celtic camping - family campers and rverspetrolia on n0n 1r0 [email protected] chaplain vacant...
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Past President Sylvia Powers 716 The W Mall, #1101 Etobicoke, ON M9C 4X6 416-626-3911 [email protected] President Lorne & Mabel Douglas 437 Albany St P O Box 1451 Petrolia ON N0N1R0 519-328-6744 [email protected]
Vice President Vacant
Recording Secretary Lynn & Lew Acre
RR#1 Comp 50 Aylmer ON
N5H2R1 519-866-3645
Corresponding Secretary Darlene Wiltsie 6 Chase Ave Guelph ON N1H2N2 519-822-8175 [email protected]
Treasurer Jim & Jean Keenleyside 420 Tuck Drive Burlington ON L7L2R3 905-632-8080 [email protected]
Voting Delegates Rep. Dave & Marilyn Webster 27 Windale Cres Kitchener ON N2E3E6 519-576-0326 [email protected]
Provincial Directors Terry & Faye Swanburg 16 Perkins St Cambridge ON N1R7V8 519-621-2049 [email protected]
March 2015—Volume 49 Number 1 Chartered August 23, 1965 S/PA6
CELTIC CAMPING
Fall OPA 2015
Top ‘o the morning to you, lads & lassies! The Tri-County Travellers are verra, verra pleased to be hostin’ the Fall OPA… Celtic style. The clan will gather on Friday Sept. 4 til Monday Sept.7 at the Tavistock & District Recreation Centre. Yer Irish Eyes will be smiling when they see that pre-registration is $20 and the Activity Fee is only $80. This price includes a Celtic Meal (aye, we pro-vide meat, potatoes, rolls and ye provide vegetables & dessert). There’ll be15 amp power and water available. I canna say how close ye’ll be ta the outlet, so tis wise to bring along extension cords. Ye’ll nae be bored for want of entertainment. Try the luck o’ the Irish with Celtic Card bingo and do a jig & reel with Celtic Music. Aye, tis true we’re all young at heart so our Gaelic Games will be offered to evra’one….from the wee baerns to auld dowagers, evra’one will enjoy such games as; Kiss the Blarney Stone, Caber Toss, Pot ‘O Gold Washer Toss, Shamrock Shuffle and Gaelic Golf. There are more things to do than you can “shake a shillelagh at”. Tis sure we be needin’ donations of door prizes and also volunteers to pro-vide hospitalities for three nights. Contact Don & Joan Adamson if ye ha’ a doorprize ( [email protected] or 519-842-3328) . To sign up for a hospitality, contact Linda Vandevyvere ([email protected] or 226-271-5142). Sure an’ Begora…..Fall OPA is going to be verra, verra grand indeed! So, shake out yer kilts, shine up yer shamrocks and send your pre-registration forms, found on-line, to Jacques & Carol Anderson R.R.#1, Mt. Elgin, Ont. N0J 1N0.
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REPRESENTATIVES
Regional Directors Hugh & Camy Hicks
17 Halliday Dr.,
Tavistock, N0B-2R0 519-572-8617 [email protected]
Unaffiliated Reps Lorne & Mabel Douglas 437 Albany St. PO BOX 1451 Petrolia ON N0N 1R0
Chaplain Vacant O.P.A. STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
CAMP Charlotte Daly 20 Carolina Way, RR #1 Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0 [email protected]
Campout Coordinator Earl Swan 56 McNaughton St Cambridge ON N1R1Z3 519-623-2978
Conservation Carl & Lynda Wood 261 Mcintyre Rd, RR #1 Ameliasburgh, ON K0K 1A0 [email protected]
Decals & National Insignia Vacant
Provincial DASAT Terry & Faye Swanburg 16 Perkins St Cambridge ON N1R7V8 519-621-2049 [email protected]
Historian Vacant
Hospitality Vacant
Legislation Ontario and For CANADA Sylvia Powers See page 1 under Past President.
