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larry_electricguy
05-28-2007, 08:58 PM
WOW, what a great vacation!

We left here on May 12, caravanning with new members John and Judy Melton, arriving in Branson that same Saturday. It was so wonderful getting to renew friendships from last year, and meeting alot of the new club members!

My thanks go out to all of those that were involved in putting on the 2007 Rally, it was really nice. I love not having to cook any meals, and I think over all the food we had was pretty good!!! I thought both of the Branson shows we seen, Doug Gaberial and the Magnificent 7 were really good. Our days seemed to be full of functions...although we did have more free time than last year! You can tell that the Board had been working thru the winter to see that everything was just right for us! The entertainment that was put on by ABC Campground was great also!

Did you know that we have some celebrities among our group....we have Mr Elvis Presly (Lee Benfield) at the Doug Gaberial Show, Chicken played by Barry McMasters at the entertainment at the pavillion, and then there was a contest at the pavillion along the lines of Hillbilly Attire!!! Well we had one gentleman in black cowboy duds...pretty hansome too, Everett in his totally hillbilly bibs with torn shirt and all, he is really a funny guy,....lets see Linda Webb in her hillbilly hat & toothless attire, and a new member...for got your name, with the red double billed hat...we found out that all these people are very talented in playing hillbilly instruments also, bones, washboard, spoons??? whisky jug??? They were all winners...but Everett was voted the big winner!!!

We had sponsors that provided us with a pancake breakfast, Ice Cream Social, Wine & Cheese, Pizza, Donuts & Coffee and I just wish I could remember all the donations!!!

We had some of the greatest door prize donated by our sponsors!!! Larry and I, won a set of Quad Steps...and he just got them on today...he said there was alot of work to them cause he had to drill new holes or something,...all I know is that they are on and they are beautiful!!! There were really some very nice prizes....GPS, sliding shelf for the cargo area, TV's oh my gosh, DoubleTree came in with a trailer load of really nice door prizes to share with us,...if you weren't able to be there you really missed out...it was sooo much fun.

The raffle went really well, and we had lots and lots of donations for that...I hope we have even more next year...people start collecting now...lets make 2008 even better!!! I didn't hear how much money the Raffle made...but it had to of been a bunch...there was I think $500 certificates, also some $250's, a free certificate for or the 2008 Rally Registration, it was just unbelievable. We really need more books for the book sale next year...so start saving and collecting from your friends now...and I hope they can be put on display all thur the Rally so the have more exposure and will sell more!

We sure missed the all the folks we met last year that were not able to return this year....and got to renew those friendships and even get to know some of the people better that we met last year.

It was wonderful to see Tom & Cheryl Brockman there, after the major fire that totaled out their Mobile Suites just a couple weeks before the rally. For you that are wondering they are fine...and were not in the trailer at the time of the fire, but they did loose all their belonging they had in it...I could feel the thankfulness from them that they are glad that it all turned out alright, the are well and in another Mobile Suites...and made it to the Rally,...they were so blessed!

We really missed seeing Stacy and Gail Frank! We met Stacy & Gail at the first MS rally we went with the Fun N Sun Chapter. They are a great couple and we have enjoyed the time we got to spend with them...and if you haven't gotten your RIG Weighed...you really ought to think about it. Stacy and Gail have some very valuable information to share as they weigh each tire of the Suite and your truck...and safety tips for having the safest trip. So sorry they had to leave before the Rally, I'm sure they were just as sad, and I hope that everything is going alright with them and they will get to come to the Rally in Amana!

I was so thrilled that eveyone like the 2006 Rally Scrapbook! So many people came up to me and told me how much they liked it...I will bring it again to the Amana Colonies Rally along with the Branson 2007 Rally pictures scrapbooked.

Larry enjoyed gettting a chance to talk alittle about electrical on our Suites...and also helping out what he could with a few minor problems that some of the owners were having with their suites!

Oh I'm forgetting names,...I think it was Bob Strohofer and maybe another person, went airborn to take aerial pictures of the campground with all the SUITES...the pictures are just awesome...how ever that happened, and to those involved, I thank you...I just love seeing the pictures and some of them will definately appear in the scrapbook.

It was with mixed feeling that we all said good-by to Bonnie and Lex Fogg! Well it was not really good by...but there lives have taken them into a different direction, and away from the Club that Bonnie's Labor of Love, produced the SOITC as we know it today! Thank you Bonnie for all the hard work you put in to making our Club happen....as well as everyone that helped you! I sure hope we meet up with you soon on the camping trail somewhere! We won't forget you!!!

We would like to get a Kansas City Metropolitan Area, SOITC chapter started...So far we have the Webbs, Meltons, Zollers, Oehlschlaeger, Earls, Nances. If you know of anyone else that would be interested in this Chapter, please have them contact me! I need to talk to Linda Webb after things settle down here...to get together on forming this group...depending on how busy everyone is...I'm hoping we can at least get together for a meeting this summer to talk about what we would like to do in our chapter...and of course any SOITC member would be welcome to come to our chapter outings!

We left Branson on Monday May 21, and headed to Eureka Spring, Arkansas to meet up with Lee and Mary Benfield. We spent 3 days there and it was fun getting to visit more with Lee and Mary. After Eureka Springs we went to Bartlesville, Oklahoma....Larry and I were so excited to see another Mobile Suites there in the park that as soon as we got set up Larry went over there to hand out our first SOITC Brochure....well guess it what, it was the Smith's, Jack and Sandy....that was so funny,...they had came straight from the Rally to Bartlesville!!! It was sure great getting to know them better also...gosh....having a Mobile Suites, has been so wonderful for us...we have met so many fantastic people, made some wonderful friendships...and we do feel truly blessed!

