Join Us in 2021 for the 37Th Annual National Muster in Shawnee, Oklahoma Sept 21-25Th

Published Bi-Monthly for SPECIAL MILITARY ACTIVE RECREATIONAL TRAVELERS CLUB Annual 2021

South East Regional, Dillard GA Photo Credit: Winston Posey

Join us in 2021 for the 37th Annual National Muster in Shawnee, Oklahoma Sept 21-25th

SMART is a not-for-profit 501(c)19 Veterans Organization

1 Your 2021 BOARD of DIRECTORS

SE REGION DIRECTOR SMART NATIONAL PRESIDENT Keith Hardman (Colleen) Carl Hopper (Gwen) (770) 490-6269 (775) 232-3958 [email protected] [email protected] EXCOM SC REGION DIRECTOR Bobby Duckworth (Lisa) 1st VICE PRESIDENT (501) 772-4990 Willie Pollard (Joyce) [email protected] (210) 557-1363 [email protected] SW REGION DIRECTOR EXCOM Michael Northup (Tri) 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (505) 453-5753 Gene Bennett (Sharon) [email protected] (757) 620-7044 [email protected] NC REGION DIRECTOR EXCOM Wayne Ballard (Linda) Imt PAST PRESIDENT (270) 929-2994 Paul Rider (Jean) [email protected] (903) 574-1217 [email protected] NMW REGION DIRECTOR EXCOM Ernie Owen (Linda) (712) 542-7115 EXECUTIVE MANAGER [email protected] Melissa Wade (800) 354-7681 [email protected] NE REGION DIRECTOR EXCOM Virginia (Ginny) Louis (Tom) (856) 381-3969 [email protected] SMW REGION DIRECTOR Joe Noonan (Margaret) AT Large REGION DIRECTOR (210) 313-7364 Mike Schmitz (Cheryl) [email protected] (850) 572-3370 EXCOM [email protected]

Go to our website for more info www.SmartRVing.org

2 A Message from our SMART National President: Carl V. Hopper Happy New Year to everyone. 2020 will definitely go down as one of the most chal- lenging years in recent history. The new year always brings new hopes and dreams for a bright future for family and friends. This is especially true in light of the COVID 19 Pandemic. We all yearn to get back to normal activities and to be able to travel with our SMART family. The good news is the SMART club is alive and well. We did have to cancel many events and caravans this past year but we continue to remain positive and plan for the future. The leadership continues to meet virtually to support our membership goals and future events. Our plans for 2021 include many local and regional musters plus our national muster in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The national muster staff have been working diligently to organize an event that will be truly memorable. If you have not signed up for the national muster I urge you to do so now. If you have never attended a national muster you don’t know what you are missing. We also currently have four outstanding caravans planned for this year; The Canadian Maritimes, The Washington DC Independence Day Celebration Parade, Empire Explorations, and Branson Excursion. Go to the SMART Website for more information regarding these caravans.

Recruiting new members continues to be a priority. Our leadership and the recruiting and retention staff have been working diligently on developing programs and incentives to increase our membership. However, the best recruiting tool is our individual members. Many veterans we meet in RV parks throughout the country have not heard of S.M.A.R.T. As you travel around this great country share your stories and the fun times you have as a member of S.M.A.R.T.

Gwen and I wish each of you a safe and happy new year and hope to see you at one of the many S.M.A.R.T. events scheduled for this year. Carl V. Hopper, President

A Note from your 1st VP- Willie Pollard Another year is in the past and another has welcomed us into it. It is my hope that this year 2021 brings us new adventures, new places to go and most of all good health to get there. 2020 has been devastating with COVID-19 standing in the way of the life- styles we had been most accustomed. However, with the vaccines on the horizon, we may have the opportunity to experience the comradery and travels with our Chapters and the roads we wish to explore. Recruiting was obviously slow due to the pandemic last year because less people were traveling. However, as we get back into the swing of things let us put recruiting back on our bucket list. We are not getting younger and for the survival of our Chapters we need to make ourselves a committee of one to recruit as many new members as possible. Do not forget about the young at heart because they too are traveling and looking for more adventures and we need a lifeline to keep SMART alive and well. While I am the 1st Vice President, I am also the Muster Master for the 2021 SMART National. I am hopeful that the 2021 National at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee Oklaho- ma will be a time to meet new members and see friends of SMART we neglected to see in 2020. It will be a fun filled event that will draw you from your rigs like never before. I am asking my committee members to pump up the volume in their assigned duties to make this National one all members will never forget for all the right reasons. I want to give a shout out to our two person staff, Melissa and Phyliss for all they did in keeping SMART alive during these times of the pandemic. May the dreams you have had of the places you wanted to go and most of all the grandchildren and children you have wanted to hug, soon and very soon it will all come true. “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Willie Pollard 1st VP

3 A Note from 2nd VP Gene Bennett 2020 has been a stressful year for everyone. It has been incredibly difficult for those who have lost jobs, who have gotten sick, who have lost family members, those sequestered in retirement homes unable to be visited by relatives, nurses, doctors, firemen, police, postal workers, truck drivers, and other all essential workers that have kept things going, especially when they were short-handed. This has been a year of challenges. We have had a record number of hurricanes and storms and will go down in the history books. We are not going to forget 2020 anytime soon. We have all learned to: Improvise; we remember how it was before we were unable to just go and do things we wanted to do – when we wanted to do them. We are Improvising by staying home more and practicing how to: Adapt; While spending all that time at ‘home’, we were working on those ‘honey-do’ lists, cleaning out those cabinets and closets and storage areas that we had not seen in a while. We found items we had forgotten about and suddenly remembered why we got that stuff in the first place, especially cookware. Overcome; We remembered that we really do like to cook; and not just the meat and ‘taters, boiled eggs, spaghetti, BBQ, pastas, hamburgers and hot dogs, fried chicken; but the good stuff too. Such as Eggs Bene- dict, Beef Bourguignonne, Cherries Jubilee, and Baked Alaska. The future of SMART will depend on what we actually do to Improvise, by doing the best we can with what we have and put it together with what we are given, Adapt to make SMART stronger so we can Overcome whatever we will have to face in the future. We can accomplish what all we want if we want it bad enough. SMART might be slowed down by, but will not be stopped by, the Coronavirus Pandemic. What does not stop us will only make us more determined. We have a good thing going here, and it is going to take teamwork, by all for all. Have you checked on an elderly relative or neighbor lately? Telephone checks do not violate CDC guidelines. The worst that could happen is you help someone to not be a casualty. Sometimes all it takes is a simple phone call. The greatest casualty is being forgotten. We at SMART are treating our members as FAMILY. FAMILY takes care of its own. SMART is trying to make it the goal of every member to recruit one new member. When this happens, SMART will double in size. Just think about the possibilities! We can do it! Our FAMILY just gets bigger. A new word has surfaced: ‘staycationing’. It would be best described as camping in Backyardia, Your Town, USA. A lot of us are doing just that; getting out of the house, camping in the backyard and giving yourself a chance to remember what is like to get out ‘there’, to satisfy that‘ camping itch’, also checking out the rig for leaks and little intruders. 2021 is going to have challenges of its own. CDC guidelines are going to be tough. And in some cases, the State’s safety guidelines are even tougher. When you really think about it, they are only trying to make it safer for us all. So be safe, follow the CDC guidelines and we will get through this, together. Improvise as FAMILY: Adapt as FAMILY: Overcome as a FAMILY should, to make SMART the best FAMILY Camping Club in the US and Canada. Gene-O

