Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post - Welcome from The WM's!

worknomore · 04-10-2013, 12:44 PM

~ Welcome to the 2013 MOC 10th Anniversary Fall Rally! ~

On behalf of Bev, Ron & Mary Lichtenberg, and Charlie & Judy Benton, we want to extend a warm welcome to 2013 Fall Rally. We hope it will be as exciting and informative as past rallies for each and every one of you. I especially want to officially extend my thanks & gratitude to the Lichtenberg’s & Benton’s for stepping up to the challenge & keeping me on the straight & narrow!

As stated in the Rally announcement, only early registrations are being taken at the present time – NO PAYMENTS PLEASE. We (the WM’s & MOC admins) still have some details to work out before we can take payments – an announcement will be made to that effect later. Also, PLEASE use the proper registration procedure as stated in LadyRV's announcement– DO NOT post asking us to register you, or send emails to any of the WM’s asking to register. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

As with all rallies in the past, this is a VOLUNTEER-based event, & we need YOUR help to make this YOUR rally to meet YOUR expectations. Volunteering and contributing is not as daunting as it may seem, especially for the first-time attendees. It will give you a sense of belonging, and an excellent way to meet and form lasting friendships with other MOC members. When the call goes out for volunteers in the Rally section or the Forum, please step up & do your fair share; don’t expect everyone else to do it for you. Most of the help needed is a no-brainer, and there are plenty of folks to help YOU out also.

Constructive comments & suggestions are appreciated by the WM’s on 2 conditions – you are willing to help out and, 2, it is not negative criticism. Past WM’s will agree that we are not professional rally organizers & mistakes and decisions will be made that are not agreeable to everyone. We have lives outside of the rally to contend with also, just as you do. Give us some leeway (or rope to hang ourselves?), & we will do our best!

Last, but not least, PLEASE READ, UNDERSTAND, and FOLLOW all ‘official’ rally announcements & direct your questions to the appropriate people (myself, Assistants, Coordinators, MOC Admins, etc.).This will greatly reduce the number of trips to Wal-Mart for Tums & Pepto by the WM’s…!

Stay tuned to the rally thread, & let’s ALL work together to make this rally one to remember.

UPDATES:
04/22 - there have been an EXCEPTIONAL number of offers to help. Please be sure that they are duly noted, and when the dust settles & we have a better handle on the schedule, the WM's will put out the 'call' for coordinators, contributors, etc.

Also, PLEASE note the change LadyRV made to the location of the 'infield' overflow sites in the Rally announcement. These sites are in the 'infield' of the race track, not the ones up the drive from the Ag hall (water/elec only). The infield sites are larger (per the 4H folks) w/50A full hookup. Unfortunately, they are further away from the main North West campground where the tents & main activities will be. This is unfortunate but out of our control if we want more than 94 full hookup sites. Please refer to: Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds - Site Map

04/23 - as of last night we have 90 rigs registered (list to be hopefully posted soon by the Admins)! Shaping up to be the largest ever...

04/27 - 100 rigs registered! Bad news is, just about everyone registering from here to our 126 rig limit will be pretty much guaranteed an infield site (furthest away - see above). If this is not your cup of tea, don't want to drive/ride a bike, rent a golf cart/etc., then think hard about registering. Remember, sites are assigned randomly, based on reg. date, coordinators, and handicap needs, starting with the NW area, then Harley's Hill, and last - the infield sites. Also, a lot have asked but we cannot guarantee buddy pair-ups, etc.

04/30 - believe it or not, things are moving along. Waiting for Keystone to firm up the dates for the tour, driving school, & tech reps so we can work the schedule around that. Last count - 102!

05/24 - YAHOO! We have confirmed dates for the driving school, Tech Reps (thanks to Dick, this worked well last year), & the factory tours. A call for coordinators will go up soon for these & other rally events, so stay tuned (coordinating w/my Ass't WM's). Also, the registration list WILL be up soon - 110 rigs signed up as of 5/23!

