Forms              

This guide was prepared to aid in the planning and execution of a chapter rally. One of the first things to remember is, you are not attempting to ‘out-do’ a past rally but, add a special personality and originality to your own rally. It has been found in the past this idea has been very successful in creating many new and different experiences for everyone.

Keep in mind that attendees come in all ages and sizes. Therefore, plans should be made accordingly. No matter what you plan, there will be one or two persons who will not be pleased. You must simply ignore these people. Don’t let bad apples spoil it for everybody. Speak to your Chapter VP.

References will be made to a ‘Rally Host’ and a ‘Chapter VP’. The ‘Rally Host’ is you. You are the person in complete charge of the physical rally. The ‘Chapter VP’ is a senior officer in the chapter with previous rally experience and, officially represents the chapter. They are there to bring support to you in all ways possible. You are never alone!

You will note this guide has been prepared in fourteen (14) sections. Some sections apply to all rallies, while others are not. However, it has been written as a guide for all involved in putting a rally together. Please read the entire guide upon receipt! Then, and only then, can you go back and pick out the information that pertains to your individual rally.

Planning is the key to a successful rally. Use the reverse side of each page of this Rally Guide to make notes.

There is always another way to do it; often times they improve ’the process’. If you have any comments or suggestions for addition to this guide, the authors would appreciate hearing from you. Please email your comments and suggestions to webmaster@FMCA.ca  or snail mail your back side scribbles to the Rally Guide, 403-120 Barrett Court, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 5H6

The Chapter VP has approached you or, you have approached him/her with a site and date in mind for a chapter rally. One of the first things, on locating a site, is to confirm the site availability and, if at all possible, get a written contract confirming prices, date and ground rules. If the Chapter VP has not done this, they will aid you in getting this accomplished as it is part of their responsibility.

Be sure you have read this contract in detail upon receiving it. Now that the site has been obtained, thought must be given to whether you wish to have a specific theme for the rally so that expenses can be planned.

As soon as you have formalized plans for what the rally will include, a package must be put together of ‘X’ dollars for registration for the entire rally and ‘X’ dollars for other/optional services, inclusions or exclusions. This accomplished, an article should be written to the chapter newsletter editor to incorporate in an article to appear in the next newsletter. The article should include a brief summary of the rally to include:

• what is being done for excitement;
• where it is going to be held;
• earliest date for arrival;
• plans for food;
• what should be brought by attendees to the rally ie. plates, chairs
• what you will furnish;

And most important of all:

• explicit, accurate directions to the rally and,
• any ground rules of the site vendor (dump, motor scooters etc)

Be sure to send a copy of this article to your Chapter VP. They will help you promote the rally in the official magazine and web sites. If time permits, two articles in the newsletter may be in order. Most newsletters are quarterly publications that come out in the middle month of the quarter. In addition, many newsletters are now electronically published and bulk sent to members regularly.

Please note, in the planning stage of the rally, some of the attendees are on a very limited income, but also wish to be very active in the chapter and associations. So, fees must be kept as low as possible, yet not scrimping so as to hurt the success of the rally. Lots of enjoyment can be had at a low price with proper planning!

It is important for the Rally Host to contact the vendor at the campsite and arrange for the facility and to keep a very diplomatic rapport with this individual. What are the ground rules? Are bikes/scooters allowed? Are there any special instructions? It is important that this be done because the chapter may want to have future rallies on this site. It is necessary to know if there are proper rubbish disposal. Is there a dump station on or near the site? Also, where are the closest telephone and medical facilities in case of an emergency? It is a good idea to have a map and telephone book of the general area readily available for membership use. The local Chamber of Commerce is an excellent source of information and assistance about the area.

Remember too, children also are part of the ‘family’, so try to plan something for the entertainment and enjoyment of our offspring. They are the future members of the chapter and are here to have a good time also.

Some rallies require money be paid in advance to:

• the vendor at the site;
• the vendor catering the meal, or
• simply, for the theme to be carried out.