4 Chaplain’s Corner: Lamar Enfinger

The year 2020 has come and gone. Most of us are glad to see it go. The first couple of months were good. The Economy was good and jobs weren't sent overseas and people had jobs. Then came the pandemic. People got sick and were dying. People lost their jobs because businesses were closing. Then it was election time, with corrup- tion on both sides, left and right. At no time in History has anything like this happened. I think we are all looking for 2021 bringing in a completely New Year. Maybe the vaccine will work, that is yet to be seen. This brings to mind an event that happened in 1917 in Frederick's M. Lehman life in Pasade- na, California. His business went under. He was forced to get a job packing lemons and oranges into wooden crates. On his free time at work and after work at home he would work on a song that was in his heart. He came up with two stanzas with no problem. But he could not come up with a third stanza. Back in those days there had to be three stanzas in order to be published. He found a card in his Bible that he used as a bookmark that was exactly what he needed. He found that it had been scribed on a cell wall used to hold a mental patient. It is not known how the mental patient learned about these words, as these words were written by a Jewish Rabbi, Meir Ben Issac Nehoria in AD 1050. The title of Fredric Lehman’s song is the “The Love of God.”

The Love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell; the guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child to reconciled, and pardoned from his sin, O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure the saints' and angels' song. Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could be scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

You may ask yourself why does what happened in 2020 remain me of what happened to Fred- erick Lehman in 1917? Fredrick lost his business and a mentally ill person some 200 years before scribed the poem on his cell wall. God knowing that Lehman was going to write a song, realized that Lehman would have trouble writing a third stanza, so he chose a Rabbi to graphically paint a picture of God’s love in words. God then preserved these words and had a prisoner inscribe them on a wall. In time things seem to work together for a purpose.

Lamar Enfinger SMART National Chaplain

5 2021 NATIONAL MUSTER Attention Chapters: Oklahoma EXPO Center We are looking for good photos for the Front pages of the Bi-monthly TRAVELER Shawnee, Oklahoma and the Webpage Carousel. We are looking for photos that show camarade- Sept 21– thru 25th, 2021 rie , camping, patriotism, and Early arrival Sept 18th having a good time. Please submit to [email protected]. Tour #1 Sept 20th 8:00am Please give info who, where, when. Ok Memorial Tour Plus Look forward to seeing your photos Tour # 2 Sept 21st 8:30am Best of Ok City, & Vince Gill ‘s childhood home online and in TRAVELER. Tour # 3 Sept 23rd 8:30am Chickasaw Cultural Center Thank you to everyone who made donations to SMART 2020 because of Opening Ceremonies Sept 21st 1700 hrs you we are still able to keep Vendors/Seminars/Food/FUN/Games SMART Alive!

Closing Ceremonies Sept 25th 1830 hrs Departure on Sept 26th am SMART Finances for Jan 2021 Operating Account Balance $ 12,480.

Savings Account Balance $ 52,993.

National Board Meeting: Attendees should arrive on the 14th to prepare for the meeting on the 15th. EXCOM Meeting is scheduled for 17:00 on the 14th. 2021 SE Regional Eustis, FL April 12 -15 As you “See the Country We Defend” all SMART members and those interested in joining are invited to be part of the fun in the beautiful Harris Chain of Lakes in Central Florida with your SE Regional friends hosted by the South Florida Gold Coasters. All the features of a National, including live music, dancing, boat & seaplane tours, seminars, vendors, golf tournament, cards, other fun games, and much more. The campground Southern Palms RV Resort near the scenic and historic towns of Eustis and Mount Dora. We guarantee it will be a fun Don’t miss out on Willies’ Horse Races! event where you will see old friends and make new ones. Questions, contact Muster Master, John Steinbauer [email protected]

6 S.M.A.R.T. Vehicle Donation Program Update

Program Process Do you, your friends, or relatives have a vehicle that’s no longer needed? If so, you don’t have to deal with advertising, or selling, and receive a 100% tax deduction as a bonus! (depending on your filing status). The SMART Board of Directors approved an agreement with a national company who specializes in managing vehicle donations for veterans organizations National Charity Services, (NCS). The proceeds from donations in 2020 totaled $6765 which equates to 104 annual membership fees so this is a big win for us. The processing fee is 25% which covers the costs NCS incurs to advertise, pick up/tow the vehicles, prep for auction, and auction expenses. Just about any type of vehicle can be donated including the following: All RVs to include Fifth Wheels, Trailers, Class C’s, B’s and etc., Autos, Trucks, Boats, Motorcycles/ Motorbikes, Golf Carts, Motorized Wheelchairs, Riding Lawn Mowers, Shuttles, Snowmobiles, An- tique/Historic Vehicles, ATVs/OTVs, Bloodmobiles, Bookmobiles, Business/Marketing Vehicles, Ca- tastrophe-Response Vehicles, Classic Cars, Emergency-Response Vehicles, Farm Equipment, Mo- bile Command Centers, Mobile Medical, Mobile Offices, Mobile Command Centers, Mobile Medical, Mobile Offices, or Trolly Trams. The easiest way to donate is from the SMART website by clicking the logo which is located on the home page or through this website:

https://www.veterancardonations.org/about/nonprofits/special-military-activerecreational-travelers-club-inc/

If you have any questions, please contact Hq SMART or Past President John Steinbauer, Program Coordinator at [email protected]

