October 2019
By J. Rick Cipot
As the camping season winds down up here in New England we certainly have much to be thankful for. Autumn in New England is like no other place. Bright sunny days followed by a crisp evening and frost in the morning. The hills are covered in colors of golden yellows and orange with a bit of red, green and brown thrown in giving you the feeling of looking through a kaleidoscope. Apple orchards and pumpkin fields filled with activity of young and old alike picking apples and getting ready for the holidays ahead.
There is something serene driving over country roads as the leaves begin to fall towing your Airstream. Driving along a river as fallen leaves get caught in the whirlwind you leave behind. Stopping in a country store along the way to pick up a few last minute items for your weekend on the road with its wooden door and creaking floor. Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire or even Massachusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut they all offer the same experience with the fall colors starting up North and working their way down.
As each of our WBAC clubs in Region One wind down for the coming winter there is still activity abound. We have our Columbus Canadian Thanksgiving National Event to look forward to and of course the planning for next year’s rallies is well under way. And don’t be surprised if there are a few Pop-Up gatherings before winterizing. Remember, you have till November First to get your final 2020 schedule into Headquarters.
I want to take a moment to thank and congratulate all of the Region One Club Officers and Board Members installed this fall. The Wally Byam Airstream Club is something to be very proud of and an honor for me to say I am a part of this great big family. Sandi and I have made so many wonderful friendships over the past fifteen years all because we purchased an Airstream. This club has been for us, a way of life in so many ways and we look forward to another fifteen years ahead. Like so many others, Sara grew up as an Airstream kid and even hosted her very own rally when she was eleven. I am happy to say I still get photos from Sara of Airstreams she spots along the way and often she asks who big red numbers where those?
The continued growth of our club is not wholly based on the number of Airstreams sold, but by having a regional club that offers friendship, travel and adventure and the love of having a community where we share not only ownership of an Airstream but a lifestyle of discovery and sharing. All of these positive notes come from having a strong club with each officer position filled and a teamwork ethic of taking care of the business at hand while remembering why we joined in the first place. If it were not for this wonderful club of ours think of all the great times you would not have enjoyed. Wally, Stella, and Helen may have started this journey for us but it is up to us to keep it going for the next generation and the one after that. Please consider stepping forward and becoming a bit more involved in your club to keep this adventure going. It takes all kinds of folks to make a happy community and I thank each and every one of you for making the past fifteen years such a wonderful one. As always, make new friends, assist when you can and keep the shiny side up.