Our Sponsors
Please let them know we appreciate their support and if you’re thinking of a new or used coach, please give them a call.
Paul Evert’s RV Country
3633 S. Maple Ave.
Fresno, CA 93725-2417
559-486-1000
Curt Curtis
Tom Johnson’s Camping Center
6700 Speedway Blvd.
Concord, NC 28027
888-450-1440
Mr. Maxie Rowell
Lazy Days RV
6130 Lazy Days Blvd.
Seffner, FL 33584
888-500-5299
Mr. Don
Wallace
A special thanks is given to the Monaco Coach Corporation for their financial support of each of our caravans. Please let Sara Spicer know you appreciate her expert guidance and support.
President’s
Review
There were approximately 120 members and guests in attendance at the August 8th MIM Luncheon in Salem. Forty-five were guests! Scott’s International Catering provided huge, delicious box lunches and drinks. Thanks to John Ham who provided slide presentations of the Maritimes Caravan, the Copper Canyon Caravan, and the Colorado High Country.
It was great seeing so many MIM members again!
Secretary’s Minutes
The August 8, 2007 meeting of Monacos In Motion was called to order by President Don Preston at 12:18 PM.
Sara Spicer was introduced and said she will help any member of our club as a liaison to Monaco if you call or write her. Pledge of Allegiance was led. Don thanked John Ham for all his help. One new member plus forty-five guests were at the luncheon. Club members discussed possible purchase of a portable defibrillator. Jack Sangalli, National Director, will attend FMCA. Curt Curtis of Paul Evert’s RV was introduced as one of MIMs good sponsors. Kim Pollock talked about an excel spreadsheet for rally chairpersons to help plan and run a caravan.
Kim’s & Shelly plan to repeat their New Mexico caravan in the fall of 2008. John Ham and Wade Meyers reported on their Colorado High Country caravan which is full. Gary Hanson reported they had a great Copper Canyon trip and gave all the highlights. Wilt and Barbara Greenwood and Connie and Ed Tilman are chairing a Utah National Parks caravan. Starting in Page, AZ & ending in Cortez, NM. 12 coaches only. Aug.28 thru Sept. 15th, 2008.
President Don asked members to list places they wanted to go: Churchill, Manitoba, Civil War Battlefields, Canada, Steam Train Rides, Kentucky Derby, Alaska, Montana –Glacier Park, Wine Country in Napa Valley, Natchez Trace, 1000 Lakes, Lewis and Clark Trail, & Calgary.
Jake Jacobs reported on two trips to Alaska: Roads were good, average fuel was $3.48 per gal, all campgrounds for groups want a two year reservation in advance with paid up deposits. John Ham pointed out that though we prefer to do all our trips, this is not always possible. It would be difficult without commercial help. Tracks & Fantasy will do these caravans for us with some concessions.
Jack Sangalli suggested a leadership class for new caravan chairpersons & said caravans do not have to be to exotic places. President Don asked for a show of hands for the sites listed above. Kim Pollock will place a poll on the web site for interested future caravans. President Don asked all to go to www.monacosinmotion.org There you can get the Wheels newsletter.
Motion to adjourn – Jack Sangalli & Second – Wilt Greenwood.
Submitted by Dianne Wilson, Acting Secretary
Immediate Response Requested by Oct. 1st !
At the Salem meeting 11 MIM families indicated significant interest in touring Alaska using a professional company because these companies have reserved most RV park caravan spaces for the next two years. Jake Jacobs, Joe Monk, David Piper, and I have contacted four professional tour companies and estimate the cost of running an Alaskan tour to be between $5,400 and $6,900 depending upon the number of days and the number of coaches. Obviously, Monacos In Motion did not envision the use of professional leadership for its caravans. However, since members of MIM have expressed the desire for an Alaskan caravan your response is needed. There must be a commitment by Oct.1, 2007.
The MIM Board must have 17-21 firmly committed couples desiring to go on the same tour to negotiate with tour companies.
Each couple may have to make a deposit of perhaps a $1,000 by October 31, 2007 to the company selected. Now is the time for those of you who have an interest in an Alaskan caravan to make your decision & commitment.!
Please rank, in order of your preference, only the tour(s) you will commit to attend in 2008. (i.e. 1,2,3,4)
____ 33 days @ $5,400
____ 40 days @ $6,050
____48 days @ $6,895
____50 days @ $6,395
mail your response by OCTOBER 1st to: donnorma@myhomeonwheels.net or Phone Norma @ 714-458-7570.
For itineraries go to:
Vice President’s Article
Along with
Wilt and Barbara Greenwood, Connie and I are putting together the Southwestern
National Parks caravan for 2008. The chapter also needs YOU to be planning a
caravan. Think about where you’d like to go and what you’d like to see. Get in
touch with me and I’ll volunteer Connie to help you make a plan! Ed Tilman
804-239-4214. Picture at right of VP with lots of Pull!
