Central Great Lakes Regional Rally

Rally held  Sept 2009  at South Bend East KOA Campground.

 

Upcoming Rallies:

August 27th to the 29th, 2010  Shipshewana North Campground - Shipshewana, Indiana

Central Great Lakes Fall Region Rally
 
Shipshewana, North Campground
Shipshewana, Indiana
August 27-29th, 2010
Reservations need to be made directly to the campgrounds.
Open House, Pot Luck Dinner, Yard Sale
 
All units attending are asked to bring a $5.00 Camping item to the rally in a brown paper bag as a give away.
 
If further info is needed please contact the regional directors

 

 

 

 

Fall 2009 Granger Rally, Granger Indiana

September 25, 26 and 27, 2009 was the Fall Rally for the Central Great Lakes Region. In attendance were 30 aframes plus one Tailmore. Friday night after a brief meeting and introduction the Group had their Potluck Dinner. Rain had been falling of and or that day so with cool temps and damp conditions the group had a small campfire after dinner after the evening meal attendance prizes were given out.. Saturday morning saw cloudy skies and cool temps to start the day. There was an Open House to view the campers and see all the mods. Many toured the campground and checked out the campers. Saturday evening there was the group photo shoot prior to the campers catered dinner. After the dinner there were a few more attendance prizes given out to the members. We had one couple passing through who did not belong to the Club and were very surprised to see all the aframes when they arrived. Sunday morning was the contenial breakfast and after an hour most were packing to leave on their way home and for some parts unknown.

 

We had members from Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio and Ontario, Canada.

 

 

 

Thanks to all that attended and who helped to make this our largest turnout so far. We hope to see may of you at the Spring Rally in Illinois in June.

 

 

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Central Great Lakes Spring Rally

May 1st to the 3rd, 2009 was the first ever Spring Regional outing for the Central Great Lakes Region held at the Wapakoneta Ohio KOA.  31 Aliner campers and 1 cabin camper were in attendance for the weekend.  We had campers from Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nova Scotia, Ohio and Wisconsin.  The weather was a mix of rain on Friday and cool but sunny skies and Saturday and Sunday.  The new Central Great Lakes Regional Banner was on display for the group.  The group started arriving on Wednesday and by Friday morning most had set up camp.  There were the usual mini repairs Friday and Saturday and as supper time grew near the last of the campers were arriving.  Friday evening the group had a catered dinner from the local American Legion that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.  After dinner not having to leave the camp ground everyone sat and chatted in the pavilion till the rain stopped.!   About 9:30 a bonfire was going and some of the campers spent several hours around it.  Saturday morning saw sunny skies as the Open House started the day off.  We had every size camper in the Aliner family from the Alite to the Ease  and 1 Cabin "A" in attendance to show off.  Saturday evening the group had its "pot luck" dinner and after everyone was finished, they retired to the group fire ring for a warm bonfire and fireside chats.  Also Saturday we had a guest arrive on his way home from the Aliner factory with a new camper to deliver.  It was Danny from Dannys Camper in Wisconsin. He spent the day visiting and helped out with a few tech problems owners had and checked out the DIY Mods everyone had done to there campers.  Sunday morning everyone got together one more time for coffee, donuts and sweet rolls, then said their good by's before packing up and heading home.  We would like to thank the many campers in attendan! ce for making the trip and look forward to seeing them again in the fall at Granger Indiana. 

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Rally Report: September 19 to 21, 2008 saw clear skies and warm temperatures for the Central Great Lakes Regional Rally held at the Granger Indiana KOA. This turned out to be the largest Rally yet with 32 units arriving between Monday and Friday for the rally. Rally Hosts were out going Directors Dave and Debbie Gillam. Friday afternoon was check-in and that evening all members and guests gathered for the introduction of the members attending and to introduce the new regional directors John and Jan Pfeil from Illinois. After a brief meeting, the group had dinner at a local pizza restaurant and then returned for a campfire chat. Saturday morning saw clear skies and cool morning temperatures to start the day off prior to the open house which lasted most of the day to give everyone a chance to see each others DIY's.