Membership Marilyn & Wayne Rosenberger 3500 Chilligo Road, RR2, Breslau, Ontario N0B 1M0 519-648-2017 [email protected]
DOUGLAS’ DEDUCTIONS
Hi Everyone: Change has come to OPA once more. Ralph and Linda Deline have re-signed the position of Provincial Director; Terry and Faye Swanburg have resigned as OPA Presidents to assume the Provincial Director position and Lorne and Mabel Douglas have moved from Vice to assume OPA Presi-dent position. We would like to give a huge vote of thanks to Ralph and Linda along with Terry and Faye for their continuous dedication and service to their fellow campers in FCRV/OPA. As I write this, the first day of spring has finally arrived after the coldest win-ter on record—about time too. It gives new meaning to campers to be able to get away with friends and forget the cold and snow banks. We can start to get our rigs ready for Spring OPA in Blythe May 15-18 hosted by the Wandering Canadians and the Ausable River Nomads. They put on a skit at the OPA winter meeting and everybody should look forward to the “Come Let’s Party” campout. Mabel and I look forward to serving you to the best of our ability. There are
quite a few chairpersons needed for various positions. Please help us by
filling them and help everyone to enjoy a fun-filled camping season.
Come Camp With Us,
Lorne & Mabel Douglas
BRANTFORD SUNDOWNERS 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
OPEN HOUSE Date – Sat., Apr. 25, 2015. Time – 2PM to 5PM. Place – Smokey Hollow Estates, 118 Powerline Rd., Brantford, Ont. Please RSVP, by Apr. 15, to Roy & Bonnie MacDonald, 41 Uplands Dr., Brantford, Ont., N3R6R5. Phone – 519-758-067 Email – [email protected]
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PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR’S REPORT O.P.Action Editors Lee and Celia Steels 1288 Hart Cres., Oakville ON L6H 2M5 905-844-3059 [email protected]
O.P.Action Mailing Windsor Hobos
Parliamentarian Dave & Marilyn Webster 27 Windale Cres Kitchener ON N2E3E6 519-576-0326 [email protected]
Photography Vacant
Property Vacant
Scholarship Jean Bedford 3 Canberra Crt Brantford ON N3S7H7 519-756-3845 [email protected]
Sound Vacant
Teen Advisors Vacant Web Site Diane Proper [email protected]
Youth
Vacant
After much discussion and prayer, we have decided to step down as Ontario Provincial Directors. We have enjoyed our time in this job; however, we have been working for OPA constantly in one capacity or another since Campvention, 1979 in Guelph. Now, we want to go to campouts and sit under the awning and enjoy. We have not given up ALL our jobs as we are still working in OPA as the Field Directors for the RufnRedi and the Windsor Hobo chapters. See you around the campsite. Ralph & Linda Deline Come Camp With Us
Swanburg’s Landing As the days get longer and warmer from our frigid winter, our thoughts turn to a new camping season. When we visit the RV shows our camping fever jumps into high gear. Our first campout begins in Darlington in April with the Conservation Campout. This is a great weekend assisting the Park staff with spring cleanup. OH! By the way, it’s a free weekend at the Pro-vincial Park (except for the work) and you earn a free weekend after La-bour Day Weekend. (Editor’s Note: See pages 5, 6 and 11 for information.)
The Spring OPA is in Blyth the May long weekend and it is our first major campout of the year, sponsored by Wandering Canadians and Ausable River Nomads. (Registration form page 16) It is an Anniversary celebration; so let us come out to join them in the fun they are planning. Another anniver-sary campout is the Sarnia 4 T’s in August. (See page 12 for information)
From a DASAT point of view, we would like to remind everyone to do a thorough inspection when getting your unit ready. Please pay attention to your tire wear and pressure after this harsh winter and all propane appli-ances. (Editor’s note: Be sure to replace smoke detector batteries.) We now have two announcements to make. We wish to announce our resignation as the OPA Presidents, effective immediately and announce that Lorne and Mabel Douglas, currently the Vice Presidents, will be taking over as Presidents. Now the happy announcement. We wish to announce that we have been selected as the Ontario Provincial Directors effective immediately. Thanks to Linda and Ralph for their years of dedication in so many capacities of OPA. Our time as Presidents was short and we hope that as Directors we can continue to build our camping family. Faye and Terry Swanburg Outgoing Ontario Provincial Presidents and new Ontario Directors
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CANADIAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR DISTRICT DIRECTORS Rudy & Sharon Sandau Corunna, ON 519-862-2152 [email protected]
Dave & Connie Skillings Ingersol, ON 5194854209
Don & Elaine Eve Etobicoke, ON 416-621-4512 [email protected]
Harry & Emily Hebbourn Belleville, ON 613-966-1371 [email protected]
FIELD DIRECTORS
Ralph & Linda Deline 8628 English Line Chatham ON N7M4H7 519-354-0958
Earl Swan Cambridge,ON 519-623-2978 [email protected]
Don & Zenia Morrier Burlington, ON 905-634-5498 [email protected]
Darlene Wiltsie Guelph, ON 519-822-8175 [email protected]
Neville & Dorothy Taylor Amherstview, ON 613-389-3416 [email protected]
Yvon & Huguette Cadieux L’Orignal ON 613-632-9809 [email protected]
We want to welcome spring on behalf of all our local campers and RVers and as the season changes, so do the opportunities for us to explore our region in our RV’s. For those who were lucky enough to spend the winter in the south, you missed a very cold winter and locally February was the coldest February ever recorded.
