54suds wrote:
natcoa history test ?? does anybody know: where the baton is it ? who made it ? what was its purpose ?
To answer your question; although this might get removed.
Monkey44 created the “Baton” from an old wooden baluster post. It currently resides in Monkey44’s office, and a few years ago, permanently retired to Florida.
The Baton was born on Cape Cod, and its initial member meeting took place at Plimoth Rock, Mass. It then traveled to NH and Maine, then met up with Jerry and Paula Gale (A founding member) for the initial “Pass the Baton” event in Calais at the Canadian border, then on across the country, handed off again to Bill and Sandy Moody in Vermont. Then it passed (like a TC pony express mail) to various TC campers and joined many members for dinner over a campfire across the nation.
The webmaster for the group was kicked off RV.net and banned for too many policy violations and recruiting here – so he built the Na …. Website and cultivated camping members to join it. Together, several of us promoted it as an NPO, but unfortunately, it eventually went commercial as it is now.
The Baton always traveled d in a TC, and criss-crossed the country, hit California, then Mexico and Canada, eventually turned back across the USA again, and to Cape Cod, and eventually retired to Florida.
Monkey44 (Cape Cod) and Jerry Gale (Canada) originally brought forth the idea of an international TC camping group, and became founding members along with Jerry Galeng (Budster, Calif) Several others collaborated with the group and we developed a non-profit organization (State of Washington) under the premise that we promote “Leave No Trace” camping and international friendship between TC owners, who often camp remotely. The members have always been fun, exchanging good camping spots, etc. … but the BOD changed politically and began charging fees and advertising, and eventually turned almost completely commercial on the “Owner” end, and not an NPO supporting wilderness protection and cleanliness as was the initiation premise.
Its membership has always been a great bunch of campers. Monkey44 met and camped with many members over the years. Eventually, the leaders of the group became too political and too commercial, and the initial camping ideas and meeting new folks fell by the wayside, and it exposed itself as a commercial site instead, as you can see on the website today.
Many members continue the original concepts, but behind the scenes changed significantly and Monkey44 resigned due to the commercial activity changes. The BOD became much too tumultuous when commercialism took over and eventually some broke off and pursued other interests. It may have changed again over the years, but Monkey44 has had no contact with the administrative group for years, although some of our original member friendships remain even today.
Monkey44
Cape Cod Ma & Central Fla
Chevy 2500HD 4x4 DC-SB
2008 Lance 845
Back-country camping fanatic
