Cardinal Winnies Chapter

Geographically our membership comes from the area roughly encompassed by Winchester, south to Harrisonburg, east to Fredericksburg and north to Arlington. In addition, we currently have members from Maryland and North Carolina.

Our club has a meeting in association with a campout or gathering (winter months) each month of the year (except July, when members attend GNR (Grand National Rally” in Iowa). Our normal count at a campout is somewhere around 8-10 coaches.


Contact Cardinals

President Betsy Mayr
703-624-3924
emayr5943@aol.com

Vice-president Joe McBride
540-308-3442
jgmcbride@verizon.net

Secretary: Nancy Fleetwood
703-307-6652
nfleet1811@aol.com

Treasurer: Bill Lord
703-309-6976
billkathylord@comcast.net

Updated 2019 Camping Calendar for the Cardinals

Sunday February 17 – 2:00pm – ElCharro Restaurant, 4611 Southpoint Parkway, Fredericsburg, VA (McBride)

Friday March 15 – Joint Campout w/ Tidewater Tascas at Americamps, 11322 Airpark Road, Ashland, VA

Friday May 3 – Misty Mountain Campground, Greenwood, VA (Fleetwood)

Friday May 17 – State Meeting – Holiday-Trav-L-Park, Virginia Beach, VA

Friday June 6 – Pennsylvania State Rally, Centre Hall, PA

Friday July 19 – Greenville Farm, Haymarket, VA – Lachance

Friday August 16 – State Meeting

Friday September 20 – State Rally – Holiday Trav-L-Park, Virginia Beach, VA

December 2019 – Christmas Party

December Christmas Party

In December we have a Christmas party at Reines RV, our sponsor, where they have an upstairs room suited for our group size. The party is usually held the first Sunday of December. To be a member of the “Cardinals” you must also be a member of WIT (Winnebago International Travelers). Registration to join the club is $30 for the first year and $20 thereafter per year. The club is solvent.

Upcoming Events & News and Information

After returning from GNR the Virginia chapters were busy getting ready for our state rally held in Lanexa, Va at Rock-a-hock campground, September 15th and 16th with 71 coaches in attendance from 6 or 7 different states.  The theme of the rally was “Jamming at the Dam” as the campground is located on the Chickahominy River.  The weather cooperated, the food was excellent, entertainment was very good and the Cardinals manned the games and “friendship walk’.  Our friends from Blue Ridge Winnies helped out with the “friendship walk” as we were short workers.  Two games of “bean bag” baseball were played, with the Blue Ridge Winnies winning by last game by default.  There were vendors, seminars and exhibits plus a Chinese auction.  Next year’s rally will be held at the Meadow Event Center in Doswell, VA on Sept 14th – 16th and our chapter will be the hosts.  The center is the birthplace of Secretariat.

On Monday, September 25th six of our coaches were on Assateague Island National Seashore for four days of fun and horse watching, including the antics of a month old mare who didn’t stray far from mama.  A couple days were windy due to the two hurricanes off the coast, but it didn’t stop the “happy hours” complete with margaritas.  We did have a pot luck one night, went out for pizza one night and then went to Waterman’s for dinner one night.  Nancy Rocheleau taught us how to make a crystal sphere with 30 tiny Swarovski crystal beads that you wear on a chain.  In attendance were Braiden, Fleetwood, Heiler, Lachance, McBride and Rocheleau.  The reservations for Assateague need to be made six months ahead as the sites fill up fast and we make plans to go every year about the same time.

A few months ago we had been invited by the Blue Ridge Winnies to their October campout, which is “stew pot” weekend which was held this past weekend.  Four coaches from our chapter were there, Aitkens, Lachance, McBride and Rocheleau.  The campout was held at Shenandoah Acres in Stuart’s Draft VA.  We enjoyed gorgeous fall weather all weekend.  For those who arrived early on Thursday, we went out to the Tailgate Grill in Waynesboro where they are famous for their hamburgers.  We were told ahead of time to only order one order of fries for the “table”, but we didn’t listen and the fries were brought in heaping baskets.  On Friday evening we ate Italian at Scottos in Stuarts Draft.  Some went sightseeing, antiquing, geocaching or just plain relaxed by the fire.  Several games of “nickels” were played during the weekend.

Saturday morning a huge breakfast was served with eggs, bacon, sausage and sausage gravy with biscuits along with juice and assorted breads.  Delicious!!  After breakfast the ladies peeled, cubed and chopped the veggies to go into the stew pot and the stew was started and cooked all day, being tended by the men.  Needless to say by dinnertime we were all anxiously looking forward to dinner.  Plenty of breads, biscuits and desserts were available.  Another rowdy game of nickels was played after dinner.  Nearby a campfire burned with folks who weren’t playing nickels sat.

Sunday morning the coffee was brewing and we enjoyed donuts, biscuits, breads and juice.