If advance money is required, a request should be made to the chapter’s treasurer through the Chapter VP.

The Chapter VP may have some consumable items in his/her possession from previous rallies. Request that they provide a list of these approximately 2 or 3 weeks before the rally date.

The next task is to find some helpers for the rally; for parking, registration, food, etc. Once the rally committee heads have been selected, it is a good idea to visit the site of the rally to make further plans and to build a working rapport with the vendor.

This accomplished, you are well on your way to another fine rally. Next, a schedule of events must be written, have a copy for each coach so everyone knows when and where coffee, chip and dip, play time, meetings, food, etc. are to be conducted and at what time. Coordinate with the Chapter VP and where board of directors and general meetings are to be held.

Next, the question of door prizes. The main reason for door prizes is to encourage the membership and guests to attend the general meeting. It has been found that the policy requiring ‘a member must be present to win a door prize’ has been successful.

This can be done as follows: As a coach registers at the rally site, a piece of paper is placed in the drawing container with their names on it. This accomplishes two things: (1) you know they are on the site and (2) if they are a ‘first timer’ or ‘guest’, it will introduce them to the membership should they win. How many door prizes will be required? Where to obtain them. What to get? These questions are important. It has been found if there are only 5 to 10 nice prizes, the people enjoy it more than 20 to 40 little things. So, it is suggested you keep the total number down, as people tend to lose interest after awhile and will start to leave. You may obtain prizes either through donations or include a small fee as part of your registration fee. This all falls back on your originality!

Remember, the better planned rallies are the most successful rallies. Advance planning is a must!

Again, this form has been designed as an aid and has been very helpful in the past. There are two schools of thought on how to keep track of registration - one being alphabetical, and the other numerical. It has been proven on larger rallies that a combination of the two is most effective. If you have not previously been involved with registration on a rally, it is recommended that you contact your Chapter VP for guidance. Better yet, volunteer to work registration at a prior rally. Remember, your Chapter VP is here to aid you on a successful rally.

There are often guests and first-timers at all rallies. A guest is any person who may be arriving in a member’s coach (other than offspring under 18) or in their own coach. It is also possible for a guest to bring a guest in their coach. A ‘first-timer’ is a member of the chapter attending their first rally as a member. There are generally no restrictions or pre-qualifications that apply to any person attending a rally. All are welcome!

It is important as the pre-registrations are received, you keep two separate lists - one for guests and one for first-timers, so you can forward them to the hospitality chairman two weeks prior to the rally date. In turn, the hospitality chairman will make proper name tags and ribbons for these people and either return then to you prior to the rally date or carry them to the rally so they can be enclosed in their registration package.

Keeping accurate records is a must, as you will be required to submit a financial report at the close of the rally. Basically, it is up to you on how you handle the money; i.e. whether you setup a special account or handle it along with your own. You must keep track of the total money taken in, the total money spent, and submit copies of all receipts. This is covered in detail in section 12 of this guide.

Usually, you as the Rally Host, are the first to arrive at the scene of your rally. Early arrivals will be following closely along with your committee heads and helpers. One thing to keep in mind is that you, as Rally Host, are only one person. Therefore, you cannot do everything yourself. So, if you see something that should be done, ask a member if he/she could do it for you. Most of the time, the members will happily help you. Remember, you are here to enjoy yourself also.

At many locations, the site vendor will furnish picnic tables, electrical connections, trash cans and other belongings of the campsite. When you arrive, it is suggested you walk the premises with the vendor and take a written inventory of the vendor’s property. This will avoid any embarrassment at the close of the rally.

Your coach should be immediately visible for arriving coaches. It is important your coach be parked in such a way that the attendees can find it easily and your committee heads are parked close to you so you can locate when needed. You must also plan a location for the registration table and bulletin board for the same reason. The appropriate national flag should be located in the area of the general meeting.

It is also a good idea to walk the premises and examine them carefully for any obstacles that may harm person or property, to check for overhead obstacles, emergency exits, and to familiarize yourself with the area. You may then review this with the person you have chosen to head the parking committee.