06/01 -

JUST spoke to the folks @ the Fairgrounds - we are now LIMITED to 119 TOTAL sites, due to parking restrictions.
some have asked about coming to the fairgrounds early. Per the Fairgrounds, the earliest you can come in is possibly Sunday, 9/22, because there is another rally right before ours. Best thing to do is call before hand & see what is available...
the Call For Coordinators list AND the preliminary schedule will be posted approximately the 3rd week in June, after the WMs' pow-wow. We want to nail down the event/function list as complete as possible before posting...

06/15 - The 'Call for Coordinators' is now posted. Even before we put it up we've had a tremendous response from our members, so let's get these positions filled & have a GREAT RALLY!

06/17 - The WM POW-WOW in Illinois is over, & we got a tremendous amount of work done - as you can see in the 'Call for Coordinators', among other posts that were put up in the Rally area during our week together. Many other items on our lists were completed also, & you will see them in the near future. We all gained weight, new (drink) recipes, a liking for TUMS & aspirin, & all headed our separate ways - better friends than ever! Bev & I couldn't have picked a better crew to work with, & can't wait to see them again in September - along with Everyone Else!

06/19 - By Gosh, I think we're gonna have a PARTY! The response from our attendees has been tremendous, and the WM's can't thank everyone enough. Keep it up, & we can wrap it up...

07/07 - Hope everyone survived the 4th and are gearing up for the rally! All but a few of the OEM vendor slots are filled in the schedule, and I HOPE those are also filled soon after the holiday. Your WM's are still working on a couple of other 'projects', so stay tuned to the rally section for further updates.

07/11 - FIRST-TIMERS: WE NEED to know who you are!!! If you haven't done so already, please let us know by sending a simple, one line email to 2013mocfallrally@montanaowners.com, with 'First Timer' as the subject line, your names, MOC ID, and MOC # in the text body. There's no stigma attached to being a First-Timer; rather it shows the MOC & WM's that they are on the right track in bringing NEW people to the Rally.

07/27 - the Rally Payment Notice has been posted by LadyRV! Please read it CAREFULLY, as there is a Payment Deadline this year of SEPTEMBER 1, 2013, as well as other important info. This gives everyone adequate time to get their fees in, via PayPal, by that date. As stated in the notice, failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your registration, so Mark It On Your Calendar! I will mark you PAID on the Attendee's List as I receive the information from LadyRV. Also, pay special attention to the part about Early Arrivals...

07/30 - the WM's have made arrangements for 10th Anniversary Rally T-shirts and Carol Stevens has kindly volunteered to coordinate the gathering of sizes for me. Please check her post and get your sizes (2/rig) ASAP as there is a lead time for acquiring, setup, and printing the shirts.

08/01 - Please allow at least 72 hours for your payment transaction to process (PayPal->LadyRV->Me) before I can mark you PAID. Thanks for your patience...

SITE ASSIGNMENTS will be posted as soon as ALL Rally Payments are submitted, and LadyRV gets them figured out. As stated several times, premium sites (NW area) are assigned on the basis of:[list_to_fix][*]Medical needs[*]Coordinator volunteers[*]Date of Registration[*]general site requests (i.e., 'buddy' requests) So make your payment ASAP so that this BIG task can be completed!

08/02 - WE HAVE A SITE CHANGE! I've been in contact with the Fairgrounds on several matters the last several days and, with the help of AWM's Charlie & Judy Benton, we have decided to forego the 26 race track infield sites (501 - 526) for sites 301 - 326 (W/E/S/50A), which became available. Please check the fairgrounds site map (above) for this location. Because 4 - 5 of these sites are short, we've also acquired sites 210 - 214 as alternates (just across the road).

