April-2008

From the President-Bob Miller

Greetings and a belated Happy New Year to our Greater Midwest Classics family.  Here it is the first part of April 2008 already and time to start thinking about the upcoming rally season.  To sum up last year, we had another great Christmas party again hosted by Lowell Olsen.  It was well attended and many of us stayed overnight so we could enjoy all that Lowell and Albert Lea had to offer.  We were entertained once again by a storyteller who does such a great job of making us remember how it used to be as we were growing up.  Thanks Lowell for another fun time. 
As I write this, Yvonne and I are on a two-month trip in our coach.  We left home in mid February, headed to Dallas, then to New Mexico, Phoenix, San Diego, LA, Bakersfield and then to the GMCMI convention in Santa Rosa.  We visited friends and family along the way including a get together with several club members in the Phoenix area, and also did a lot of sight seeing.  We have had a great trip, except for having my new engine go out near Jim Kanomata’s shop in Fremont, CA.  It is a long story but let’s just say I am going to have a discussion with my engine rebuilder when I get home.  Thanks to Jim and his staff we got our Caddy 500 replaced with a rebuilt 500 in record time and made it to the rally on time.  When I see you I can tell you all the details.
It was a wonderful GMCMI rally with 222 coaches in attendance, mostly from the western states.  We enjoyed meeting new people and seeing some very nice California and other western coaches.  In attendance from our club were Don and June McGrath, Bob and Marlys Drewes, John and Margaret Biwersi, Duane and Ruth Christopherson, Randy and Joe Johnson and Jim and Maureen Bruce.  We also had a chance to renew acquaintances with Sharon Danielson who now lives in Napa.  Cal is not well and living in a care facility so did not see him.  Bob Drewes did his usual great job of putting on a seminar on front wheel alignment and represented our club very well.  Yvonne also did a great job with her Grand parenting seminar, similar to what she did in Iowa.  We had a fun week and are glad that we were able to attend.
I hope everyone got through the winter in good health.  Our spring rally is coming up May 13^th through the 15^th at Lake Okoboji near Spirit Lake, IA.  Many thanks to John and Pam Kragt for agreeing to be our wagon masters once again, especially since they did such a great job last time.  You can find all the details in the Chief Wagon Master, Howard’s, section on rallies later in the newsletter.  I just want to say I look forward to seeing all of you at the rally.
We have another season of fun packed rallies this year thanks to Howard.  This includes joining FMCA at their rally in St. Paul for our summer outing.  I know that not all of you want to do this but we felt it was an opportunity that does not present itself very often where FMCA has their rally in our “own backyard”.  Because of that, we thought that our club should support them and give our members a chance to attend a FMCA rally.
This is my last year as president of your club so if there is anything that you would like to suggest to make our club better please feel free to let me know.  Being president has been good in that I have gotten to know many of you much better than I did before and I have enjoyed that very much.  We have a great membership and I am proud to be a part of this club.

From Vice President - Howard Glenna, Chief Wagon Master
2008 RALLY DATES

SPRING RALLY 2008,  May 13 – 15 at Lake Okoboji near Spirit Lake, Iowa
Wagon Masters – John and Pam Kragt with the assistance of Ken and Diane Lockard and Jim and Anita White.  The Rally will be held at Cutty”s Resort.  All reservations must be made through John Kragt by May 6^th, 2008.  The campground will not take reservations directly from individuals for a group meeting.  The cost is $30.75 per coach with full hookups including cable television.  Payment is to be made at the time of campground check-in.  If you want to park by someone, you should plan to arrive together.  The campground does not have a website but is fantastic with indoor pool, spa, and many recreational activities as well as indoor meeting space.  Thanks to John and Pam Kragt for all their planning and efforts to make this rally fun for everyone.  This is a great Private Membership Resort that John and Pam have made available to our club.
To obtain reservations Please call John Kragt at 712-330-7419 or email to jbkragt@hotmail.com or by mail to: 101 19^th Street, #501, Spirit Lake, Ia 51360 .  The cancellation policy is forty-eight hours prior to the event: otherwise a $26.75 fee is assessed.
Cutty’s Okoboji Resort Club is located one-quarter mile south of Hwy.9 on the eastside of Hwy. 86.  The address is 1528 Hwy. 86, Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360.  RESERVATIONS CANNOT BE MADE DIRECTLY THROUGH CUTTY’S AS THIS STAY IS MADE POSSIBLE BY KRAGT’S MEMBERSHIP IN THIS CLUB.  *****A note for the Spring Rally---we are going to have the tool we got from Norma Moses and some spare door hinge bushings.  We can install them in your coach if you come to the rally.  Put it on your calendar.  Thank you so much Norma for giving the tool to our club.