At this time, you or your parking committee head should put up some directional signs on the entrance route. Remember, you know where the site is, but some people have difficulty following directions, So, place signs on all entrance routes approximately two (2) miles OUT. Directional signs may be obtained from your Chapter VP.

Since the parking committee head is the first person to greet the incoming visitors, it is desirable to select someone with an outgoing personality to head up this committee. As a first impression is a lasting impression. In fact, the entire parking committee should be ‘people type’ people. When the parking committee head arrives, it is important for you and he/she to walk the premises for familiarity, deciding where and how you prefer the coaches to be parked, according to the following guide:

• Always think safety. Insure all coaches have an emergency exit. Where possible, allow ten (10) feet between coaches.
• Parking and Traffic Control - it is the responsibility of the parking committee to control all auto, bike and coach traffic during and after initial parking for the rally. This means, if for any reason a coach or coaches must be moved from their original parking spot, the parking committee be regrouped and take charge of the situation.
• All parking should be done in order of arrival. All rows to be kept relatively equal as to distance from the central area. If two or more coaches with to park together, park early arrivals in a holding area until all coaches in the group arrive. Then they can be parked together. At no time should a spot be held open for a late arriving coach. The only exception to this rule is where there is a designated handicapped area for parking.
• There must be adequate fire lanes and access paths for emergency vehicles to any and all coaches at any and all times. It is the responsibility of the parking committee to insure this situation. Should there be any difficulty, the issue should be brought to the attention of the Chapter VP immediately. If the Chapter VP is unavailable, then you are to see the President. If not available, contact any other officer. This rule applies to any situation that cannot be controlled by the Rally Host. Remember, your chapter officers are there to help and aid you!
• If the chapter owns portable CB radios, these can aid the parking committee to assist traffic flow.

Another responsibility of the parking crew is to give the Rally Host an accurate count of coaches each night. This is required to find out if all coaches are registered and, so you can pay the vendor for each coach.

As the registration committee is the second group of people to greet the incoming attendees, it is suggested you select someone with a warm and friendly personality. This job is extremely important as you must pay the campground vendor a fee for each coach, for each night. It is essential a correct count of coaches arriving each day be kept. It is also important to keep track of any ‘first-timers’ and guests who may not have been noted on pre-registration, in order that they may be acknowledged by the hospitality chairman.

Your registration committee should be supplied with a complete list of all pre-registered coaches, a package containing a schedule of events, dinner tickets (if applicable), etc. for each coach. It is also the registration committee’s responsibility to post, on the bulletin board, the number of coaches that have arrived upon the site. This count should agree with the parking crew’s count.

It is important for the parking crew to review proper methods in directing the parking of a coach. Nothing is more disconcerting than to have no confidence in a parking crew member simply because of bad signals. There are proper parking signal procedures. They should be reviewed with all members of the parking crew before the first coach arrives.

It has become a custom of most chapters to have coffee/tea and toast o rolls/donuts in the morning between the hours of 7 and 9 am each day. There are exceptions:

• When no 110 volt electricity is available.
• Where generators are not permitted for one reason or another.

This will require the chapter to have large coffee makers and a 60 cup hot water pot. Your Chapter VP should be able to provide these. The hot water is normally used for tea, hot chocolate and Sanka (decaffeinated) since some attendees do not enjoy coffee. It is a good idea to put a person in charge of coffee/tea who will take the responsibility of planning your coffee/tea hour, whether it is toast, rolls, donuts etc. This person is responsible for cleaning all chapter owned property each day, and returning it to the Chapter VP in clean, useable condition for the next rally.

The person in charge of coffee/tea should also ensure sufficient supplies are available including sugar and sugar substitute, milk or cream or a powder substitute, Styrofoam cups and stir sticks.