Why did we do this? Distance and Mud! The Benton's kindly drove down to Goshen today to check out the new sites for me &, although closer to the train tracks, they are high & dry. With the rain last night, the race track was a mud hole (& you have to cross it to exit). The new sites are also a LOT closer to the NW main area; possibly closer than Harley's Hill. It was either MUD or TRAINS, & we chose TRAINS (what else is new at most private campgrounds?). Though not perfect, the new sites are obviously better than the infield (& might reduce the # of tomato's thrown at me during the Meet 'n Greet

). The FROG (Forest River) rally is currently there and they are using those sites instead of the infield also. HOPEFULLY, this should ease a lot of concerns about being stuck WAY OUT in the infield (sure made me feel better!).

08/09 - CR-34 Bridge Construction: Have been notified by the Fairgrounds that construction on the CR-34 bridge is scheduled to start on 9/19 or 9/24. John Kohl posted a couple of maps showing detours to get to & from the fairgrounds during the rally. Please see Major Detour to Fair Grounds BRIDGE OUT. You may want to print these prior to your travels to Goshen...

08/18 - 13 DAYS LEFT and 33 not PAID! That's right folks, 13 days left until the payment deadline - SEPTEMBER 1. Anyone not paid by that date WILL be dropped from the registration list, so if you are not sure that you will attend, PLEASE be cordial enough to let us know ASAP so that other folks may attend. It will also be less of a hassle to cancel BEFORE you pay.

08/20 - Got confirmation from Keystone today that they will be supplying 2 Main dishes (Chicken & Ham), plus a couple of sides for our Pot Luck. Dennis & Sharon have noted this in their Pot Luck post & probably be making adjustments to the menu. Thanks Keystone...!

08/28 - !!!DEADLINE APPROACHING!!! Please show some courtesy & at LEAST let Carol know your T-shirt sizes, as well as the WM's if you are coming or NOT. At this late stage of preparation - OURS and YOURS - you KNOW if you are going to attend or not so please let us know, one way or the other. We still have work to do, & it would make life easier if we knew these things...

REMEMBER - THE WM's ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT REGISTRATIONS OR MONEY AT THE RALLY!

Also, be sure to check out John's maps for the construction detours (http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=54925). Construction is due to start on 9/3 - great timing

!!!

Anybody got a supply of Alka-Seltzer (sure could use some right about now) ???

08/31 - For those arriving early for the rally and/or staying late after, the site fees @ the 4-H are $28.89/nite + taxes - contact info at http://4hfair.org/. These fees are paid directly to the 4-H upon arrival/extension. The 4-H will also have a copy of the Site Assignments & will direct you, with the help of the Site Escorts, to your site.

09/02 - WHEW! ARE WE READY TO PARTY? Must be, 'cause I'm running outta Pepto. The registrations are FINALLY set, just a few more minor details to wrap up, & 9/25 will be here before we know it. Enjoy Your Holiday & Be SAFE!!!

09/03 - Sites are paid for, T-Shirts are ordered, the schedule if Full, and I corrected a mistake that I made - LIFE IS GOOD!!!
Due to an HONEST mistake by your WM (yeah, I admit it, I did it, I BLEW it!), I was able to register a new member to our Forum - Peter & Patti Seidel, who have been trying to contact me for, I guess, quite a while. Sorry it took so long guys - been a heckuva week (& one HECKUVA weekend)- but again, we got it done...

09/04 - Forgot to mention in the last update that since the sites have been paid for, if you cancel for ANY reason you will have to contact the 4-H for a site refund. The MOC no longer has your site $$.

Lastly, and AGAIN, if you HAVEN'T filled out & sent your Rally QUESTIONNAIRE to Tom Struckman (tstr14@comcast.net), PLEASE DO SO ASAP!!! The Rally Book is a big project, can't be done at the last minute, & Tom needs YOUR help. If you don't want to be a FACELESS entry in the Rally Book, then PLEASE send them in NOW!

We (the WM's, Coordinators, Volunteers, etc.) are working HARD to make this a great Rally for YOU. Please help US by making sure you at least complete the above tasks...

