President Joe Mehrtens 904-910-3935 Vice President Kate Deaton 904-307-2610 Secretary D McDade 904-797-3320 Treasurer Al Richardson 904-264-5003 Newsletter Editor Don Dishman 904-641-4059 dondish37@att.net As a member of the Good Sam Club I pledge to give aid to others in need, respect nature and the environment, give back to the community and those less fortunate, treat others with dignity and respect, and to wear a smile (like Good Sam and Good Samantha s) and promote the pledge of the Good Sam Club to others. Happy Birthday January Nate Deaton - 2nd, Jynifer Fortson - 6th, Kate Deaton, Deborah Barnette - 16th, Robert Roche - 21st January 2016 Celebrating the New Year! Lake City RV Resort December 30, 2015 - January 3, 2016 Frank and Linda arrived early on Tuesday (early, early birds), along with new members, Bennie and Laura Davis. Wednesday morning a small group (Russ & Robin, Jyn & John, and Joe & Buddy) met at Cracker Barrel on I-10 near Whitehouse to enjoy breakfast and caravan in. Don and Tressa arrived, followed shortly by those caravanning. More of the Wednesday campers (visitors Ron & Joanna, new member Carla Akers, Al, Lucy, Harriet & Larry, Bob & Sheila, Carmin & Peggy, arrived in time to go to dinner at The Gondolier Italian Restaurant. Hank & his friend Julie joined us there. Deb arrived shortly after we had returned from dinner. Folks either gathered in the hall to enjoy some time visiting before heading for bed or meeting at different rigs - many to decorate their champagne glasses for New Years. Thursday morning, eight of the group headed out to breakfast at Shirley s, while the rest either slept in or enjoyed breakfast on their own (Russ even cooked bacon on his smoker!). Shortly after our return more members of the chapter arrived - Sue & John, Jim & D, and Susan & Robert. Most of the day was spent visiting, shopping, cooking, and decorating more glasses. Of course, there were a few games - Hand and Foot, Pool, Jokers, and Blockus, being played. Carla s husband, Brian, arrived in the mid-afternoon, in plenty of time to enjoy our New Years Eve Party which began at 9:30 p.m. We enjoyed a great variety of snacks being supplemented with a potato bar (and lots of good toppings). Russ was kind enough to bring his Karaoke equipment and encouraged folks to select songs - who knew we had so much hidden talent? Three judges (folks who didn t decorate a glass) selected Tressa s glass to win the prize (judging was tough as there were some really great looking glasses!). Midnight found the larger percentage of folks ready to welcome in 2016 (yes, we had a few who just couldn t hold out).
We had decided to have our traditional New Years meal at 11 a.m. (our Lunch Brunch) on Friday. Ham, mashed potatoes, greens, spoon bread, and of course our black-eyed peas, along with other yummy dishes brought by the members, were enjoyed by all. And, least they be forgotten, we also enjoyed many tasty desserts, including the birthday cake to celebrate our January birthdays and a chocoholics feast of molten pudding cake. Once again, the games came out for those wanting to exercise their competitive skills. Breakfast casseroles and salmon quiches, potato pancakes, pastries and non-alcoholic sangria started our day on Saturday. The cold chased many back to their rigs - but a few managed to stay around and enjoy Blockus, King s Court, Hand & Foot and Jokers. Linda was generous in making meat loaves for our dinner, supplemented with many great dishes by the other members who dodged the rain to get back to the hall. Thanks to Jyn for organizing our White Elephant Exchange - who knew toilet paper and soap would be so popular? And, with a little encouragement from the on-lookers, we enjoyed a table dance from Carmin. More rain, visiting and games closed out the evening. The rain had stopped when we got up Sunday morning and headed to the clubhouse for Jyn s tasty oatmeal and left overs from Saturday. Tressa presented a short devotional before everyone went back to close up their rigs. A few headed home, while the rest stayed to go to the VA Medical Center in Lake City for our monthly visit. Deb, who had started to hook up the night before, found that she had an almost broken alternator belt - so, instead of heading home, she (along with the Garbecki s) stayed another night to get her rig fixed. High accolades to the new owners and their staff of the Lake City RV Resort (formerly Oaks and Pines). We had a wonderful time at a very nice camp ground. Many great changes have already taken place, with more renovations to come! OUR CELEBRATION PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES Wednesday Above: Breakfast at Cracker Barrel - a great way to start a weekend! Joe & Buddy; Robin & Russ, Jyn & John at breakfast. Below: Mini-caravan to campground; enjoying out of doors; Dinner at the Gondolier Italian Restaurant - good food, good service, great company! Thursday Above: License plates at Shirley s - a yummy breakfast to start the day; Russ with completed glass; Robin and Linda, decorating their glasses. 2
