The Death of The Samboree?!

HSVBamaBob wrote:
WOW that is AMAZING - and I wonder if it is legal?

Don't know the legality, but I am tempted to get the Arkansas Parks Department involved. I'm afraid that may blow up the entire program...it is a very good program. Just a failure in the Good Sam's state leadership.

We looked at joining a local chapter and found the whole thing disorganized. Contacted 3 or 4 different chapters. One I never heard from. Another I didn't hear from for a month or so because the person getting the email was in the hopsital (come to find out, the entire chapter were older retired people), and the third we did hear back from and they sounded like they might of had some younger people in the group. But we couldn't make it to their campout (and it was a place we really didn't care to go to) and it did sound rather boring.

To be hoenst, I would rather just make some friends with local families (with kids around our kids age) and do it how we want to do it. We've met a few great people(and their families) from the forum here (wills250PSD, mockybirf, cecilT) at different campgrounds. Much rather do that and go and enjoy a beer around the campfire in the evening, than being on the same schedule all day long. People wanna do things different. And that should be ok. I shouldn't have to feel the need to go to someones campsite in the morning for coffee and donuts. Or to go out to eat at some place out in the boonies. We may not want to go out to eat. Or we may want something different.

Rough2000 wrote:
The Arkansas Samboree has gotten so bad that they have resorted trying to force people to go to the samborees. The Good Sam's state association has a contract with three of the State Parks to provide Volunteer Park Hosts. If members do not attend the Samborees for two years in a row, their volunteer privileges are taken away and they cannot Park Host at these three parks. Kind of flies in the face of Marcus Lemonis' program for more volunteering by Good Sam's members.
It's a shame when leadership decides to force people to an event instead of having a quality event where people desire to go!
Yes it looks like both the Samborees and Good Sam's are dying. Good Sam's may want to take an example from Escapees and get the GenX crowd involved.

IF this is true it is a gross violation of the kind of spirit that was intended for the whole "GOOD SAM" idea. I cant see the state of Arkansas going along with this.

Loni and Jim wrote:
Like your post about the Arkansas Samboree. We went the the one in Phoenix AZ and once was enough. We've been to two FMCA Rallies and will go back again. They are going it right.

Ditto. If any reading this happen to own a Forest River RV, I can HIGHLY recommend the Forest River Owner Group (FROG) Campouts and Rallies. FROG hosts everything from small 10 rig Campouts to the annual ginormus FROG International rally in Goshen (they cut of registration this year at 750 rigs...all of which registered within the first week of open registration!)

We do not need to be entertained.

Pogoil.

Like your post about the Arkansas Samboree. We went the the one in Phoenix AZ and once was enough. We've been to two FMCA Rallies and will go back again. They are going it right.

Rough2000 wrote:
The Arkansas Samboree has gotten so bad that they have resorted trying to force people to go to the samborees. The Good Sam's state association has a contract with three of the State Parks to provide Volunteer Park Hosts. If members do not attend the Samborees for two years in a row, their volunteer privileges are taken away and they cannot Park Host at these three parks. Kind of flies in the face of Marcus Lemonis' program for more volunteering by Good Sam's members.
It's a shame when leadership decides to force people to an event instead of having a quality event where people desire to go!
Yes it looks like both the Samborees and Good Sam's are dying. Good Sam's may want to take an example from Escapees and get the GenX crowd involved.

WOW that is AMAZING - and I wonder if it is legal?

The Arkansas Samboree has gotten so bad that they have resorted trying to force people to go to the samborees. The Good Sam's state association has a contract with three of the State Parks to provide Volunteer Park Hosts. If members do not attend the Samborees for two years in a row, their volunteer privileges are taken away and they cannot Park Host at these three parks. Kind of flies in the face of Marcus Lemonis' program for more volunteering by Good Sam's members.
It's a shame when leadership decides to force people to an event instead of having a quality event where people desire to go!
Yes it looks like both the Samborees and Good Sam's are dying. Good Sam's may want to take an example from Escapees and get the GenX crowd involved.

pnichols wrote:

Hmmmmm ... when we went RV'ing with our kids (Chinook, 24 foot Class C, chassis mount) years ago: Together our family hiked, fished from the shore or from rented row boats, explored creeks and looked for frogs and crawdads, dug for rocks, flew kites, roasted marshmellows, played board games in the evenings, etc..

Toy haulers, ATV's , riding trails, gas or electric golf carts, motorcycles, and bicycles were not required.

That's part of how things have changed. We hike, roast marshmallows, etc, but people also have ATV's and toy haulers to take them places. The two are not mutually exclusive, but there are more options today, and ATV's happen to be one of the most popular.

ramgunner wrote:
ETA - there might be some appeal to setting up a local that's based around toy haulers and ATV's and riding trails. That's where the younger people (families) are.

Hmmmmm ... when we went RV'ing with our kids (Chinook, 24 foot Class C, chassis mount) years ago: Together our family hiked, fished from the shore or from rented row boats, explored creeks and looked for frogs and crawdads, dug for rocks, flew kites, roasted marshmellows, played board games in the evenings, etc..

Toy haulers, ATV's , riding trails, gas or electric golf carts, motorcycles, and bicycles were not required.

Come to think of it, now that we're empty-nester senior citizens the two of us still do on RV trips what our family did on RV trips ... with one added activity ... we go off-pavement further than when we had kids ... looking for rocks in the desert. I sure wish there were other RV'ers - young and old - who camped and explored this way. Maybe gatherings like this could be called (?)... I can't think of an appropriate name. :h