We can't wait till the next Rally we have planned to go to in the Central area, in September.

Well, so now we are home...life is still good...even if Larry does have to go back to work tomorrow...after 2 weeks off, I'm not sure we will even be able to hear an alarm when it goes off at 4:30 in the morning!!! LOL!!!

Sorry for talking so much, but gosh I had a lot to say!!! Larry says "Hello" and Camp Doggie Dog says BOW WOW too!!!

Stripit
05-28-2007, 09:50 PM
Wow Betty!!! What a great report on the rally!!! We nominate you official Reporter & Historian!!!

We really missed being at the rally but we're glad you all had such a good time. It was kind of you to notice our absence. ;)

We're keeping our fingers crossed for Idaho in '08.

Thanks for sharing the highlights!

Stacey & Gail

rotaxman
05-28-2007, 10:14 PM
Stacey and Gail

Where are you going in Idaho? I will be leaving in the middle of June to go to Idaho Falls to see my brother his wife and my mother. I will keep the trailer at a small airport in Rigby Idaho. My brother has a fixed base operation there and I will eventually get my airplane back up there and keep it in his hangar. He has one monster of a hangar

I will come back to Missouri the first part of Sept. Joyce is going to leave Idaho Falls around the first of August to go to Atlanta to be with her daughter when she has her second child (Joyce's second grandbaby). I will come home in time to pick her up at the airport in Kc.

Hope everything is going well for you too am still looking forward to meeting up with you two and getting m trailer weighed.

As always good camping

Joyce and Jerry

larry_electricguy
05-29-2007, 07:30 AM
Hi Stacy, Great to hear from you, hope all is well!

Our 2008 Rally will be in Amana Iowa, the Amana Colonies, and Wayne Rothwell said it is a wonderful place. I've heard great things about that area!

To add to the 2007 Rally, I forgot to mention, the wonderful and new SOITC pamplets, that were designed and made by our very own Vice President, Betty Johnson. They are fantastic!!! Anyone that came to the Rally received 3 in their registration packet...plus there were plenty more that you could take to have to pass around when you come across a Suites owner that doesn't know about our club! I'm thinking that if anyone would like pamplets that they could email Vicki McMasters to get some additional. I believe it was said at the rally also, that DoubleTree had committed to adding a pamplet to all their binders that go out with the Units!

Hope to see you all next May!!! Get signed up and registered, as the registering has already opened!

layne
05-29-2007, 11:18 AM
Great report on the rally. Maybe we will join up and come next year. While we were at the factory getting repairs done, DT made sure the pamphlets are prominently displayed in the lobby. Incidentally, Tom Peck was a superstar gentleman to us while we were there and made sure everything got done to our satisfaction. Hope we get to meet some of you guys next year. Layne and Steve Wilhoite

ES TK3
Star Hauler Ford F550
motorcycle and VW bug

jaoneil
05-29-2007, 12:18 PM
:P Thank you, Thank you Betty and Larry for the great report on the rally. I second the motion that the rally was the greatest. The Branson area is excellent and the ABC campground treated us like we so special. The food and entertainment was the best. We were able to take time off to go down to Table Rock lake and reservoir. Beautiful.

We are now in Butte MT waiting to start our journey up to Canada and to Alaska. After spending 4 one nighters, it is nice to just sit for a while and look at the mountains. We have already used the gift card from Applebee's that we won and I'm wrapped up everynight in the afghan that was donated by Stacy and Gail that Henry won.

Next year we will donate more prizes for everyone. See you all in Ames IA (Amana Colonies) in'08. Judy/Henry O

bstark
05-30-2007, 06:27 PM
In over 6 yrs of RV'ing we have never attended a rally of any kind and for our first experience to have been the "Suites" rally at Branson was a real "eye opener"! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are still marvelling at the organizing that was done to ensure we all had a good time.

We would like to join others in thanking all those who took a hand in setting up that wonderful event.

billr
05-30-2007, 07:12 PM
We second all comments made!! And, many thanks again to all for making it happen!!

Thanks Betty for the reports!! Keep up the good work!

Cheers,
Bill and Joan

WildJohn
05-31-2007, 01:13 AM
THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT
I have been trying to get my D/W interested in a rally without success.. too many other trips to plan.. I read your report to her and she has mentioned several times since that "we need to plan to attend a rally soon" maybe we will finallyl meet some of you in person.
Happy Camping
John

Haggis
05-31-2007, 02:16 PM
D/W and I enjoyed our first rally and are now SOITC members.

Gathered lots of tips and information from other members!

The folks that organized this rally really did a marvellous job; and deserve a round of applause!

The sponcers..........what can I say.........Must have been trained by Santa...............Well done Lads & Lassies!

suitediver
06-01-2007, 11:54 PM
Bill and I also enjoyed the Rally. Thanks to everyone involved for doing such a great job. We had attended a couple of rallies of SOB but these were some scale compared to the SOITC. We enjoyed meeting some of you on this forum. Nice to put a face with a name. Met so many nice people and got to visit with "old" friends, Carlene and Robert Duncan(the reason we bought a MS) and Mary and Richard Ruggles(the reason we knew about the rally) Look forward to 2008 in Iowa.

Bobbie