MichaelCanode Report post Posted March 29, 2010 28 March 2010 23:00 Hello, FMCA Friends! With 500 plus Chapters in our "family", I am sure that there are more than a few of us who... ...have already hosted a few Chapter Rallies, or ...are interested in becoming a "Rallymaster" for the first time. I have recently taken a bold step forward, and volunteered to act as Rallymaster when my adopted Chapter meets in early June. Fortunately, I have found a venue with enough space, newly-rebuilt electric service, a variety of nearby sights and stuff to do, and even an antique show / flea market right on the Rally site. I am, nonetheless, new at this Rallymastering business, and would appreciate some sage advice. It is my hope that this new forum can become an easy "virtual mentoring place, where experienced Rallymasters can meet with the "newbies" and answer their questions. And of course, this should be a two-way street: the experienced members can also draw new ideas about venues, events, fun items for Chapter meetings and so forth. RRRRRRRRING! Class Is In Session! "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S Webmaster / Rallymaster - Ohio Nomads Chapter E-mail "ohnwebmaster@ohionomads.com" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted March 29, 2010 Michael, Contact Beaudry RV: Ask for a copy of their excellent, free Rally Planning Guide. There were copies available at their booth at the FMCA Convention in Albuquerque. Brett Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossboyer Report post Posted March 30, 2010 Please send to me your email address, and I will send to you a "Rally Masters Guide" that I have used before and given to several chapters. rboyer@fmca.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelCanode Report post Posted June 8, 2010 8 June 2010 11:10 I have just returned home from hosting my first Chapter Rally event, the "Keep 'Em Flying Rally" in Urbana, Ohio. The information I received in the first two replies on this Forum were very helpful, and I would like to follow on from that with a few bits of advice gleaned from my own experience. 1) It is possible for one person to host a Chapter Rally. It is not, however, the best way. Don't be bashful about requesting help, either from the Chapter members who pre-register, or from the early arrivals. In the most recalcitrant cases, you may be able to bribe assistants by offering them a rebate on their Rally fee, in echange for their services. I didn't need to do that at Urbana: enough attendees were willing to help, but I was reticent to accept it, on the grounds that "I'm supposed to do that: it's the Rallymaster's job". 2) When choosing a Rally venue, consider whether or not a branch of your local bank is nearby. Many of your Rally attendees will be paying for catered dinners, "drop-in" Rally reservations and so forth with checks, which may require one or more "runs on the bank" to deposit them during the Rally. And, if you don't have a "toad" with you, that means disconnecting your coach from its site to make the trips, or asking a Rally attendee to take you to the bank. 3) When coffee and doughnuts are served, remember that the large coffee urns may take more than 30 minutes to brew a full load. You can save time and hassle by "pre-staging" the urn after each use: dispose of the spent grounds and unused coffee, clean the urn and refill with fresh water and grounds. That way, it will only require turning the urn on to start the brewing cycle before the next serving. 4) I found it very beneficial to have a wireless broadband adapter with my laptop computer, as it enabled me to keep the Rally attendees informed about fast-breaking weather information. Since I'm only 'on the road' in my coach around five weeks per year, I chose a pre-paid plan which I can use when I need it, and leave idle when I'm not in my coach. Well, I finished the Rally on Monday 7 June. The results were: a. 19 coaches and 40 attendees. b. 11 dozen doughnuts, 280 cups of coffee, 19 litres of lemonade, 40 bottles of water and 33 kilograms of ice used. c. 40 catered dinners served. Roughly, the Rally cost US$2300 to operate, a tad over US$100 more than was received in reservation fees. That's not necessarily a failure, as it isn't easy to predict how may people will be coming to a Rally, and set the Rally fees in advance to ensure that all of the Rally's expenses will be met. I am pleased to say that the surveys I received (I placed two survey forms in each 'welcome bag') were overwhelmingly positive. I'm not necessarily going to host "Keep'Em Flying II", but I did have fun, and I'm interested in hosting more Chapter Rallies in the future. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S Webmaster - FMCA Ohio Nomads Chapter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
garykd Report post Posted June 8, 2010 Hi Michael, I'm a little late for you (I need to get out more to read the forums I usually pass over). However, to those reading this thread consider: 1. From the very beginning , have a control book. This will become your "Bible". 2. Tabs in the control book need to cover every aspect of the rally. Some examples are: 2a. Attendee Communications 2b. All Spreadsheets you create to stay organized. The spreadsheets might include: 2aa. revenue and expenses 2ab. registrations name, coach length, arrival date, departure date, baseline days, baseline fee, extra person fee, total fee paid, optional tour/activity fee paid, diabetic needs, handicap needs will help host, etc. 2b. rally flyer 2c. actual hard copy registration and copy of check 2d. all rally suppliers: 2da. caters 2db vendors 2dc. dealers 2dd. tours 2de. free bees 2df. goodie bag items 2e. Any charity that will receive donations (like a Christmas rally) 2f. accounting 2fa. copy of deposit slips 2fb. copy of checks written 2fc. how expenses were calculated 2g. cancellations with details on refunds 2h. campground All the tabs should include who, what, when, where and why. And the status, next contact date, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