National Director’s News
I attended both sessions of the FMCA Governing Board Committee meetings at the Redmond, OR Convention. The budget passed with less discussion than I would have thought, considering the cuts that were in it. The most discussed topic was the decision to quit giving rally pins to all attendants at the Conventionsl After much contentious debate the pins were restored and we will be receiving them again starting with the Pomona Convention. Election of officers was held and all the candidates I voted for were elected. I attended the INTO area meeting and accepted our ten year anniversary award. It’s hard to believe that Monacos in Motion has been around that long.
Check your FMCA magazine and find out more about the benefits that are yours as part of your membership in the organization. If you have any question about any of the benefits, call FMCA and the staff member will be happy to explain them to you.
Safe travels to all and I hope to see you at the Come Home Rally in Greensboro.
Respectfully submitted,
Jack Sangalli,
Nat. Dir.
Monacos In Motion
SOUTHWESTERN NATIONAL PARKS CARAVAN
Hosts: Wilt and Barbara Greenwood ; Ed and Connie Tilman
Dates: August 28, 2008 to September 15, 2008
Starting Point:Page, AZ
Proposed Ending Point:Cortez, CO
Planned Activities
---Boat trip on Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge National Monument
---Trip to Slot Canyon
---Visits to North Rim of the Grand Canyon,Zion,Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Mesa Verde National Parks.
---“Canyonlands at Night” dinner and boat tour.
---Study of the Anasazi heritage of the area.
---Walks and light hikes of about 2 miles each*
---Introduction to geocaching
---Good food and fun and fellowship!
Even though this caravan will start almost a year away, we are well into the planning stages. The campground reservations are made and the itinerary is planned. When the Greenwood’s and Tilman’s are both back in Virginia again, we’ll do more planning and we’ll have the price and final details published in a newsletter 6 months before the caravan is set to start.
NOTE – You must be able to walk at least 2 miles to participate in this caravan. Also note that many of the parks are at higher elevations and consider the associated health concern.
LAND OF ENCHANTMENT II
Caravan Leaders: Kim & Shelly Pollock and Joe & Connie Monk
September 23, 2008 thru October 12, 2008
Back by Popular Demand! We had a wonderful time on our first caravan and expect to have just as much fun on our second. Come join us in the Land of Enchantment for a Scenic, Cultural, Historic, and Adventure tour of our 47th state, New Mexico.
We will be starting our adventure in Santa Fe. Santa Fe, along with Taos, has evolved to become the second largest art market in the US – only New York City sells more artwork than these two cities. We have several tours and events planned for Santa Fe for you to discover why this part of the US is so popular. We will have a trolley tour of the city, will be visiting several museums and will have optional tours of the Shidoni Bronze Foundry and Sculpture Gardens and Tent Rocks National Park.
We will be driving over beautiful mountain back roads to the site of the Bandolier Cliff Dwellings. These historic and well preserved cliff dwellings are unique in the southwest for their setting and beauty. On to Taos, an ancient pueblo over 1000 years old. While there, we will arrive to help celebrate San Geronimo Feast day in the ancient Taos Pueblo. The clowns will entertain, but be very careful that they don’t capture you! We will have a walking tour of the city by one of the local historians and will have plenty of free time to shop.
We will then motor on to Chama for a full day ride on the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad – the longest and highest narrow gauge railroad in the country. Traversing over more beautiful mountain roads will take us to the Chaco Canyon ruins – the ancient center of the ancestral Puebloan culture.
On to Gallup for several days of adventure and quality shopping. It has been said that 80% of all native jewelry passes through Gallup on its way to the other markets. It is a town of over one hundred trading posts and pawn shops where most of the Native American cottage craftsmen sell and trade their wares. The next few days will find us in the El Moro National Monument. We will tour the monument; spend an afternoon at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and then head to the town of Zuni, home of the Zuni Pueblo. While there, we will have a private tour of their famous church, which has been recently renovated. We will also be privileged to visit the homes of a local award-winning potter and a talented silversmith. They will demonstrate for us their crafts and will answer any questions we might have. On the way to Albuquerque, we will have an individualized guided tour of the oldest, continually inhabited city in North America – Acoma Pueblo (Sky City).
We will land in Albuquerque just in time for the annual Albuquerque Balloon Festival. We will spend four days in Balloon Park witnessing the most photographed event in the world – the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. If you have not seen this spectacular event, you are in for a real treat. Where else in the world can you find 60,000 people out on a grassy field at 6 am in the morning long before sunrise eating breakfast burritos and drinking steaming hot coffee? Only at the Balloon Fiesta!
