Konnection Articles

December 2011 Konnection

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! We are SO blessed, and we count our “Newmar” family as one of our many blessings. We want to thank all of our Region 2 officers and our many volunteers for all the time, effort, and hard work they put into the Klub. We appreciate the Newmar Corporation’s continued support of our great Klub, as well as the NKK office and the International Directors.

2011 has been a very busy, enjoyable RVing year for us. We started the year off by attending several winter luncheons in Yuma and of course the Gathering in the Desert in Quartzsite Arizona. Our winter visit in the Southwest ended mid-March as we headed back to Washington to host our Region 2 rally in Richland. The highlight was the tour of the first nuclear production reactor built in 1943. Mid-May found us on our way to Essex Junction, Vermont, to attend the International Rally. After that, we wondered up to the Provincial Rally in Shediac, New Brunswick, to learn how to eat Lobster! In Halifax, Nova Scotia, we then began the Newfoundland Special Event (what a wonderful experience). In August, we began our long trip west to Washington State. Along the way, we stopped at the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, New York. We both tried our creative talents making a glass flower (sure glad we don’t have to make a living doing this); worth the stop, had a great time! We continued west with stops at Spartan, the Klub office, the Idaho State rally, and then home. A couple of weeks later, we attended the Oregon State Rally and enjoyed some quiet time on the Oregon coast on the way home. The Fall is catch-up time for us at home with family, doctors, and a little tile project in the motor home.

As Jack and Donna Taylor (15044) retire as our Idaho State Directors at the end of this year, we want to thank them again for their contributions to the NKK. They have served 4 years as State Directors and 4 years as Chapter Officers. (Going to miss Donna’s cinnamon rolls.) We hope to continue to see you both in the future!

On a happy note, we are pleased to announce the appointment of new State Directors for Idaho. Frank and Janice Hasman (17704) will assume responsibilities effective

January 1, 2012. Frank and Janice have most recently served as President of the Idaho Spudnut Chapter where they have been active in planning and assisting in chapter and state rallies for several years. Please welcome Frank and Janice and wish them well as they take on their new responsibilities.

Our Region is gearing up for 2012 already. Check the calendar of events in this Konnection and the Klub website for information. Please encourage Newmar owners without Klub numbers to join in our activities when you see them out camping. And also make a special effort to make first-timers feel warmly welcomed. WE NEED MORE NEW MEMBERS!

We can be reached by phone at 509-627-1513 (home) or 509-947-3102 (cell); or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

October 2011 Konnection

We are now official “Newfoundlanders!” Yep, we “kissed the cod” What an awesome province! The beauty was at every turn, from the many quaint fishing coves to the spectacular icebergs. It all started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the great “Nova Scotia International Tattoo” production. And if you go there, you must stop at “Peggy’s Cove” – one of our favorite spots in N.S. And while you’re in Canada, have some of their yummy Haddock – we had so much we should be growing gills! We ferried to Newfoundland from North Sydney. We could go on & on; but since this year was unusual for many icebergs this late in the year, we felt really blessed to be so fortunate to witness them all. (Not near as many moose, unfortunately..) We recommend anyone going to NL to spend some time in St. John’s – wonderful city, and lots to explore. This province is a “hiker’s” paradise.

It’s always a pleasure to come back into the U.S. after being out of the country. Just one example of the many advantages is shopping at Walmart with SO many products to choose from. We stopped in at Spartan in Michigan for new airbags. They are SO accommodating. What a great company for this industry.

Heading west, we stopped at the Newmar factory. This area is a wonderful resource for RVers. We had some great carpentry done by Carlyle Lehman at Focal Wood Products in Nappanee so now we have more storage (seems like there’s never enough…); and we had some upholstery repair done by Quality Restoration Services. They did a good job for us and fitted us in a very short timeframe. We also visited “Lambright Comfort Chairs” in Topeka and now have a comfy new recliner for Mike to watch TV in (should I say nap?)… And while at the NKK office, we ran into so many fun members again.

We arrived home, via a family reunion in Idaho and the Idaho State Rally in Coeur d’Alene with special guest Jim and Wilma Weeks #9233L, International Directors. A great time was had by all that attended. This was Jack & Donna Taylor’s #15044 last rally as Idaho State Directors. Thanks again Jack & Donna for many years of service as State Directors and Chapter Officers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us any time at home 509.627.1513 or cell 509.947.3102, or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

August 2011 Konnection

Happy Summer!

Hope you are all enjoying this rv-season where ever it may take you. We had a great time at this year’s NKK International Rally in Essex Junction. We had six other rigs there from the Northwest, and had lots of good help on the Parking & Registration crews. Course it wouldn’t be a rally without RAIN. Had a few challenges parking rigs out of the large puddles, but got most of them on dry land. Wilma and Jim Weeks did a great job on their first International Rally. The Newmar Road Team with the Miller’s, Sammut’s and Park’s were our neighbors at the Expo Center. We sure appreciate their support of our Klub. Vermont is SO green – never seen so many trees. If you’re planning on next year’s International in Gillette, Wyoming, let us know if you’d like to give us a hand as we’ll have the same duties.

