GREETINGS FELLOW CAMPERS:

WE HAVE FINALLY COME TO THE END OF OUR CAMPING SEASON AND I AM TRULY SAD TO SEE IT END. WE HAVE HAD A GREAT YEAR FILLED WITH LOVE, JOY AND FELLOWSHIP. OUR GROWTH HAS BOTH MATURED US AND BLESSED OUR CHAPTER WITH CAMPERS WHO KNOW THE WAY TO HAPPINESS AND JUST HAVING FUN. AS WE GO INTO THE THANKSGIVING SEASON I MUST GIVE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE DEVOTED TIME AND GIVING TO MAKE OUR CHAPTER ONE OF THE BEST IN THE STATE.

OUR CAMP OUT AT SMOKY BEAR WAS OUR LAST BUT ONE OF THE BEST. WE ALL JUST WALKED AROUND FROM CAMPER TO CAMPER AND JUST ENJOYED TWO BEAUTIFUL DAYS. THE CAMPGROUND OWNER MADE OUR VISIT A MOST ENJOYABLE ONE WITH TWO DOOR PRIZES OF FREE CAMPING, A GREAT BREAKFAST ON SUNDAY MORNING AND MAKING US ALL FEEL RIGHT AT HOME. I THINK SHE TOLD US ALL THAT WE WERE TOO LAID BACK AND I THINK WE ALL TOLD HER THAT WE LIKED IT LIKE THAT.

OUR DINNER ON SATURDAY EVENING WAS KFC WITH ALL THE FIXIN'S AND I THINK WE HAD PLENTY TO GO AROUND ALONG WITH HOME MADE DESERTS. AFTERWARDS OUR ENTERTAINMENT WITH JOE ON HARP, DEBORAH ON GUITAR, JOE Jr. ON GUITAR AND MILTON PAUL THE GREAT ON MANDOLIN. BY THE WAY, MILTON WAS NOT IN THAT NEW MOTOR HOME HE PROMISED JUDY FOR THEIR SECOND HONEYMOON, WONDER WHAT HAPPENED?

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS ANNE AND DARRELL WHO PURCHASED A NEW MOTOR HOME ON SATURDAY MORNING IN MARION, NORTH CAROLINA, DROVE HOME, PACKED UP 5 DOGS AND DROVE TO SMOKY BEAR JUST TO JOIN OUR CHAPTER. NOW THAT’S DEDICATION.

WE ADDED 5 NEW MEMBERS AT SMOKY BEAR MAKING A TOTAL OF 14 RIGS. I LOVE TO SEE A GARDEN GROW.

Business:

WE ARE PLANNING FOR OUR DINNER AT THE CARTER AT MAIN RESTAURANT IN ELIZABETHTON ON DECEMBER 1st AT 5:30 PM. IF YOU WANT TO COME AND HAVE NOT YET LET US KNOW JUST DROP ME AN E-MAIL SO WE CAN PLAN ON YOU BEING THERE. THE FOOD IS GREAT, THE DRESS IS CASUAL AND YOU WILL SPEND YOUR TIME IN A FESTIVE 1800 HOME CONVERTED INTO A RESTAURANT. “DON’T MISS IT” FOR ALL THOSE THAT HAVE THEIR VESTS I AM ASKING THAT YOU WEAR THEM TO OUR DINNER TO SHOW OUR PRIDE. WE WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE TO DISCUSS OTHER THAN ENJOYING EVERYONE'S COMPANY AND HAVING SOME FUN.

THE DIRECTIONS ARE VERY EASY. THE RESTAURANT IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE CARTER COUNTY JAIL, NEXT TO THE COURT HOUSE IN DOWNTOWN ELIZABETHTON. THERE IS A TOWN SQUARE MONUMENT IN FRONT OF THE COURT HOUSE. YOU TAKE HWY. 321 TO ELIZABETHTON AND MAKE A RIGHT TOWARDS ROAN MOUNTAIN, TAKE THE FIRST RIGHT AND THE RESTAURANT IS ON THE RIGHT. YOU CAN’T MISS IT. IF YOU NEED HELP CALL MY CELL (423-502-4595) AND I WILL GUIDE YOU IN.

OUR BI-LAWS WILL BE E-MAILED TO EVERYONE JUST BEFORE JANUARY 1 ALONG WITH OUR ROSTER FOR 2008. IF OUR CAMPING SCHEDULE IS READY I WILL ALSO SEND IT OUT AS WELL.

OUR YEARLY DUES FOR NEXT YEAR ARE DUE SO PLEASE GET THEM TO ME ASAP WITH A DEADLINE DATE OF NOVEMBER 28th. THOSE NEW MEMBERS WHO JOINED HAVE ALREADY PAID THEIR DUES AND DO NOT APPLY. THE COST IS $10.00 PER RIG FOR CURRENT MEMBERS.

FOR OUR NEW MEMBERS WE WILL HAVE OMS PATCHES FOR YOU SOON. MRS. STEINHOFF IS IN THE PROCESS OF ORDERING NEW PATCHES. IN ORDER TO GET YOUR VESTS YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO THE GOOD SAM WEB SITE STORE AND ORDER THE SIZE YOU WANT IN RED. DON’T FORGET TO GET THEM A LITTLE BIG FOR ALL THE PATCHES YOU WILL BE PUTTING ON THEM.

BOB HARRISON HAS TAKEN THE POSITION OF TREASURER, THANKS BOB FOR STEPPING UP.

I HOPE YOU ARE AS EXCITED AS I AM ABOUT NEXT YEAR. I LOOK FORWARD TO A YEAR OF FUN AND FELLOWSHIP. JOE AND I WILL ATTEND A STATE MEETING IN MARCH AND I AM SURE WE WILL BRING BACK A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE COMING YEAR. DON’T FORGET TO SAVE YOUR GARAGE SALE ITEMS FOR THE SPRING SAMBOREE. I WOULD LIKE TO DOUBLE WHAT WE DID IN THE FALL AND THAT IS A REASONABLE OBJECTIVE AS THERE WILL BE TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE AT THE SPRING SAMBOREE.

WE ALSO WILL HELP THE RONALD McDonald HOUSE DURING THEIR RADIOTHON NEXT YEAR. WE PRESENTED A CHECK ALONG WITH WHAT PULL TABS WE HAD TO THE HOUSE LAST WEEK. I GOT THE HOUSE MANAGER TO TAKE ALL THE OMS OFFICERS THROUGH THE HOUSE FOR A TOUR; IT’S A TOUR YOU WON’T FORGET. IT IS PRICELESS WHAT SERVICES THEY SUPPLY TO SICK CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. PLEASE START KEEPING ALL THOSE PULL TABS YOU CAN FOR THEM. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS.

AS WE ALL PREPARE FOR THANKSGIVING, MAY WE ALL BE THANKFUL FOR THE LIVES WE HAVE AND THE FRIENDS WE LOVE. MAY GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE. REMEMBER, IT'S NOT THE MILE MARKERS WE PASS WE REMEMBER, IT’S THE FRIENDS WE MEET WE LEAVE BEHIND.