Bob & Bonnie Krieger
4 Purdue Court
Hampton, Virginia, 23666

Bob - 757-870-9139 (c)
Bonnie - 757-303-3535 (c)

Welcome to Region Five - Home to some of the best college football and basketball in the nation!  Where the population triples in the winter – also referred to by the original Spanish settlers as “Bengay y Tylenol”, meaning, “pickle ball capital of the world”

Whether your are meandering down the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, enjoying North Carolina barbeque, slurping Virginia Chincoteague oysters, enjoying Georgia Peach or Pecan pie, snuggling down in your seat at the Tennessee "Grand Ole Opry", dodging "Throwed Rolls" near Foley Beach Alabama, dining on shrimp and grits while touring Charleston, South Carolina, or laying on a Florida beach digesting that last piece of key lime pie, …you’ll know when you have arrived! 

By now, you have probably recognized that familiar Newmar Kountry Klub theme – great food, meandering, relaxing, and great camaraderie!

Please, oh, please join us on this great adventure.  Peruse these pages and pick a chapter, luncheon, caravan, or rally event to attend!  Join up, join in, volunteer, and dance like no one is looking.  I guarantee you will make friends for life! 

Bonnie and I are home-based in Virginia, but will see you at a rally soon… enough of the business – what time is the ice cream social?

Bob & Bonnie Krieger
Region Five Directors
Hampton, Virginia

January Happenings...

Greetings from Region 5 and Happy Valentines Day.    Every one better remember to get all “Sweet Hearts” something very special.  

We did make it to the “Rally in the Keys’ hosted by the Manatees and the Sea Turtles.   The good times were made even better by great weather, wonderful food, the delightful RV Resort at Sunshine Key, and the excellent co-hosts---Gary and Karen Doolittle and Ken and Nancy Magown.   For the pre Rally, North Trails invited the attendees to a Bar B Que at their new location in Dania Beach.   This was no simple burger and dog event - this meal was prepared personally by North Trails owners and staff.   It was deeeeelicious.   Thank you all!!  And thanks for what you do for the Klub.

The schedule for the Keys rally included Key West and the  trolley tour, golf,  Dry Tortugas, the Turtle hospital, and an excellent presentation by John Sammut from Newmar, and, of course, thelocation, location, location.   When ever this comes around again…..you DO NOT want to miss it.   You can race us to the registration line.  The advance work by the Manatees and Sea Turtles was appreciated!   Thanks again also to North Trails for their continued support.   Kudos to Diesel Dan from North Trails -  He had 3 units on location for the entire rally.  

As this article is being typed, we are getting ready for the Tampa RV Super show.  We are looking forward to greeting our seasoned friends and meeting new ones.   When this issue goes to press the show will be over and we are sure that we all will have had a wonderful time.  (Did it rain?  Did we over eat ?)  Now begins the winter rally and luncheon schedules…..especially in Florida.    Please check the web site and calendar of events because there are many plans for gatherings.   It is also the time to plan and schedule the rally events for springtime.   This Konnection issue and the web site will keep you informed and up to date.    Join your NKK friends for lunch this winter and make your decisions for the routes you will take next spring.   You do not want to miss any excitement.   We hope to see many in our wintertime in Florida.

And now a special message for our Alabama friends -  I’ll put the message in “football speak” since I know you Tide fans are “pre-occupied” this year.

Coaches (state directors) Tom and Marge Kunhart are wanting to retire after 9 plus years of service!  Their assistants – Howard and Gail Kohser (Chapter presidents) are also requesting “relief!

I know some may be intimidated – they are a tough act to follow!  I know there are some excellent “red shirts” in the klub that are ready to step up and get into the game.  Now is the time that your team needs you the most!  

Just think of the great times and rallies you enjoyed during their tenure!  Just step forward and give a few years of service back to your klub.  Keep the legacy going!  Coach Bear Bryant would be proud of you!  …and Barney too!

Don’t make me come down there!!! ….. (On second thought – DO!)

You can contact us at NKKRegion5@verizon.net

Bob & Bonnie Krieger (12508)

Region 5 Directors

December Happenings...

Goodness, it is hard to believe but the Holidays are here!  Must get a list of wishes made....and for all of you special Newmar friends...many wishes for wonderful Holidays and a busy, traveling Happy New Year.

To say it has been a busy year for us would be an understatement but it has also been a year of adventure and meeting so many fine folks. Will not talk about the over eating at your rallies....no way!

Speaking of rallies....October was as we thought, and we traveled from one state to another. We started the month with the Virginia Wheels in Newport News and a delightful “Weekend of Festivals” rally. It was great visiting with the founding members of the chapter and welcoming new members to the fold. Our host, Bill and Lisa Mills and Jack and Jeanette Jones did a magnificent job getting us to dinners, festivals and the art show in Williamsburg.  Do I have to say we over ate and it rained??