SMART Survivor Assistance Program The Survivor Assistance Program (SAP) is dedicated to helping our members prepare for and during a time of need with the loss of a loved one. We are also available to provide assistance in a number of areas individuals may need as they plan for their “Golden Age” and retirement related to the military and benefits. Please direct any questions to Mike Schmitz, Program Coordinator [email protected] or John Steinbauer [email protected] You can go to the SMART website home page and access info on the following: Making_Things_Easy_For_My_Family.pdf Burial_Benefits.pdf Documents_Check-List.pdf ID_Card_Required_Identification.pdf Immediate_Guidance_Check-List.pdf

7 The National Spouse Advisory Committee Chairperson, Gwen Hopper Lap Robes and Skull Caps , School Supplies, Food Pantry… I want to wish everyone a happy new year. Hopefully this finds you all safe and healthy. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the national muster in Shawnee, Oklahoma this year. I also want to thank you in advance for continuing to work on lap robes, skull caps and quilts. As in past years we will be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to a local food bank and also school supplies to donate to a local school. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Safe travels, Gwen Hopper, Chairperson

S *M *A *R *T S * T * A * R “TI PS”

When camping, especially when staying at military campgrounds, take a few minutes and place some SMART info materials in the laundry room. That’s where many campers spend time and are looking for something to read. You can contact Hq SMART and they will provide you with copies of the current Traveler, Tri-Folds (with your member number and contact info already added), and the “We Want You” publi- cation. Or you can go to the SMART website and download Tri-Folds and print. This is also a great chapter project if members live near a military campground so they can keep the laundry room full of materials. In addition, order your SMART banner from HQ and dis- play it along with your American Flag. You will be surprised how many campers stop by to ask you about SMART.

RECRUITING RETENTION

I would like to wish y’all a Happy New Year. There is light at the door next year for SMART to grow from this Pandemic. As y’all wake up from your long winters nap get your Recruiting Kits from HQ and be ready for the Spring Musters, well at least out here in Texas is next month , to open up and we start our traveling across the U.S. attending musters and looking for that new member. Remem- ber you can work for that ‘I Got One’ pin on your way to your first STAR (SMART Tops At Recruit- ing) for recruiting five members to SMART and earn a free years dues. Welcome those new members to your chapters and show them a good time. Remember they are the future of SMART. Now some of y’all may have overslept during the winters nap, and woke up not wanting to travel. That is where your fellow members come in to rekindle that excitement of traveling with the best Veteran RV group in this nation and retaining you for another year. Yes, Retention is a big concern in SMART. Richard Palmer Recruiting & Retention Coordinator

8 Caravan Korner by Jon Katin, National Caravan Coordinator

SMART is a great organization with veterans supporting veterans. Our military comradeship is a central theme that we all enjoy. We have Local, Regional, and National Musters to get together, socialize and reminisce about our military assignments. A large part of SMART is supporting and helping veteran organizations. But, one of the best values of SMART is our caravan program. Our caravan costs remain significantly cheaper than the commercial companies. Our WMs and TGs are unpaid volunteers and seek economical venues, discounts for our veterans’ club and comps from vendors, all of which help keep our prices down. Our WMs and TGs design and plan their own caravans going to places they feel the organization will enjoy. They have a personal investment in ensuring everything goes well. Commercial organizations use canned tours with reservations made by staff personnel. When SMART is forced to cancel a caravan, we refund 100% of the fees collected, eating all losses from within our limited resources. And, when folks need to cancel because of medical reasons, family issues, or mechanical problems, once again, SMART steps up and attempts to refund as much as we can. We do not have set amounts that are retained, like the commercial companies. And, if our caravan expenses come in less than the amounts collected, we share the excess funds between participants and the club. SMART Caravans are about two-thirds the cost of a commercial caravan. Just compare the cost of a SMART caravan to Fantasy Tours or Adventure Caravans. The difference is that the wagon masters and tail gunners are volunteers. They do not get paid a salary like the commercial caravans

One of our greatest challenges to maintain SMART as a Veterans Not-For-Profit Club, however, is to have enough annual revenue to pay for our club operating expenses. Ten years ago, our dues covered 72% of the operating expenses with the remaining coming from musters, donations and advertising. In 2019, however, our dues only covered 48%. Musters, donations, and admin fees covered 15% and our caravan revenue has now picked up about 35%. Not-for-Profit clubs must have revenue streams to remain viable.

Just a reminder to all of our readers, we have four great caravans scheduled for 2021. 2021 Canadian Maritime Provinces Caravan - 62 days - $6900 2021 Washington DC Independence Day Celebration Parade – 9 days - $1100 2021 Empire Explorations - 41 days - $5900 2021 Branson, Missouri shows - 10 days - $1550

Please look at our web page: https://www.smartrving.org/Caravans/, for a full description and caravan applications. I remain optimistic with the vaccines now becoming available and with the safety precautions all of our caravan leaders encourage, we will see all 4 caravans proceed.

Jon Katin, Travel Coordinator

9 2021 Caravans

Wash D.C. Independence Day Celebration, Parade, and Caravan 1st-7th (depart on 8th) July 2021 Wagon Masters Kathy and John Steinbauer

ABAM Info Parade Info July 4th Parade History

We are excited to announce we plan to run the caravan next July with SMART entering the parade with Jim Newborn’s motor home, ABAM leading the way. SMART members will be able to participate by either walk- ing along the one mile route with a SMART banner, the American, SMART, and service flags. Others will be able to view the parade along the parade route. For those with mobility issues, Jim will have room for some in his RV and also in his Humvee which will be towed on a trailer. We will be staying at Fort Belvoir campground which will be convenient to Wash D.C. and all veterans will be able to camp on the fort with a visitor’s pass. Fort Belvoir has campers and rustic cabins to rent if you prefer to drive your car/truck or fly. Caravan activities planned include a tour of the Pentagon and White House if open to tourists, a sightseeing bus tour of Wash D.C, in addition to the parade. In addition, we will be having a group dinner at the historic Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant in Alexandria, VA. There will be numerous other “on your own sightseeing opportunities” during the week. Costs: 2 per RV: $1100 1 per RV: $825 Guests: $300 Register online via the SMART website or contact Hq at 800.354. 7681 to get on the list as we will be limited to 19 caravan RVs. This “in place” caravan and will fill up fast so don’t delay! If caravan members desire to come earlier or stay longer, sites may be available but contact John Steinbauer at [email protected] for info on arriving early or staying longer or for questions.

Come and SUPPORT S.M.A.R.T.

