Big Bend Unit at International Rally in Gillette, WY
Members attending:
Wes and Allison Hurner
Winston and Carol Montague
Jay and Elna Thompson
John Thompson
Wally and Carol Welch
Jack and Sherry White
John and Judy White
Affiliate Members attending:
Charlie and Peggy Matthews
Dick and Judy Martiny
Frank and Julie Wagner
Lotus LaRocca
Dale and Janet Jensen
As you can see, we were well represented at the Gillette, Wyoming International Rally which was held the last week in June through July 4, 2010. Since neither Mac nor Sheila could go, Elna was the designated delegate with Winston the alternate. Elna carried our flag in the opening ceremony and both she and Winston attended the delegate’s meeting.
After the usual officer’s and Region President’s reports the President, VPs (1st 2nd, and 3rd ) were unanimously elected as nominated by the nominating committee. When the nominees for the Nominating Committee were read, Mark Garvey, Leo Garvey’s brother was nominated from the floor. When this happened, a roll call vote was necessitated. Big Bend voted for those on the ballet though
Garvey received 1500+ votes. (100% of Top of GA Unit’s votes.) Many units want some positive change to WBCCI and feel this is a way to show dissatisfaction with the way the club is being run.
I believe this was ineffectual and proved nothing.
In the arts and crafts show, Winston and Jay took 2nd and 3rd places respectively for their entries in the Woodturning portion. Congratulations, guys!
Region 3’s new President Rick Bell is the only top officer (no 1st or 2nd VP). Winston and Jay are now Region Caravan Committee Co-chairmen. Many of us attended a lovely luncheon at a local restaurant. Big Bend was awarded a Superior rating and ribbon for its activities during John Duncan’s administration.
We attended workshops and seminars on officer training, unit caravans, maintenance of our rigs,
International caravans, and conducted one of our own for people signed up for and those interested
In joining the SW Adventure Caravan run by the Montagues and Thompsons. We joined the Host-to-Host Group and got to meet with town folks from Gillette.
Later in the week 31 of us members, affiliate members and guests enjoyed a Big Bend Unit luncheon at a popular local restaurant. We may have a new affiliate as a result. We’ll wait to introduce them when we get their application. Lynne and Julian Clements, Carol and Rick Bell, Anne and Don Shaffer, Martha and Harold Kerns were our guests as well as the Angelini’s from Massachussetts.
We also staged a cookout one evening for the unit and several happy hours.
On the final night, Jay and our International President Tom Collier became part of the evening’s entertainment when they were called on stage by a strange man from Norway (Ollie) who turned out to be none other than our own Wes Hurner of A&W Designs (a member of Big Bend). Funny show! Good job, all!
At the IBT meeting on July 5, the new President appointed a committee to study the WBCCI constitution and a committee to study a possible Thor motor home/Airstream model. Many seem to feel that we are losing members because they no longer have the option of buying a new Airstream
Motor Home. If they choose to remain motor home owners, they will have to find one which is not Airstream if WBCCi does not change. A motor home made by Thor is under consideration.
As you can see, we had a very busy time at the Gillette International Rally. We feel it was the most organized and best run rally we have ever attended. If they were all this good, we would encourage
more of you take part. We saw and enjoyed being with so many of our friends from all over the US. Many of them we have met on caravans we have taken over the years, but we also met new people we look forward to seeing again. We had full hookups and the International officers were camped out with us, so no favoritism in sites. There was a shuttle running every 10/15 minutes to the buildings from the campground, therefore no one was stuck, if you were separated from your spouse.
A great time was had by all of us who went to Gillette and we look forward to next year in Illinois!