Thinking of joining the GulfStream Club

[darbyjudy]

You know I was thinking of joining the GulfStream Club and was looking to see if they were a chapter in my area. I noticed that they were two in Florida. So I looked to see when their next camp-out was. It happened to be near where I live. But then I see they charge a Rally fee and you pay for the site. Now it is expensive enough with the high price of gas just to attend a weekend campout without a rally fee. I for one think it is crazy to have to pay a Rally fee to attend a weekend campout. I belong to a Good Sam chapter and we go to the same camp grounds and we don't pay any rally fee, just pay for our site. Is this the normal for the Gulf Stream chapters.

[WE B RVN]

Hello darbyjudy

Glad you are interested in joining a chapter. Group camping is just great, great people, great fun, great freindships. Rally fees are common not just in Gulfstreamers but other groups as well. You should contact the chapter you mentioned and ask about there rally fees. It may include a dinner, tour, entertainment, or some event. As an example, Our group recently charged $58.00 per person at a rally. This was in addition to the campground fees. It included a Welcome dinner, Railway excursion, Historical trolly tour. Distillery tour, and Two outdoor dramas. Our rally host makes the arrangements and reservations all at one time so we will get group discounts and all be together.

Every group has it's own personality and they do things differently. Some groups may not charge rally fees and just stay at the campground and enjoy the relaxation with freinds, have a pot luck dinner, or go out to eat. Do some research on rallies you are interested in and make your choices.

There are as many opinions as people. My opinion is that I like rally fees. Just write one check and the rally host makes all the arrangements for you.

Try It you'll like it. It's not crazy at all. It's easy as pie. (pie included in rally fee)

WE B RVN

[Bill Reetz]

Rally Fees For Florida Sun Gator's - we charge a fee of $17 per couple for our rallies - this fee is to cover the cost of providing the main course for Supper on Friday evening and Supper on Saturday evening. For our November Rally the "club" is providing Bar-B-Que Pork Sandwiches Friday evening - the remainder of the dinner is broken up with usually A-L providing a salad or vegetable dish and M-Z a desert (reversed for Saturday). On Saturday morning the "club" provides a full breakfast waffles, bacon or sausage, orange juice, etc. Saturday evening (this is our Thanksgiving Rally) will be deep fried Turkey, potatoes, gravy. Sunday morning it's a continental breakfase, juice, pastries, bagels etc. Plus we provide Coffee and Hot Water for Tea at each meal.

I have never heard of anyone attending one of our rallies and complaining they didn't get enough to eat.

The only meal on you own is lunch on Saturday ( but most times we have left over makings from Friday evening that are available as long as they last).

Bill Reetz
Past President

[earljan34]

Maybe if you charged a all in one fee for the weekend the rally fee would not come up, Thats what we do this way all they see is a total for the weekend no complaints, This way if you come there is no surprises and every one has a good time. We tried adding on a rally fee and every one complained so we went to this system works a lot better!

Earl

[darbyjudy]

Thanks folks for the explanation. I am used to just going to the monthly campout and paying the site fee. At each of ours we have a host couple and they provide the entertainment, a happy hour and then normally the meat for the Saturday night potluck. then the president and the past president cook pancakes and sausages for the Sunday morning breakfast. It seems to me that if you had 15 couples attend the campout at $17.00 a couple for the rally fee that would come to $255.00. Now if they provide all the food it would take that much but if they are only providing a short breakfast and the the meat for the Saturday night meal , they should be a some money left. who gets this money that is left.
Also in our good Sam Chapter we have several things we do each year to earn money for the chapter , at the samboree we sometimes sell sandwiches and also have a 50/50. We use this money to buy shirts for the chapter members, give to charity a couple times a year and at christmas. Another thing we do is each month each couple brings two cans of vegetables and we put this in a box and give to the favorite charity of the host couple.
I guess each organization does things a little different. It sounds as if the Rally fee would be fine by me. Just a little different than what I am used to.
Thanks for the information.

[Bill Reetz]

Different procedures for different clubs. The Florida Sun Gators have been meeting since about 1990 or maybe earlier - I only joined about 4 years ago. The procedure I explained above has been our operating norm all long. We have 29 rigs and average 20-22 per rally. We have 9 "official" rallies each year Oct through June with a few impromptu rallies when the mood hits (New Years, Labor Day, or just a group taking off together (we started on July 30th with 8 rigs, all met in Southern Georgia, moved on to Charleston SC, Stone Mountain GA, Helen GA, Warm Springs, GA and Crystal River FL) with people joining up and dropping out along the way over the 15 day rolling rally growing to as many as 12 rigs at one point.

Our "fee schedule" is based on members $15/couple (members - dues are $10/year/rig) and guests $17. Every member is required to assist or host a minimum of 1 rally per year. Since we are primarily a retired group (or semi retired) a rally that runs from Friday thru Sunday will normally see 50% of the group arriving Thursday or earlier. Those arriving earlier do whatever they want - if there's an interest we get together for a communal breakfast with everyone chipping in something, a package of bacon, dozen eggs, bowl of fresh fruit, muffins, hash brown potato casserole, grits, biscuits & gravy whatever they feel like.

As I said earlier if you don't get enough to eat at one of our rallies - it isn't beacuse the food wasn't available.

[GStream40]

Bill,

I believe your Gator's are the most active of the Gulf Streamers chapters. Most chapters only have two rallies a year, a spring and fall rally.

The Gators from what I have read, are very active use a format that is like the camping club that my in laws were in back in the 60s and 70s which I really like. BTW, their club name was the "Skeeter Beeters" and they had monthly "campouts" from May thru October here in Ohio.

Many of the chapters try to use a format like the International does with "scheduled" activities and costly options, which is great for the large international, but I would perfer to stay more at the campgrounds and socialize with my fellow members.

Ron

[earljan34]

Ditto Ron :D

Earl

[CAR]

Just returned from our Sun Gator Rally, Travelers Rest RV Park in Dade City Florida (50 miles N or Tampa off I75) is really a nice park (use to be an Air Stream Park). Had 19 rigs in attendance, deep fried turkey thanksgiving dinner Saturday evening. Park even donated some door prizes for us to give away 2 tickets to play golf on their very nice 9 hole course and 2 certificates one for 1 night free camping the other for 2 nights free. 50 amp water sewer and cable TV!