We can now start to think about de-winterizing our RV’s to prepare for the many planned campouts this year.
It has been a busy time for us as your Regional Directors because we ac-cepted the resignations of Ralph and Linda Deline as the Ontario Provincial Directors. We want to thank Ralph and Linda for all their efforts over the past two years in what is a very rewarding, but busy FCRV position. Ralph and Linda will stay on as Field Directors for their local area.
We also want you all to welcome our new Ontario Provincial Directors, Terry and Faye Swanburg and we want to offer them all our support as they step into this new position. Ralph and Linda are still around to help them get ac-quainted with the new position and of course Camy and I are here if help is needed as well.
There are other changes in Ontario that this appointment puts into action, so read the new Provincial Director’s post to get more information about changes to our OPA executive. We want to remind everyone of the upcoming OPA Spring Campout in Blyth, as well as Campvention 2015 to be held in Gillette Wyoming. As in previous years we will try to host a caravan from here in Ontario, working our way west to the Campvention site. We expect to take about one week to make the drive west to Gillette, with many overnights in some very interesting locations along the way. We will try to hold an information meeting at Spring OPA to see how many people may be interested in travelling west with us. Let’s get involved with FCRV here in Ontario and be sure to invite some new campers to join our great organization. The Cadet Program is still active and you can give as many free memberships as you want and we know that you will mentor these new members to ensure that they will want to become full FCRV members after the six month free trial is over. See you all at our campouts this summer.
Hugh and Camy Hicks New Region 7 Regional Directors
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DARLINGTON CONSERVATION WEEKEND
April 24-26, 2015
The Ontario Fire Flies are pleased to once again host the Conservation Weekend at Darling-ton Provincial Park. The dates for this year’s cleanup are April 24 to 26
th.
2015 marks the 25
th year that FCRV and Darlington Provincial Park have joined together to
enhance the Conservation within the Park. In honour of this, presentations will be made dur-ing the lunch break on Saturday. We invite as many of our FCRV members who have partici-pated in this weekend to join us and share their stories. This honour is as much theirs as it is anyones! Each year, FCRV members assist the park staff to prepare for the camping season by clean-ing up the sites, repairing structures or fencing, painting or other related activities. The gates open at noon on Friday. The day is spent gathering, setting up our units and fellow-ship. A hospitality and campfire is always planned for the first night. Saturday is spent doing the activities listed above; lunch is provided by the Fire Flies. Follow-ing the days work, we once again gather for hospitality, campfire and fellowship. Sunday we will work until noon, followed by a spiritual service and a chapter meeting For doing this cleanup, the park provides each unit with a weekend free camping after Labour Day. This has always been a fun weekend as much as it is a work weekend. The Fire Flies look forward to seeing each of you there and honouring 25 years of Conservation co-operation!. Registration forms are available at either the OPA web site or the Ontario Fire Flies web site; ontariofireflies.ca
PULL TABS
Please remember to keep collecting those pop tabs. Proceeds from the sale of the tabs are going to “About Face”, a charity that has a camp for children with facial differences. Tabs collected until the end of July will go to support this charity. Make sure your chapter brings or sends the tabs to Spring OPA . If you wish to deliver your tabs to my house that would be acceptable also. Call before you come. 519-648-2017 We will not be attending ECHO this year so we ask those from the East to, please, bring or send your tabs to either the Spring or Fall OPA. Wayne Rosenberger Pull Tab Coordinator
SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION
