By Ginger Slattery, Region 7 President, BRN 2041
Where did summer go? It seemed to go faster than ever! I hope you all got out camping as much as we did! We’re not done yet! This month is the Region 7 “Spring Into Fall” Rally in Spring Green, Wisconsin! Minnesota Airstream Club and the North Dakota Peace Garden Unit are both holding their Installation Rallies. It’s a busy month!
One of the best perks of being a member of ACI is all the new friends we meet! Welcome to all our new members! During the Strategic Planning Session held in May at the Mother Ship in Jackson Center, we (the IBT and EC members) discussed some ways to make “newbies” feel more welcome. One was to have a directory of all our frequently used terms and abbreviations. So here it goes!
The Unofficial “Newbie” Guide to Common Abbreviations and Terms
ACI: Airstream Club International
BRN: Big Red Number, your ID within the ACI
CBL: Constitution and Bylaws
EC: Executive Council — There are nine members elected every two years. The four International Officers are elected by the IBT from qualified members on the EC
GAM: Greet and Meet social gathering
The GAM (Get Acquainted Meeting) at this year’s International Rally saw more than 900 attendees
IBT: International Board of Trustees made up of the 12 Region Presidents
IR: International Rally
MAL: Member At Large. Members who pay dues to International but don’t belong to local club or unit
Intra-Club: Clubs within the ACI with similar interests, VAC, Future Streamers, Grapes and Grains are all Intra-Clubs. They also have CBL and officers
VAC: Vintage Airstream Club, the first of the Intra Clubs. A Vintage Airstream is at least 20 years old
WBCCI: Wally Byam Caravan Club International — the traditional name of our club which honors our founder, Wally Byam
Affiliate: One becomes an affiliate when they join another local club or unit but do not have voting rights within that club
Courtesy Parking: Parking overnight in another members’ driveway, yard or property without fee.
So, there’s a start for you! Add to this as you come across other terms and abbreviations!
See you down the road!