Above: John, Sue and Joe join Bob and Sheila for hot dogs; Jyn works on her glass; Robin with finished product; Deb s friend, Tresia, cooking sausages. Below: Decorated glasses ready for the party; Tressa and Harriet setting up food. Above: Robin (back), Johanna (hidden), Ron and Larry wait for party to start; Cookies Galore! Robin shows off all her hard work; Time to eat - around the table, Tressa, Tresia, Joe, Laura, Buddy, John and Linda fill their dishes. Below: Bob and Sheila at the potato bar; Cutting up - Sheila and Deb; Sheila, Deb and Tresia welcoming in the New Year! Lucy in her Awesome T! Friday Above: Sangria fruit - tasty; Morning snack; Traditional New Years feast; Sweethearts - Peggy and Carmin 3
Above: State Staff - ASD Sharon Bundy and Pam Bundy officiate at installation of new officers; Tressa and D, lighting candles. Below: Harriet lights candle as out-going officers look on; ASD Sharon Bundy explains duties and responsibilities to new officers; New officers (l-r) Al Richardson (Treasurer), Joe Mehrtens (President), Jyn Fortson (proxy for VP Kate Deaton), and D McDade (Secretary) take oath of office. Left: ASD staff and out-going officers congratulate new officers; Joe showing off his new gavel. Congratulations and best wishes to our new officers! Saturday Above: John making potato pancakes, Susan working on coffee; Tressa making non-alcoholic sangria to enjoy with breakfast casseroles, salmon quiche and other goodies in the morning. Everyone enjoying a rousing White Elephant Exchange following a great dinner of meatloaf (thanks Linda!) and other yummy sides. Carmin receives a tip from Deb for his table dance. Games and other Miscellaneous Fun Above: Games of Kings Court, Hand & Foot, Jokers, and Mexican Train. Below: Games, music, helping hands and new friends! 4
Getaways Welcome New Members! During the campout at Lake City RV Resort, we were happy to welcome new members, Laura and Bennie Davis as well as Carla and Brian Akers. We also enjoyed our visitors, Johanna and Ron. Bennie and Laura Davis, who we first met at the Lunch Bunch at Olive Garden, enjoy traveling with their kitties. She likes to sew, write poetry. Besides enjoying traveling in their RV, Bennie also likes to do woodwork. Brian and Carla Akers - Carla also joined us for the Lunch Bunch (Brian had to work). She is a wonder woman - lifting weights and running her own business Soap for Athletes while also taking care of home and pets. Brian works as a teacher and provides wonderful support for Carla and her endeavors. She also likes to sew, hike and play games. They enjoyed Blockus so much, they went out and got the game before the weekend was over! Johanna and Ron, friends of Russ and Robin, joined us for the weekend. Besides being a good drone retriever they have two beautiful German Shepherds, Mars and Fallin, who think they are lap puppies. We look forward to them visiting with us again and hope they choose to join the Chapter. Upcoming camp outs - Information for the January and February camp outs, as well as the application for the Spring Rally in Okeechobee are attached. You will note that on the schedule, where the location of camp outs are known, the phone number is also included. This is to help you in making advanced plans (reservations) even before the newsletter comes out. If you are hosting, and haven t notified us of the location, please be sure to send your information as soon as possible to Kate Deaton for inclusion in the newsletter. VISIT TO VA MEDICAL CENTER IN LAKE CITY FOR FEBRUARY CANCELED! Due to the number of members attending the Winter Rally in Tallahassee, and the distance, it has been decided that we will not participate in February. Our next visit will be on Sunday, March 6, 2016. Please be gathering/making comfort items to be taken with us on that date. Anyone interested in participating, please notify Tressa at tressal1947@att.net. We usually try to have between 12-15 folks to assist with the Bingo and hand out refreshments afterward. Many times, following our activities, we stop for dinner at a restaurant. We have a lot of fun and the blessings that we receive while Serving those who served us are immeasurable. What s Cooking? Several of you asked for the recipe for the Sausage Dip that was served at the party. Ingredients: 1 lb. Jimmy Dean original sausage; 1 8-oz. Packages of cream cheese; 1 can Rotel (original or mild). Directions: In skillet, brown and drain sausage, add cream cheese and mix. Heat until cheese is melted. Add Rotel. I keep mine in a crock pot so it stays warm. For the party, I used a double portion - mixing the Rotel (1 mild and 1 original). Serve with corn chips of your preference. Enjoy! 5