As you read this, we will be just finishing up the NKK Special Event Newfoundland Rally and working our way back West. There’s SO much to see in the Northeast, and we really enjoy seeing the architecture of all the OLD homes and buildings.

May 2011 Konnection

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

We sure enjoyed visiting with a lot of our Newmar family again while wintering in the southwest. It’s amazing the number of “snowbirds” there are. It’s fun to attend the NKK luncheons to catch up with our Newmar friends while living the carefree life of RVers.

Now that we’re home for a few months, it is much-needed time for us to catch up and visit those cute grandkids! In May we will dust off the RV and repack for our summer travels. We will depart Washington mid-May enroute to the International Rally in June at Essex Junction, VT. We know Jim & Wilma have put a lot of work into planning this annual event, so join us if you can. Following that, we will continue on to the far Northeast to attend the Newfoundland Special Event. We are really looking forward to that! If you are out in our Region this summer, there are some great rallies this year in June, August and September. Please check the calendar of events in this month’s Konnection and Klub website for specific details. Our State and Chapter officers have planned a lot of fun stuff to do in their areas. We really appreciate all the hard work that they do to prepare a great time for their rally attendees. Without volunteers, this Klub could not function. We may be a little partial to our region (Ya think?! :D), but we’ve got an awesome group of members. So come and join us sometime.

April 2011 Konnection

Happy Easter Everyone!

As we reflect back to the last three months being able to spend part of our winter in the great southwest; we feel VERY blessed to be able to live the “RV Lifestyle”. Newmar provides us with such a wonderful coach, it’s easy to spend months at a time traveling around because there is SO much to see and do in this country. Our Region’s members are very good at recruiting new Klub members when they see other Newmar products while traveling and in campgrounds. Let’s all keep up that good work to encourage new membership. We feel very lucky to have so many friends in our Newmar family. We’ve all been first-timers; so let’s make all the “newbies” feel welcome.

We are gearing up for our International Rally duties. Our Parking & Registration crew is almost finalized and we really appreciate all the dedication we’ll receive from our helpers. We work hard, but there are laughs along the way. Just have to remember we’re all VOLUNTEERS … We know Jim and Wilma Weeks and Linda Feece have already put a lot of work into the success of this year’s International Rally, and we appreciate their time and energy. So join us in Essex Junction; and from there you have a TON of choices of sites to visit in that area of the country.

Has everyone noticed the new look of the Konnection? Good job to the Klub Office and their publisher – it looks great! Don’t forget to sign up for your subscription for a hard-copy. We often look in previous articles for something or other…

This year’s Region 2 Rallies are noted on our website, on the “Schedule of Events”, and discussed elsewhere in this article. There is a lot of beautiful country in the northwest. We are excited about our Region 2 Rally in Richland, Washington, as we have a tour lined up to go inside one of the country’s National Historic Landmarks. The Department of Energy Site at Hanford has a few bus-tours a year of this retired nuclear reactor built in 1944. We find it especially interesting since the DOE site was our lively-hood for years. After 9/11, the tours were halted for some time – so we’re glad we were finally able to get this on our agenda.

We still have openings for State Directors for Alaska and Wyoming. If you live in one of those states and are interested in getting it more active, please contact us.

Safe Travels!

February 2011 Konnection

Happy Valentine’s & St. Patrick’s Days!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are keeping warm. We are currently enjoying the winter months baking in the sun in the southwest part of our beautiful country. As you read this, the annual Gathering in the Desert (Quartzsite) will be history and I’m sure we had a great time as usual with our Newmar family. There are many Klub activities available during the winter months in the southwest and we are attending luncheons and happy-hours with Klub members from all over.

We will be spending most of our summer months back east this year attending the International Rally in June and the Newfoundland Special Event in July. Because of this, we have decided to have our Region 2 Rally in April (rally flyer in this Konnection.) We have tentatively scheduled a tour of a National Historic Landmark on the Department of Energy Site of “Hanford”. This retired nuclear reactor was the world’s first large-scale nuclear reactor for the WWII Manhattan Project built in 1944.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the 26th Kountry Klub International Rally this June 13-18 at Essex Junction, VT. This will be Jim & Wilma Weeks first International Rally as International Directors. Be sure to attend and support them.

For details of rallies to be held in Region 2 this year, please see the “Calendar of Events” in the Konnection and on the Klub website.

Safe travels for those of you heading home. God Bless, and wishing you a new year of good health and peace!

November 2010 Konnection

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! We are SO blessed, and we count our “Newmar” family as one of them. We are very thankful for all the time, effort, and hard work our team of Region 2 officers put into the Klub. We also could not do our job without the many volunteers that help us with cooking, hanging tarps (rainy Glacier), moving tables, etc, etc, etc.