10 2021 BRANSON EXCURISION CARAVAN Branson 2021 Caravan Arrive September 29th and depart October 8th, 2021 Staying at the beautiful America’s Best Campground,. Our welcome dinner will be at 6:00 pm Sep- tember 29th, 2021 on site and consists of a catered Taco Bar Dinner. We have 8 shows and attractions scheduled for your enjoyment to include a ride with dinner on the Scenic Branson Railway. We will depart from a historic depot in downtown Branson and operates in the scenic Ozark mountains for an approximate 40 mile round-trip as we cross bridges and trestles while experiencing the luxury of rail travel from yesteryear. Also included we have scheduled a ride on the Branson Belle Paddle Wheel Showboat where you will be able to relax and unwind while enjoying amazing sightseeing opportunities along the sparkling Table Rock Lake. On board we will enjoy energetic entertainment that will impress and delight you and delicious meals that will make your mouth water. Additionally, we will attend a Murder Mystery Show with dinner along with other various shows and meals. This Caravan can only accommodate 24 rigs and is expected to fill up fast. Please consider sending your application to SMART headquarters as soon as possible in order to enjoy this wonderful and exciting Caravan Cost for 2p rig $1550 /1p rig $1050 /guest $550 Wagonmasters David & Jackie Weis. 912 674 9347. [email protected]

CANADIAN MARITIME PROVINCES CARAVAN 21 June to 21 August 2021 Wagon Masters: Jon and Nancy Katin, [email protected], 541-220-9375 (Jon’s Cell), 541-220-9476 (Nancy’s Cell). Cost: 2 person RV $6900, 1 person RV $5050 , Guest $2050 (plus cost of Ferries)

Deposits and Payments: $280 upon application; 50% by six months prior to start; Full payment three months prior to start. Number of Days: 62 days Caravan Limit: 20 RVs plus the Wagon Mas- ter and Assistant Wagon Master. This caravan covers approximately 3000 miles through the beautiful Canadian Maritime Provinc- es. We begin and end our journey at the Pumpkin Patch RV Park in Hermon, ME and travel through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. If you like seafood, this is the trip for you. We will be eating lobster, lobster, and more lobster. Even if you don’t like seafood this is a great trip and there are lots of other things to eat besides seafood. You will see some amazing things while traveling through the Maritimes such as 50 foot tides, re- versing falls, historic cities and sites, ice burgs, and many animals to include moose. We even had a moose come into our campsite in 2014. We will also be taking several bus tours, attending numerous events and shows, all guaranteed to entertain. We will be traveling on at least 2 ferries during our adventure (one overnight and one short day trip). The cost of the caravan will not include the ferries which are based on the size of your rig. You can go to the website www.marine-atlantic.ca to get an idea of the ferry costs. When considering this trip the cost of the ferries may appear high, but by taking the overnight ferry we save the cost of 2 to 3 nights camping, meals, fuel and wear and tear on your vehicles. We hope you consider taking this trip. We are planning a fun filled adventure with lots of activities. The Maritime Province are beautiful and the people are super. If you are considering this trip, register early. This caravan fills up fast. Don’t hesitate to call one of us if you have any questions.

Jon and Nancy Katin Wagonmasters

11 2021 NEW YORK EMPIRE EXPLORATIONS CARAVAN July 21 – August 31, 2021

Wagon Masters: Melody & Paul Thomas Tail Gunners: Johnny & Linda Leggett

2-Person RV $5,900; 1-Person RV $4,400; Guest $1,600

New York State is among the most historic states in the union. It is one of the original 13 colo- nies and saw most of the War of 1812 fought within its borders. It encompasses the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, the Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, the Thousand Islands, Hudson Valley and is the home of the oldest military academy in the United States. The Empire State is truly more than just “The City.”

Day One will see the group meet in the Finger Lakes area with visits to the Glen Curtis Museum, the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, and the Corning Glass Center. Take a hike in Watkins Glen, one of the most beautiful settings in the state, or Letchworth State Park (dubbed The Grand Can- yon of the East). Other sites to explore include the International Motor Racing Museum, the Na- tional Soaring Museum, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and dozens of prime wineries. Glen Curtis, who spent many years inventing and developing his patents, produced the first fifth wheel RV. We next move to Jamestown, the home of one of the funniest women in history - Lucille Ball. We will tour the National Comedy Center and the Lucy-Desi Museum with lunch in the Tropicana Room.

The caravan then continues on to Buffalo where the group will explore Niagara Falls, the Niaga- ra Power Plant, and Fort Niagara followed by a boat tour through the locks on the Erie Canal. Next stop will be Rochester with an opportunity to discover the photography of George Eastman, learn about the origins of Jell-O, tour the Rochester Science Center, and explore the Museum of Play. We will walk the streets of Seneca Falls on which the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmie Stewart and Donna Reed was modeled.

The caravan heads north to the Thousand Islands to explore the 1900s playground of the wealthy in towns like Alexandria Bay, Clayton, Cape Vincent, and Hammond. Nearby Sackets Har- bor and Tibbets Point Lighthouse will tell the story of the War of 1812. Lake Placid in the Adiron- dack Mountains (home of the 1931 and 1980 Winter Olympics) provides a base to explore Ausable Chasm, Mount Marcy, and Fort Ticonderoga. Saratoga Springs and Albany offer a chance to discover the Catskill Mountains and New York History.

No trip to upstate New York would be complete without a stop in Woodstock or Cooperstown (home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame). Hyde Park houses the FDR Presidential Library and palatial estate. Nearby is the newly created National Purple Heart Hall of Fame and the Walkway Over the Hudson. The caravan will end with a tour of the West Point Military Academy where so many of our military leaders trained and honed their strategic skills. If circumstances are right, we will even offer an optional tour of New York City. This promis- es to be a varied and exciting exploration of the Empire State. Come join us.