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CONSERVATION CONVERSATION
WELCOME TO DARLINGTON CONSERVATION WEEKEND: A SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION
April 24, 25 & 26, 2015
Camping is available on a first come first served basis in Lakeside. The hospitality workers should be parked around the grassy area, close to the hospitality tent and campfire area. All hospitalities, lunch and church service will be held in the large grassy area beside the washroom. Name tags are to be worn at all non work times so that our guests know with whom they are speaking. Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a leash when out of your trailer! Owner is responsible for pet cleanup, poop & scoop!! Schedule Friday, April 25 12 noon - gates open, fill your tank with water on the way in to your site - coffee will be available mid afternoon 7 pm (approx time)
- hospitality around the campfire. Bring your own mugs and lawn chairs. Saturday, April 26: Water will be made available from water jugs: bring your own cups, canteens or water con-tainers. 8:00 am – Meet at the campfire area to select jobs. Remember to sign the registration list to get your free camping (2 days) after Labour Day 2014. 12 noon – lunch provided – hotdogs & beans – bring your own dishes and mugs, lawn chairs if you wish (there will be picnic tables set up) 12:30 pm – Presentations honouring the 25th year of Conservation Co-operation between Darlington Provincial Park and FCRV 1 pm – resume work parties 7 pm – hospitality around the campfire. Bring your own mugs and lawn chairs. Sunday, April 27 9 AM – resume work details until approx noon 1 PM – non denominational service. Free Will collection/donation will be donated to FCRV Conser-vation/Scholarship fund. Chapter meeting will follow service. Check out of park by 5 pm. Please leave your campsite clean. Thank you for helping with this conservation project. Don’t forget to enjoy your free camping this fall after Labour Day. Yours in Camping, Your hosts for The Ontario Fire Flies, Carl and Lynda Wood
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Most Ontario members are aware that our province has been a staunch supporter of this charitable program developed following Katrina's hit on Louisiana. Sonya Smye, keeping it in the forefront, has encouraged many members to participate across Ontario. Unfortunately Jack and Sonya are dealing with health issues, and taking care of their health takes precedence over Rally plans. We all wish them a speedy and complete recovery. The problems arose when we did not know what members planned to attend the rally and who could get the donated items there. Contact was made with Jack and Sonya Smye, Hugh and Camy Hicks, Ralph and Linda Deline. No one had an answer to the problem. Jim and Marilyn Stobbart went to visit the Hicks for the weekend. Jim said that Carl and Lynda Wood planned to go to Florida, but they would be leaving before OPA March meeting and that is where members usually deliver the lap robes for the rally. A flurry of activity ensued, as the Hicks and Stobbarts carried out a very wide-spread pickup: meeting with Smyes, Noreen Smith, Faye Swanburg and others...each of whom had a collection of lap robes from contributing members. They travelled Southwestern Ontario! Jim and Marilyn gathered all the lap robes and volunteered to get them to Carl and Lynda Wood for transport to the rally. Through the team work of these people, and everyone who made or purchased one or more lap robes, Ontario will once more make a large contribution to this worthy project! Sadly, Carl and Lynda Wood were struck with illness which prevented them from going to Florida for Retiree Rally. A motion was made at Ontario Provincial meeting to have the lap robes shipped in time for the Rally. Please keep knitting. (Submitted by Noreen Smith)
LAP ROBES — THE ROAD TO TALLAHASSEE
PROJECT TABLES
Spring OPA, Blyth Ontario, May 15 - 18 If your chapter or an individual needs a table for a display at the penny sale please add this on your registration form. Also we are accepting donations for door prizes. You can let us know about this or bring them to the camp-out. These would be appreciated. Thanks again. Looking forward to seeing you at Blyth.