Your WM’s…

04-10-2013, 12:44 PM	#1
worknomore Montana Master Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Grand Blanc Posts: 903 M.O.C. #2216	Welcome from The WM's! - 09/04 Update!!! ~ Welcome to the 2013 MOC 10th Anniversary Fall Rally! ~ On behalf of Bev, Ron & Mary Lichtenberg, and Charlie & Judy Benton, we want to extend a warm welcome to 2013 Fall Rally. We hope it will be as exciting and informative as past rallies for each and every one of you. I especially want to officially extend my thanks & gratitude to the Lichtenberg’s & Benton’s for stepping up to the challenge & keeping me on the straight & narrow! As stated in the Rally announcement, only early registrations are being taken at the present time – NO PAYMENTS PLEASE. We (the WM’s & MOC admins) still have some details to work out before we can take payments – an announcement will be made to that effect later. Also, PLEASE use the proper registration procedure as stated in LadyRV's announcement– DO NOT post asking us to register you, or send emails to any of the WM’s asking to register. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. As with all rallies in the past, this is a VOLUNTEER-based event, & we need YOUR help to make this YOUR rally to meet YOUR expectations. Volunteering and contributing is not as daunting as it may seem, especially for the first-time attendees. It will give you a sense of belonging, and an excellent way to meet and form lasting friendships with other MOC members. When the call goes out for volunteers in the Rally section or the Forum, please step up & do your fair share; don’t expect everyone else to do it for you. Most of the help needed is a no-brainer, and there are plenty of folks to help YOU out also. Constructive comments & suggestions are appreciated by the WM’s on 2 conditions – you are willing to help out and, 2, it is not negative criticism. Past WM’s will agree that we are not professional rally organizers & mistakes and decisions will be made that are not agreeable to everyone. We have lives outside of the rally to contend with also, just as you do. Give us some leeway (or rope to hang ourselves?), & we will do our best! Last, but not least, PLEASE READ, UNDERSTAND, and FOLLOW all ‘official’ rally announcements & direct your questions to the appropriate people (myself, Assistants, Coordinators, MOC Admins, etc.).This will greatly reduce the number of trips to Wal-Mart for Tums & Pepto by the WM’s…! Stay tuned to the rally thread, & let’s ALL work together to make this rally one to remember. UPDATES: 04/22 - there have been an EXCEPTIONAL number of offers to help. Please be sure that they are duly noted, and when the dust settles & we have a better handle on the schedule, the WM's will put out the 'call' for coordinators, contributors, etc. Also, PLEASE note the change LadyRV made to the location of the 'infield' overflow sites in the Rally announcement. These sites are in the 'infield' of the race track, not the ones up the drive from the Ag hall (water/elec only). The infield sites are larger (per the 4H folks) w/50A full hookup. Unfortunately, they are further away from the main North West campground where the tents & main activities will be. This is unfortunate but out of our control if we want more than 94 full hookup sites. Please refer to: Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds - Site Map 04/23 - as of last night we have 90 rigs registered (list to be hopefully posted soon by the Admins)! Shaping up to be the largest ever... 04/27 - 100 rigs registered! Bad news is, just about everyone registering from here to our 126 rig limit will be pretty much guaranteed an infield site (furthest away - see above). If this is not your cup of tea, don't want to drive/ride a bike, rent a golf cart/etc., then think hard about registering. Remember, sites are assigned randomly, based on reg. date, coordinators, and handicap needs, starting with the NW area, then Harley's Hill, and last - the infield sites. Also, a lot have asked but we cannot guarantee buddy pair-ups, etc. 04/30 - believe it or not, things are moving along. Waiting for Keystone to firm up the dates for the tour, driving school, & tech reps so we can work the schedule around that. Last count - 102! 