2015-04 newsletter - What are the Gateway Getaways about?

Gateway Getaways News
FMCA Chapter since 1996
April 2015
A Word from the Prez…
I am sitting on my porch
listening to the birds chirping,
watching clouds rolling in, and
the weatherman talking about
tornadoes.
Yes, spring has
sprung in St. Louis.
Along with spring comes the
beginning
of
our
rally
season. Barb and I are attending
the Rally In The Pasture for the
first time and are looking
forward to doing so.
After that we have our Annual
business meeting and election of
officers at the Lazy Day
Campground. As you know we
will start 2015 off with a new
President, Secretary, First Vice
President and Second Vice
President/Wagon Master. I am
very pleased with the slate of
Gateway Getaways officers for
2015.
I
know
under
Les' leadership they will all do a
great job and the GGs will
continue to grow.
I would also like to say I have
enjoyed being President for the
last two years of such a
wonderful group of people.
Well, most of the time.
I especially want to thank John
and Mary Boka for their help
and leadership for the last two
years. I know they will do the
same for Les and Judy.
Hope to see you all at Lazy
Day April 30 to May 3.
- Doug Jacobs, President
Chapter members enjoyed lunch at the Café Telegraph before visiting the
Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks
GGers Visit Jefferson Barracks
Missouri Civil War Museum
Thirty Gateway Getaways members and friends met for lunch at the Café
Telegraph on January 17. The food was very good with large portions and
good prices.
After lunch we were very fortunate to hear a lecture by Mark Trout, who
undertook turning an historical building at Jefferson Barracks into the
Missouri Civil War Museum. He is inspirational, funny and dedicated. He
has many volunteers to help him and is on to his next project next door.
Mary Emas provided a short history of the museum’s Studebaker wagon
which was in pieces when Mark found it. Another Studebaker wagon in St.
Louis is a beer wagon pulled by the Budweiser Clydesdales.
Studebaker Civil War ambulances were often turned into chuck wagons by
adding boxes to the rear of the wagons to hold cooking supplies, a fold down
table, and fuel for cooking fires. Four to six people could sleep inside the
wagon and there were plenty of horses available to pull it. You could say
these wagons were very early RVs!
Thanks to Mary and Marv Emas, regular volunteers at the Jefferson
Barracks Veterans Hospital, for organizing this winter event.
Gateway Getaways News
Page 2
Gateway Getaways Snowbird Report by Mary Boka
Arizona Snowbirds met at Crackers Restaurant in Mesa. It was the biggest turn out ever. There
were twenty-seven of us. Danean Mitchell and Skip & Jane Sullivan came from Surprise and
Tom & Judie Benedum from Florence. Ted & Kay Watts came from another park in Mesa and
the rest of us were all from Val Vista Villages Park.
Everyone looked great and shared many stories. Some discussed what they do at each of their
locations. I heard things like golf, hiking, quilting, tennis, pickle ball, bocce ball, guitar playing,
jewelry making, stained glass, cards, and on and on. Danean is still clowning around. Obviously
everyone was very busy and having fun.
Next year we will go to Surprise for our gathering. Another adventure!
Another fun thing we did was marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in our park. Many of
the GG’s were in the Parade. As you can tell by the pictures on page 4, even our great leader
Doug rode his decorated bike with a sign for FMCA and Gateway Getaways.
See you soon!!!
Gateway Getaways News
Page 3
Chaplain’s Column by Tom Benedum
“The Gates”
One of the Scripture lessons that’s frequently used after Easter comes
from John 10 with the theme of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. In verses 7 and 9, He
uses a related image, calling Himself “the gate.” This is the image He had in
mind: During warm-season grazing of the sheep, flocks did not return daily to the
village (to the communal sheep pen) but remained further away from the village
for longer periods of easier grazing. At the end of the day the shepherd would
gather the flock into sheep-folds on a hillside. There was a low, stone wall to
enclose the area, but no gate, only a small opening in the wall through which the
sheep would pass to enter or leave. The “gate” in this arrangement was the
shepherd himself, who would lie down across the opening so no sheep could go
in or out except over his body.