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ONTARIO PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATION DECEASED 2014-2015
DATE NAME CHAPTER CITY Jan. 2014 Daryl Wilson Former Wandering Canadians Cambridge Feb. 2014 Linda McKee Former Thames Trolls London Ross Learn Tri-County Travellers Tillsonburg Mar.2014 Tom Spears Kamping Kangaroos Alexandria Mar.2014 Charlie Lander Former Brantford Sundowner & Former Ont. Conservation Chairman Brantford Apr. 2014 Diane Buckley Former Happy Gang Guelph Apr. 2014 Carl Johnston Past OPA President Sudbury Apr. 2014 Mickey McDonnell Former Moira Gypsies Belleville May.2014 Bill Buckley Former Happy Gang Guelph May.2014 Durl Smith Kingston Roadrunners Bath May 2014 Janet Stephenson Hamilton Loadluggers Hamilton May 2014 Doreen Bond Oxford Rovers Woodstock Shirley Finley Tri County Travellers Tillsonburg June 2014 Sheila Collins Hamilton Loadluggers Hamilton June 2014 Gord Henshaw Canadian Sun Chasers Odessa June 2014 Erik Christensen Former Ausable River Nomads Clinton June 2014 Linden Thurber Bruce County Camper Kincardine Aug. 2014 Connie Ballantyne Former Ont. Provincial Director London Oct. 2014 Neal Dick Owner of Rideau Acres Campground Kingston Oct. 2014 Elaine Stinson Canadian Sun Chasers Kingston Oct. 2014 Betty Hayes Charter member Kamping Kangaroos Ottawa Oct. 2014 Roger Loosley Former Tri-County Travellers, London Bobbies & Thames Trolls London Nov. 2014 John Young Former Bruce County Campers Kincardine Dec. 2014 Bill Dykun Independent St. Catherines Feb. 2015 Carlene Baker Former Bruce County Campers Port Rowan Submitted by Darlene Wiltsie, Ontario Provincial Association, Corresponding Secretary
This is to inform members of the passing of Barry Miller, a former president of the Brockville Eager Beavers. He died at approximately 7:15pm on Wednesday March 11, 2015 at the Palliative Care Unit at St Vincent Hospital. Jacquie Boisvert, President Brockville Eager Beavers This year, on February 14-15 2015, the Wallaceburg Minor Hockey League held a hockey tournament in honor of one of their former members, Frank Dymock. Members of the family were on hand to open the tournament. Frank was a well known member of OPA and FCRV. Most of us knew Frank, and if you didn't, he was the gentle-man who hand- carved all the Maple Leaf pins that were in your goodie bag at Campvention 2006 in Blyth. He con-tinued to carve and hand them out after Campvention until his unexpected death in 2013. We miss him. Ralph & Linda Deline
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I going to do something I don’t normally do, and that is take the time to write about an individual in an organization, who went far beyond what he was required or even expected of him, to help us solve what we felt was an insurmountable problem with our motor home.
Last February, my wife and I purchased a new 2014 motor coach in Florida and drove it home in April. All was well for a while until on a return trip from the 2014 Campvention Vermont we discov-ered what we believed to be a leaky air conditioner dripping water onto the passenger floor. We had also noticed that a serious groaning noise had developed that appeared to be coming from the dash, and the further we drove, the more severe the noise. For that purpose we took the RV into the deal-ership for a consultation and suggested approach for repairs. The first technician drilled holes in the air ducts to allow the water to run out of the air conditioner more freely, thus solving that problem, so he thought. He addressed the groaning noise by spraying silicone on the inside of the windshield, where it meets the dash. After a test drive I noticed that the silicone had shown up on the outside of the windshield and was now dripping down the body of the coach. That unfortunately meant that the windshield was leaking and the cause of the water problem and not the air conditioning, which was now a much bigger problem. We took the coach home to contemplate how to move forward in the resolution of our new concerns and also because the dealership didn’t have the time to deal with them. The windshield is extremely large and expensive, also an intricate part of the stability in the coach. The groaning noise was not corrected by the technician spraying the silicone.
We felt we were at an impasse, although this would all be covered under warranty, we were lead to believe the only solution was to remove the windshield so it could be resealed while giving the deal-ership access to the dash in order to fix the groaning noise. There appeared to be few options but to return to the dealership. However, we weren’t getting a warm and fuzzy feeling that they really wanted to undertake this large project. It was going to be both time consuming and very difficult, par-ticularly if the windshield had to be removed, taking extreme care not to break it during the process. Then there was still the groaning noise with the location which had yet to be identified.
I had an idea that was worth trying. So I phoned the dealership and asked to speak with an individ-ual who was exceptionally helpful with a previous problem some time ago. I explained to him our current dilemma and the feeling of frustration with what was becoming an overwhelming concern. His response was one I should have expected, because this man is a problem solver, and customer relations expert in my opinion. He is as far as we are concerned, the face of this dealership, and feel they have missed an opportunity by not recognizing this individual’s talents. His name is Alex, and without hesitation he said to bring the coach in immediately and he would look after us.
Well the challenge was slightly more than what even he had anticipated. He allowed me to spend the day with him while he tried to identify both of our concerns. He first tackled the windshield leak-ing problem by having it re-sealed instead of removing it as the previous technician had suggested was the only solution. That proved to solve the problem.
