Hosting an RV rally is quite a job, and even though we’ve been at this long time, every rally presents its own unique challenges, even if it’s in a venue we know well like the Yuma Fairgrounds.
A lot of the rally chores we have to do have become routine; setting up the seminar schedule, logging in all the registrations, arranging for morning coffee and donuts, putting things in place for the pizza party, and on and on. But there are always new challenges popping up and last-minute changes to make.
Terry is incredibly organized, and between her and Barbara Westerfield, all the paperwork, nametags, volunteer sign-up sheets and such always get handled. There’s no way we could run a rally without all of our volunteers. Greg White does a fine job of calling on the local business community getting door prizes, and all of our seminar presenters seem to be able to handle their duties with little input from us. The parking crew does a fantastic job of getting everybody onto the fairgrounds and parked as efficiently as possible.
The one job that seems to present the greatest challenge for me is the seminar schedule. No matter how carefully I plan, there are always unexpected changes. Yesterday alone I had some last minute cancellations by people who were going to moderate discussions on seminar topics including RVing Grandparents, Solo RVing, Fifth Wheel Trailers, and Volunteering. If you would like to moderate for any of these seminars, please e-mail me at editor@GypsyJournal.net. You don’t have to present an entire seminar, just have some experience in the topic and get the ball rolling, and things seem to flow along pretty smoothly.
If you have any interest in books and publishing you are really going to enjoy this rally. I will be doing a couple of seminars on topics that include The E-Book Revolution, which will cover things like different types of e-book readers, free and low-cost e-books, and how e-books are changing the reading world. I’ll also be doing a seminar titled Birth of A Bestseller, which describes how the Big Lake mystery series came into being and my experiences with e-book publishing.
Another RVing author, Judy Howard, will present a seminar titled Have You Ever Thought About Writing A Book? Judy is the author of Coast to Coast With A Cat and A Ghost, which chronicles her RV travels after the death of her husband.
We will also have another well-known RV author here with us, Jaimie Hall Bruzenak, who co-wrote Retire to an RV, The Woman’s Guide to Solo RVing, as well as other RV books, popular RV blogs and websites that include RV Home Yet? and RV Lifestyle Experts, to name just a few of the many things Jaimie is involved in. She will be doing seminars on Women and the RV lifestyle, and Working on the Road. I am always excited to have Jaimie join us, she is one of my heroes when it comes to RVing writers.
A while back yet another RVing author, D. G. Smeall, sent me a copy of her poetry book, Com Pen di um. I’ve been so busy I didn’t really have much time to look it over until recently, and while I don’t read a lot of poetry, I’m impressed. The author writes about everything from childhood memories of sleepover camps to baby showers, childhood taunts and baby talk, to physical maladies that include sudden hearing loss and fibromyalgia. Com Pen di um is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Check it out.
Between rally preparations, getting the new issue mailed out, blogging, and everything else we do, we always seem to find time for visits with our friends. Yesterday morning Ed and Stevie Hackenbruch came by to drop off some door prizes for the rally and chat for a little bit. We always enjoy seeing Ed and Stevie, whom we first met when we had our MCI bus. They live in a bus conversion and spend their winters here in the Foothills area of Yuma. Having a chance to visit with them, even if it’s only for a short time, is always a highlight of coming to town. There a lot of other people we know we will be seeing while we are here, and we’re looking forward to it.
Thought For The Day – Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
We are headed to a workkamping job and will not be able to attend the rally. Would you consider taping your seminar on the birth of the Big Lake series. I would love to hear what you have to say about publishing ebooks.
I met Judy last night on Twitter – way to go Judy!
If you need anymore door prizes Nick, I would love to give away ten of my books – either e-reader version or paperback. I can “gift” the e-readers with an email address or send the paperbacks with a mailing address. Let me know if it is not too late to do that and if it is something you would like.
I wish I was there.
We will be unable to attend the rally due to the fact that we are headed for a work camping job in Utah. Is there any way that the session on e-book publishing can be recorded? If so I would gladly pay to hear the session. Just a thought.
Would it be possible to set your seminars up as video conferences or something like that? It would be nice for those who can’t attend Rally and you could charge a fee for those that use the service (another revenue producer). I’m sure your friend Greg White could devise something.
“I am always excited to have Jaimie join us, she is one of my heroes when it comes to RVing writers.”
I completely agree. I have read nearly all her RV-related books, and even contributed to Retire to an RV. It was an honor to be a part of something by someone I respect so much.
Have a great rally! I look forward to following the events (especially the Cactus Queen contest ;-D) through your blog.
We really don’t have a way to set things up to record or video seminars on such short motice. Maybe we can do that in the future.
I wish we could be there! There’s so many good seminars to attend. Next year I want to donate one of my new “gypsy” theme dolls that I will be starting this year to celebrate our decision to start a new lifestyle.