"Fun in the Sun" was a roaring success and a good time was had by all.  Bill and Nancy Scheerer did a mighty fine job of arranging all the details. We really owe them a big "thank you" for hosting this first Florida Regional Rally.  While this was a smaller rally (15 coaches), the quality seemed to be enhanced the the smaller group size. As one person stated "I have been going to rallies for the past 25 years, but this rally has been the best".

      At the Vero Beach Rally many people caught the fever and have started work on putting together rallies to be held in their local areas.

      Glenn and Candy Smith (Merritt Island, FL) are working on a rally to be held at The Great Outdoors Resort, Titusville, FL with a tour of the Space Center and dinner at the famous Dixie Crossroads as just a few of the items on the agenda.  Since these people travel the world doing Habitat for Humanity work, they have to fit this in with their very busy schedule.

      Marlin and Dianna Chestnut (Dallas, GA) who are brand new chapter members and very busy working on trading for a 2000 D, did agree to look at the camping facilities at Stone Mountain and places to visit in and around Atlanta. Jim and Carol Mount, Van Wert, OH indicated they had stopped there on the way to Vero Beach.  Someone suggested we visit the new panda bears at the Atlanta zoo and attend the Baptist church service where Dr. Charles Stanley Black is pastor.

      Billy Jones, Clarksville, TN advised me he would be checking with several parks in the Nashville area to see how they could accommodate our group.  Grand Ole Opry, Opryland and Jack Daniels are a few of the places Billy mentioned that could be visited.

      Frank & Karen Natal (Mandeville, LA) indicated that Mardi Gras 2001 would be a good time to have a Discovery Int'l Rally.  Frank felt he would be able to find us a suitable campground, but was having some trouble narrowing the list of activities down so he could fit everything into a one week period.  Please let them know what you would like included in the agenda.

      Sounds like we are going to have plenty of rallies to pick and choose from.

      One of our members, Bill Allen, Deer Park, FL told me he was having trouble planning his trip from the Fryeburg, ME Rally in August and getting to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque by October.  Bill indicates he only travels about 150 miles per day in his Discovery (and they only travel one day per week)!

      If you can travel more than 150 miles per week, make sure you let Ron Hyslop know you will be attending Fryeburg and Ken Adams that you will attend the Balloon Fiesta.  I'm sure both of these rallies will be first class rallies and probably will become over booked, so don't wait too long to put in your reservations.

Jim Campbell, President

      Ken and Jackie moved to Albuquerque in 1989 from Kerrville, Texas, having lived there for about 13 years.  Ken grew up in Oklahoma and Jackie in Kansas.  Ken was a commercial banker for 25 years in Oklahoma and Texas and jackie is a registered nurse.  After moving to Albuquerque, they purchased a small business in Santa Fe and operated that for seven years.  Both retired in 1997 (or just quite working).  Ken and Jackie have a grown son and daughter and five grand children, all living in Albuquerque.

      We started rv'ing with a pop up camper in Oklahoma and moved up through different rv's until now, with a 98 Discovery 36T.  We love RV'ing because we get to meet such wonderful other RV'ers.  We like traveling, hiking, exploring new country, church and family.  Both feel the new Discovery International Chapter of FMCA offers a great opportunity to have fun and to associate with great people and perhaps a way to promote a great Discovery motor home.

      Following the winter convention in Pomona, CA, the California Discovery Chapter will be holding a regional rally in Perris, CA.  Some of the California chapter members attended our Middle Amana Rally and they have extended an invitation to all Discovery International members to join them at Perris on March 31 and April 1 & 2, 2000.  This park is both Coast to Coast and RPI so those people who are retired can buzz over to the park after the convention and spend the week.

      Details of the rally are still being worked on, but if you would like more information or register for ht rally, please contact Marie Erickson at her e-mail address:  panme@wans.net or call her at 619-571-0787.

     Discovery International will hold a member's chapter meeting at the Pomona Convention, currently it is scheduled for Friday, March 24 at 5:00 PM.  At this meeting we will be electing 3 members for the nominating committee who will present nominees for the national director and alternate national director at the Brunswick meeting.  The directors must be elected annually whereas they other officers were elected for two years at the Ames meeting according to our by-laws.

      Be sure to check your program book as they could make a time and data change.

Year to date 9/30/99

Receipts

Membership Dues  $4,107.00

Rally Income             2,253.54

Other Income               239.00

Total Income           $6,599.54

Expenses

Rallies                         $580.00

Newsletter                    295.21

Postage                          205.22

Name Tags                    638.25

Office Supplies               79.21

Other                               77.61

Total Expenses          $1,875.50

Closing Balance         $4,724.04

     The First Annual Discovery International Open Golf Tournament was held November 6, 1999 at the Sunshine Travel Resort.  Twenty two participants played 396 holes of golf, taking a total of 1,618 swings (as accurately reported by the players themselves!) for an average of 147 swings per couple or 73.5 per person or 4 put-puts per person per hole.  The bug a boo of the day seemed to be hole number 9, the total number of strokes from the group on hole 9 were 231 or 5.25 strokes per person.

     Three people scored a hole in one--Bill Wendell on Number 7 and 9; Sue Jennett on Number 7 and Karen Natal on Number 7.  All received buckets (no balls).

     A prize for the two people who gained the most experience and enjoyed the most exercise was a Luby's mug going to Bill Jones and Shirley Clark.  Gayle and Sue Haymen and Jim and Carol Mounts received Discovery portfolios for third lowest combined scores of 137.  A golf trinket was received by Joe Doakes and his wife (alias Jim and Lois Campbell) for second place with a score of 132.