The next issue wasn’t going to be so easy but after many test drives, Alex decided the groaning noise was definitely coming from the dash area somewhere. It was decided that the coach would have to be left so he could spend time in between other jobs, to find exactly from where the noise was being generated. I know that sounds strange. Why couldn’t he dedicate the required time to fix the coach, after all there was a problem and it was still under warranty? I believe and it is my experi-ence that, there are only so many free billable hours allotted to a warranty repair issue, before the dealership requires payment for their time. At that point, either the manufacturer will authorize re-pairs under the warranty agreement or the customer will be required to cover the cost. We had cer-tainly exceeded that “free period” of time. But, as the problem still hadn’t been defined specifically, we were in no mans land; yes the coach was still under warranty, yes there was an acknowledged problem and yes they had a suspicion from where it might be coming. Continued on page 10.
THE GENTLE GIANT, ALEX
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Sound & Production Job Description
The Sound and Production Committee shall be in charge of coordinating the use of all sound equip-ment and sound production for all functions.
This means that the sound committee will have two campouts Spring OPA (May 24 Weekend) and Fall OPA ( Labor Day). There are also two meetings: one in November and the second in March. (From the OPA Constitution, Article IX Section 6)
Some chapters may ask you to do their campout, but this is up to you. The nice part of this job is you meet and talk to a lot of members. If you have questions, please contact me. Also, I will help you if you would like assistance.
Ralph & Linda Deline Come Camp With Us
Perhaps you have seen or even helped Ralph lug around the sound equipment. This will not be the sound equipment used in future. The new equipment will be lighter and take up much less space.
SOUND PERSON/COMMITTEE NEEDED
THE NEW SOUND SYSTEM The new sound system, an Escot 3000, is in a case with wheels at one end.
Measurements are 36.75 inches x 15.5 inches x 14.5 inches (L x W x H) W. 50 lbs
Speakers stands are in the case. There are 2 speakers. Amp has 6 channels. There is room for Mikes and Cables.
Continued from page 9. To get authorization from the manufacturer to pay for additional time under these circumstances was going to be impossible. Alex certainly understood this, which is why he stepped forward and took it upon himself to continue to work on the problem with this unique approach.
After many test drives, phone calls back and forth with both ourselves and the manufacturer over the course of a month, Alex eventually discovered exactly where the groaning was coming from, and subsequently was able to obtain authorization to start the repairs under warranty. This man phoned me numerous times on his days off to keep us current with the process, which was far beyond any of our expectations. He continued to work with the manufacturer, writing progress reports and taking photographs until warranty authorization was finally granted.
I was in the marketing business for many years and I can tell you, this individual wasn’t required to do any of this, yet he did it without hesitation or reservation of any kind. This man is a saint, one who deserves recognition, but I know he would rather go about his business in his quiet manner. Thank you Alex, of Sicard RV in Smithville, for all your kindness and assistance in allowing us to continue our “living the dream.” Dave & Marian Warrington, Meandering Mohawks
THE GENTLE GIANT, ALEX
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HEAR YE … HEAR YE
April 24 2015 - April 26, 2015
DARLING CONSERVATION: SILVER JUBILEE WEEKEND
Hosted by Ontario Fire Flies; at Darlington Pro-vincial Park; $10 Registration (2 adults—$5 for each additional adult); For this fee, you will re-ceive two nights camping with hydro, hospitality, campfires and lunch on Saturday. Please antici-pate cleanup activities on Saturday between 8 and 4 and for those who still have the strength, on Sunday from 9 to noon. A church service and chapter meeting will follow lunch on Sunday. Send cheques payable to Ontario Fire Flies, to Carl & Lynda Wood, 261 McIntyre Rd., Amelias-burgh, ON K0K 1A0 613-969-8118 [email protected]
May 15, 2015 - May 18, 2015
SPRING OPA
Hosted by Wandering Canadians & Ausable River Nomads; Blyth & District Community Cen-tre, 377 Gypsy Lane, Blyth, ON; $30 Pre-registration payable by May 1, 2015 with regis-tration & balance upon arrival; cost with pre-registration included: $130 for family in unit (at gate, $140); $115 for one person in unit (at gate $125); $55 additional family in unit; Highlights: goodie bags, door prizes, Card Bingo, Catch a Laugh entertainment, Ice cream social, horseshoes, washer toss, tours of the area, Youth Conservation Posters, Pull tabs turn in, Bocce ball, Saturday night dinner included in price, Two of a King, Penny Sale, Projects, Church Service, Poor Person lunch, Hospitality every night. Then to end the weekend an old fashion Birthday Party complete with games and Birthday cake.