Melody & Paul Thomas Wagonmasters

12 SMART CARAVAN APPLICATION Make Checks Payable to: SMART or contact HQ SMART to pay by credit card Mail To: SMART, INC. 114 Duxbury Ave. Molino, Florida 32577 A minimum of $280.00 will be submitted with this application. $80.00 of which is a nonrefundable, non- transferable Administrative Fee (unless cancelled by SMART). The remaining $200.00 will be credited as a deposit on the cost of the caravan. 100% deposit refunds will not be made unless a replacement is found, funds for the caravan have not been expended, or the service provider returns funds expended. Trip Cancellation Insurance is at the discretion of the participant. Youmay wish to contact your regular insurance provider to ascertain if they provide this service. Please Print Clearly

Caravan Name______Start Date ______Mbr # ______Last ______First______Spouse/S.O. ______Street Address ______City ______State ______Zip code ______How do you prefer to receive correspondence? E-Mail ______USPS ______Phone (Home) ______(Cell 1)______(Cell 2) ______Email (His) ______(Hers) ______Name of Guest traveling in your rig ______

JACKET SIZE (if available): His - (S) (M) (L) (XL) (XXL) (XXXL) Hers - (S) (M) (L) (XL) (XXL) (XXXL)

Guest - (S) (M) (L) (XL) (XXL) (XXXL) (Wagon Master may provide additional size charts info later)

Is this your 1st SMART caravan? (Y) (N) Type RV: Class A/C _____5th Wheel ____ Trailer ____ # Slide Out(s) ______

Length ____ft. Coupled (with tow vehicle) ____ft. License Plate #'s: RV ______Vehicle______

Do you want 50 AMP at an extra cost (if available - NO GUARANTEE) - (Y) (N) pay at campground.

Do you or your traveling companion use any of the following, cane, walker, wheel chair (electric), scooter, C-PAP? Yes/No If YES, please indicate which one(S)______

Special Diet Needs: (His) ______(Hers) ______Do you have Senior, Annual, or Access National Park Pass (Y) (N) Do you have pets (Y) (N) How many ______Type/Breed ______

Birthday: (Month/Day only) His ______Hers______Anniversary Date: ______

ALL SMART Members & Non-SMART members must sign, in order to participate – Please Read: For services rendered to/received by those signed below, in their participation of the SMART activity named above, the undersigned hereby releases, and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless SMART Inc, all officers, directors, employees, agents and their successors and assigns from all liabilities, injuries, obligations, claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, penalties, expenses and disbursements, including reasonable attorney’s fee of any kind and nature arising out of, or in any way related to the activity listed above. SMART is NOT responsible for the actions of any participating company, or agent, with regard to their role in organizing, planning, or for any other service they may provide for the benefit of the named person or activity. All persons must be 18 years or older, and must sign the required application. Name & Signature of Guests in your Rig “REQUIRED.”

Signature:______Date:______Signature: ______Date:______

Signature: ______Date:______Signature: ______Date:______

ALL CARAVAN MEMBERS MUST HAVE A SMART NAME BADGE. Contact National HQ to order: Cost is $8.50 (this includes S & H)

13 CHAPTER AND REGION NEWS

SOUTH EAST REGION (Keith Hardman Region Director) North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida

Florida Roadrunners Chapter: With the pandemic in full swing, 2020 was a difficult year for everyone. The Florida Roadrunners had a nice muster at Walk-a-bout Campground in Woodbine, GA in January, and a St. Patty’s Day muster at Coastal Ga Re- sort in March this year. The Regional muster scheduled for April was cancelled as well as the National Muster in Shawnee, OK in September. We did have a very nice “Thanksgiving/ Christmas” muster in November at Cypress Campground in Winter Haven. We had a wonderful time with a catered turkey dinner followed by a D.J. and dancing. All in all, I think we had a good year considering the COVID-19 pandemic. To my knowledge none of the Roadrunners came down with the virus. Hopefully with the vaccine coming soon all will get back to normal again. Our upcoming musters for 2021 include: January 13-16 at Walk-a-bout Campground, March 10-13 at Jenny Ridge Campground, and May 12-15 at Southern Oaks RV Park. Everyone is invited to attend. Happy New Year to all S*M*A*R*T members and their families from the Florida Roadrun- ners. Steve Colt, [email protected]

Chattahoochee Drifter Chapter staying apart during the COVID pandemic, communi- cated via phone, email and texting. In December we gathered at Lake Park Campground in Lake Park, GA enjoyed each other’s company and wonderful meals planned by our hosts Karen & Pete Kerner. Former SMART members Daisy & Lloyd Corbett came and joined in the fun. The Corbett’s invited us out to their place for some target shooting. Congratulations to our very own Al Haynes as recruiter of the year! He is now at 106. During the muster several rigs signed up for the Branson Caravan beginning September 29- October 8, 2021 Wagon Master(s) Da- vid & Jackie Weis. Our February muster 8-13, Staying at Sugar Mill Plantation call 229-227-1451. Say you are with the Drifter Rate is $ 27.00. Karen Kerner, Chattahoochee Drifter President

South Florida Gold Coasters Our chapter is for those who like to participate in musters normally held in Southern Florida and have fun. We also love to dine at local restaurants, play outside games as well as have special fun- themed musters during Valentines and Halloween. During the musters, several activities are planned during the day, starting with meals, then games such as bean-bag baseball, ladder golf, washer toss, computer lessons, and visits with friends. We also have at least one sightseeing trip planned for the local area. Then in the evening you can always find a friendly game of cards or bingo. Our chapter continues to grow with new members from Florida and other states. Everyone enjoys being active and involved in all aspects of chapter functions. Visit this chapter as a special guest and join us if you like having fun! Our primary muster area is customarily referred to as the "Gold Coast." While not limited to this area, it is usually the region of the southeastern coast of Florida along the eastern shores to the Keys. We hold four musters in addition to the SE Region and National musters. We are proud to have been selected as an Outstanding Chapter for 2020. We have a very active Facebook Group where we share photos of our

14 musters and future events. You can access it at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/360505854055082/ Details of the exact dates of our musters can be found on the SMART Website ‘All SMART Events” or on the Gold Coasters website page www.smartrving.org/fgc or contact our Muster Master Kathy Steinbauer at [email protected] or 210.386.9024.

Florida Buccaneer Chapter will be celebrating our 31st year in 2021 and we are looking forward to a much more active and exciting year – devoid of COVID-19 issues. Even with a couple of vaccines in the wings, we are aware that some common sense restrictions such as social distancing and masks will be with us for a long time. We plan to abide by these restrictions and still enjoy our friends and our camping. A recipient of an Outstanding Chapter Award for this seventh straight year, the chapter firmly believes that the only reason to join any social organization is because you enjoy the people in that organization. For this reason, we highly encourage all who may be nearby one of our musters to come and spend time with us. To further that goal, your first year’s chapter membership is free; af- terwards, it’s only $10 per year. We also do not charge a muster fee at our mus- Gina Mason ters. Our chapter is centered around the Tampa Bay area of Florida’s west coast and we hold our musters generally in January, March, May and November. We vary our musters by looking for new venues to assist in ‘Seeing the Country We Defend’. We will be going to Lazydays RV Resort in Seffner (a suburb of Tampa) and Crystal River on Florida’s Nature Coast early in 2021. Last year we held our 2 day annual murder mystery (WW II Combat Hospital in Voltafiore Italy) at La- zydays RV Resort in Seffner. It was a huge success with prizes awarded to Joe Hug for his second win for Best Costume, and Gina Mason for Most Dramatic. Joe played (and dressed the part) of Paul Landrews substituting for one of his Joe Hug sisters and performing as the world famous Landrews Sisters, while Gina played Major ‘Hot Lips’ Houligan. This year’s theme, to be held in early January at our Lazydays muster, is ‘Murder Under the Big Top’. You can read about the results in our Buccaneer winter newsletter on the public page of our Buc website (www.smartrving.org/bucs). Normal muster activities include social hours, meals, indoor and outdoor games, hand and foot, poker, card bingo, trips to local sites and activities, golf, holey board, and others that we plan on trying out this year. While on our website, check out our muster schedule (and activities) and plan to join us. We would love to get to know you and have you meet and get to know our chapter. Contact Info: Cordell Vickers, Chapter President, [email protected]