Saturday Evening was the potluck supper with a regional meeting afterward. When the dinner and meeting was over the Campground owners had a Ice Cream Social and then provided a movie for everyone to enjoy. Afterwords a warm campfire kept everyone comfortable while they enjoyed each others company.

Sunday morning the group met for a continental breakfast and one last chat prior to breaking camp and heading home. There were 32 aframes from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Ontario Canada. Also a Chalet from California stopped by for the evening to check out our rally.

The region voted to have two regional rallies next year with one at Granger, Indiana in the fall and a floating spring regional in stating with Ohio for 2009.

A special THANK YOU to out going Directors Dave and Debbie Gillam for there work and support of the Central Great Lakes Region for the past 3 years.

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Central Great Lakes 5th Annual Regional Rally Report

Twenty-six Aliners and their owners gathered for the Central Great Lakes Region 5th Annual Rally at the South Bend East KOA in Granger, IN. Several units arrived a few days in advance and took advantage of some of the things to see and do in the area such as the RV Museum and Studebaker Museum in Elkhart, the Notre Dame Campus and church, and Shipshewana Flea Market. The group consisted of eight units from Illinois , one from Indiana , six from Michigan , nine from Ohio ,one from Pennsylvania , and one from Wisconsin .

We gathered at the pavilion Friday evening to greet everyone and introduce new members before going as a group to the local Ryan’s Restaurant to enjoy good food and conversation. Returning to the campground after dinner, we arrived to enjoy musical entertainment in the pavilion provided by Don Theil who played a mix of music using a saxophone and digital accompaniment. Following the music, we enjoyed several group campfires. An Open House held Saturday afternoon gave Rally attendees the opportunity to take a peek at some DIY modifications. Lots of great ideas! In the evening, we gathered in the pavilion for the pot-luck dinner and enjoyed a selection of ham, chicken, and lots of delicious side dishes. Following the meal, a meeting was held to discuss several items of importance. The location for the 2008 rally was discussed and it was determined unanimously that the rally be held at the same location. The group discussed the creation of a banner with a regional logo to be displayed at the National Rally. Several ideas were presented. Joining us for the weekend was Bill Horvath, COO of Columbia Northwest, who talked about new changes with the company and to the product. Bill camped in a 2008 Sport (which will replace the Sportliner model). Following the meeting, Karl Konrad gave a PowerPoint presentation on high altitude camping. After Karl’s presentation, a large campfire was enjoyed by many behind the pavilion. Sunday morning we enjoyed a bring-your-own continental style breakfast in the pavilion and gathered for a group photo before going our separate ways.

Thanks to John, Jan and Wendy Pfeil for all their work collecting items for and assembling the goody bags distributed at registration. Thanks to all who prepared side dishes for the pot-luck and those who submitted recipes for the creation of the 2 nd Annual Central Great Lakes Region Aliner Cookbook. Dates for the 2008 Rally have been set for September 19-20-21, 2008 and will be held at the South Bend East KOA in Granger, IN.

What a great time we had among friends – old and new. Many people contributed to make this Rally a great success - thanks to each of you for your participation and your contributions!

Dave & Debbie Gillam, Regional Directors
Central Great Lakes Region - Aliner Club

 

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September 2006 Central Great Lakes Region Rally Report
September 22– 24, 2006
South Bend East KOA
Granger, Indiana
  http://www.southbendeastkoa.com/

Amidst off and on rain showers forecasted for the weekend, twenty-four Aliners (49 people) gathered together for our 4 th Annual Central Great Lakes Regional Rally at the South Bend East KOA in Granger, IN, Sept. 22-24, 2006 . We had several units that arrived a few days in advance and took advantage of some of the things to see and do in the area. Places such as the RV and Studebaker Museums in Elkhart , the Notre Dame Campus and church, and Shipshewana Flea Market were visited by some. All in all, we had 10 units from Illinois , 2 from Indiana , 5 from Michigan , 5 from Ohio , 1 from Wisconsin , and 1 from Iowa . Several new club members attended their first ever Aliner Rally!

On Friday evening we gathered at the pavilion to greet everyone and introduce new club members. We then went as a group to a local Chinese Buffet to enjoy good food and conversation among friends. Returning to the campground after dinner, we divided into three groups for “fireside chats”. The rain came and went at times but the fire felt great in the chilly damp air. Thank goodness for our awnings and Ezups as some huddled under them like packed sardines waiting for a break in the rain.