Registration forms are available on OPA FCRV website.
June 8, 2015 - June 12, 2015
40th ONTARIO RETIREE SPRING RALLY
Norwich Community Centre; 53 1/2 Stover Street South, Norwich, ON N0J 1P0; $10 Pre-registration; $100 activity fee; cheques payable to “Ontario Retiree Rally”; send $10 with regis-tration form to: Jim & Jean Keenleyside, 420 Tuck Drive, Burlington, ON L7L 2R3 Highlights: games, entertainment
June 12, 2015 - June 14, 2015
COME & RELAX CAMPOUT
Hosted by Oxford Rovers Dorchester fairgrounds, 4939 Hamilton Rd., Dorchester ON, N0L 1G0 $15 Pre-registration ($20 at gate); $55 camping fee; cheque pay-able to Oxford Rovers; send to Jack & Aggie Boden, 809 Anne St. Woodstock ON, N4S 2E6, EVERYONE Welcome!
July 6, 2015 - July 10, 2015
2015 CAMPVENTION—WAGONS WEST!
At Gillette, Wyoming; deadline for registration June 1, 2015; 6 nights of camping & 5 days of fun for $275; early bird days July 1-5 & ex-tended days July 11 & 12 at $25 a night. All sites have water, sewer and 30 & 50 amp. See registration forms in Camping Today. July 31, 2015 - August 3, 2015
REDNECK ECHO
Hosted by Kamping Kangaroos; at Island Park, Alexandria; $10 pre-registration ($15 post-marked after June 15), $75 camp fee, Make cheques payable to ECHO 2015 and mail to: Ann Vachon (613-347-2837), Box 585 north Lancaster, ON K0C 1Z0 Highlights: prizes for best decorated unit and redneck attire, buffet meal Sat.night (price to be determined), games, entertainment, skate park, tennis & basketball courts, walking trails
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HEAR YE … HEAR YE
Registration forms are available on OPA FCRV website.
August 14, 2015 - August 16, 2015
4T’s WESTERN CAMPOUT: 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hosted by Sarnia 4T’s; Brigden fairgrounds, 2976 Brigden Side Rd., Birgden ON N0N 1G0; $20 Pre-registration; $25 at gate; camping fee $45; cheques payable to “Western Campout”; send to: Western Campout, P.O.Box 1451, 437 Albany St., Petrolia, ON N0N 1R0 Email: [email protected] Highlights: free corn boil Friday evening, free jamboree Saturday afternoon & evening, Satur-day supper hosted by Moore Agricultural Soci-ety (camping fee includes 2 tickets for Sat. sup-per)
September 4, 2015 - September 7, 2015
FALL OPA—CELTIC STYLE
Hosted by Tri-County Travellers; Tavistock & District Recreation Centre, 2 Adam St. Tavis-tock; $20 Pre-registration; activity fee $80; gates open Friday at 12 pm; cheques payable to “Fall OPA 2015”; send to: Jacques & Carol Ander-son, RR#1, 264207 Prouse Rd., Mount Elgin, ON, N0J 1N0
Highlights: free Saturday evening meal (meat & potatoes provided, YOU bring salad, vegeta-ble dessert)
ONTARIO RETIREE SPRING RALLY
As far as the editors know, Pat and Bob Nelson are still looking for help for the rally. Please consider filling one of these positions. 1. Secretary- take notes for one meeting and write them up for the next year 2. Treasurer 3. Devotional Service- a short non-denominational service with a collection for the FOOD BANK 4. Euchre- organize a progressive game for 1 1/2 hours, everything supplied including prizes 5. Card Bingo- cards and prizes from your nickels 6. Coffee & Tea- need about 3 couples to prepare coffee and hot water for: 4 nights hospitalities, Tuesday lunch, Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast and Friday morning goodbye. EVERY THING SUPPLIED is supplied except labour. 7. Monday Hospitality, we pay for everything, you prepare whatever you want. There is a budget of $100. 8. Wednesday Hospitality, same as Monday. 9. Tuesday Lunch, a group to prepare a lunch, your choice of food, all paid for by rally, a budget of $225. or more. We can buy locally at Foodland. This budget for the lunch is based on 75 units
ALSO, The Legion will not be having their breakfast this year.
It’s YOUR rally and they need you to participate to make it happen. You can get Pat and Bob at ([email protected]) any time for questions or offers. They will help you in any way they can.