GETAWAY SAMS 2016 CAMPOUT SCHEDULE SIGN UP SHEET (Early Bird Dates) MONTH/DATES HOSTS LOCATION Jan. (21) 23-24 Sue/John Johnson Ft. McCoy KOA, Ft. McCoy, FL D/Jim McDade (352) 546-5500 Feb. (2) 3-7 Winter Rally North Florida Fairgrounds Tallahassee, FL Feb. (25) 26-28* Carol/Steve Coastal Georgia RV Resort Deb/Bob Brunswick, Georgia 912-264-3869 March (24) 25-27 Joe/Buddy Pecan Park, Jacksonville, FL Harriet/Larry 904-751-6770 April (5) 6-10 Spring Rally Okeechobee KOA Resort Okeechobee, FL April (21) 22-24 Tressa/Don Walkabout RV Park, Woodbine, GA 912-729-4110 May (26) 27-29 (30) Al Richardson Rock Crusher Canyon, Crystal River, FL Jyn Fortson 352-564-9350 June (23) 24-26 Frank/Linda Diegel Paradise Oaks Dan/Mary Arnold Bushnell, FL Sandra/Bob McKinley 352-793-1823 July (21) 22-24 Aug. (25) 26-28 Sept. (22) 23-25 Oct. (27) 28-30 John/Jyn Fortson Lucy co-host Kate/Nate Robin/Russell Deb Dlugouz Nov. (15) 16-20 Fall Rally Southern Palms RV Resort Eustis, FL Dec. 30 2016 Jan. 2, 2017** Lake City RV Park Chapter Officers 386-752-0830 Please remember that all members need to host/co-host once a year. * Since we have the Samboree so early in February the Chapter voted to conduct an additional campout later in the month. **Dates adjusted at a Chapter meeting in order to avoid Christmas and overlap New Year s. Living into the Good Sam Pledge - we always pitch in to help where help is needed! 6
January (21 st Early Bird), 22 nd -24 th Campout KOA Lake Ocklawaha (Former Lk Oklawaha RV Resort) 15991 NE 243 Road, Ft. McCoy, FL. 32134 Rates: $25 plus tax per night (if we have 10 rigs) otherwise rate $30 plus tax Reservation Phone Number (352) 546-5500 or 1-800-562-9389 RSVP---HOSTS: John & Sue Johnson, (904) 744-6327 CoHosts: Jim & D McDade, (904) 797-3320 ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES: Coloring, Where Are We and Baby Face contests with prizes awarded. PLEASE BRING A BABY PICTURE of yourself Thursday, 21 st 5:30 PM Jim s Homemade Beef Stew Bring only ONE side dish to compliment, such as dinner rolls, salad, dessert 7:00 PM Card Bingo Bring 6 quarters (2-additional prize winners TBA) Friday, 22 nd 8:30 AM Sausage Gravy & Biscuit Breakfast, juice, and coffee. Bring only ONE side dish to compliment, such as fruit, pastries/donuts 10:00 AM Craft project with D TBA Lunch on your own, go exploring, relax or enjoy afternoon outdoor games 5:30 PM Hamburgers/hot dogs & condiments EXTRA GRILLS NEEDED Bring only ONE side dish to compliment. 7:00 PM Cards, Board Games, Socializing Saturday, 23 rd 8:30 AM Pancake Breakfast, bacon, juice coffee, leftovers from yesterday 10:00 AM Business Meeting Lunch on your own, go exploring, relax or enjoy afternoon outdoor games 2:00 PM Ice Cream Novelties Social 5:30 PM Smoked Pork Loin Potluck - Bring only ONE side dish to compliment 7:00 PM Coloring, Where Are We & Baby Face CONTEST WINNERS Announced Cards, Board Games, Socializing Sunday, 24 th 8:30 AM Devotion by D Sayonara, safe travels till we meet again, God Bless America PLEASE BRING TABLE SETTINGS TO ALL MEALS The above plan is subject to change 7
GOOD SAMS OF FLORIDA, INC. 2016 SPRING RALLY - MAD HATTERS is the Theme OKEECHOBEE KOA RESORT - 4276 HWY 441 S., OKEECHOBEE FLORIDA 34974-6255 THE RESORT IS LOCATED 2.5 MILES SOUTH OF STATE ROUTE 70 ON HWY 441 APRIL 6 - April 10, 2016 (Wed-Sun) EARLY BIRD-Tues. APRIL 5, 2016 NO ADMISSION PRIOR TO TUESDAY REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES: 4 nights camping with water, electric, and sewer. Daily hospitality, Samgo, door prizes, crafts and flea market, seminars, Samboree Bars, RV Dealers, vendors, entertainment, FREE CABLE and MUCH MORE. CANCELLATIONS There will be a processing fee for all cancellations based on cancellation date: Prior to February 15th, $10.00 February 15 thru March 14th, $15.00 March 15 and forward $25.00 THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS FOR "NO SHOWS". (This will be if you don't notify anyone.) ****All cancellations and refund requests must be in writing from YOU and emailed to Joe Weston, State Director or Linda Voyton before the rally ends. WE CAN NOT HAVE CANCELLATIONS AFTER THE RALLY, AND EXPECT TO GET A REFUND OR TRANSFER TO ANOTHER RALLY.