We were fortunate this year to be able to attend so many Newmar rallies. We enjoyed many of the Southwest events in the winter months; the Washington Evergreen Aires Chapter Rally in Wenatchee; the Idaho State/Spudnut Chapter Rally in Boise; the Washington State Rally in Walla Walla; the Oregon State/Pioneers Chapter Rally in Salem; and our Region 2 Rally in West Glacier, Montana. What a GREAT season. Our Northwest members are the best!! They are very enthusiastic and signing up new members whenever they can. (We got to meet some wonderful “newbees” this season.) Some of our officers built a great bean-bag baseball game that proved to be quite a good “ice-breaker”. Thanks guys!

Enough bragging about our great Region ….. Now on to this year’s International Rally. We worked very hard and had FUN too. We couldn’t have gotten all our Parking and Registration duties completed without a lot of GOOD help. Again, THANK YOU!! from the bottom of hearts (hope we’ll see you again next year…). Our Team Leads were very committed and volunteered hours of their time and energy. Next year in Essex Junction, we have the same duties – and will need help again. We bid Barney and Barbara Barnett an awesome “farewell” as our International Directors (we thank Matt Miller for his surprise cooperation!); and welcomed in the new: Jim and Wilma Weeks.

Our Region is gearing up for 2011 already. (The schedule is being finalized on our website) The Region 2 Rally will be held in April; in June, the Washington Evergreen Aires Chapter Rally will be in Wenatchee; in August, the Montana and Idaho Rallies (at Blackwell Island) will be held; and in September, the Washington State Rally will be in Deer Park.

We appreciate the Newmar Corporation’s continued support of our great Klub as the economy continues to have its struggles.

We can be reached by phone at 509-627-1513 (home) or 509-947-3102 (cell); or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

September 2010 Konnection

Hope everyone had a great summer! Fall is on the way with many Rallies still to be held across this wonderful country, so check the calendar of events section in this edition of the Konnection or on the Klub website for one in your area.

We had a great time attending the following rallies in our region this summer. The Idaho State/Chapter rally held in Meridian, Idaho, was held at a really nice KOA Campground with a great kitchen/activity room (see Idaho article below).

The Oregon State/Chapter Rally in Salem, Oregon, and the Washington State Rally in Walla Walla, Washington, will be discussed in the next Konnection.. As you read this, the 25th Anniversary of the Kountry Klub International Rally held August 14-21 in Goshen, Indiana, and our Regional Rally in Glacier Park, Montana, will be history (details to follow in the next Konnection). We want to thank Barbara & Barney Barnett for their support and leadership the last few years. And, we look forward to working with Jim and Wilma Weeks at the future International Rallies.

Congratulations to our Idaho State Directors, Jack & Donna Taylor’s 50th Wedding Anniversary this summer!

We can be reached by phone at 509-627-1513 (home) or 509-947-3102 (cell); or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels.

Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

June 2010 Konnection

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

We hope you’re preparing travel plans this year and getting your RV ready. This year’s International Rally in Goshen Indiana is August 16-21 with early bird parking available on August 14 – 15th. This is the Kountry Klub’s 25th International Rally. We hope you can attend this special “Coming Home” Anniversary International Rally.

There are many brochures in the NKK Service office on places to see and where to eat. In Nappanee, there are several wood furniture shops to admire the local craftsmen’s talent see (www.nappaneechamber.com ). To mention just a few sites we’ve enjoyed in this area: In Shipshewana, the Menno Hof Museum is an excellent place to start which explains the Amish and Mennonites history (see www.mennohof.org). See www.tradingplaceamerica.com/fleamarket.php for info on the Shipshewana Tuesday/Wednesday flea market/craft sale – us “snowbirds” love a flea market! There’s also the Yoder’s Dept Store, Yoder’s Meat & Cheese Co., and other cute little shops too numerous to mention.

In South Bend, there’s Notre Dame and the Studebaker Museum.

In Elkhardt, there’s the RV Museum; the Beau Arts Mansion; and the RV Surplus & Salvage for you guys to dig around in. In Auburn, there’s the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum.

Have we gotten you excited to visit this area yet? Don’t forget to put home-made noodles on your list – there are all kinds available around there. For additional information for the Goshen and surrounding areas, visit www.amishcountry.org website.

The Rally season is underway in Region 2. Please check the calendar of events in the Konnection or online at www.newmarkountryklub.com The Region 2 Rally is scheduled for August 30th – September 3rd in West Glacier, Montana. See our ad in this Konnection or by visiting the Kountry Klub website for details. We have limited spaces available so remember the sign-up deadline is July 26th.

We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

April 2010 Konnection

Hoping all the NKK members are having a healthy Spring so they can prepare for the busy NKK rally season ahead.

We are so blessed to have been able to spend the first part of this year in the Southwest (along with thousands! of other “snowbirds”). We were able to catch the NKK “Gathering” in Quartsite, along with the Arizona Suncatchers Chpt. Rally. What a storm we survived there. Thought for sure we were going to loose some slide-out-awnings! We just kept playing cards and rode it out. The Suncatchers persevered the cold/wind elements and cooked outside anyway. From there, we spent time around Indio, Yuma, Mesa, Tucson and Albuquerque. There’s so much to do and see. Our Klub has some very talented “swedish weavers” that gather to do their craft in the winter.

