 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
2011 Chapter 400 - Christmas Rally Diary
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday (Dec 23rd) - Our Chapter 400 Christmas Rally of 2011 at Little Willies RV Resort in Arcadia, FL, began this afternoon with the 4 o’clock social led by our hosts, Judy & Ernie Finch, as co-hosts, Renae & Mitch Butler, were unable to attend. In the meantime, Flower & Glenn MacMillen are filling in for them. We proceeded with introductions of our group of attendees including a few words about themselves. They included Ernie & Judy Finch, Glenn & Flower MacMillen, Bill & Peg Jones, John & Darla Miller, Carl & Val Farley, Clara Komoroski, Jim & Giinny Hoffman, Buddy & Shirley Barbe, John & Julie Beal, Bob & Lou Ellen Peterson, David Delameter & Joanne White, and Richard & Fran Chasse’. Judy led a discussion regarding upcoming activities for the week ahead. Soon after, we were treated to a tasty meal of homemade soup, salad, rolls and gingerbread, provided by our hosts. Following dessert and coffee, some lingered for chit chat while a table of our faithful card game fans finished the evening with a few rounds of Wizard. TOP
Saturday (Dec 24th) - Our second day of the rally, held on the day before Christmas, began with a breakfast of hot cereal and all the fixings, muffins, juice and coffee, put on by our rally hosts. Soon thereafter, Flower MacMillen spoke to all of us about our expectations in the future, topics that focused on the importance of keeping up-to-date medical information close at hand and on personal experiences relating to death and decisions of burial versus cremation. Following her talk, she fielded questions and comments from the audience. This afternoon, Flower led a craft class for the ladies, making little angels out of beads that looked like pearls. Our 4 o’clock social was of heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by all of us. We concluded our Christmas Eve in the Clubhouse listening to a poem read by Clara Komorowski and a little later, one read by Ernie Finch. Our entertainment for the night ended with a few Christmas carols with Judy Finch leading us. Most of the group then returned to their coaches, while some stayed behind to play cards. Various ones among us finished the evening by attending Christmas Eve church services in Arcadia. TOP
Sunday (Dec 25th) - For our Christmas dinner early Sunday afternoon, we had each been asked to provide a generous dish to pass. The park owner graciously provided enough ham to serve everyone there, including the park residents, at no cost. An hour before the dinner, Judy Finch had spread the word for all of us to gather in our Clubhouse room for a group picture. We were all in place and posed to have our picture taken, but the tripod camera was being stubborn. After some adjustments by Ernie and others, it still wouldn’t cooperate. Finally, Judy got up from her chair, went over and flicked a switch on the camera, rushed back to her seat, and presto . . . that did the trick! Later, we’d all assembled with everyone in the main Clubhouse Room for our delicious feast. At 4 o’clock, we had our social time, seated in a large circle, which began with a one-pound wrapped gift exchange. Before opening each gift we’d chosen from the table when Judy called each name, she had us all participate in The Story of Mr. & Mrs. Right & Family. It was a poem that had us listening for the words, “left” and “right”, at which time everyone was to pass the gift they had to the person to their left or right. By the story’s end, each gift we’d first chosen had progressed to someone across the circle. It was a fun-filled event that had many of us laughing. As Lynn & Becky Lunde had arrived in time for our group picture and the festivities afterward, they gave us a short talk on the Spring Rally they will be hosting in early April in Williston, FL. After that, we were asked if we’d like to watch a replay of the Christmas skit some of us participated in when our chapter was here three years ago that the MacMillens and others came up with, entitled The Real Meaning of Christmas. Working with make-shift props and a little different take on the first Christmas with Carl Farley dressed up as Gabriel the angel, it turned out quite comical. Many among our group had missed it three years ago, but it didn’t fail to bring laughter from almost all of us. Several lingered afterward, snacking a little on Christmas treats we’d brought for our 4 o’clock. A table full of card players rounded out the evening with most everyone calling it a day an hour early. TOP
Tuesday (Dec 27th) - On Tuesday, December 27th, we started out with this morning’s very nice potluck breakfast! Everyone brought something to put on the serving table: Breakfast casseroles, different kinds of fruit, cinnamon bread, muffins, to name a few.