05/24 - YAHOO! We have confirmed dates for the driving school, Tech Reps (thanks to Dick, this worked well last year), & the factory tours. A call for coordinators will go up soon for these & other rally events, so stay tuned (coordinating w/my Ass't WM's). Also, the registration list WILL be up soon - 110 rigs signed up as of 5/23! 06/01 - JUST spoke to the folks @ the Fairgrounds - we are now LIMITED to 119 TOTAL sites, due to parking restrictions. some have asked about coming to the fairgrounds early. Per the Fairgrounds, the earliest you can come in is possibly Sunday, 9/22, because there is another rally right before ours. Best thing to do is call before hand & see what is available... the Call For Coordinators list AND the preliminary schedule will be posted approximately the 3rd week in June, after the WMs' pow-wow. We want to nail down the event/function list as complete as possible before posting... 06/15 - The 'Call for Coordinators' is now posted. Even before we put it up we've had a tremendous response from our members, so let's get these positions filled & have a GREAT RALLY! 06/17 - The WM POW-WOW in Illinois is over, & we got a tremendous amount of work done - as you can see in the 'Call for Coordinators', among other posts that were put up in the Rally area during our week together. Many other items on our lists were completed also, & you will see them in the near future. We all gained weight, new (drink) recipes, a liking for TUMS & aspirin, & all headed our separate ways - better friends than ever! Bev & I couldn't have picked a better crew to work with, & can't wait to see them again in September - along with Everyone Else! 06/19 - By Gosh, I think we're gonna have a PARTY! The response from our attendees has been tremendous, and the WM's can't thank everyone enough. Keep it up, & we can wrap it up... 07/07 - Hope everyone survived the 4th and are gearing up for the rally! All but a few of the OEM vendor slots are filled in the schedule, and I HOPE those are also filled soon after the holiday. Your WM's are still working on a couple of other 'projects', so stay tuned to the rally section for further updates. 07/11 - FIRST-TIMERS: WE NEED to know who you are!!! If you haven't done so already, please let us know by sending a simple, one line email to 2013mocfallrally@montanaowners.com, with 'First Timer' as the subject line, your names, MOC ID, and MOC # in the text body. There's no stigma attached to being a First-Timer; rather it shows the MOC & WM's that they are on the right track in bringing NEW people to the Rally. 07/27 - the Rally Payment Notice has been posted by LadyRV! Please read it CAREFULLY, as there is a Payment Deadline this year of SEPTEMBER 1, 2013, as well as other important info. This gives everyone adequate time to get their fees in, via PayPal, by that date. As stated in the notice, failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your registration, so Mark It On Your Calendar! I will mark you PAID on the Attendee's List as I receive the information from LadyRV. Also, pay special attention to the part about Early Arrivals... 07/30 - the WM's have made arrangements for 10th Anniversary Rally T-shirts and Carol Stevens has kindly volunteered to coordinate the gathering of sizes for me. Please check her post and get your sizes (2/rig) ASAP as there is a lead time for acquiring, setup, and printing the shirts. 08/01 - Please allow at least 72 hours for your payment transaction to process (PayPal->LadyRV->Me) before I can mark you PAID. Thanks for your patience... SITE ASSIGNMENTS will be posted as soon as ALL Rally Payments are submitted, and LadyRV gets them figured out. As stated several times, premium sites (NW area) are assigned on the basis of:[list_to_fix][]Medical needs[]Coordinator volunteers[]Date of Registration[]general site requests (i.e., 'buddy' requests) So make your payment ASAP so that this BIG task can be completed! 