The next weekend was more adventure in the southwestern area of North Carolina. We gathered with the Tarheel Chapter in Franklin, NC for a state/chapter rally. Will not talk about the downhill entrance into The Great Outdoors RV Park....nope, will not talk about the ride by with brakes smoking.  It was very nice being back in an area we visited in our canoeing days.  Once again, we met with old friends and welcomed new members and two buddy rigs.  It is so good to see new members enjoy a weekend with us and sign up on the spot.  Our hosts, Gaye and Jerry Young, Chip and Sarah Wright, and Dain and Deborah Riley did a wonderful job serving us lots of German food.  Do I need to say that we over ate and it rained??

Then off we went to Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga.  We have never been to this area of Georgia and quickly discovered that we must return. There was so much that we missed because we did not have enough time. One of the visits was to the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. We happened to be at Ft. Benning on graduation day and seeing all those young men and women who defend our freedoms was awesome. We also were treated to a play at the Springer Opera House.  A very old history in that house of supporting actors and singers...including our Georgia State Directors.   Art and Margaret Angell hosted this rally and welcomed Newmar folks from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia.  Do I need to say that we over ate and it rained?

OK, now you say we must rest, but no.....now we travel to Pigeon Forge and start the Region 5 rally at River Plantation Campground . Many thanks to our new dealer, Buddy Gregg of Knoxsville, Tennessee for their support with new rigs on display, goodie bags, discount certificates for parts and repair, and sponsorship of a meal. Their representatives, CEO Fred VanDenberg, head of sales Matthew Martinez, and sales consultant Ron Barron attended our “Celebration” dinner and we welcomed their remarks to the members. We look forward to working with them in the future. 

Our International Directors, Barney and Barbara Barnett were with our Region 5 folks. We were delighted to share with them the very first preview of our video of the “People, Places and Faces” of Region 5.  Also big thanks to our friends, Larry and Patsy, Region 3 Directors, and Jim and Judy, Region 6 Directors; we do appreciate their time with us.  It was also great to have Irv and Vicky Kaufman visit with us.  Vicky brought some items from the NKK office so the mini Newmar store was very successful.   The State Directors:  Tom and Marge Kunhart, Alabama (Thank you Tom and Marge for 9 years of service); Art and Margaret Angell, Georgia, Dale and Sara Brown, Tennessee, and John and Betty Warhol, Virginia, were there in person to witness their fine friends in the video having great times at Newmar rallies.   Congrats to John and Betty Warhol who were recently appointed State Directors of Virginia.  We appreciate their stepping up for Virginia and appreciate all State Directors for their continued efforts.  To all of the Chapter Officers and rally hosts…..Thanks ….where would we be without your work for your chapters. 

 Florida had the most rigs with Virginia a very close second.   Florida has challenged all states because they plan to continue to have the winning count…for the 25th International in Goshen in August and the next Region 5.  

It was wonderful and once the rally started we did manage to relax, let it flow and have a delightful time. It was great to have 44 rigs, more old friends, more first timers and one buddy rig.  Thank you all Region 5 volunteers because we got them in, parked, registered, fed, and entertained.  Whew, we did it.....Mayberry and Barney Fife special, Appalachian storytellers, Cirque de Chine, dinner shows, Region 5 video, Dollywood, special gifts from Goshen,  and the start of the celebration for the 25th anniversary of the Newmar Kountry Klub.   Mother Nature did cooperate, and during the few days we were there, the leaves did turn to those magnificent fall colors. WOW !! That is all you can say when the sun shines on those mountains in the fall.  We were sorry to see every one leave and want to gather them all together again.  (But maybe after a few weeks rest!!)  Oh, and yes indeed we did over eat and it did rain!

Now for the new adventures to finish off 2009 and get ready to roll for the New Year. We will join many of you and spend a week in the Keys of Florida. That will be a treat for us …...just to relax and enjoy a week on “Keys time”. We understand that there is a different “time and pace” on the Keys. Our schedule also shows the Palmetto Pals gathering in Myrtle Beach December 14, Christmas luncheon in Georgia, Manatees and Pelicans and Sea Turtles rally in Florida, …..so much to do and so little time.   Hope that you are also making plans to attend the 2010 Florida RV Super Show in Tampa, January 12 – 17.   We are looking forward to a new year doing this all over again. Meeting the wonderful friends in the 8 states of Region 5.   Region 5…….a state of mind.

Looking forward to the new Konnection publications (have you renewed your subscription yet?) and hearing more about the NKK special events, 25th celebration in August and details about the quilt being made with your quilting squares.  All of the events that will lead us to the good time in Goshen for our 25th Anniversary.  Bring on that special Haystack dinner.

 Will see many of you soon.  Guess we just better head south for the winter.

You can count on it.....we will over eat and it just may rain.

Bob & Bonnie Krieger (12508)

Region 5 Directors