After breakfast, the group listened as Glenn MacMillen sought different ideas from us as to the direction our Chapter is or should be going in the future. Glenn wanted to get everyone thinking about different strategies we might employ in an effort to gain more members and more participation in our Chapter. Carl Farley rose to speak, emphasizing the importance of having personal contact with members who haven’t been very active in the Chapter. The group had a lot of input to share; in fact, the discussion could have gone on for several more hours, had it not been approaching lunch time. The final decision agreed upon by Glenn was to do a synopsis, using everyone’s input today, and to pass that information on to officers in our Chapter with the hope that other people email him with any other ideas they may have.
Around 1pm today, the group putting on a skit for us Wednesday evening held a rehearsal in our clubhouse room. As usual, we gathered again for our 4 o’clock, sharing a few snacks and conversation. A little later, we said our farewells to the MacMillens, as they left the rally early to meet with family members arriving for a visit. Many departed for dinner tonight at Slim’s Restaurant in Arcadia; later, eight faithful Wizard players gathered together for a couple of games before calling it a night. TOP
Wednesday (Dec 28th) - Nearing the end of our Christmas Rally and a New Year just ahead, Wednesday was primarily a free day. Nothing had been scheduled on our agenda of activities until our customary 4 o’clock social, followed by a delicious potluck supper. It’s easy to tell we have many good cooks in our Chapter when it comes to our potlucks. Charlie and Carol Wahler of Sebring, good friends of the Millers and familiar to many of us as fellow Chapter 400s, arrived for a brief visit and shared our social time and potluck with us. At 7:30, it was time for our entertainment. Judy Finch stepped up to the mike to welcome everyone, including a number of residents of the park who were in the audience. It was a hilarious skit, with Joanne White, Judy Finch, Shirley Barbe, Carl Farley, Dave Delamater, Fran Chasse’, Buddy Barbe, Val Farley and Richard Chasse’ participating. Each, in turn, appeared “onstage”, wearing various attire, announcing, “If I was a retiree, I would rather be . . . . .” and went on to do a little song and dance routine imitating what they’d rather be. After each took their turn, they joined their predecessors and in unison, went through their routines, side by side, many times interacting with the people next to them. At the very end, out came Carl Farley from a doorway to the rear of the audience, dressed as Gabriel, the angel, reminiscent of the popular skit he appeared in at our Christmas Rally here three years ago. The skit players drew plenty of laughter from their captive audience throughout the performance. Our emcee, Judy, returned to the microphone one last time to thank everyone for coming, after which we all returned to our coaches for the night. TOP
Thursday (Dec 29th) - The last day of the 2011 Christmas Rally at Little Willies was another bright and sunny one, ideal for those of us choosing to go visit the Lipizzaner Stallions Training Center and / or the local bus rally.
Later on, we gathered for our daily 4 o’clock social in the clubhouse. Gary and Judy Culp, fellow 400s of Punta Gorda, stopped by for a brief hello with their new little doggie, Rusty. Before long, another familiar couple, former Chapter president Bob Smith and his wife, Marie, stopped in for a short visit, along with their good friends, Henry and Ann. Bill Jones and Buddy Barbe arrived about then from their pizza run to fetch us all our dinner, along with a delicious tossed salad prepared by our rally hosts. Our meal was not finished, however, as ice cream sundaes were also on the menu and the sign-up crew of ice cream servers promptly rose to serve.
Following our pizza and sundaes, Judy summoned our attention to thank everyone for coming to the rally and to announce the rally “officially closed”. As many of us prepared to leave, a pleasant hubbub of voices could be heard in our room, amid hugs of goodbyes. Soon, a number of Wizard players had gathered for one last game of the evening before retiring for the night. The next morning, our Chapter campground area was empty and all our rally attendees were back on the road again, many going their separate ways to find new adventures until we meet again.
This concludes the daily account of the 2011 Chapter 400 Christmas Rally as reported by Peg Jones. TOP