Tri-State Travelers have a new name. We are now the Tri-State Travelers. In this year of social consciousness, it was decided to make our name more neutral. We also have a new logo to go along with the new name. This year has certainly turned out to be quite different from what we had originally planned. We were able to have two musters, one in Lake Park GA and one near Charleston SC before COVID-19 hit the country. Our musters start in January and continue every other month throughout the year. We were finally able to muster in September at Twin Oaks RV Park in Elko GA with a low country boil, good fellowship, a home cooked delicious breakfast, all the while waiting for Hurricane Sally to arrive. November brought us back to our stand- by, Twin Oaks RV Park (YES, there’s two) in Hoboken GA where we had a good turnout of 20+ rigs. We ate our own home cooked meals in a large building with huge garage doors where we could have an outside-like setting for our COVID response. We ended the year with our November muster where we welcomed four new members to our group. They fit right in as we played Mexican train dominoes, hand and foot cards and a couple of poker games. Unfortunately the weather didn’t co- operate for outdoor games. We have campgrounds lined up for 2021, and hopefully we’ll be able to gather once more with friends. Our new SE Regional Director, Keith Hardman, was awarded from 15 the STAR Chapter for recruiting 10 new members. Congratulations, Keith, on becoming a new member of the Board of Directors. We also received another Outstanding Chapter Award for the 5th year. We are very proud of that accomplishment. The Tri-State Travelers are a fun bunch and love to get together to share camping experiences and learn new things. Our area encompasses NC, SC and GA, but we welcome any SMART member to join us at our musters, make some new friends and get to know our chapter. We include social hours, indoor and outdoor games, card games, one meal out or catered in, 50/50 drawings, brown bag auctions and activities in the sur- rounding areas. We have a website (www.smartrving.org/tst ) where you can access all the information about our musters, plus register. If you have questions, please contact our president, Stuart Erdrich ([email protected]) or our web master, Lonnie Alley ([email protected]).

FLORIDA SUNSHINE CHAPTER: Most of our members are from central and north- east Florida, and we travel from central Florida to South Georgia. We hold five musters a year; February, April, June, October and December. We visit a lot of fun places at each of our musters and have done some great tours. A recent tour of the Okefonokee Wildlife Ref- uge was very interesting and informative. We had a behind the scenes tour at Stephen Foster Me- morial Park in White Springs with entertainment in the carillon and picnic in the Park. In Crystal Riv- er we got a pontoon boat to cruise around King Bay. We always need our wonderful members to host each muster. Our muster is Wednesday to Sunday, and the host will normally serve breakfast and dinner. We will go out to dinner one night, with excellent dining experiences, and we always find interesting places to visit. In the evening we get together for games and cards in the clubhouse. The host finds many points of interest and things to see at each muster. Florida Sunshine Chapter supports Wreathes Across America, Homes for Troops, and Fisher House. In December we normally participate Wreathes Across America, we have been to Bushnell and Cape Canaveral National Cemeteries. Our members are very active and generous in supporting SMART Regional and National Musters. We welcome all SMART members and have had many guests join us this year. We have been blessed with several new members joining us. We look forward to seeing this great country we defend. If you’re in the area you are welcome to visit. Safe travels, Leroy Armacost, Florida Sunshine Chapter President

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION (Bobby Duckworth Region Director) Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Panhandle, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee

Cajun’s hope every SMART member and their families had a very merry Christmas and wish all members stay healthy and safe from the virus in this new year. The Cajuns have endured 2020, just as everybody else has. With a vaccine being available for most SMART members during the second quarter of this year, hopefully our world will return to being somewhat normal, and we can return to our RVing lifestyle and musters with full attendance. To our knowledge only four Cajuns have contracted the virus. All are doing well. The Cajuns held only two musters during 2020. The first was our Valentine’s Day Muster, which had 31 rigs in attendance. This is our muster where the men take care of all the chores on Valen- tine’s Day while our ladies rest and enjoy a day of relaxation. The Cajuns signature muster the “Y’All Come” normally held the week after Easter, was cancelled because of the virus. In October we held a Halloween Muster. We had 12 rigs present to celebrate the Cajuns 25th anniversary as a chapter of S.M.A.R.T. There was a jack o’ lantern carving contest and a few of us tricked or treated each other’s rigs. A scheduled Christmas Muster was cancelled. With both the regional and the national musters having been cancelled, this was a very lean year of being with our fellow Cajuns and S.M.A.R.T. friends. Hoping 2021 will be a great year to reunite with our fellow Cajuns, the following musters have been tentatively planned. As plans are finalized the details will be posted on the Ca- jun’s webpage. Starting the year off will be another Valentine’s Day muster in New Iberia, Louisi-

16 ana. The week after Easter will be the “Y’All Come” muster at Poche’s Fish Camp & RV Park in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Hopefully, there will be a South-Central Regional Muster to attend. There is the National Muster scheduled for mid-September. In November, our Veterans Day Muster, with a day trip to the New Orleans “World War 2 Museum” is scheduled for Lakeside RV Park in Living- ston, Louisiana. We will end the year in Natchitoches, Louisiana to the see their famous Christmas lights and fireworks.