Region 2 has some great rallies planned for this year: Boise/Meridian, Idaho in June; Salem, Oregon in July; Polson, Montana, and Walla Walla, Washingtonin July; and West Glacier, Montana, in August. Please see our “rally schedule” on the website for more details. We hope to see many of you at this year’s 25th International Rally in Goshen, Indiana in August. We’ll be celebrating Barney and Barbara Barnett wrapping up their last year’s term; and welcoming Jim and Wilma Week’s as next year’s new International Directors. Please come join us and sign up to volunteer. It’s a great way to meet new friends, and have a lot of laughs.

We wish you all safe travels. We’re very thankful for our Newmar friends; God Bless you all

February 2010 Konnection

Happy Valentine’s & St. Patrick’s Days!

We are currently enjoying the winter months baking in the sun while many of the folks in our region are trying to keep warm and dry. We have been enjoying the many Klub activities available during the winter months in the southwest. We are currently in the process of planning our Region 2 rally for this summer with details to follow soon. Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the 25th Kountry Klub International Rally this August 16-21 at Goshen, IN. This will be Barney & Barbara Barnett’s last rally as International Directors. Be sure to attend to support them for many years of dedicated service and meet the new International Directors, Jim & Wilma Weeks, who take over the helm in 2011. For details of rallies to be held in Region 2 this year, please see the “Calendar of Events” in the Konnection and on the Klub website.

Safe travels for those of you heading home. God Bless, and wishing you a new year of good health!

December 2009 Konnection

We sure have enjoyed our “Rally Season” this year. We appreciate all the hard work our officers put into making rallies such a great time, with lots of good food; as well as the wonderful help from all the volunteers.

There’s still time to sign up for the Konnection for 2010. Forms are available on-line or in an old magazine. Remember, if we don’t get enough subscribers, it won’t even be available on-line.

Since our last article, we’ve been fortunate to have attended the Washington State Rally in Long Beach, the Oregon Pioneers Chapter Rally at Seven Feathers, and the Arizona State Rally in Camp Verde. We enjoyed them all immensely; even got dressed up for a fun costume party! After the holidays, we’ll be in the southwest for the winter. We’re looking forward to seeing Newmar friends at luncheons and rallies in that area.

FYI, if you need diesel engine maintenance/repair, we stopped at the Rocky Mountain Cummins dealer in Avondale, AZ (outside of Phoenix). It’s convenient for snowbirds heading north or south in the New Year. We were unaware that on our motor home Cummins engine we had warranty of 100,000 miles or 5 years. (We were lucky to arrive there with 15 days left on our warranty!

WE WISH YOU ALL HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Remember the “reason for the season”.

October 2009 Konnection

When you receive this October issue, fall will be in the air. As we take a break from our busy summer travels, we sit back and reflect on the Region 2 rally season.

We always enjoy Indiana and the 2009 International Rally in Goshen was very enjoyable. There’s a lot to see in that part of Indiana, so if you missed it this year, you have the opportunity again next year as the 25th annual NKK International Rally will be held again at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds. We had great volunteers to help with our duties this year. This is such a huge endeavor; it can’t be successful without the help of a lot of people and, as usual, the super organization skills of our International Directors, Barney & Barbara Barnett. They are looking into ways of making next year’s International Rally even more interesting.

On our way to International, we enjoyed a great visit with our Newmar family at the Region 2 Rally in Cody, Wyoming. The folks who run the Ponderosa RV Park are very hospitable.

Due to conflicts, we didn’t get to attend ALL our states events this summer, but we sure appreciate the efforts of our State and Chapter officers who do all the work to plan and carry out the season’s rallies. We sure enjoyed the peaceful boat ride around Lake Coeur d’Alene and fellowship at the Idaho State/Chapter Rally in August. More yummy food! We had our 4 state directors all in one spot there at the same time! (see picture). We will have also attended the Washington State Rally by the time this issue is printed. Now we are making plans for the rest of the fall/winter.

We feel very blessed to represent such a wonderful Region. Again, thanks to all the volunteers who contribute their time to make all these events happen. We wish you good health and safe travels. God Bless!

OR: Turney's; ID: Taylor's; WA: Miller's; MT: Weaver's; Reg. 2: Lowery's

August 2009 Konnection

We started off 2009 Region 2 rallies this year with a Washington State Evergreen Aires Chapter Rally in Toppenish, Washington, in June. This rally was held at the Yakima Indian Nations RV Park with 17 Newmar families in attendance. This was an action- filled weekend with a Yakima Indian Nations parade along with a salmon bake for the public. Toppenish is known for 72 murals painted on buildings. We took a horse-drawn wagon tour of the city of these murals. It just happened that while were there, a new mural was being painted on the side of the visitor center. These murals are completed in just one day! with between 8-12 artists painting at one time - real impressive. GREAT job Evergreen Aires (loved the food).

