Good Sam, Alaska Style

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September 21, 2011

Even in the far North, chapters make a difference

In August, Alaska’s Tundra Rollers chapter of the Good Sam Club circled their RVs alongside the Salcha River to celebrate the group’s 38th anniversary. Thirty-three members of the Fairbanks-based chapter and two guests gathered around the fire pit for grilled steaks and potluck side dishes. Right in the middle of the party, it started to sprinkle, but that didn’t dampen the fun.

“We just put out the awnings, crawled underneath and continued to celebrate,” says Bonnie Owen, who serves as chapter president with her husband, Randi.

Formed in 1973, the Tundra Rollers meet monthly at summer campouts where they fish, play games and tell stories around the campfire. In winter, members gather in the town of North Pole for potluck lunches, fundraising activities and more card playing.

The chapter raises money for Dogs for the Deaf and was named the state’s Top Dog for its generous 2010 donations. Members also take part in Alaska’s Adopt-a-Highway cleanup program, volunteering annually to spiff up a mile-long stretch of the Parks Highway.

Making the most of the RV lifestyle and having good times in the Great Outdoors are what Good Sam chapters are all about.

As a member of the Good Sam Club, your natural next step is to join a chapter. With more than 1,500 active chapters throughout North America, it’s easy to find a good fit, whether you’re in far-northern Alaska or southern Florida. Of course, you can always start a chapter of your own. All it takes to launch one is five or more RVs and a spirit of fun.

To get going, click on the Chapters page on the Good Sam website. From there, click on a state or province on the map or use the Find a Local Chapter drop-down menu to locate chapters near you. If you’re interested in launching a new chapter, click on the Start a New Chapter link.

Leave a Reply

5 comments

  1. Steven

    The RV season is short but the summer days (daylight) are much longer. Day naps are what you need to enjoy 20 hours of sunlight. AK has some of the cleanest air anywhere.

    Come and join any of the Good Sam clubs. The Anchorage Good Sam club has its next meeting on 11/18.

  2. Dan n Cheryl – we’re so sorry that you feel this way. The intent of Good Sam chapters is certainly not to make money – it’s simply to get fellow RVers together for a little fun. We want you to know that Good Sam doesn’t make money on chapter events. The expenses involved in these types of events go directly to your local chapter to cover the expenses of the facilities, entertainment, food, and any other fees associated with the events solely. We hope this sheds some light on Good Sam chapters, and that you’ll consider attending an event sometime in the future.

  3. Darrell – thanks for pointing that mistake out. We really appreciate our good members watching our back. We’ve updated the spelling of that river now to the Salcha River.

  4. We are a menber of Good Sam and it seems if u want 2 meet people who have RVs like use u have 2 pay YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY is that??????????????? I pay 2 park,,,I pay 4 gas and I take our dog Heyu,,,,Y do we have 2 pay 2 meet good people..no matter what it seems some1 or somebody wants u 2 pay 4 what u already do……..

  5. Darrell & Kay Rohn

    I think the river where the Alaska chapter met was the Salcha River, not the Sulcha River. We worked at Harding Lake State Park a few years ago and were a short distance from tha Salcha River.