As I begin my year as President of our Association I feel I should introduce myself to you. My name is Deb Nagel, my husband Jim and I have been in the campground business since 1982. we operate Lincoln Pines Resort located in Gowen, which is about 40 miles northeast of downtown Grand Rapids. I look forward to this next year and hope that the board of directors and I will do a good job representing you and meeting the needs of this association. A couple of the issues that I and the board will be keeping a close watch on are, the service tax which currently should go into effect on December 20th and the ground water discharge permits. We know there will be other issues that will develop during the next year and please feel free to contact myself or any board members with your concerns.
Now for my little sales pitch. I encourage all campgrounds to be members of ARVC Michigan. There are several benefits to belonging to this great organization. I know the first one that comes to everyone’s mind is the little green directory, but remember there are also several discount programs that are made available to us through ARVC which can help you save dollars when purchasing equipment, insurance and even better credit card processing fees. My favorite new benefit is the “Guest Review” program. The basic level is included in your membership with ARVC. In order to participate all you will need to do is fill out an information sheet which will be available online or through the National ARVC office. Please take the time to check this new program out.
I will say this is my favorite time of the year, as I enjoy attending our State Fall Convention and the National ARVC Convention. I want to thank all of those who took time out of their busy schedules to attend the convention in Big Rapids this year. We had a great turn out. I encourage all members to attend the fall and spring conventions as this is a great time to share ideas and receive insight from your fellow campground owners and operators. Another of the benefits of being a part of the association is the vast amount of knowledge that is available to us from those who have been in the industry for several years and then the fresh input that comes from those just starting. Each time I attend a convention I leave with at least one new idea or information that will help with operating our park. Several of us from Michigan attended the National Convention in Phoenix. Those of us who particiipated in the Park Operator’s Tour saw first hand a new activity that is sweeping across the U.S., it’s called pickle ball. If your park is big into activities I recommend you check out the website for pickle ball www.usapa.org. This is an exciting new game that is fascinating to watch and play.
For most of us, our peak season has come to a close, we have said our goodbyes to our customer, we have blown out our water lines and winterized our buildings. Now the fun begins, we must find our enthusiasm for the next season. I’m not sure how or where you go to do this but we know that it is important to rejuvenate ourselves before our next season begins. I salute those of you who are still open, awaiting the arrival of eager deer hunters and campers who enjoy winter camping. Hopefully all of yo ahad a good year ans wil now find time to relac and breath.
I look forward to seeing all of you in Midland in March 2008.
Sincerely,
Deb