As we write this article, we are in enroute to our Region 2 Rally in Cody, Wyoming, and then on to the International Rally in Goshen, Indiana. We will fill you in next month with an update on both. Please check the calendar of events for some fun-filled rallies coming up this season in our region. Remember, all of our rallies are for any Kountry Klub member. For those folks that would like a hard copy of the Konnection, please send the Klub office $10.00 for the 4 remaining 2009 issues or you can subscribe on-line. Remember, many of you requested a printed copy so “Sign UP Today”.

We can be reached by phone at 509-627-1513 (home) or 509-947-3102 (cell); or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

June 2009 Konnection

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

We hope you’re preparing travel plans this year and getting your RV ready. This year’s International Rally in Indiana is right on the way to our Region 2 Rally in July (if you’re coming from the West). The Ponderosa CG is holding only 20 spaces for us, so get your check to us soon if you’re interested in exploring this fun old historic town. So please see our ad in this issue for more details and Cody’s website www.CodyChamber.org. There are a lot of things to see/do in this area and on your way to Indiana, so there’s plenty to keep you busy until the next rally, International!

In addition to the sightseeing tours offered with the International rally in Goshen, Indiana, there are many places to check out around that area that don’t cost much. First stop has to be one of our favorites: RENTOWN in Bremen. If you stop at Newmar in Nappanee), you’re close to it. Their home-made baked goods are addicting! (You’ll never want to buy another loaf of Wonder Bread again!) There are many brochures in the NKK Service office on places to see and where to eat. In Nappanee, there are several wood furniture shops to admire the local craftsmen’s talent (see www.nappaneechamber.com). Just to mention just a few sites we’ve enjoyed in this area: In Shipshewana, the Menno Hof Museum is an excellent place to start which explains the Amish and Mennonites history (see www.mennohof.org). See www.ShipshewanaFleaMarkrt.com for info on the Tuesday/Wednesday flea market/craft sale – us “snowbirds” love a fleamarket!. There’s also the Yoder’s Dept Store, Yoder’s Meat & Cheese Co., and other cute little shops too numerous to mention. In South Bend, there’s Notre Dame and the Studebaker Museum.In Elkhardt, there’s the RV Museum; the Beau Arts Mansion; and the RV Surplus & Salvage for you guys to dig around in. In Auburn, there’s the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum. Have we gotten you excited to visit this area yet? Don’t forget to put home-made noodles on your list – there are all kinds available around there. We’re still looking for volunteers to help out with our Region’s duties at International (as easy as handing out ice cream at the social!). If you’d like to volunteer a couple hours, please contact us at home 509.627.1513 or cell 509.947.3102, or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com.

We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

May 2009 Konnection

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

We enjoyed visiting with a lot of our Newmar family while wintering in the southwest. Now its time for spring cleaning the rig.

Our 2009 Region 2 Rally will be in Cody, Wyoming (July 13-17).

We’ll start off with a Town Trolley Tour to learn about the history of this charming old town. The Trolley Company will also provide you with a wonderful book full of more history about Cody’s colorful past. A two-day pass will be provided to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center which consists of 5 separate museums (visit their website at http://www.bbhc.org). There is lot to see in Cody. Additional rally details are in our ad in this issue of the Konnection.

Our Region 2 duties at the August NKK International Rally in Goshen, Indiana, will cover the Service/Parts/Supplier Liaison/ New Models & Ice Cream Socials. If anyone is interested in volunteering to give us a hand, it would be appreciated. It’s a great way to meet new people. Please contact us.

Our hearts go out to Patricia Wall (5443L) who lost her husband Bill while wintering in Yuma this past March. He will be missed by all that knew him. We really enjoyed working with Bill (& Patricia) at past International Rallies on the parking/registration crews and many other rallies.

We’re looking forward to some great rallies in Region 2 this year. Feel free to call us any time at home 509.627.1513 or cell 509.947.3102, or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

April 2009 Konnection

HAPPY SPRING! The country had quite a winter! We really enjoyed being in the Southwest for most of it. As in past years, we spent a couple of weeks at the Lost Dutchman State Park near Apache Junction, Arizona. The hiking in that State Park is great, and the scenery is spectacular as the mountains change colors throughout the day. The Park will accommodate any size vehicle. They have water and a dump station available. (A place to consider stopping if you’re traveling in the area)

We attended several Newmar gatherings while in Arizona this winter. It was great to meet/re-meet Newmar friends at a time when not a lot of rallies are going on. We were amazed at the amount of RV’ers wintering in the Southwest. Even with the cutbacks in the RV industry. And as we visited with a LOT of RV’ers, we were once again reminded of how wonderful it is to own a Newmar product and work with this corporation, especially during these difficult times.

We would like to encourage members to sign up to continue this great magazine by contacting the Klub office at 1.888.639.5582 or email newmarkountryklub.com

We are finalizing details for our Region 2 Rally in Cody, WY scheduled for July 13–17. Details will be in next month’s issue and on the Region 2 website.