At the end of your rally, a list of all consumable items that remain should be turned over to the Chapter VP. This list will serve as the one that goes to the next Rally Host, so he/she will know what has been purchased for the next rally. ( See Inventory of Consumables Form C)

Again, it must be emphasized, if you elect to have a person in charge of coffee/tea (other than yourself) who will be purchasing items, that all receipts be kept so this person can be properly reimbursed.

This section covers all aspects of this area as highlighted in the planning section.

Chip & Dip or Social Hour - you must decide, if you plan to have this as part of the rally, how many days and when? A new event that has been tried and has gone over well was to have chip & dip at noon to suffice for lunch rather than just before the dinner hour.

Dinner - Is it going to be a potluck, potluck with the chapter furnishing meat, or a catered dinner? Will tickets be required for dinner or not? If the meal is catered, the approximate cost per person must be known in order to either incorporate this cost in the registration fee or call out separately on the registration form.

It is advisable to get a contract from the vendor indicating either a fixed price or cost for meals served or cost for expected group number. This will become very important when it comes time to pay out refunds for ‘no-shows’. On the larger rallies, care must be taken that only those who paid eat. Dinner tickets have proven a successful way of handling this and also accounting for the number of people fed.

All caterers require the Rally Host to provide an order for the number of meals needed for a rally. This usually is required at least two (2) weeks prior to the rally and can be changed. Depending on the caterer, a final figure for the number of meals needed is required from four (4) to ten (10) days prior to the rally and this figure is then used to prepare a binding contract.

At this point, the Rally Host is contracted to pay for the agreed number of meals. If 50 meals are ordered initially, and 50 are confirmed, then 50 meals must be paid for even if only 45 are consumed, due to members who are "no shows". If 60 meals are available and are consumed, due to members arriving and not making reservations, the Rally Host must pay for 60 meals.

If you plan to have a potluck with chapter furnished meat, it is advisable to have designated persons serve the meat while the attendees help themselves to the potluck dishes.

A new item that has been tried by a few Rally Hosts and proven successful, is putting out a pot of coffee & hot water for the dinner hour. You might take this into consideration.

When you decide what kind of events you are going to have at the rally, make sure you publish your `scheduled events` and whether the attendees are to supply their own table, chairs, silverware, dishes etc. If you plan to furnish any of these items, it should be noted so people can plan accordingly.

This section covers a wide realm such as: horseshoes, volleyball, table tennis, fishing and tourneys of various types for the young and old. In the past, it is found a tourney tends to keep people entertained so they may enjoy themselves at a rally. If the chapter owns a complete set of bingo cards, a majority of the attendees look forward to at least one bingo game during each rally. Try to do things that will cause people to mi and meet.

You may also want to have an entertainment hour after dinner. This can be accomplished in several ways:

• A tape player over the public address system for dancing.
• One or more attendees who are gifted in the entertainment field.
• A professional group, which you hire (but consider the cost).

All of these have been successfully used in the past and in good taste. Everyone seems to either like to dance or watch the dancers.

This is one of the sections that may not apply to all rallies. However, it is a subject on which to keep abreast. If the chapter owns several coffee pots and toasters, and there are times when large amounts of consumable items are on hand (rolls, bread, coffee, supplies) these should always be monitored to avoid theft. Such items should be either secured at night or someone should be assigned to watch over the area while the rest of the camp sleeps.

You must also realize that we attract attention from the `lookie loos. Therefore, it is important that you try to protect not only the chapter’s property but also the property of the attendees. Thus, it is necessary to have several of the attendees guard the campsite from sticky fingers of the undesirable.

Another reason for a roving person at night at the rallies is to act as a fire guard in case of a fire while others sleep. This person or persons can wake attendees and prevent a disaster.

It has been found at larger rallies, an attendee with a firm electrical background be assigned to oversee the electrical hook-ups so there is no overloading of circuits to cause fires.

It is also important that this person watches over the coffee area as the coffee pots and toasters are all high watt items.

This person should also be responsible for locating the position of the main panel or circuit box for any facilities used at the rally in case a situation arises where it is necessary to throw the circuit breaker(s).

