2018 Christmas Party

December 11, 2018

The Rockwood West Christmas Party was held at the home of Greg and Debbie Murrell in San Diego. Toys for Tots gifts were donated by the 18 members (Strobels, Chetletats, Opteynaits, Juliars, Kotans, Ringhands, Smiths, Wilsons and Murrells). The Roses and Russ had planned on attending but were ill that day.  Two guests attended that the Murrells met at RIP rally in Arkansas but reside in La Mesa (Longs). Everyone looked unusually festive in their noncamping clothes!

The lunch was a potluck and the counters were loaded with a variety of delicious food. Paulette brought a mountain of her many kinds of homemade cookies.  Conversations were constant from the kitchen, living room, bar and patio as friends got caught on each other's "doings". A business meeting was held by the President, Rich Strobel.  Minutes of the meeting are below.

Later, everyone scattered back to their homes in Huntington Beach, Riverside, Phoenix and metropolitan San Diego.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!


Minutes of Meeting
December 11, 2018
San Diego, CA

The meeting was called to order by the President, Rich Strobel.  He led the members in the pledge of allegiance.
No new business.
Nominating Committee member, Debbie Murrell, announced the new officers for 2019:
    President- Greg Murrell
    Vice President- Rich Strobel
    Sec-Treas- Debbie Murrell
    National Director- Nick Escamilla
    Alternate Director- Steve Smith
    Nominating Comm.- Gerry Chetelat, MaryLee Smith, Bernie Juliar
All nominated offices were unanimously accepted.
Old business consisted of discussing rallies.  Whether it is a rally, outing or gathering, there is only 1 scheduled for 2019 so far.
The outing in January was discussed.  The Blythe Bluegrass Festival is Jan. 18-20. Then the group will travel to Quartzsite to the RV Show on the 20th.  All the week will be dry camping. Debbie will email a flyer to all members.
Discussion about dismissing dues for 2019 was held.  A motion was made and passed to do so.
The National Director, Ken Wilson, summarized the National Directors' meetings at the 2018 FMCA Convention in Gillette, WY this summer.
Meeting was adjourned.

30th Anniversary Celebration at Santee Lakes

March 15-18, 2018

    The co hosts, Kotans and Murrells, worried all week about the weather forecast for the outing.
 However, the weatherman was wrong! It only rained during one evening and did not interrupt
any part of the weekend.  

    After everyone arrived on Thursday we went to Phil’s Barbecue for dinner.  The next morning
the Murrells had organized omelettes boiled in bags with sausages and fruit salad.  Everyone
prepared and “cooked” their own. Members scattered during the day going to garage sales,
shopping, taking pictures and enjoying the campground.  Friday evening we enjoyed traditional
heavy appetizers.

    Saturday morning began with the Kotan’s cooking a breakfast of raisin bread french toast,
sausages and fruit salad.  Rich Strobel then conducted the club meeting. Afterwards Roy
McDaniels, FMCA Southern area VP presented Rockwood West a certificate commemorating
its 30th anniversary and a check for $150! Afterwards Linda Chetelat helped a group of the
ladies make a decorative clump of grapes out of wine corks and that afternoon several
members played Pokeno.  The evening completed the day of celebration with a catered
dinner of street tacos. They were delicious!

    Sunday morning finished the weekend with a continental breakfast of apple fritters to fuel the
members’ drive home.  It was a fun weekend celebrating 30 years of amazing weekends, trips
to so many places and bringing people together in friendship that enjoy the RV life.

    Members helping to make the celebration successful were Rich and Linda Strobel, Gerry
and Linda Chetelat, Bob and Teddie Obteyndt, Hal and Cookie Ringhand, Nick and Ramona
Escamilla, Russ Himmer and guest Mary, Walt and Pam Rose, Roy and Ann McDaniels
(representing FMCA) and co hosts Dennis and Paulette Kotan and Greg and Debbie Murrell.

Reminder: A number of members are going to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival the first
weekend in October. Don't know if any spaces are left of not. You can check the website.
It is not an organized Rockwood West outing.

Rockwood West Meeting

Santee Lakes Club House

3-17-2018

Call to Order: 10:00 AM

Old Business:   Minutes approved from Nov. meeting

New Business: 

                        Financial report

                        Discussed possible Rallies in Fall of this year

                        FMCA accepting towable trailers, 100 per day signing up

                        Advertise in FMAC magazine to promote new club members

Drawing of four gifts from FMCA

Roy Mc Daniels representative from the FMCA  presented $150 check and certificate in honor of anniversary

This evening we Celebrate 30th Anniversary with catered Mexican street tacos, rice, beans  and cake!

Adjourned: 10:25 AM

Thank you to Dennis & Paulette Kotan  and Greg & Debbie Murrell for hosting a fantastic rally!!

Annual Quartzsite, AZ Gathering, January 2018

      We met early at the Blythe Bluegrass Festival before QZ.  Rich helped us a few months earlier to make our own reservations and we were supposed to go in as a group so we could park in the same area.  The meeting place was a truck stop west of Blythe.  Some of us were on the way but didn't make it at the appointed meeting time.  However, our fearless leader (Rich) made arrangements for spaces for the latecomers.

      The music, bands, atmosphere and weather were good.  We participated in the community's benefit meals - breakfast, steak dinner and bake sale.  The evening happy hours were good, even if we had to locate our winter clothes.  Members in attendance were Rich and Linda Strobel, Dennis and Paulette Kotan, Bernie and Carol Juliar, Bob and Teddie Obteyndt, Escamilla's friends, Tony and Sharon Balanca and Rich's friend, Dave joined us also.

      Some of the group left on Sunday and the rest left on Monday to meet up at our previous camping spot in the middle of the desert, just outside QZ.  Other members to join us in QZ were Gerry and Linda Chetelat.  Two couples Dave and Linda Veysey.and Burton and Jennifer Cain from Miramichi, New Brunswick Canada joined our camping group and also became our newest members!  They are spending 2 months in Arizona this year and have plans to return next year. The Murrells, Escamillas and Smiths first met them in 2014 in Alaska.  The Murrells later met up with them again in Moncton, New Brunswick in 2015.  One more rig with the Murrells son and family joined the group, Jake, Tiffany, Cooper, Hudson, Violett and Maverick.

      Since this was an informal rally/gathering there was no meeting.  Members and guests were busy during the RV Show at the Big Tent, shopping at the many vendors around town, going out off-roading, taking photographs and of course sitting around the campfire every night.  Linda Chetelat also led a craft to make handmade greeting cards.  A few purchases were made:  satellite dish, tire monitoring system, repair and/or replacement of windows, rocks, fossils, jewelry, etc.  We ate out for one breakfast and dinner, had one potluck and a few happy hours. Everyone scattered after the week of dry camping.  Some went to Yuma, some went midway home or all the way home, some to another rally, some scattered around other parts of Arizona and both Murrell rigs went to Utah.

      The next rally will be the celebration of Rockwood West's 30th anniversary at Santee Lakes March 15-18!