Until next time, feel free to call us any time at home 509.627.1513 or cell 509.947.3102, or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

January 2009 Newsletter Article

We are pleased to announce the appointment of new Kountry Klub State Directors for Oregon. Ross and Marie Turney (15097) have assumed responsibilities effective January 1, 2009. Ross and Marie have most recently served as officers in the Oregon Pioneer Chapter where they have been active in planning and assisting in Chapter and State rallies for several years. Please welcome Ross and Marie and wish them well as they take on their new responsibilities. They are replacing Chet and Peggy DeWolfe (1720L) who are retiring. Chet and Peggy have served 10 years as State Directors and 5 years as Chapter Presidents. We thank them again for their contributions to the Klub.

. We are currently looking for State Directors for Alaska and Wyoming, if you are interested please contact us. We have SO many blessings to be thankful for and many of them are our Newmar friends. We look forward to the New Year and seeing you at Rallies this year.

Until next time, feel free to call us any time at home 509-627-1513 or cell 509-947-3102, or e-mail cmlowery@msn.com. We wish you all safe travels. Keep the shining side up, and God Bless!

December 2008 Article

Tis the season to wish you all a very Happy Holidays! and safe and healthy New Year! It’s snowing here in Washington and really cold. We will try to head south in the RV next week, stopping first in Portland, Oregon, for Christmas with our daughter and family. That said, we’re having our local family Xmas here this weekend.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of new Kountry Klub State Directors for Oregon. Ross and Marie Turney (15097) will assume responsibilities effective January 1, 2009. Ross and Marie have most recently served as officers in the Oregon Pioneer Chapter where they have been active in planning and assisting in Chapter and State rallies for several years. Please welcome Ross and Marie and wish them well as they take on their new responsibilities. They are replacing Chet and Peggy DeWolfe (1720L) who are retiring. Chet and Peggy have served 10 years as State Directors and 5 years as Chapter Presidents. We thank them again for their contributions to the Klub.

We have SO many blessings to be thankful for and many of them are our Newmar friends. We look forward to the New Year and seeing you “snowbirds” in the southwest.

November 2008 Article

We are currently at home (remodeling!) in Washington. Our plans are to head to the southwest next month to join others seeking a warmer winter. We wish our Newmar family a blessed Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for!

Our Region is seeking candidates for the Oregon, Alaska and Wyoming State Director positions.

Chet & Peggy DeWolfe will retire as the Oregon State Directors effective January 1, 2009. After 10 years as State Directors and 5 years as Chapter Presidents, we understand and thank them again for their contributions to the Klub. Deadline for applying for this position is 12/15.

If you are interested in any of these open positions, you must be a resident of the state, have strong leadership skills, and have the ability to work well with others. Please contact us via e-mail at cmlowery@msn.com or call us at 509.627.1513 or cell 509.947.3102.

September 2008 Rallies in Region 2

We’ve sure enjoyed our travels this month. Region 2 held two rallies; the Washington State Rally in Clarkston, WA; and the Montana State Rally in Fort Benton, MT. Between the two, we traveled to Cody, Wyoming, to plan our 2009 Region 2 rally. And the good weather held out for all of these. We even got some “fall color” to appreciate as we left Montana.

It was so good to meet up with our fellow members from Washington that we hadn’t seen for a while. The great part about rallies is the chance to see and visit places you wouldn’t normally. Like the Pataha Flour Mill tour complete with piano playing at lunch. One of the things we do best is EAT; and we enjoyed that at this rally too. Our hosts, Bill and Joyce Miller, Washington State Directors, planned some fun games and a trivia quiz too. Thanks to them again for planning all this fun. (See our Washington State webpage “Articles” for more info.)

While we were on the road, we swung by Cody, Wyoming, to check it out for our Region 2 Rally for 2009. We’ve decided it’ll be a fun place to explore the old western tribute to Colonel William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. We’ll be staying at the Ponderosa Campground right in town, and walking distance to a great museum, shopping, and of course, Dairy Queen! Our rally will include tickets to the museum and a wonderful, historic trolley tour complete with historic photos and an 84-page “Best of Cody” guide. Our rally fee will cover two dinners (a BBQ at the B-B Chuckwagon, and one dinner at the Sunset House Restaurant next to the campground. You’ll have free time to explore Cody’s many optional attractions.

From Cody, we traveled to Fort Benton, Montana with Warren and Anne Weaver, our Montana State Directors. We thank them for hosting this relaxing rally in the birth-place of Montana. We camped at the fairgrounds in Fort Benton. What a quaint little berg off the beaten-path that’s full of history. We got an excellent guided tour of the Fort and learned what an important role this trading post played as a peace-keeper. A huge museum there has a ton of old artifacts and we really enjoyed exploring this area that we’d never been to. We were especially pleased to meet some of our Montana members that we had not met yet. (See our Montana State webpage “Articles” for more info.)

At both rallies, we had some “first-timers” and picked up new members – yoo hoo!

