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In recent years it has been a matter of curiosity and interest for many to explore their family tree trying to discover their roots of origin. If you are not one of the original charter members of GMC Western States, having joined recently or in the last several years, you may wonder when and how we came into existence. With some help from Bob Blenkinsop, who was the first President, I gathered a few notes of our roots of origin.
It was in the summer of 1987 when it was hot but not dry enough to stop some forward thinking individuals in the Pacific Cruisers Club from germinating the idea of creating a western FMCA chapter dedicated just for GMCers. That thought has always ploughed deep with the idea of " go west young man; that is where opportunity lies". The ground was certainly fertile for the idea as many quickly indicated an interest when they returned the first rally registration form. Even though some could not attend, nevertheless they wanted to be involved. Originally it had been hoped that specific GMC seminars could have been held in conjunction with a FMCA spring rally at Del Mar, CA, but that never got onto the agenda. So it was full speed ahead for the organization, and the first roundup was in the San Diego area. Incidentally the term "roundup" that has come to be used for our rallies is borrowed from the cattle roundups of the west. The first roundup was held at the KOA campground in Chula Vista near San Diego in California in late March of 1988 with a count of 114 coaches. There were some who flew in for this first time celebration from far away places such as North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri.
The resounding success of that first rally was due in part to the interest and fine quality of individuals drawn to our GMC vehicles. Nevertheless some names stand out from the early writeups. Dave Krogh was Rally Master, George Dimick was the Pacific Cruisers Host, and Bill Lingrey moved mountains to bring it all together rounding up chairs, tables, sound system and tent. And Wes Caughlan with his vast engineering and GMC knowledge base put on quality seminars. These, and doubtless many other unnamed ones, started the Western States Club on the high road to success.
It is interesting to note that Bob Blenkinsop who became our first President, is still active and has been our FMCA National Director for a number of years (currently is Alternative National Director) and is still willing to put on a seminar when called upon. And if you sit him down in the shade, he might even tell you some interesting stories of the early beginnings.
While the club has been forward looking in adapting to changes in the larger world (first club on the world web), there are a number of constants, which are still in place from that first roundup. The chapter purpose is the same, "…to promote the preservation of the GMC motorhome with a technical program of professional seminars and published information, and to further the mutual association, membership, enjoyment, and common interest of GMC motorhome owners, their families and friends." We still have magical five-day roundups with ice cream, good food, social camaraderie and lots of interesting seminars.
At that first roundup in March 1988 Frank Burgess of the Pacific Cruisers had applied himself to making a portable speaker's podium with the front shaped into a wooden map of the western US. A state flag installation ceremony was initiated by placing the individual flags for each state represented into a brass lined hole in the center of each state. Quoting from the #1 newsletter of May 1988 : "The idea of the installation of the flags at the beginning of the rally was intended as a ceremony to display friendship and common interest among rally attendees. Hopefully that ceremony can become a tradition for future GMC Western State roundups." It did become a tradition, as at many of our rallies we still have the flag installation. One thing we haven't followed through with - we no longer sing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "O' Canada" as they did at that first roundup.
So that is just a bit of our beginnings. We are now 12 years old this year, and as one looks over the roster of attendees of that first Western States roundup, one still sees a number of names which are still going strong - somewhat like our coaches I suspect -"in pretty good shape, but needing some repair" but still ready to get up and go fly down the road to the next GMC Western States Roundup.
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The controversy continues to rage: should the first night of a rally be the traditional potluck dinner or should we free the kitchen slaves and be catered to? This sensitive question brought emotionally charged responses at the last roundup in Albuquerque with words like "ecoli" and "ptomaine" being bandied about. We haven't lost a customer yet, but I guess some people live in a dream world and think restaurant food is exempt. I guess I've seen too many "60 Minutes" on TV.
I've always enjoyed the potlucks, but I'm willing to free the slaves. I wish my husband would free me sometimes, but we really enjoy eating in the coach or by some beautiful river or view. We travel with all our favorite foods and like to cook together. I wouldn't trade all those beautiful memories of toasting each other at sunset with our Camping World plastic wine glasses raised with some wonder of the world in the background while dining on my doctored canned corned beef hash.
By popular acclaim I am passing on to you Dorothy Shumway's very special Lemon Surprise Cake that she used at the Albuquerque potluck. She very kindly provided it to Western States so here it is:
Basic ingredients:
1 pkg. lemon cake mix
4 eggs
¾ c. oil
1 pkg. lemon jello dissolved in ¾ c. hot water (don't cool)
Glaze for cake (glaze will be runny):
2 c. powdered sugar mixed with juice of 2 lemons or about 1/3
c. bottled lemon juice
To cake mix add the 4 eggs, oil, and hot jello. Mix and beat 4
minutes. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. While cake is hot,
prick all over with fork being sure to go all the way into the
cake. Spoon lemon glaze on top.
Dorothy adds: Now what I did for the Albuquerque rally was to use 2 Betty Crocker Super Moist Lemon Cake mixes (pudding in the mix), followed the directions on the back and used a jelly roll pan plus 6 cupcakes. Then I poked the cake like the above directions and added the glaze. Let the cake cool and then cut into squares and put on cookie sheets and freeze. After the cake is frozen, transfer the individual pieces to freezer baggies and place them above the ice trays in the RV freezer. Just before the potluck I put each square in cupcake liners and serve.
Thanks again to
Dorothy. I personally know this is a great recipe. I'd love for
other Western States GMCers to send the newsletter editors your
favorite recipes or interesting news or ideas.
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