We were on our own for breakfast and lunch on Saturday. An Open House held Saturday afternoon gave Rally attendees the opportunity to take a peek at DIY projects that some have completed to make better use of what little storage space is available. Lots of great ideas! In the evening, we gathered in the pavilion for the pot-luck dinner and enjoyed a wonderful meal thanks to all who prepared some delicious dishes, and to John Pfeil and Dave Shahinian who grilled up some great brats and burgers. Following the meal, we held a drawing for door prizes. Two special prizes were awarded; one to the eldest member in attendance (Arlis Wasserbeck - 84) and the other to the members who traveled the furthest (Rick and Deb Mull from Conrad , Iowa – 410 miles). Special thanks to new club members John and Jan Pfeil for their hard work in collecting the door prizes. A short meeting was held and the group decided to gather at the KOA again next year about the same time. Dates for the 2007 Rally will be scheduled early in 2007. The 1 st Central Great Lakes Region Aliner Cookbook (prepared by Deb Gillam) was distributed in the registration packet. Special thanks was extended to members who participated in its creation by submitting recipes.

On Sunday morning the sun appeared allowing us to get a group photo with our friends and enjoy a bring-your-own continental style breakfast in the pavilion before going our separate ways.

What a great time we had among friends – old and new. Many people contributed to make this Rally a great success! Thank you to each of you.

Dave & Debbie Gillam,

Directors Central Great Lakes Region

 

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Our Third Annual Central Great Lakes Region Rally, held September 23-25, 2005 at the South Bend KOA, was just as much fun as the first two. We had a large turnout at our rally, 27 units, 52 people, including two units from Canada! Having guests from other regions certainly adds to the fun of a regional rally. Several of the people arrived a day or two early just to have extra time with other Aliner campers. It was a nice mixture of "oldtimers" and "newbies."

On Friday evening we went out to dinner at a Chinese buffet where we had our own separate room set up with tables of four to six. Back at the campground we divided into three groups for "fireside chats." Each fireside chat was hosted by one of our more experienced campers and these smaller groups gave us a chance to get to know each a little better.

Saturday, everyone was on their own until 1:00 p.m. when several of us opened our campers for viewing and shared our DIY ideas. In the evening we had a potluck dinner in the pavilion with lots of delicious food. At the meeting following the potluck, Doug and I announced that we were ready to give someone else a turn as director(s) for our region. Doug and I plan to do some extensive traveling with our Aliner starting in the spring of 2006 and will be away from our home base for six to eight weeks at a time. We asked our group if anyone was willing to volunteer to take over for us and we are happy to announce that Dave and Debbie Gillam have agreed to be our new regional directors. Dave and Debbie are a great couple and have been part of several rallies, both regional and national.

After the potluck and meeting, we had informal gatherings around several firesides. On Sunday, we gathered in the pavilion for a "bring your own" breakfast and another chance to mingle with our old and new friends. The last activity was our annual group photo. Several people took photos during the weekend and we hope they'll post them on this site.

Doug and I have enjoyed organizing these rallies and the feedback from members of our group has made us feel that our efforts have been much appreciated and recognized. Our group seems to be a particularly warm and friendly group of people who are interested in making new friends, and at the same time, strengthening old friendships through yearly "reunions." Singles, couples, all ages, all pets are welcome!

Doug and Donna Eickhoff

 

 

 

The Central Great Lakes Region Directors are John and Jan Pfeil, from Belleville, Illinois.  They have been married for 34 years, and have 5 children and 2 grandchildren. They enjoy camping, traveling across the USA, sightseeing, and canoeing.

John is retired from Chrysler and Jan is a LPN. They have hosted three "Gathering of A-Frames in Central Illinois"

Jan and John have a 2000 Aliner Expedition (their second Aliner) with many modifications and tow it with a 2000 Dodge Ram or a 2001 Dodge Dakota 4x4 Quad Cab.  

John and Jan are looking forward to meeting fellow Aliner owners  at the rallies and on the road.

 

 

 

 

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