08/02 - WE HAVE A SITE CHANGE! I've been in contact with the Fairgrounds on several matters the last several days and, with the help of AWM's Charlie & Judy Benton, we have decided to forego the 26 race track infield sites (501 - 526) for sites 301 - 326 (W/E/S/50A), which became available. Please check the fairgrounds site map (above) for this location. Because 4 - 5 of these sites are short, we've also acquired sites 210 - 214 as alternates (just across the road). Why did we do this? Distance and Mud! The Benton's kindly drove down to Goshen today to check out the new sites for me &, although closer to the train tracks, they are high & dry. With the rain last night, the race track was a mud hole (& you have to cross it to exit). The new sites are also a LOT closer to the NW main area; possibly closer than Harley's Hill. It was either MUD or TRAINS, & we chose TRAINS (what else is new at most private campgrounds?). Though not perfect, the new sites are obviously better than the infield (& might reduce the # of tomato's thrown at me during the Meet 'n Greet ). The FROG (Forest River) rally is currently there and they are using those sites instead of the infield also. HOPEFULLY, this should ease a lot of concerns about being stuck WAY OUT in the infield (sure made me feel better!). 08/09 - CR-34 Bridge Construction: Have been notified by the Fairgrounds that construction on the CR-34 bridge is scheduled to start on 9/19 or 9/24. John Kohl posted a couple of maps showing detours to get to & from the fairgrounds during the rally. Please see Major Detour to Fair Grounds BRIDGE OUT. You may want to print these prior to your travels to Goshen... 08/18 - 13 DAYS LEFT and 33 not PAID! That's right folks, 13 days left until the payment deadline - SEPTEMBER 1. Anyone not paid by that date WILL be dropped from the registration list, so if you are not sure that you will attend, PLEASE be cordial enough to let us know ASAP so that other folks may attend. It will also be less of a hassle to cancel BEFORE you pay. 08/20 - Got confirmation from Keystone today that they will be supplying 2 Main dishes (Chicken & Ham), plus a couple of sides for our Pot Luck. Dennis & Sharon have noted this in their Pot Luck post & probably be making adjustments to the menu. Thanks Keystone...! 08/28 - !!!DEADLINE APPROACHING!!! Please show some courtesy & at LEAST let Carol know your T-shirt sizes, as well as the WM's if you are coming or NOT. At this late stage of preparation - OURS and YOURS - you KNOW if you are going to attend or not so please let us know, one way or the other. We still have work to do, & it would make life easier if we knew these things... REMEMBER - THE WM's ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT REGISTRATIONS OR MONEY AT THE RALLY! Also, be sure to check out John's maps for the construction detours (http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=54925). Construction is due to start on 9/3 - great timing !!! Anybody got a supply of Alka-Seltzer (sure could use some right about now) ??? 08/31 - For those arriving early for the rally and/or staying late after, the site fees @ the 4-H are $28.89/nite + taxes - contact info at http://4hfair.org/. These fees are paid directly to the 4-H upon arrival/extension. The 4-H will also have a copy of the Site Assignments & will direct you, with the help of the Site Escorts, to your site. 09/02 - WHEW! ARE WE READY TO PARTY? Must be, 'cause I'm running outta Pepto. The registrations are FINALLY set, just a few more minor details to wrap up, & 9/25 will be here before we know it. Enjoy Your Holiday & Be SAFE!!! 09/03 - Sites are paid for, T-Shirts are ordered, the schedule if Full, and I corrected a mistake that I made - LIFE IS GOOD!!! Due to an HONEST mistake by your WM (yeah, I admit it, I did it, I BLEW it!), I was able to register a new member to our Forum - Peter & Patti Seidel, who have been trying to contact me for, I guess, quite a while. Sorry it took so long guys - been a heckuva week (& one HECKUVA weekend)- but again, we got it done... 09/04 - Forgot to mention in the last update that since the sites have been paid for, if you cancel for ANY reason you will have to contact the 4-H for a site refund. The MOC no longer has your site $$. Lastly, and AGAIN, if you HAVEN'T filled out & sent your Rally QUESTIONNAIRE to Tom Struckman (tstr14@comcast.net), PLEASE DO SO ASAP!!! The Rally Book is a big project, can't be done at the last minute, & Tom needs YOUR help. If you don't want to be a FACELESS entry in the Rally Book, then PLEASE send them in NOW! We (the WM's, Coordinators, Volunteers, etc.) are working HARD to make this a great Rally for YOU. Please help US by making sure you at least complete the above tasks... Your WM’s… __________________ Jim & Bev 2011 3465 SA 2015 GMC Sierra 3500HD Duramax Crew Cab