2008 SPRING RALLY SCHEDULE

Monday, May 12, 2008  -  Early arrivals

Tuesday, May 13, 2008  -  Bring your own meat to grill on a propane grill and a dish to pass.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008  -  Breakfast and lunch on your own at the club house with excellent food and good prices.  Morning technical session. Afternoon tour of Iowa State Community College’s Wind Generator Facilities. The first in the nation with a wind turbine technical training degree.

5:30 PM – Dinner with beef stroganoff, side salad, bread, cookies n’ cream, coffee and ice tea.  Approximately $7.00 per person.  Entertainment to follow.

Thursday,May 15, 2008  -  Waffle breakfast.  $4.00 includes a side of either 1 or 2 patty(s) of links sausage.

For the fishermen in the group, remember the largest fishing tackle company in the world, Berkley and Company, is based in Spirit Lake, IA.  They have an outlet store called Pure Fishing Outlet.

SUMMER RALLY,   July 14 – 17 at Minnesota State Fair Grounds, St. Paul, MN.
This rally will be in conjunction with FMCA’s 80th International Convention.  For this FMCA Summer Rally send your reservation to FMCA.  For our club to park together we must go into the Fair Grounds as a caravan at 1:15 PM July 13^th.  Howard Glenna will have special cards for each coach in the caravan.  For those who would like to meet and stay at Glenna’s place on the night of July 12^th you are welcome.  Our club will also meet at Sunray Shopping Center off of I-94 in Maplewood at approximately 12:00 noon to caravan to the Fair grounds.  We must go together and go into the same park entrance as a group.

2008 FALL RALLY   -   September  ?????????????
Need your help on this one!!!!!!!!!  We need volunteers for wagon masters and ideas for rallies for this fall as well as 2009.  Please do not hesitate to take your turn, as we will help in every way we can.  Volunteers may contact Howard Glenna at 715-426-5650, or email at hglenna@pressenter.com.  More information will be provided in upcoming newsletters.
Editor’s Note:  I will continue to make this newsletter better with your help.  Please let me know what you would like to see in it or items I need to include.  My email is:  hasekwj@reinbeck.net , my cell phone is 319-240-2460 and my address is Jane Hasek, 606 Center Street, Reinbeck, IA. 50669.

Happy Birthday to long time member, Ray Stolzenberg, who turned ninety-three on April 3, 2008.  Ray writes that he still resides in his Austin, MN. Home and caring for his many beloved cats and his fleet of vehicles, including the 1976 GMC.  (Pictures he sent will be shared at the rally.)

Midge Glenna is sunshine lady so send her the name of anyone needing a little sunshine and Midge will send them a card.  Vice President Howard Glenna is always interested in locations and ideas for 2008 rallies.  Share your ideas or volunteer to be a wagon master.  Their email is: hglenna@pressenter.com.

Mailing Address or Email change:  Please notify Treasurer, Sandi Renk, 1116 Rushmore Drive, Burnsville, MN 55306-8604 or email: dsrenk@msn.com                             

If you know someone that wishes to join Greater Midwest Classics, membership applications can be obtained by phone, email, or US mail to President Bob Miller, Bob Drewes, or newsletter editor.

The Web site:  www.gmcmidwestclassics.org  has great information about our GMC club.  Visit it often and share with perspective members. Bob Drewes has done an excellent job with our web site:  News, Photos, For Sale items, Rallies, etc..

Sweatshirts and Windbreakers can be obtained - by contacting Dianne Moore at 563-332-5299.

Be one of the many individuals that give of their time to keep our GMC’s and club rolling along!!!