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BRITISH COLUMBIA

Valley Explorers

Submitted by Gerry and Sue McConnell

Greetings once again from the Valley Explorers RV Club. For information on our club, please contact Gerry and Sue McConnell by phone at (250) 765-7023 or e-mail gersuemc@shaw.ca. May the roads you travel lead you to peace, health, contentment and happiness.

ALBERTA

Alberta Wildrose Explorers

submitted by Eleanor Schultz

The 2012 Alberta Wildrose Explorers RV campouts will be held June 8 – 10, 2012 at Endiang, AB and August 24 – 26, 2012 at Torrington, AB. Details will follow in an upcoming issue of RV gazette.

All are welcome! We hope to see you there!

MANITOBA

Manitoba Explorers

submitted by Phil Lauterer

For the last two years I have been trying to get someone from our group to take over the reporting of our activities but so far no one has come forward. However, we are still active as a club.

We set the first camp-out of 2012 to be at Champagnes RV Park at Lac du Bonnet on May 25th to 27th.
If anyone is interested in joining our group, please call Phil at (204) 632-8551.

ONTARIO

Durham RV Club

submitted by Gary Andress

We need help!

Due to my new job constraints, I no longer have the time to run the Durham Chapter. My work schedule has made it almost impossible for me to be able to attend our campouts. I still have people contacting me about our club so I know there is interest there.

I am asking that someone step up and spearhead the Durham Chapter. I will help them in any way I can as will head office. Please contact me at (905) 404-9624 or by e-mail at gersuemc@shaw.ca.

Happy Campers Fall Campout

submitted by Maureen Flynn

If ever there was a crazy fun camp out, we certainly had it at Cobourg East in September! There was the usual beanbag baseball tournament, the holey ball championship games, and of course, the horse races. As usual, Frank and his team made enough fabulous food to feed a hungry crowd and their extended families! Everything was yummy. The campfire music by Bill and Ted was amazing and it was great to see John Stewart joining in.

But who could have known that there would be a Hillbilly Shotgun wedding that we all would attend, wearing our latest finery. The whole town was there – the very pregnant bride, the groom who denied all, the father of the bride insistent on the marriage, and his friend Abner who ensured all would go according to plan…But wait! There was Bubba who really loved the blooming bride, and Patti Anne who was madly in love with the groom. The preacher was a graduate of the Internet School for weddings and carried her Idiot’s Guide with her. Jimmy Joe, Bobby Joe and Billy Joe all acknowledged the Groom was with them the night in question…the plot thickened. Everyone had an opinion. It was the sheriff who stood up and declared that the bride had been arrested in the back seat of so many cars, it would be impossible to swear the groom was the father. After a lot of commotion, it was decided that Bubba would marry Daisy Mae and Patti Anne would marry Jeb, the red faced groom. Inky Jones, the town’s trusty reporter recounted the whole event.

We would never have as much fun without the willing hands of so many volunteers. A big thank you to Frank and Donna Duck and Bob and Linda Forsythe for all the work in organising the campout.

We can hardly wait for the spring campout in Norwich June 4 – 8, 2012 to see what new adventures await.

Quinte Wagoneers Chapter

submitted by Janice Parker

What ended up being our final campout for the 2011 season was held at Quinte’s Isle Campark the first weekend in October. We had 12 units in for the weekend or longer, and 3 couples for the day on Saturday. It was sunny but windy and cold. Good thing we had the hall to use! We did manage to get our campfires in for the hardy ones who braved the cold, and we managed to keep reasonably warm. Thanks to Brian B. for getting the fires going, which encouraged people to come out!

Saturday morning our coffee was on time, and good and hot thanks to Jack and Michelle. It warmed our innards and got us going for the day. In the afternoon, those who wished played cards or games in the hall while others relaxed and just enjoyed the day. The hall smelled heavenly all day with two turkeys being cooked in the roasters for our turkey dinner that evening. Our mouths sure were watering by the time dinner came. While Bill and Jack carved the turkeys, the rest of us brought our potluck contributions and enjoyed appetizers and drinks. After Bob said grace, we enjoyed out mouth-watering dinner! A big thank you to Bill and Gerry and Jack and Michelle for all their hard work to put this weekend together - especially the dinner. With full stomachs and fine spirits, we went on to have our Annual meeting. This year, it did include elections and our executive is now as follows: President - Janet Lyons, Past President - Janice Parker, Vice-President - Brian Broomfield, Secretary - Judy Grice, Treasurer - Lee Broomfield.

Thank you to Janet and Judy for stepping up to fill these positions. Brian and Lee have another year remaining in their positions. We also welcomed new members - Ken and Terry Edick from Wellington. The above being done, we went on to discuss our dates, venues and hosts/co-hosts for 2012 season, and the following is a proposed outline:

May 4 – 6 - Quinte’s Isle (confirmed)
June 8 – 10 - Adolphustown
July 6 – 8 - Cobourg East
August 11 – 13 - ?? (Lindsay/Peterborough area)
September 8 – 10 - Combermere, South of Barry’s Bay
September 28 – 30 - Quinte’s Isle (confirmed)

The meeting ended and everyone finished cleaning up and headed out. Some went out to the campfire, others visited or just relax for the evening. Although it was a very cold windy day on Sunday, 10 Quinte diehard units/couples stayed and enjoyed getting together that evening for another potluck supper with the leftovers. It was almost as good as Saturday nights! Too cold for a campfire so we just visited and had early nights. Monday morning saw several trailers being winterized before leaving and headed home about noon.

