown the organization by getting more motorhome owners to join?  FMCA has an active member recruitment program and has been signing up thousands of new members every year.  However, we also have been losing thousands of members every year due to age-related factors. The new members who are joining today aren’t new to RVing – they have built friendships and memories with other RVers. Instead of feeling as though they were turning their backs on those friendships, we’d rather they just bring their friends along for the fun with FMCA!

Please keep in mind – these changes won’t happen overnight. We’ll always be the FMCA family. The people who choose to join us going forward will be just like us: friendly, welcoming, helpful – and FUN. The only difference is they might pull up in a different kind of RV.