We’ll be home for the rest of the year, getting caught up and spending time with family (you know how we grandmas are…). Some of you will be heading south for the winter season; give us a call if you happen by the Tri-Cities on your way.

We hope you enjoy this beautiful Fall. We wish you all safe travels, and good health. We’ll look forward to seeing many of our members in the new year in the Southwest.

2008 Region 2 Rally in Gold Beach, Oregon

We had a blast, met a lot of new members, and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Rogue River at the Kimball Creek Bend C.G. We want to especially THANK all of our volunteers who gave us a hand - we can't do it all without the wonderful help from our members.

We'd like to thank Guaranty RV in Coburg, Oregon, for sponsoring our salmon dinner, and contributing to prizes for the Polker Walk and Nickle Bingo. We all really enjoyed browsing through the eight show RVs they brought for us to see.

We all got an extra "shower" in Jerry's Rogue River Jet Boats on an 80-mile ride. Everyone was a real good sport, and they were rewarded by a fried-chicken dinner at the 1903 Lucas Lodge. We enjoyed watching the craftsmen turning Myrtlewood at the Gold Beach Factory, and of course picked up a few new items in their large gift shop. We especially enjoyed visiting Sheriff John's Classic Car & Doll Museum. There were period articles & clothing with each auto ranging from 1901-1972.

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AUGUST 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE

Region 2 Flag Bearers at opening ceremonies at Du Quoin International (included recruits from Florida). We survived our first International Rally as Regional Directors with “hep” from the other Regional Director’s and a lot of excellent help from our regions members. Attendance was down this year due to those darn gas prices. So remember in your travels when you’re in a campground and you see other Newmar rigs without NKK numbers, to introduce yourselves and let them know how much fun we members have in this Klub.

We hope you all are enjoying your summer and finding a way to stay cool.Region 2 Rallies the next couple months:Washington State Rally: Sept. 4-8 in Clarkston, WA.Montana State Rally: Sept. 18-21 in Fort Benton, MT.For more details, see the “Calendar of Events” or check out the NKK website.

If you’d like to get a hold of us, please send us an email at cmlowery@msn.com or give us a call 509-947-3102. We wish you all safe travels and good health.

JULY 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE (No article this month)

JUNE 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! & HAPPY SUMMER!

For the June International Rally in Du Quion, Illinois, we’ll probably need some volunteers. Region 2’s duties cover the seminars (coordination/set-up/counts) and crafts (class sign-up & coordination/sale/contest). Please contact us if you’re interested in helping out. We wish you all safe travels on your way. Our Region 2 Rally (July 31-August 4) in Gold Beach, Oregon, is coming together. We’ll ride a jet boat up the Rogue River and stop for lunch. We’ll watch local craftsmen at a Myrtlewood factory and browse in their gift shop. We’ll play some Bingo and probably some Mexican Train. We’ll do some walking and have a Poker Run. Our craft class will be an easy crocheting project to trim socks. Optional side trips may include a trip down memory-lane at Sheriff John’s Classic Cars & Dolls museum with 33 vintage cars, clothing and gift shop; golfing; and guided fishing. We’ll do some cookin’, eatin’ & lotsa gabbin’. So come join us, there’s lots of things to see along the beautiful Oregon coast line (oh yah, and bring a rain coat). Our ad’s in this month’s issue… deadline is June 30th.

MAY 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

What a wonderful time of the year. With all the rain this spring, the flowers were just beautiful as we traveled back to Washington from wintering in the southwest. Now its time for that spring cleaning of the rig. We’re looking forward to some exciting rallies in Region 2 this year.

We’re also gearing up for the June International Rally in Du Quion, Illinois. Region 2’s duties cover the seminars (coordination/set-up/counts) and crafts (class sign-up & coordination/sale/contest). If anyone is interested in volunteering to give us a hand, it would be appreciated. It’s a great way to meet new people. Please contact us.

For our Region 2 Rally (July 31-August 4) in Gold Beach, Oregon, please see details in our ad in this issue of the Konnection.

Our hearts go out to Rawley Fallen and family. We really enjoyed working with Jeanne (& Rawley) at past International Rallies on the parking/registration crew. Jeanne will really be missed.

APRIL 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE

HAPPY SPRING! The country had quite a winter! We really enjoyed being in the Southwest for most of it. We spent a couple of weeks at the Lost Dutchman State Park near Apache Junction, Arizona. One morning we arose to a beautiful view of snow-capped mountains – we thought we had left Washington State! The hiking in that State Park is great, and the scenery is spectacular as the mountains change colors throughout the day. The Park will accommodate any size vehicle. They have water and a dump station available; and by next season, some sites will have electricity. (A place to consider stopping if you’re traveling in Arizona.)

Since we are fairly new at retirement, for the first time we got to attend a “winter luncheon” in Yuma, Arizona. It was great to meet/re-meet Newmar friends at a time when not a lot of rallies are going on. We were amazed at the amount of RV’ers wintering in the Southwest. It appeared that the RV industry is flourishing (even with the high gas prices!). And as we visited with a LOT of RV’ers, we were once again reminded of how wonderful it is to own a Newmar product and work with this corporation.