**** NO DEDUCTIONS FOR EARLY DEPARTURE. WE WILL HAVE CHAPTER PARKING - NOTE: REGISTRATIONS MUST BE IN 14 DAYS PRIOR TO RALLY TO PARK WITH CHAPTER. Be sure to bring extra electric cords, water hoses and Y's. Handicapped spaces will only be provided for our Handicapped members with proper credentials. PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER YOU WANT TO PARK WITH YOUR CHAPTER OR IN HANDICAPPED SPACES. (NOT BOTH) Unregistered late arrivals may not be parked with their chapter.**registration 9-5 NO LATE ARRIVALS** *****IMPORTANT!! ARRIVE WITH TOWED VEHICLE UNHOOKED***** MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO : GOOD SAMS OF FLORIDA, INC. - RETURN LOWER PORTION OF THIS FORM WITH FEES TO: JOE WESTON, PO BOX 470572, LAKE MONROE, FL 32747-0572 EMAIL: PHONE # (407) 417-7559 *************************************************************************** NAME Last First Chapter name or Handicapped ADDRESS Street City and State Zip Handicapped # RIG LENGTH TYPE OF RIG # of Adults # of Children (A,B,C, trailer, 5th wheel) SAMBOREE FEE - SPRING 2016 IS THIS YOUR FIRST FLORIDA SAMBOREE? YES NO PREPAID REGISTRATION ($125.00) $ EARLY BIRD ($25.00) $ Phone # SINGLE PERSON RIG ($105.00) $ E-Mail address EXTRA ADULT ($25.00) $ PRINT CLEARLY REGISTRATION AT GATE $130.00) $ (children under 12 are Free) TOTAL FEES FOR 2016 OKEECHOBEE $ INTERESTED IN PLAYING IN A GOLF TOURNAMENT? YES NOTE: We the undersigned understand the Florida Good Sam State Staff has taken reasonable and necessary safety precautions. Therefore, we accept full responsibility for the welfare of our unit and all persons in our unit while attending the Florida Samboree. DATE: SIGNATURE We, Florida Good Sams, Inc., reserve the right to refuse any applications. www.goodsams-florida.org 8
Early Information on the February, (25) 26-28, 2016 Camp out Coastal Georgia RV Resort 287 South Port Parkway Brunswick, Georgia 31523 912-264-3869 Rally rates $35.70. The campground has 'back in' or 'pull thru' sites. Make a request when you book. Exit-29 North of Florida Border ½ mile off I-95 Thursday 25th, 2016 Early bird coffee with sweet rolls in Clubhouse 5 PM Dinner in PAVILION Hosts to provide pulled Pork and Buns. Please bring side dishes and desserts. 6 PM Assortment of Games in Pavilion (Wll Bowling, bingo and a few surprise games of luck and skill). Prizes awarded Friday February 26, 2016 Early bird coffee with sweets 10 AM Bloody Mary's and Mimosas at the Guittar/Barnette's. If you do not care for any refreshments, come on anyway for the fun and fellowship. We will be outdoors weather permitting. 1 PM SHARP--Depart campground in front of the Office to caravan to Jekyll Island. Tour the Island and see Historic sights with 4 stops and many photo opportunities. Learn the rich History of the Georgia Golden Isles. $15.00 PP and will last 90 minutes (1:30-3 pm with restrooms along the way). Also, plan to pack a simple picnic lunch for yourself and we will stop for a casual lunch overlooking the ocean. If too cold, there will be other places to picnic. 6 PM FISH FRY DINNER WITH 'ALL' THE FIXINS'--at the Pavilion Just bring yourself - fish, hush puppies, French fries, coleslaw, potato salad, cocktail sauce, cheese grits and desserts furnished. GAMES AFTER DINNER---PLACE TO BE ANNOUNCED. Saturday February 27, 2016 Early bird coffee--clubhouse 7:30-8 AM FULL BREAKFAST - Eggs, biscuits, meats, pancakes and assorted syrups served in the CLUBHOUSE Afternoon for resting, visiting or exploring the area. St. Simons Island is a neat old fishing village approximately 30 minutes away. Lots of really interesting shops there. 5:30 PM Dinner at ZACHARY'S (next door to the campground) famous for their seafood and steaks. Games and gathering at the PAVILION for anyone interested after dinner. Awards given for "BEST Of"... more information to follow. Sunday February 28, 2016 Early bird coffee in club house 7:30 am Grilled cheese At the Barnette s... If too cold, the Pavilion. The Campground is less than 20 minutes from Historic downtown Brunswick and Jekyll Island. There is a small outlet mall nearby, as well as GREAT restaurants. You can also enjoy visiting Starbucks, the Waffle house, Denny s, the Flying J (full service) and Winn-Dixie (a brand new store). Click here: Coastal GA RV Resort - Area Attractions 9