Mississippi Magnolias is an enthusiastic group of 37 members located in the southern part of the South-Central Region and we are one of the recipients of the SMART Outstanding Chapter Award in the past few years. Our location makes it more suitable for us to muster in the winter than in the summer due to the long, hot summers we experience. We usually muster about four times a year for at least four days and we always have a free muster in December ending the event with a fabulous Christmas dinner followed by a Dirty Santa game. This year we plan on conducting a Rolling Muster with stops in Alabama and Mississippi during March 2021. Info is on the chapter website and in the SMART Calendar of Events. Our musters consist mainly of the camaraderie of eating and cooking together, game playing, golf tournaments, tours and seminars. The MS Magnolias donated $867.88 to Fisher House of Biloxi in Dec 2020.. If you every find yourself in our neck of the woods in the Fall, Winter, or Spring check out the national website for a muster and come visit. We’ll be glad to have you. Contact info: Presi- dent Dennis Bowen, or Secretary Gloria Brady-Cross at [email protected]

SOUTH MID WEST REGION (Joe Noonan Region Director) Texas, Oklahoma

SMART TEXANS: Last year was the SMART TEXANS 30th Anniversary as a chapter in S.M.A.R.T. Club. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19, the TEXANS could not celebrate properly. SO, the celebration will take place at the American RV Park in Corsicana, TX. March 17-21, 2021. The TEXANS would like to invite all SMART members to attend the anniversary muster. Information for muster is on the SMART Events page on the SMART website Our chapter has 4 to 5 musters per year, which includes the SMW Regional muster and the Annual Na- tional muster. Musters are usually 3 to 5 days and are open ended so those still working can come as you can or if you are retired you can attend the entire muster. The camaraderie of members comes from great fellowship, seminars, great meals (potlucks, host prepared, catered, or eating at a local restaurant), and visiting and sightseeing in the local area of our musters. Jan Schnoor, Secretary.

Alamo Chapter had a lovely Christmas Muster in Burnet, TX at Big Chief RV Park. What a great location in the Highland Lakes region of Central Texas. Lots of small-town charm in the old town squares, with Christmas markets and festivals, light displays, and southern hospitality from local shop and restaurant owners. Note the gorgeous tree quilt in the backdrop of our Christmas photo, lovingly made by Linda Mosley. She has also completed a beautiful quilt to be raffled in Shawnee. Under the guidance of our own Willie Pollard, our committees are formed and excited to be a part of hosting a National Muster. Everyone, please take care and 17 follow all the guidelines and protocols for you and your family, so that we can look forward to being together again in this new year. Try to stay in touch with members from your Chapter. Zoom calls and Facetime get-togethers are an easy and safe way to check on one another. Even a simple phone call can go a long way in adding joy to someone’s day. Happy New Year to our Smart friends. Keep the camaraderie alive! Mary Palmer, newsletter editor

SOUTH WEST REGION (Michael Northup Region Director) Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

The South West Region is located in the states of New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. Within these states we currently have six chapters. The Battle Born chapter has its home base around Carson City, Nevada. Arizona has two chapters: The Roadrunners, which covers the southern portion of Arizona, and the Tumbleweeds in the northern part of the state. California has three chapters: The Golden Gate chapter, which calls the Bay Area home, while the SoCal and Warriors chapters are located in southern California. The Warriors chapter celebrated its 30th anniversary this year making it one of SMARTS oldest chapters. But, please remember: Just because you do not reside in one of the chapter areas does NOT mean that you cannot become a member of that chapter. We strongly recommend that you become a member of at least one and more than one if you so desire. We have many members here in the South West region who belong to multiple chapters. Also, I would like to point out that you do not have to be a member of a chapter to participate in one of their musters (rallies). All you would need to do is log on to the SMART website to see who is holding a muster near where you will be and contact them to register to join them. You would be welcomed with open arms at any muster nationwide. All chapters in the South West region are very active and hold an aver- age of four musters a year. These are great ways to get together and share camaraderie and good times. There are group meals, some provided by the muster and some potlucks, happy hours with shared snacks and occasionally group outings to local attractions or restaurants. The region also hosts a Regional muster at different locations within the South West region and is hosted by two different chapters annually. It’s normally attended by about 50 rigs. So we have a great turnout for this annual event. We usually have a great turnout for the annual SMART national muster and have had the largest number of rigs in attendance several times. These are hosted by a different region every year on a rotational basis. We have not been able to get together much since March, but things are looking up with a vaccine waiting in the wings. Once it is available and we start getting inoculated, we should be able to get back to having musters, hopefully in the late first quarter or second quarter of 2021. If you are reading this article and are not a member of SMART, I highly recommend that you consider joining. It’s a great group of people you have a lot in common with, and I am sure you will not regret your decision. All you need to do is log on to the SMART website, fill out the application and join. MICHAEL NORTHUP South West Regional Director

Arizona Tumbleweed Chapter Our members are based around Central Arizona. We often do combined musters with the Southern Arizona chapter, the Arizona Roadrun- ners. That way we get to see most of Arizona during our muster season. Our season is mid-October to mid-April as many of us are sunbirds who escape the Arizona summers as opposed to snowbirds who escape northern winters for sunny and warmer Arizona. Most of our musters are of three-to-four days in length. Generally, before COVID-19, we would share hors d’oeuvres our first night, have potluck one night, go to a local restaurant one night and have a potluck breakfast the morning of our chapter meeting. We would endeavor to find something

18 of interest in the local area to explore. Unfortunately, we had to cancel most of our outings in 2020. We hope to get back into that routine in the near future. Please keep an eye on SMART website, SMARTRVing.org, looking for the Chapter Events calendar. We would love to have you join us.

Golden Gate Chapter has members throughout Northern California, Southern Ore- gon, and Western Nevada. We have Musters the first week of every other month starting in February. Our musters start with an early day on Sunday and end on Friday. We try to use RV Parks with clubhouses so we can cook meals and socialize, play games or do crafts. Dues are $20 per year. Our special muster is Christmas at Jackson Rancheria where we exchange gifts and also col- lect gifts for the Veterans at the Yountville Veterans home. We would like to invite you to attend one of our Musters and meet our members, try us and I am sure you will like us! You can learn more by going to our home page at www.smartrving.org; click Chapter Quick Links; click SW Region, and click Golden Gate.

NORTH EAST REGION (Ginny Louis Region Director) Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont

The North East Region has 10 of the Original 13 States, with Virginia and West Virginia on the southern end and Maine on the north end. We have attractions such as Plymouth Rock, the Liberty Bell, Smithsonian, Natural Bridge, Blue Ridge Parkway, Times Square and, of course, our Nation's Capital, just to name a few. Most of our musters are held during the spring and summer months as the winters can be intense. We usually have a Regional Muster held in June and those that are able attend the National Muster in September.