During the days when the balloons are not rising, we will take a couple of side trips to further explore the surrounding areas. One day, we will take the world’s longest tramway to the top of 10,300 foot Sandia Peak for lunch and a spectacular view of the 11,000 square mile panorama stretching before us. If you are not yet convinced that this is a trip of a lifetime, check out our planned route and more information on the Chapter’s web site www.monacosinmotion.org
This caravan will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history, culture, geology and crafts of this true Land of Enchantment! While we will have plenty of free time for shopping, hiking, trekking, relaxing and socializing, this will be an active tour. We have many more tours planned and the days are filled with activities. Much of our time will be spent at altitudes between 5000 and 8000 feet. All of the roads have been pre-run by the leaders and are suitable for large coaches, but many of the routes are scenic mountain two lane roads. There will be some days when we will be driving our toads on dirt roads to reach some of the remote locations. We plan on dry camping five nights on this trip, but four of the nights will be at the balloon festival where water and pump out facilities are readily available.
Applications will be taken online and via mail starting December 1 with the drawing scheduled for March 1. We will be restricted to 20 coaches due to the size of some of the RV parks. When the drawing has been completed, and the trip is full, a waiting list will be compiled to fill in for any cancellations. We hope to see you on this unique trip.
COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY CARAVAN
Jeep crossing creek shelf.
Crossing a creek
The MIM green shirts pose on top of American Flag Mountain late in August
Lunchtime near South London Mine ruins.
Heading up Mosquito Pass Rd which connects London Mine and Leadville at high elevation of 13,186 ft.
MARITIMES 2007
Happy Hours
and campfires helped us get to know each other. At St John we visited the
Moosehead Brewery, Market Square and stopped to see the Reversing Falls on the
St.John River. 
High-low tides at Hopewell
We enjoyed Anne of Green Gables, Fishery Museum, saw the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo performance!
There was
so much to see but here’s the tail of a whale seen near Pleasant Bay.
Visit www.monacosinmotion.org to see the rest of Maritime 2007
Who is interested in viewing the online version of our newsletter and not receive a printed version? This will save the club the cost of mailing and give you a full color copy instead of the mailed black and white. Just drop me a note at: donnorma@myhomeonwheels.net and I’ll add you to the list. If you are not on the e-mail notification list I will add you to that also so you will receive an e-mail when new issues of the Wheels are posted.
CARAVAN LEADERS EXCEL TEMPLATE
Every experienced Caravan Leader has developed their own system for keeping track of attendees, expenses, vendors, schedules, income, etc. when they run a caravan. For those who have not experienced it, managing all of the paperwork associated with leading a caravan can be overwhelming – especially in the middle of a caravan when last minute changes occur. How much down payment did you pay this campground? Who still owes you their caravan fee? Who gets the XXL shirt? Our restaurant bill was $275 higher than projected – do we have enough in reserve to cover the additional expense? Who rides with whom on the carpool for day 3? These and a multitude more questions pop up throughout the caravan and without solid record keeping, you may be flying blind as you try to deal with these headaches.
In an attempt to avoid reinventing the wheel, I developed and refined an Excel worksheet template that helped me immensely while we were leading the New Mexico caravan last year. I have since updated it and documented it to make it generic. The template has been uploaded to the club Website and can be found on the Caravan Leaders Instruction page (http://www.monacosinmotion.org/caravan leader.htm).
There are four phases to running a caravan that this template addresses.
1. Planning – How many days? What are the expenses of each day? How many meals will be provided? What will each sponsored event cost? What is the projected caravan fee? How much reserve should be included in the fee? What will be the fee if enrollment is less than expected? What is the minimum number of attendees that will be supported by the proposed fee: What is left on my To Do List?
2. Recruitment – Who has signed up? What is their contact information? How much deposit did they put down? What do they still owe? Do they need a MIM shirt?
3. Execution – What are the actual expenses of the caravan? How do they track with the projected expenses? Is the caravan in the hole? What do you charge someone who wants to bring a guest for 5 days? What do you owe a vendor? Did you pay them a deposit? How are car pools to be assigned? What if someone does not drive on a given day? What are the various tasks to be assigned to the attendees?
4. Close out – Reconcile all income and expenses. Prepare the final report to submit to the MIM Treasurer. Print out attendee contact list for all members.
This worksheet is somewhat complex and does require a basic knowledge of Excel. Even though it does contain documentation on every input cell and instructions on how to use the template, it will require knowledge of how to navigate between worksheets, how to work with protected cells and does require that information be entered consistently between sheets (Attendee Names, Vendor Names, etc.)
The use of this template is entirely optional. But if you have never run a caravan before or if you are looking for a better way to keep track of the details, this may just be what the doc ordered. If you have any questions about this template or how to use it, please feel free to contact me at Kim@PollocksBackyard.com or call me at (805) 795-1863
Change of Address
Please change my address to:
Names ________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________
_______________________
Tel Nos_______________________________________________
E-Mail ________________________
Effective Date___________________
Send to:
Jack Sangalli, Treasurer.
1461 Valle Vista #26
Pekin, IL 61554