We are finalizing details for our Region 2 Rally in Gold Beach, Oregon, scheduled for July 31 – August 4. We’ve scheduled a jet-boat trip up the Rogue River (and hope to see some wildlife along the way) which includes a yummy, family-style, fried chicken lunch. Details will be in next month’s issue.

MARCH 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE

GREETINGS FROM THE WEST! This month finds us ‘on the road’ in sunny Arizona and Mexico. We recently attended the ‘Gathering in the Desert’ at Quartzsite, Arizona, where there were an estimated 50 Newmar rigs off La Paz Road. (Quite a difference from years past.)

Following that, we joined 51 other Newmar RVs at the ‘Rocky Point Special Event’ in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, hosted by Jay and Donna Weewie (4226-L) and co hosted by Gary & Marilyn Larson (9109-L). Our wonderful region had a very good turnout, and enjoyed a lot of yummy shrimp. We feel so good about being able to share our blessings with the community. We had a GREAT translator on this trip. We learned more about the Handicapped Kids School and what they need, and got to meet their two ponies (some of us up-close-&-personal!). At the Old Folks Home we got a tour of the new addition the American’s have provided (kitchen & dining room), and also got a tour of the church behind it (that’s almost finished) that’s been 20 years in the making. The people at both facilities are very sweet, and our donated items were greatly appreciated.

Good times were had by all at both of these events. One of the things we enjoy the most about gatherings like these are meeting new friends and seeing old ones. Being new at this, we are really looking forward to meeting more members in our great region.

The 2008 Region 2 Rally is planned for July 31st thru August 4th in Gold Beach, Oregon. We have an 80-mile jet boat trip planned up the Rogue River, topped off by a delicious family-style fried chicken lunch. We’ll be staying at the Kimball Creek Bend RV Resort 8 miles up the Rogue River. As we finalize details, we will have more info next month in the Konnection.

Until next month, have a happy St. Patrick’s Day and watch out for all of those little Leprechauns. We will head north toward Washington in April.

FEBRUARY 2008 KONNECTION ARTICLE

Greetings from Region 2. As this is our first article, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize the previous Region 2 Directors, Jay and Donna Weewie (4226-L), for their many years of service and devotion to the Klub and its members. We have known them since our first rally many years ago and they are going to be a difficult act to follow. They and many others are the reason we have accepted this position. While we are at it, special thanks for the retiring State Directors who have contributed many hours of their time to make this a great Region and Klub. They are = Idaho: Gary & Marilyn Larson (9109-L); Montana: Dick & Carol Nisbit (5949); Washington: Leland & Marlene Florence (4323-L); and Wyoming: Wayne & Sandy Worthen (11525).

The new State Directors taking the helm in 2008 are = Idaho: Jack & Donna Taylor (15044); Montana: Warren & Anne Weaver (10889); Oregon: Chet & Peggy DeWolfe (1720-L); and Washington: Bill & Joyce Miller (10510). We look forward to working with each of them in the coming years. If anyone from Alaska and Wyoming are interested in becoming State Directors, please contact us for details.

We recently had the pleasure of visiting with a new Newmar dealership in Coburg, Oregon, Guaranty RV (18269) located adjacent to I-5/exit 199 in central Oregon. Guaranty is celebrating their 40th year of being in business. They started out as an auto dealership, and started selling RV's in the mid-70's, adding Newmar products in May 2007. We met with Craig Strobeck, one of the two Sales Managers, regarding their commitment to Newmar products. They are extremely excited carrying Newmar products. They are a FULL LINE dealership, including towables. In 2007, they attended the Gillette NKK International Rally; the FMCA International Rally and Newmar Pre-Function; and the Louisville manufacturing show. Craig said, “Customer Service is very important to Guaranty”. He welcomed anyone to stop by and have a cup of coffee and browse around their lot (they have a huge inventory). Craig has been with Guaranty for 18 years. The other Sales Manager, Gary Hoffman, has been in the RV industry for over 20 years, and has ~10 years of experience with Newmar products. Craig and Gary can be reached at 1-800-825-2333.

Guaranty’s main headquarters is in Junction City, Oregon, which includes a Camping World store onsite. For service appointments, call 800-396-4851 and Shane Prom (Service Manager) or Dean Ingraham (Service Consultant) will route your rig to Coburg where there’s a 7-bay building, or Junction City, where there’s a 40-bay service center (location for body/paint work). They have a full line of services and have service technicians that Newmar has trained on King Aires to Bay Stars. When an RV is purchased there, the technician, who makes sure everything is in working order in the new coach, is also the person who goes over everything with the new buyer. If something is not working properly, the tech can on-the-spot assess what new part is needed and take care of it.

“Ok guys, don’t forget Valentines Day February 14th, without our sweethearts, we are nothing”. Until next month, safe travels and keep the shining side up.