We were to have another impromptu campout at Hanson’s Wilderness Retreat in mid October but that was cancelled due to the weather. Our hosts did not want to see any of us stuck due to the soft ground - maybe they didn’t want to be “stuck” with any of us? On that note, they graciously invited the group to their home for a potluck dinner on November 13th to wrap up 2011 before we part our ways for the winter - a lot going South and the rest braving the Canadian winter.

So, for 2011, that is it! We hope everyone fares well until the spring and we can get RVing locally again. Watch for those Explorer RV Club stickers when you travel - we have met some interesting folks when we took note and a few moments to talk to them. If you are interested in checking out our group, please contact Janet Lyons at (613) 476-4629 or jllyons@live.ca or Janice Parker at (613) 475-5042 or janicelewis@sympatico.ca.

Southwestern Ontario Chapter

submitted by Michele Garraway

The September campout was held at Summer House Park, near Miller Lake, with 24 units attending. During our stay, we enjoyed a tour of the candle factory just outside the gates of the park, a boat cruise to Flower Pot Island, campfires on the beach, and a turkey dinner along with our usual games and coffee gatherings all arranged by the host team.

The annual meeting at Wayside Inn, in Talbotville, in October rounded out our year with nearly all the members present. At the meeting, we were given the dates and places for next summers’ campouts. Following the meeting, we enjoyed a buffet supper. Many of our members will be heading south for the cold weather.

We now look forward to spring and the 2012 camping season. We hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. For further information on the Southwest Ontario chapter, please contact Wayne Thompson, President at dotway.thompson@sympatico.ca.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter

submitted by Victoria Pennell

The Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter held a very successful rally at the Brookside Golf and RV Resort from September 16 – 18, 2011 with thirty-four RVs in attendance and a total of seventy-two people. In spite of Hurricane Maria making a quick pass through on the Friday afternoon, no damage was incurred, and we were able to hold all our events. Many people came in early for a day of camaraderie prior to the start of the rally on Friday evening. We had our usual Meet and Greet, games, dinner, dance, gospel hour and Sunday lunch. In addition, we also had a mini golf tournament, a silent auction and our AGM. It was a full weekend at a beautiful park and a great end to our camping summer. A new executive was elected at our AGM as follows: Vi Parsons - President, Neil Holloway - Vice-President, Lena Fewer - Secretary, Una Joseph - Treasurer, Dave Lewis, Leo Bonnell and Margie Hart - Directors, and Tom Keiley - Past-President. Good luck to our new executive as they assume their duties for the next two year period.

Now that the cooler temperatures have arrived, many of our members are getting ready to head south for the winter, and others are preparing for various winter activities here at home. We wish everyone a safe and happy winter, and hope to see everyone at our first meeting in May 2012. For more information about our club, please contact our new president Vi at viparsons@hotmail.com or our new secretary Lena Fewer at l-fewer@hotmail.com.

Newfound Chapter

submitted by Herb Dowden

We are in the autumn season, and I guess, like us, most people have their summer homes on wheels stowed away safe from the ice and snow. We finished up our year with our final rally at the Shriners’ Park in Eastport with twenty rigs in attendance. We had a BBQ, Jiggs dinner, skits and games, and a Newfie auction followed by our annual meeting on Saturday. Sunday was the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and we held a Memorial Service with a minute of silence.

The Executive Committee members for 2011 – 2012 are as follows: Kevin Kane - President, Keith Adams - Vice President, Lloyd Grandy - Past President, Carmel O’Brien - Treasurer, Herb Dowden - Secretary, Gerry and Bernice Russell - Directors, Max and Grace Hussey - Directors, Dave and Doris Tilley - Directors.

To finish off the weekend some of us went berry picking. Our Christmas Dinner is planned for early December, which is our final get together for 2011. Our opening rally in 2012 will be in Hatchet Cove at the end of June.

We have planned another three-week caravan to the west coast of the Island during the summer of 2012 for those members of our club who would like to join us.

For further information concerning our club and its activities, please contact Herb Dowden at hsdowden@nf.sympatico.ca.

Explorer RV Club Luncheons – TEXAS 2011-2012

submitted by Peggi and John McDonald

John and I have changed our plans for 2011/2012. We will be returning to Alamo, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley from November 2011 to March 2012. We plan to host the monthly Explorer RV Club luncheons again beginning late November 2011. Members and guests are welcome. Notices will be sent when we have selected places and dates. Anyone not on my e-mail list who would like to join us can contact me at info@rvliving.net or call the club office for our phone number. Hope to see all Winter Texan Club Members! See you there!