     First Place winners with a combined score of 110 went to Frank and Karen Natal who won a $25.0 gift certificate from Camping World.

By Diana Allen

     This great event as hosted by Bill and Diana Allen who are full timers, who have an address in Pensacola but winter in Deer Park, FL.  By the way, their traveling tomato plant never yielded tomato #1 as reported by Bill even after that hot sun in Amana & Ames.

Bill and Diana Allen, Pensacola, FL

Jim and Lois Campbell, Naples, FL

Marlin and Dianne Chestnut, Dallas, GA

Steve and Shirley Clarke, Olympia Fields, IL

Eugene and Ida Forsht, Polk City, FL

Harry and Sheila Hayes, Summerland Key, FL

Gayle and Sue Haymon, Lake Panasoffkee, FL
Billy Jones and Sue Jennett, Clarksville, TN

James and Carol Mounts, Van Wert, OH

Frank and Karen Natal, Mandeville, LA

John and Karen Rocha, Spring Hill, FL

     The "Fun in the Sun Rally" held at the Sunshine Travel Park in Vero Beach, FL was held Nov. 4-6, 1999.  Fifteen Discovery motor homes and couples parked together for a fun time.

     A get acquainted party was held on Thursday with lots of good finger food.  On Friday a tour was taken of Piper Aircraft plant followed by a 3 hours cruise on the River Queen on the Sebastian River.  Although our guide kept saying "usually there are alligators, dolphin or manatee in a certain area" - not so, but it was still a pleasant trip.

     Saturday morning was the famous golf tourney (see above report).  The afternoon was spent visiting one another's motor homes to see many added improvements.  Many "honey do" lists were made.

     In the evening we enjoyed a great buffet at Captain Hiram's on beautiful Indian River.  We closed the rally with lots of pitch in food for breakfast on Sunday morning before people started leaving for various locations.

     Located in the center of a small, friendly village in New England's famous Mount Washington Valley area, Fryeburg Academy provides easy access to the benefits of town life and caring local families.  The breath-taking locale, close to the ocean, mountains (including Mount Washington, the highest point in the Northeast), rivers, lakes, and 750,000 acres of national forest, enables students to enjoy outdoor activities in every season.

     In addition to the natural splendor, the region's many cultural and entertainment events attract visitors nationwide.  Especially popular is the thriving resort area of North Conway, just fifteen minutes from the Academy campus.  North Conway draws people to its rich array of ethnic restaurants, boutiques, shops that carry handsome regional crafts, and dozens of famous name-brand factory outlets offering tax-free shopping. Lodging, from inns to national chains, provide families a restful haven with all the amenities, as well as a handy base from which to enjoy recreational activities year round.

     Sarah and I recently attended the annual Fryeburg Fair and were able to make many contacts for our rally.  The Fair will be celebrating their 150th anniversary in July of 2000.

     The Pre-rally to the Brunswick Convention in Maine will be held on the Fryeburg Fairgrounds on August 12 to 16, 2000.  These are excellent facilities for a rally.  We have space reserved for 80+ coaches with 20 amp power and water, and four dump stations are available to us.

     We have located an excellent caterer for our Lobster Bake, with alternate entrees for those who do not want lobster. 

     We are looking for those who have interesting subjects for seminars and would like to make a presentation to the group.  Also anyone willing to help with the pre-rally in any way please contact us at:  P.O. Box 2003, E. Dennis, MA  02641 (508)385-7328.

Ron & Sarah Hyslop  F175527

     Standing on the balloon field on a crisp October morning is a sight to behold when over 800 (896 actual count of balloons registered this year) hot air balloons ascend for the start of the 1999 Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

     There are 21 countries represented this year with 1055 pilots registered to fly.  Over 4000 volunteers to work the Fiesta as chase crews, grounds workers, parking attendants, etc. to make this an outstanding event.

     The RV parking grounds are overflowing with over 1500 RVs parked and others parked where they can find space.  All hotel rooms are filled.

     The 2000-millennium Fiesta should be even bigger with more people attending, more RVs and more balloons.  The attendance should surpass this year of more than 1,000,000 people attending the Fiesta.

     Would you like to attend next year's Fiesta?  Well, Jackie and I have volunteered to be host and wagon master for a Discovery International Chapter of FMCA Rally and we want you to plan now to attend with us.

     In order to get RV space with electric and water, we need to make our application as early as possible, like next month.  We will make reservations for 30 RV spaces.  The Fiesta will be held the first through the second weekends, which is October 7-15.

     The rally will be only for 5 days beginning on Friday, October 6.  You should plan to arrive on Friday morning and depart on Tuesday morning.

     We also plan to either have an evening meal catered on site or all go out to a Mexican food restaurant.  There will be opportunity for those who wish to tour the area.  If you wish to stay in the RV site through the entire Fiesta (through October 15) I need to know up front and make the application for such.

     If you can plan now to attend the Fiesta, send me your name and how long you wish to stay so I can include a longer time for you in my application.  My e-mail address is KaJac1@aol.com or my mailing address is P.O. Box 66689 Albuquerque, NM 87193 or call me at 505-897-9711.  If there is a lot of interest for this Fiesta rally then maybe I need to reserve more than 30 spaces.  Let me know your plans as soon as possible.  I will have further information in  future news letters.

By Ken Adams

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