In the past, particularly at larger rallies, it has been helpful to have one or two ‘Gophers’. This is a person who has a small truck or tow car that can be used to run errands now and then for the Rally Host or to the nearest store for minor items.

Now that you have Rally Hosted a successful chapter rally, there are a few functions remaining to be performed.

• Was the site left in as good as or better condition than it was in when you arrived?
• Write a brief summary of the rally and forward this to the newsletter editor with a copy to the Rally Host..
• Write thank you letters to vendors, suppliers, committee heads and other applicable people. Remember, it is the responsibility of the Rally Host to see this is accomplished.
• Last, but not least, a financial report must be prepared and sent to the applicable chapter officers. This should be completed as soon as possible, preferably within two(2) weeks. However, this may be impossible on some rallies.

See the Financial Report Form D for a financial report format and report distribution.

Once again, it must be emphasized that this document has been written as a guide only. As noted before, add your personality to your rally!

It is a good idea to run your rally in a business like manner. Try to keep surplus on a minimum basis. While zero surplus is the optimum, any loss, moderate or severe, should be brought to the attention of the Chapter VP and/or Treasurer so that it can be taken care of immediately. Remember, if your rally loses money, it is by no means your fault as many unforeseeable expenses can and do occur. It shall in no way be a reflection on your ability as a Rally Host.

In the case of any change of scheduled events or any questions arising that will affect the chapter, the Rally Host should consult the Chapter VP, chapter President or in his/her absence, the Secretary or any other officer to assure all decisions made are in the best interest of the chapter members.

Summary of Committee Heads

• Pre-Registration/Registration
• Parking
• Hospitality
• Food/Tea/Coffee
• Entertainment
• Security
• Gopher

This is a special section added in the 2008 revision to answer the question, ’What does our Parent Association contribute?’ Since this is an FMCA originating document, their contributions are outlined below. If this guide is being read by a member of a fellow RV association, seek the support of your parent association for all association oriented rallies. They are there to help you!

Chapter Prizes: A prize package is available once a year to each chapter and must be requested by the Chapter President. Orders must be made 6 to 12 weeks in advance of the first day of the rally. Additional prize packages are available to the chapter at cost. Contact Chapter Services.

Signs: Signs with the FMCA logo and directional arrows may be ordered once a year by the Chapter President. They are usually used by the chapter as directional signs to aid rally attendees. Additional signs may be ordered at a cost depending on the quantity requested. Allow 6-12 weeks for delivery.

Promotion: Each Chapter may list their rallies in the ‘Association Calendar’ section of Family Motor Coaching Magazine. Each rally will be listed in the four (4) monthly issues preceding each rally date and will also appear on FMCA’s web site. The form is printed in each issue of the magazine and can be retrieved from the web site. Notification may be sent to FMCA via mail, fax, or e-mail and it should be received no later than the publishing deadlines listed on the form. Rallies listed in the ‘Association Calendar’ are open to all motor homers.

Liability Insurance: Sometimes, when pre-arranging a rally location, the property owner, particularly government ownership, will require a sizeable liability insurance rider. In some cases, these riders cost hundreds of dollars. FMCA will provide the necessary rider. Contact your Chapter VP for details.

A Chapter may submit all rallies for the year to FMCA as soon as a rally information is available. Monthly files are maintained by FMCA and information will be automatically inserted in the appropriate issues.

Rally Registration Form ‘A’

Name of Rally: _________________________________________________________

Rally Dates: In ___________________ Out ________________________

Rally Location: __________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________

City: ________________ State/Prov: ______________ Zip/PC: __________

# Adults: _______ # Children: ages) _________________________________

Pre-Register BEFORE: ______________

$ _________ per coach X ____________ Coaches Subtotal:____________

Pre-Registered Guests in YOUR coach

$ _________ per guest Subtotal:____________

Registration AFTER: _____________

$ __________ per coach X ____________ Coaches Subtotal: ____________

Register Guests in YOUR Coach AFTER ___________

$ __________ per guest Subtotal: ____________

Date of Arrival: ________________

Date of Departure: ________________ Total: ____________

Tow Vehicle License #: _____________

1^st Timer? [   ] Yes [   ] No

Please make check payable to:

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________

Phone #:__________________________ Alt Phone: ______________________

Email: ___________________________________________________________

* A guest in YOUR coach is any child not your own and any adult, age 18 or over, regardless of relationship. Registration fees for guests in OWN coach are base don two (2) adults. Additional persons in the coach pay the ‘Guest in YOUR Coach’ fees.