Since Jesus uses “picture language” in this description, what kind of
“gate” do you picture Him as? Think about size, about shape, about the material the gate would be made of, about
its construction, about its purpose.
Perhaps one of the first images comes from our area. St. Louis’ motto is “Gateway to the West.” The
motto no doubt was one of the inspirations for the architect Eero Saarinen when he designed our famous Arch.
Is Jesus that sort of gate, a landmark along the journey of life, which leads us on our way, pointing us to our
heavenly destination?
Or is the white, picket fence variety of gate, the friendly kind of gate that maybe you had in your yard
growing up, that opened easily to the loving familiarity of your home as you went in, or to your neighbors and
friends as you went out? Is Jesus like that, like a comfortable friend, whose very presence makes us feel like
“we’re home” no matter where we are?
What about a security gate? Some properties or installations have fences all around, some even topped
by barbed wire, or with a guard at the gate to check everyone coming or going. Even fences around a house often
have a “childproof” gate to keep a youngster inside and safe. Is Jesus the gate behind which we feel secure, that
will not yield to intruders, the “thieves and robbers” of which He speaks in John 10?
Perhaps the answer is that in different seasons of our lives, in the different circumstances of life that
confront us from day to day, we may find these or other images of Jesus as the gate helpful in our faith-life.
Gateway Getaways News
Picture Page
Page 4
Gateway Getaways RV Club Official Ballot According to Standing Rule #2
1. Ballots will be sent to members before the April annual business meeting for the
purpose of electing club officers.
2. Pilots and co-Pilots may vote.
3. Completed ballots shall be returned in sealed envelopes either by mail or hand
delivered to the April annual business meeting.
4. Envelopes shall be sealed with Pilot and Co-Pilot’s name and address printed on the
outside (return address). Clearly mark the ballot in the lower left hand column.
5. If returned by mail, return to Jan Townsend, Secretary, 2234 Aileswood Ct., St. Louis,
MO 63129.
6. At the meeting names shall be validated as paid up members, the envelopes opened
and thrown away, the ballots put aside for count by the nominating committee, or
the president may appoint members to this position.
******************************************************************************************
Ballots shall be voted by placing an X on the line next to the office.
Pilot
_____
Co--Pilot
_____
President--Les Price
_____
_____
Vice President--Neil Gerstein
_____
_____
Second Vice-President--Roger Chantal
_____
_____
Secretary--Judy Price
_____
_____
Treasurer--John Boka
_____
_____
National Director-- Don Benjamin
_____
_____
Alternate National Director--Tom Benedum
Gateway Getaways Officers
President
1st Vice Pres
2nd VP/Wagon Master
Secretary
Treasurer
National Director
Alt. National Director
Chaplain
Membership Chairman
Photographer
Rally Roving Reporter
Sheriff
Sunshine Lady
Webmaster
Newsletter Co-Editor
Newsletter Co-Editor
Doug Jacobs
Earl Keen
Mark Boka
Jan Townsend
John Boka
Don Benjamin
Tom Benedum
Tom Benedum
Penny Bird
Harold Kohrs
Mary Boka
Barb Hoffmann
Barb Jacobs
Les Price
Joan Craw
Jan Townsend
314-968-9118
573-384-5232
314-416-8419
314-623-4299
636-394-4236
314-210-7701
314-322-4380
314-322-4380
314-954-7731
636-272-2465
636-394-4236
314-608-7726
314-968-9118
636-463-2069
618-632-3182
314-623-4299
[email protected]
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2015 Rally Schedule & Calendar
Date
January 17 11:00 a.m.
Location
February
Missouri Civil War Museum
and lunch at Café Telegraph
OPEN
March
OPEN
April 29-May 2
May
Lazy Day Campground
Montgomery City. MO
OPEN
June
OPEN
July 23-27
August
FMCA Reunion Pre-Rally
Madison, WI KOA
FMCA Family Reunion
Madison, WI
OPEN
September
OPEN
October 7-11
Rally of Six States
Conroe, TX
July 29-August 1
November
December
Holiday Party
Hosts & Co-Hosts
Mary and Marv Emas
Officers
John and Mary Boka