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Thought of the DAY
“ Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”
(Doug Larson)
O.P.A. WEBSITE
We have a new, easy to use website.
It’s also a great place for YOU to let others know what campouts you are organizing and how they may join you. Registration forms are also available through the website.
If mistakes are made or changes are made regarding dates, it’s a great place to let oth-ers know. Check the section: BULLETINS.
Please note that Diane Proper has a NEW email address for the website only. Please use it in future.
Contact Diane Proper at
CHAPTER NEWS
We welcome chapter news, and hope you will send pictures and
descriptions of your camping experiences to share with others.
Please email written material as WORD documents.
DEADLINES FOR PUBLICATION ARE: March 10 June 14, August 14, November 10
Upcoming Meeting
O.P.A. VOTING DELEGATES MEETING Sunday May 17, 2015
Blyth & District Community Centre Meeting to start at 1:00 PM
READING OPActions
Some OPA members have opted to receive their OPActions electronically. If you are on dialup or slow connection for the internet, you may still wish to receive your newsletter by mail. Choose the method that works best for your situation. Only YOU can de-cide that. If you wish to view this newsletter online OR wish to CHANGE your method of re-ceiving your newsletter, please email Wayne & Marilyn Rosenberger at [email protected] to inform them.
Please make sure that membership has your correct address and correct email address.
Marilyn & Wayne Rosenberger 3500 Chilligo Road, RR2, Breslau, Ontario N0B 1M0 519-648-2017
If for ANY REASON you do not wish to re-ceive the OPAction, please let the Rosen-bergers know.
ANSWERS TO QUIZ PAGE 15. 1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. D 6. D 7. C 8. B
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FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES - ESPECIALLY THE BIG KIDS
Are you a SPRING GENIUS? GOOD LUCK! 1. When is the first official day of spring? A) March 20 B) March 21 C) either March 20 or 21 depending on the year D) April 1 2. What is the rainiest city in the United States? A) Mobile, Alabama B) Seattle, Washington C) Portland, Oregon D) Honolulu, Hawaii 3. Which US state has the greatest number of tornadoes each year? A) Oklahoma B) Kansas C) Texas D) Iowa 4. According to the national weather service, which month has the most violent storms? A) March B) April C) May D) June 5. What is the term for unseasonably cold weather during spring? A) Indian Winter B) Dogwood Winter C) Blackberry Winter D) Both B and C 6. Why do migrating birds prefer the northern latitudes during spring and summer? A) Less competition for food B) Increased foraging time because the days are longer C) Fewer predators D) All of the above 7. What is the name of the astronomical event that marks the start of spring? A) Apogee Equinox B) Orionids Meteor Shower C) Vernal Equinox D) Spring Solstice 8. What is the name of the Greek Goddess whose return was believed to signal the start of spring? A) Demeter B) Persephone C) Hades D) Freya See page 14 for answers.
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COME”
SPRING OPA CAMPOUT May 15 – 18, 2015
Hosted by The Wandering Canadians & Ausable River Nomads
Blyth & District Community Centre
377 Gypsy Lane, Blyth, Ontario
(Electric 15 & 30 amp service available)
Total cost for weekend – 1 family unit - $130. Single person unit - $115.
Additional family in unit - $45. Pre-registration with application minimum of $30 by May 1
st, balance upon arrival
Fees at the gate: $140. Family; $125. Single; $55. Additional Family
Weekend Fee includes Free Supper on Saturday Evening
Entertainment: Friday – “Catch-A-Laugh Entertainment” Saturday - “Two of a Kind”
Sunday - Big Birthday Party
New Time: Friday Evening – Ice Cream Sundaes - $2.00 each
(Profits going to the Scholarship Fund) Tours, Games, Penny Sale, Hospitalities
Name:______________________________________________ FCRV number. ____________
Address: ________________________________________City___________________________
Prov./State _________ Postal Code___________ Email ______________________________
Chapter we wish to camp with: ___________________________________________________
Type of Unit: Motor Home _____, 5th Wheel ____, Travel Trailer ____, Tent _____ (state length of unit)
Handicapped. Yes ___ No ____ #Adults _____ #Teens _____ #Youth _____
Something for everyone!
Make Cheques payable to Spring OPA – 2015 Send Registrations to: Marilyn & Wayne Rosenberger
3500 Chilligo Rd. RR #2, BRESLAU, On N0B 1M0