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If you've ever said.... "It just doesn't get
any better than this", you experienced just that during our
Branson Rally this year ! What started out to be a 3
day Rally, began with 28 out of 30 units arriving a day early
! What a wonderful surprise and how great it was to see
familiar faces and meet our new family members ! The Branson
KOA well exceeded our expectations and is an exceptionally nice
park, each site had ample room yet we were all placed near each
other with the entire group close to the air conditioned
convention center. By the time of our 1st official meeting
on Tuesday, everyone was fairly well familiar with the campground,
surrounding area, their neighbors and had already selected any
shows in Branson they wanted to attend. The Branson KOA
offered ticketing to all shows and shuttle service for those who
requested the service, consequently information &
transportation just couldn't have been more convenient. Each
morning of the Rally, Ameri-Camp sponsored the full breakfast
provided by the KOA for
all 80 participants and on various mornings the KOA provided live
entertainment.
Our Tuesday morning meeting included discussion from Richie
Shilling, our local Ameri-Camp Dealer from Outdoor Living Center
in Russellville, AR., http://www.olcrv.com/
. Richie reminded everyone to be sure to visit the 4
new 2008 models on display at the Rally and offered a discount to
anyone who may be interested buying or trading during the
Rally. Mike Zemlyak, Corporate Controller and GM, RV
Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a Ameri-Camp, then addressed
the group and spoke about the new changes within Ameri-Camp
and the new innovative products that we can expect from Ameri-Camp
in the future. Mike & Margie Zemlyak were in the process
of moving into a new home during the Rally and took the time from their hectic schedule
to show their support and spend time with us at this Rally.
Again, just one more reason that I not only feel like I purchased
the right RV, but that I am a part of a company that actually
cares about the people that own them !
Several people signed up for Technical assistance during the
Rally and Ameri-Camp sent us their Technician, Tony Mroz from the
factory in Syracuse, IN., and Outdoor Living Center sent Jim from
their location in Russellville, AR. Both Gentlemen worked
long hot days to accommodate all who had problems. Although
Tony is not an RVer, he left his family in Indiana, pulled an RV
full of parts to Branson, and stayed among the Rally Participants
to assist everyone with their RV problems during the entire length
of the Rally. We all fell in love with Tony and unanimously
voted him an "Official RVer" by the end of the
Rally. Tony's "Tech Talk" Session on Wednesday
Morning was very informative and we appreciated him sharing his
years of experience and expert advise on tips and techniques for
extending the life of your RV and keeping it trouble free.
Tuesday Evening's Beer Can Chicken dinner was prepared and
hosted by Richie Shilling from Outdoor Living Center,
Russellville, AR. This dinner was cooked in a huge smoker that Richie
had custom designed and hauled to Branson from his home in
Arkansas. It was quite a spectacle to watch Richie prepare
this meal using his special seasonings and techniques.
Thanks to the assistance from several of our Owners the entire
meal and evening turned out to be a wonderful mouth watering
experience ! Additionally, let's not forget to thank
those volunteer beer drinkers who sacrificed to make this
evening's meal a success !
After breakfast Thursday Morning everyone gathered around
10:30 at the docks of the Showboat Branson Belle, wearing their
Rally T-shirts for a group photo. The photographer was a
little late, but it was a beautiful cool morning with several
shops to browse and people to chat with, so no one seemed to
really mind. When the photographer did finally gather the
group, I saw him motioning and heard him saying.... closer,
closer, a little closer, and when I finally looked up to see what
was going on, I said "those people aren't in our group"
! The poor embarrassed couple backed away and the
photographer managed to snap the picture while everyone was
laughing over the mishap. Consequently, we ended up with a
great photo with great smiles !
The Showboat Branson Belle was entirely sponsored by
Ameri-Camp and was quite an experience. A 4 deck
stern-wheeled paddle boat that gracefully cruises Table Rock Lake
while you dine on an exquisite lunch watching a top rated
performance. Then, if this wasn't enough, the show comedian
recruited from the audience, our own Kelsey Lovell and John
Senack. This unexpected feature just topped the charts, most
of us laughed until we had tears in our eyes and our sides hurt
! I just couldn't imagine how the afternoon could have
possibly been any better !
If this wasn't enough, Ameri-Camp yet hosted the Thursday
Evening Ozark Hoedown Dinner at the Branson KOA. Another
grand feast followed with our awards ceremony and a Hoedown
Birthday Celebration for Holly Perry & Joan Conway.
Closing remarks were given by Harold Wall and the remainder of the
evening spent saying goodbye to old and new friends.
It's difficult to put into writing the feelings and
friendships we experience during one of these rallies. While
sitting here thinking about what I could say that would sum up the
wonderful experiences and express our appreciation for the support
from Ameri-Camp in a few short phrases, the thing that keeps
coming to mind is a comment made by Henderson & Georgann
Reaves 11 year old Granddaughter, Caroline. "This Rally is
just like a big Boy Scout Camp for Grandparents"
! If this means, that through an 11 year olds eyes, we
look like a bunch of big kids doing things together and having
fun...... (OK, maybe old people having fun), I have no doubt that
owning an Ameri-Camp and being a part of this group is exactly
where I want to be !
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