The Spring Rally Report
By Deb Fair
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Wednesday

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What a great rally we had May 13–17, 2009 at the Moscow Maples Campground in Moscow Michigan. With the cost of gas and  fuel  down  we  had  a  great  turnout  with 20 couples! Our hosts were first timers  Jim & Carol Ralston and daughter Allison, and this was only their 3rd rally with us!  Assisting them were past hosts Ed  & Marlene Capa who used their experience to make the process easier for Jim & Carol. We want to thank them all as they made the rally a roaring success! A Russian theme was used, To Russia With Love, with the color red featured.  Jim potted red and white flowers in empty Russian Vodka bottles to use as center pieces. When asked he joked that he made the ulti-mate sacrifice and emptied those bottles for us over the winter. The weather man gave us a challenge and we did have a little rain and cool weather but we are a hardy bunch and we coped just fine.  

Thursday

Thursday arrived and we enjoyed catching up with friends as they arrived and exchanged stories about our adventures over the winter.  That evening we followed our Russian theme as our hosts provided us with homemade Cabbage soup and rolls while the clubs other great cooks brought a dish to pass.  Many good things to eat throughout the rally but I noticed my personnel favorite was the dessert table being mostly chocolate!  Afterward we retired to the campfire.

Friday

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Friday brought a club favorite, fresh bakery rolls and coffee for breakfast.  We assembled later that morning to play our World Famous Lawn Chair Baseball game.  The sun came out and with it a great turn out of people for the game.  We were just really getting into the game and the guys were “killing” the ladies in the game when our hosts wisely brought out hot dogs, beer, pop, and all the trimmings.  A treat we had never had before at a baseball game!  We ladies had hoped the men would lose their focus once the food appeared but that was not to be the case and we ladies lost.  The game winners won Detroit Tigers Hats and bobble head figures of Tiger's players.   That evening we had another potluck supper with our hosts providing pulled pork sandwiches while the members took care of the rest of the meal and it was great.  However, one lady was observed at different times of the late afternoon and early evening checking the campfire pit often.  Seems she had taken the two potatoes she got in her goody bag and  put them in the campfire.  3rd time was the charm and she took them home baked to perfection!  And who was that mystery lady?  After dinner many stayed for Nickel Bingo and we introduced Allison to the game with the help of Shirley Mitchell.  Allison won and was she ever happy!  She now thinks it is a greatest game ever.  She even tried to fine Bob Fair once for calling the wrong number on the card!  Well really, a 4 and a 10 really do not look alike.

Saturday

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Saturday arrived and the men (Boysheviks) once again provided us with a yummy pancake and sausage breakfast cooked to perfection!  We conducted our business meeting and the officers reminded the membership that we will not be running for office next spring.   They should be thinking about who they would like to nominate for our positions.  Also your yearly dues are now in need of being paid.  If you were not at the rally please forward your $5 to Sindy Gradowski, 12089  Belle River Rd., Memphis, MI. 48041.  Remember that you must be currant on your dues to International to remain a member of the Overloaders.  The treasury is building up nicely and the membership voted to give our hosts $100 from the treasury to help with their rally expenses.  Unfortunately International will not be hosting the Back Home Rally this year but hope that it will resume in June of 2010.  However please continue to save those pull tabs for KOA Kids With Cancer Camps. Afternoon came and some couples wandered downtown for a street fair and classic car show.  That evening we were treated to a catered Russian style meal with a truly American dessert, apple pie.  The meal was very good and the portions were generous!  Truly a treat!  Afterward Dixie Dawe explained to us how important it is to kids in the poorest parts of Mexico to receive the simple gift of a pencil and how much it means to them.  So clean out those drawers  and bring some pencils with you to the Fall Rally and give them to Dixie and she will get them where they need to go.   After the meal Ed Capa then “graded” the club on his written test on Russian trivia and that was lots of fun.  Amazing the lengths some people went to find the right answers.

Sunday

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We were also happy to announce that Mike & Barb Yocum who attended our rally for the first time have now become official members!  Yeah!  They are a great couple.  So welcome once again Mike and Barb!  We now have 32 couples in our club.

We have had two really great couples step up and volunteer their services as rally hosts next year and are past veterans of doing so.  Oscar & Carol Case will host the Spring 2010 rally while Stan & Toni Dobies will take over the hosting duties of the Fall 2010 rally!  Thank you!   More to come on these rallies as our hosts are able to secure dates and locations.  Thank you so much!

Please print off this info as the procedure for our chapters 20th Anniversary rally is different than we have done in quite sometime.  It will be held September 17 – 20, 2009 in Niles, Michigan at the Spaulding Lake Campground.  We hope you will come and join us and have a great time.  There are 3 stocked fishing ponds on the grounds and you may catch up to 5 fish per day per rig for free.  You do not need a fishing license but do bring your own bait and equipment.  We will have a contest for the largest Catfish and Blue Gill caught and will be weighed and judged by Bob Stevens.  Sorry but the “Big One” that got away does not count.  We will also have a fish fry on Saturday evening.  If you remember how successful the one was that  Harold & JoAnn Forburger hosted at their rally in Berrien Springs in May of 2000 you will not be disappointed!  Harold has arranged for the same gentleman to put on another one for us.  There are also casinos in the area, many wineries offer wine tasting, and  Lake Michigan is 20 minutes away.    With South Bend being so close there is also University Park Mall and Notre Dame.  Lunker's sport shop is just a couple of miles down the road and that may also interest you.  

   Here's what you need to remember.  This is a nice mom and pop campground that we are going to.  They are a very religious older couple.  We are coming in as their guests at their campground and they have their own procedures.  You will mail back your rally information to me telling me what day you are arriving and including the $20 rally fee to me.  7 days in advance I will contact them per their request and tell them how many people will be arriving on Wednesday, Thursday, etc..  When you arrive at their campground you will stop at the office and register just as you would at any other facility and pay them directly.  CASH OR CHECK ONLY!   They will then assign you a site.  We are to be in the same general area.  We will have full hookups and yes, both 30 and 50 amp service at each site.  They do nottolerate alcoholic beverages.  We discussed this at the fall rally and the members attending agreed that this would not be a problem.  This is a quote from their campground information:  “No dope, alcohol, rowdyism, disorderly persons, loud music.”  In other words have a good time but be considerate.

 

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See you down the road! 

Deb Fair
P.S. Remember to keep saving those Pull Tabs

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