The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) is an international organization of families who own and enjoy the use of recreational vehicles. Since 1963, FMCA has issued more than 500,000 memberships[1] to families who look to the association as their source of information about all facets of RV ownership and travel. FMCA is a member-owned association that maintains its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and employs a full-time office staff. FMCA is governed by volunteer officers who are elected from within the ranks of the association.[1]

Formation

On July 20, 1963, 26 families met at the Good Will-Hinckley School in Hinckley, Maine, United States, to socialize and become acquainted with other "house car" owners. They decided to form a motor coach owners' common interest group. A monument to commemorate the founding was dedicated at the school on July 4, 1994.[2]

Membership

Membership in FMCA is contingent upon ownership of a self-contained RV — a recreational vehicle that contains all the conveniences of a home, including cooking, sleeping, and permanent sanitary facilities. These can be original-manufacture RVs, or conversions from other types of vehicle, of which buses are the most common.

In 2017, FMCA's members passed a historic vote. Previously, the club was open to motorhome owners only. Through the vote, the membership voted to expand the club's membership criteria.

FMCA has more than 100,000 members[3] from every state of the US as well as Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, and beyond. FMCA also has roughly 2,500 commercial members — dealers, suppliers, manufacturers, campgrounds, service facilities, and other firms servicing the RV owner or the RV industry.[2] Most members are only occasional users, while others live in their coaches full-time.

Code of Ethics

Every member of FMCA agrees to follow the Association's Code of Ethics, which requires members to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing the ownership and use of RVs. The Code of Ethics also calls for members to be "good neighbors, careful and responsible RV owners and operators, and good citizens of our communities."[4]

Purpose

The purpose of FMCA is to organize social activities, exchange RVing information, and supply benefits made possible, in part, by collective purchasing. The group publishes Family RVing, a monthly magazine. It provides news concerning RV technology, the RV industry, and the association. FMCA members can be identified by the FMCA “goose egg," or membership emblem, displayed on their RV.[1]

Chapters and conventions

FMCA encourages the development of local, regional and specialty chapters. These chapters — FMCA has approximately 500 of them[1] — organize events of particular interest to their members, including numerous rallies throughout the year. Regional rallies, composed of several chapters from a geographic area, are also held annually. Many FMCA chapters cover specific or general geographic areas. Others are dedicated to an RV brand, a hobby, or a special interest. For instance, special-interest chapters include golf, crafts, amateur radio, single RVers, and handicapped RVers.

FMCA holds two international RV conventions each year at various locations in the United States, in which manufacturers, dealers, and RV suppliers display their latest products. The events take place over a four-day period and usually attract 3,000 to 5,000 RVs.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 FMCA's Official website, "About Us" page
  2. 1 2 FMCA's Official website, Fact Sheet
  3. ↑ John F. Burns (August 14, 1988), "Call of 'Mush, You Winnebago!' Fills Yukon Air", The New York Times
  4. ↑ FMCA's Official website, Ethics page
  5. ↑ FMCA's Official website, Conventions page Archived 2012-07-12 at the Wayback Machine

Motorhome Owners Group Headed to Arizona in March 2017 Family Motor Coach Association website Family Motor Coaching magazine

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