Covering the State of

July 2018

Wagon Master Mike Tucker Presidents Message July Rally Hi Everyone! Will be in Lolo, Montana at Square dance center and campground 19,20,21,22 call Shirley Kettering No President’s message this month. Gary has for reservation at406‐962‐3506 or 406 ‐855‐6527 been very busy due to the flooding of his SEE flyer information 3rd page basement. August Rally Is being planned for Ekalaka, Montana 9,10,11,12 call Hope to hear from him next month. Leola Harkins at 406‐698‐8661 more information on page 4 June Butte Rally Recap September Rally Special thank you to Dennis Ogle and Dave To be held at Helena, Montana Devil’s Elbow camp Miller for the information and pictures ground more information to come.

Rain or shine we always have a great time at our William Andrews Clark. Currently a Bed and rallies. There were 8 coaches at the rally in Butte Breakfast year round. William Andrews Clark and this past week. Butte has a lot of history so it was were the Copper Kings. Not a friendly not hard to fill in the days. association several stories of rivalries between them. We had a really knowledgeable guide for the underground city tour actually ended up being a The next tour was in a drizzle. World Museum of lot more than just a underground tour. He started Mining. Walk the streets of Hell Roaring Gulch and with a class room style introduction explaining a venture into the depths of the Orphan Girl Mine. We lot of Butte's history. Point of interest, there is kind of hustled thru the Gulch and pasted on the over 10,000 miles of tunnels under Butte. Because Orphan Girl Mine because of the weather and our of a fire a couple years ago a portion of the hosts had ordered chicken from the KOA Chicken underground tour was closed, we did get a tour of Shack. Oh yea, they had a Chicken Shack on site. It the old jail and a speaker easy that was uncovered was excellent. in 2004. Very interesting. Saturday night was the drawings. Dinner a Lydia's Friday was great. Good service ¾ Sig and Donna won FMCA road atlas good food. Don't think anyone left unhappy. Sig Linda Bales won a t- shirt and Donna had a propane fire pit that closed out a ¾ Norman Popiel won a Yeti cooler. Donated by couple evenings of storytelling. Bretz RV. ¾ The FMCA Atlas and T-shirt was from FMCA Saturday’s tour was at the Copper King Mansion. National. Prime example of what money can do. Four years ¾ Jim and Linda Bales were the winners of the to build 1884-1889 at a cost of $250,000 by attendance award. After the Sunday continental breakfast everyone jumped on the Butte Trolley Tour. The KOA Campground is next to the tourism bureau so it was easy getting tour information.

Thanks to hosts Dave and Sharon Miller and Sig and Donna Dehn. We appreciate your efforts. The Pancake breakfast was a big hit.

I know several members are going to the National rally in Gillette WY, but Carol and I will be at the rally in Lolo. See you there.

Chapter Officers: Gary Drosten, President; Al Baird, VP East; Paul Bessler, VP West; Dori Tucker, Secretary; Dennis Ogle, Treasurer; Sharon Miller, Membership; Mike Tucker, Wagon Master; Newsletter – TBA; Historian, TBA. July 19, 20, 21, 2018

BIG SKY FMCA JULY 2018 RALLY IN LOLO MONTANA

LOCATION: SQUARE DANCE CENTER & CAMPGROUND

DIRECTIONS: 9955 LOLO CREEK ROAD (HWY 12) Take Hwy 93 south from Missoula, Mt (or north from Hamilton, Mt) turn west onto Hwy 12 at Lolo. Campground is 2.7 Miles west of Lolo on Lolo creek Road (Hwy 12)

RESERVATIONS: I f you have not made your reservations yet or if you need to change or cancel Call: 406‐273‐ 0141

FEES: CAMPGROUND FEES; $35.31: RALLY FEE; $25.00 Campground fees includes Wi‐Fi, Cable TV, showers & dump stations, Walking trail, Horseshoe pits and fishing. There is a Challenging 18 hole Wiffle ball Golf Course (it’s all in the ruff), Sightseeing, hiking, and hot springs within the Bitterroot Mountains.