** If you plan to break out separate fees for either tickets to events or a catered dinner, then prices should appear on the registration form, indicating if any difference for adults or children (age bracket)

*** If attendees can arrive early and stay late, indicate with a nightly parking fee in this area. Indicate which fees are refundable to attendees unable to attend - Registration, parking, dinner etc.

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Pilot:_______________________________________________________

Co-Pilot:____________________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________________

City: _________________ State/Prov: __________Zip/PC:_______

Phone #: _________________ Alt Phone #: __________________

Email: _________________________________________________

Children/Guest Names: ___________________________________

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Is this your first Chapter rally? [    ] Yes [    ] No

Rally Fee $

Coach with 2 Adults $

Coach with 1 Adult $

Children under 12 (each) $

Guests (each) $

Early Arrival $

Non FMCA member ADD $

Non TIV member ADD $

Total Rally Fee Enclosed: $

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Rally At: ___________________________________________________________

Rally Dates: ________________________________________________________

Rally Host(s): _____________________________________________________

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Name                                           Adults          Child        Park        Reg           Other          Ref               Total
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Example:

1. Joe Jones                                       2                  2              V              X              a                 b                  $60

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14.

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Place: ________________________________________________________________________

Date: __________________________ Rally Host: ____________________________________

Item                                            Quantity                           Item                                                      Quantity

Coffee- Regular                           __________                         Dish Soap                                             _________

Decaf                                         __________                         Table Covering (rolls)                              _________

Instant                                        __________                         Ice Cream Scoop                                  __________

Sugar - Cubes/Packets                _________                           Milk Jug                                                _________

Granulated _________ __________________ _________

Sweet & Low _________ __________________ _________

Tea - Regular _________ __________________ _________

Iced (cans) _________ __________________ _________

Hot Chocolate _________ __________________ _________

Peanut Butter _________ __________________ _________

Jams & Jellies _________ __________________ _________

Cinnamon _________ __________________ _________

Individual Creamers _________ __________________ _________

Powder Creamer _________ __________________ _________

Sweet & Low _________ __________________ _________

Stir Sticks _________ __________________ _________

Styrofoam Cups _________ __________________ _________

Napkins _________ __________________ _________

Paper Plates _________ __________________ _________

Plastic- Forks _________ __________________ _________

Knives _________ __________________ _________

Spoons _________ __________________ _________

Glasses - Plastic _________ __________________ _________

Styrofoam _________ __________________ _________

Plastic Bowls _________ __________________ _________

Individual Salt/Peppers _________ __________________ _________

Toothpicks _________ __________________ _________

Plastic Wrap _________ __________________ _________

Aluminium Foil _________ __________________ _________

Waxed Paper _________ __________________ _________

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Place: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________________

Registration Fees: $ ___________________

Coach Day Fees: $ ___________________

Miscellaneous: $ ____________________

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Total Income: $ ____________________

Door Prizes & Food: $ ___________________

Day Fees: $ ___________________

Phone Charges: $ ___________________

Special Events: $ ___________________

Refunds: $ ___________________

Miscellaneous: $ ___________________

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Total Expenses: $ ___________________

Total Income: $ _________________

Total Expenses: $ _________________

Net Surplus (loss): $ _________________

Rally Host Signatures: __________________________ _______________________________

Send original report to the chapter Treasurer along with all funds and receipts.

Send copies of the report to: President - Chapter VP

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