NORTH CENTRAL REGION (Wayne Ballard Region Director) Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin

The North Central Region . Each Chapter hosts at least one muster and invites all the members to join them as we have many musters gaining attendance and fun. Always check the SMART Mus- ters and Events Schedule for the most current dates and points of contact. A large number of the members in the North Central Region go south for the winter and so also belong to SMART chapters in Florida and Texas. Belonging to multiple chapters is not only allowed but encouraged to enjoy seeing more of this country we defend. Hope to see you this next year.

NORTH MID WEST REGION (Ernie Owen Region Director) Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,

Our NMW Region of 7 States. NMW, has the honor of having, Minot AFB, where SMART was formed. At the present time, we have two NMW chapters in Kansas. We are active and hold musters all summer. In the winter, we will host several luncheons at local restaurants. Our two Kan- sas Chapters have started holding combined Chapter musters, summer and winter. Each Chapter donates money to local veteran organizations. We have fun getting together and always welcome newcomers to our Musters. We travel exten- sively around our Region and enjoy “SEEING THE COUNTRY WE DEFEND.” We set up membership booths at RV and Farm EXPO shows. We are always looking for ways to start a new Chapter within our NMW Region. Our goal is to form a new SMART Chapter in each of our 7 NMW States. Come and join us for a fun time, when you are in our area.

19 NORTH WEST REGION ( RD Vacant) Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

The Northwest Region encompasses the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. We span a gorgeous area of this wonderful country. Our majestic mountains, major rivers and Pu- get Sound, dense forests, vast agricultural plains, a rare temperate rain forest, rocky and sandy beaches, abundant sea life and wildlife, and provide many venues for our musters, including rolling musters.

AT-LARGE REGION (Mike Schmitz Region Director) Duffers, Nomads, Star, WIMS

The At-Large Region of SMART has no geographical boundaries and covers all of the United States. The chapters within the Region cover a wide array of interests and several members belong to more than one of the Region’s chapters. There are four chapters in the Region - STAR - members have recruited five or more members for SMART; DUFFERS - members who love a round of golf, they meet at National Muster once a year and play in the National tournament; NOMADS - who all so meet once at year at National, love to travel, in search of food and just have fun; WIMS - Women in the Military Service. Be sure to check the chapter websites for additional information.

NOMAD Chapter is one of the few S*M*A*R*T Chapters that have no geographic orienta- tion and falls under the At-Large Region. The others are WIMS, STAR, and Duffers. This Chapter was initially formed for those members that travel full-time with their RV as their primary residence, so they can affiliate with the SMART camping Club. It does not matter where you live or what you live in to join an At-Large Chapter, just as long as you want to enjoy the company of other like-minded travelers throughout the US and Canada. The major emphasis of the Nomads Chapter, as the name implies, is to wander in their RVs in search of camaraderie, food and to have fun. It is also for those who may like to wander at some time in their camping future with SMART. Our Musters are wrapped around the Annual SMART National Muster. We schedule three musters a year: one before the National, one during the week of the National Muster, and one after. This is the most opportune time to have the most Nomads gathered at the same location at the same time, to meet-and-greet the new members, celebrate with friends, enjoy communal meals, and tour local interests as a group. We are generally known for our entertaining campfires and happy hours. This year, rostered members of the Nomads are being offered a lapel pin and patch, at the 2021 SMART National Muster, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. All are welcome to join. For the rest of the year we keep in touch with our quarterly newsletter, THE SMOKE SIGNAL, cell phones, and email. All members of the Nomads are encouraged to submit articles for inclusion in the newsletter. When two or more Nomad members are in attendance at a muster, they hold a mini-muster. SMART members are always welcome at any musters.

20 W.I.M.S. – “Women In Military Service” Chapter is part of the At-Large Region which is composed of members from across the U.S. and Canada. WIMS is open to all women who have past or present military service and hold membership in S.M.A.R.T.

STAR Chapter –“Smart Tops At Recruiting” was formed in 2007 to recognize and honor those who have been successful in recruiting new members into S.M.A.R.T. The chapter holds its annual meeting and luncheon at a time designated in the National Muster Program.

SMART members are eligible for STAR Chapter membership ONLY after recruiting a minimum of 5 new members to SMART as reported by SMART HQ.

S.M.A.R.T. Social Media Platforms

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. An aggressive social media program reaches a broader spectrum of potential members and also provides a good way to keep current or prospective members informed and involved. The above logos represent our SMART social media platforms: SMART Website https://www.smartrving.org/ The SMART websites are intended for the use of our members and prospective members to share information regarding club activities and encourage new memberships The website provides a listing of scheduled events (musters), caravans, and information concerning the upcoming national muster. A map of the USA with each region highlight- ed, to include the states in each region. This area provides links to each region and chapter websites. National SMART Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/396975660679124 This Group is a place for members and those interested in joining SMART to share comments, photos, and videos of their camping adventures. It also provides info for prospective SMART members by showing them photos and posts from members having fun. It is an ideal place for SMART chapters to post muster photos and information about their chapter and see the latest Traveler and E- News. It is a closed Group which means only members can view posts. As a service to Group members, "personal" RV related "for sale" items may be posted on the wall. National SMART Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SMART-Special-Military-Active -Recreational-Travelers-Club-125400832187943 This Facebook Page purposes are similar to our Group except it is open to the public and one does not have to join to view or post. If individuals enjoy the contents they are encouraged to “Like” the Page. YouTube Recruiting Video https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=v4vfIBvhoE0&feature=youtu.be This video provides information about all the benefits of being a SMART member and should be shown to prospective members during recruiting. This video may be found on the SMART home page “More Info About SMART.” Comments, Questions, or suggestions should be sent to PP John Steinbauer [email protected] Social Media Program Coordinator.

21 CAMPGROUND DIRECTORY These campgrounds advertise with SMART please use them when possible.

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22 23 S.M.A.R.T. Inc. NON-PROFIT ORG 114 DUXBURY AVE U.S. POSTAGE Molino, Florida 32577 PAID 1-800-354-7681 Pensacola. Florida www.smartrving.org PERMIT NO. 686

Remember, do what makes you SMILE, Be with those who make you HAPPY, Laugh as much as you BREATHE, Love as long as you LIVE.

SMART TRAVELER - “Seeing the Country We Defend”

S.M.A.R.T. - SPECIAL MILITARY ACTIVE RECREATIONAL TRAVELERS CLUB EST. 1982 - INCORPORATED 1983 114 Duxbury Ave. Molino, Florida 32577 (850) 478-1986 • (800) 354-7681 JANUARY 2021 ISSUE www.SmartRVing.org