The Travelers’ Rest Preservations which supports Travel and Educational experiences that links the past to the future. (Includes Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery and Native American Culture & History)

HOSTS: Shirley and Will Ketterling and Sue and Rocky Healy

AGENDA

Thursday July 19: ARRIVAL DAY 4:00 p.m.— Social Hour at Host Site‐ bring your beverage & heavy” hors d’ oeuvre”

Friday July 20: 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast at host site.4:30 p.m. Social hour at host campsite 5:30 p.m. Caravan to dinner‐ Reservations for 6:p.m.

Saturday July 21: Continental breakfast at host site 4:30 p.m. Social hour at host site‐bring your beverage 5:30 p.m. Potluck Dinner‐ Bring your favorite dish to share. (MAIN COURSE, SIDE DISH OR DESSERT. )

Sunday July 22: Continental Breakfast at host site

GOOD‐BY AND SAFE TRAVELS

August Rally

Write up about Ekalaka, Big SKY FMCA Rally Thurs, August 9th thru Sunday August 12, 2018. This is a little information about Ekalaka, Carter County Montana. This County is joined on the South by Wyoming and on the East by South Dakota. The Small Town of Alzada is in the South of Carter County where highway #212 passes from Crow Agency, MT to Belle Fourche, SD. Going South into Wyoming you will travel by Devils Tower, which is a fantastic sight to tour, and on to Black Hills or Denver, CO.

The Northern part of Carter County is blessed by Custer National Forest, with many rim rocks and ponderosa pine trees including, , the and Chalk Buttes.

North of Ekalaka 10 miles, a MUST SEE is Medicine Rocks State Park. This is a collection of Sand Stone Rocks, some 75’ high and some with holes eroded completely through over time. Teddy Roosevelt carved his initials in the late 1800’s.

In Ekalaka, the Carter County Museum is also a MUST SEE. With animals from years gone by, put back together and displayed for all to see, plus a lot of history.

DAYS OF ‘85, fair days are the best! Rodeos, Stock car races, dog trial runs, street dance every night, mud volley ball, rodeos, kids mud pig races, 4‐H, art and craft displays. Plus Firemen’s BBQ (donation for meal only) on Friday evening, and a country concert at grade school gym. Saturday evening, after the rodeo, an outdoor gospel concert is featured at the Baptist church. On Sunday 9:a.m. a community Worship service will be held in the rodeo Grandstand, and at 11 a m the annual parade down main street, with an afternoon rodeo to wind up the fair days.

Pick and choose what you’d like to do we will look forward to enjoying the week‐end with you all. Then if you still want to do something, Medora, ND musical is an afternoon drive away. A more detailed schedule WILL be sent later.

The economy in Southeastern Montana is almost entirely agriculture with predominantly farming and cattle. Some of the major cattle drives ended in this area with some of the large cattle barons establishing headquarters in Carter County. These include The Diamond A, on Powder River, the Mill Iron, on Box Elder, the Continental Cattle Company just East of Ekalaka, and the Hash Knife in the Belle Tower area. We will be staging our rally at the Camp Need more, headquarters located in the Pines just 4 miles Southeast of Ekalaka on highway #223. This Camp is a well‐kept old CCC camp you will enjoy the quietness in the trees.

There are 10 electrical hookups available, and plenty of room to dry camp, so let us know immediately if you would like a hookup. There are also cabins, showers, a kitchen/dining room with a handicap restroom if needed. So if it rains, we have inside building available. $10.pernight per hook up; $8 per day, per person; check in after lunch on Thursday, check out Sunday. Because activities don’t end until later in the day, we don’t need to be off the camp until later in the afternoon. Rally fee will be determined on how many people sign up for this Rally. Look forward to seeing you all in August. Please call if have any questions, more info next newsletter.

Corky and Leola Harkins ‐‐ 406‐698‐8661 – Shirley and Will Kitterling – Ron and Diann Hanson Big Sky FMCA PO Box 4517 Helena, MT 59601

BIG SKY FMCA MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name ______

Address ______City ______State ______Zip ______

Phone ______Cell # (Optional) ______

E‐Mail(s) ______

Annual dues $15.00 plus one time new member sign up fee of $5.00. Badges (not required) $12/pair (pin); $15/pair (magnetic) (Circle one) Make checks out to Big Sky FMCA. Multi‐year memberships available. Circle: 1yr 2 yr 3 yr Total amount enclosed ______

Mail to Sharon Miller, Membership, 104 Coral Drive, Belgrade, MT 59714