Here’s a glimpse into the office. We’ll keep January on the top, adding each month below it.
JANUARY
Continued activating 2022 membership benefits.
Officially welcomed Dan Reece, owner of Sunset Meadows RV Park in Peck, as our newest member!
Continued preparations of year-end bookkeeping and tax filing, and launched the new year’s processes.
Launched the 2022 Business-to-Consumer marketing of KSRVParks.com by updating the the member listings and lining up our posts about our members on at least Facebook, Instragram, and Pinterest.
Kansas Day is the birthday of Kansas: January 29. The Tourism Office created a toolkit you can use to create marketing content for your social media posts: https://tothestarsks.com/.
Kansas Tourism and KPOA hope you will use the toolkit and participate on 1/29:
- Make some social media posts on 1/29 using the same toolkit (instructions are in their toolkit)
- Print a few signs and post them around your park (e.g., office door, laundry room, restrooms) starting on around 1/22 (these can be found at nearly the bottom of the toolkit link)
- Make some social media posts on 1/29 using the same toolkit
- Share the Tourism Office’s video post they’ll be making around 7:30 a.m. CT on 1/29.
TODAY, PLEASE: Send us your images that play into these phrases (feel free to email them, or text them if you have them on your phone). If we use your image, we’ll gladly mention your park:
- To the RVers
- To the RV parks
- To the campers
- To the traveling RVers
- To the sunflowers (if you have pics of fields near your park)
- To the sunsets (if you have a sunset pic taken at your park)
- To the amber waves of grain (if you have pics of fields near your park)
- To the byways (if your park is on or near a KS byway)
Well bummer. No members took us up on this opportunity.
Instead, we created two posts on Instagram, two on Facebook and two on Pinterest similar to these two examples. These images came from our photo library.
Also in January, the Board of Directors held their business meeting.
Membership was given an online 1-question survey which outlined three possible meeting locations and Zoom for our annual gathering. Members were asked to select all options they’d be willing to do. The results revealed little interest in gathering in person, so the Board did not feel comfortable spending the resources to create an in-person event, much as they would have enjoyed seeing the members in person. The meeting will be held via Zoom, on 2/22 (see it on our Upcoming Events page).
Kelly McKenzie, of Walt’s Four Seasons Campground & Country Store in Abilene, has been appointed by the Board of Directors to be our TIAK Delegate (Travel Industry Association of Kansas, on which we have an ex officio seat on their Board). Thank you, Kelly! It will be a pleasure to introduce you to their members.
FEBRUARY
Continuing with the marketing, and monitoring the legislative affairs in Topeka.
Taxes were processed.
Hosted an online networking and information exchange session between ARVC and members.
Held a Board meeting and hosted our annual business meeting.
Held our annual business meeting.
MARCH & APRIL
Our NW Kansas Travel Council delegate, Karen Weber (Mid-America Camp Inn in Goodland), filled our spot for helping with the trade shows. Here she is in Colorado.
Continued with the online marketing of our member parks and the distribution of our Kansas RV & Camping Guide.
Welcomed two parks into membership, both owed by Chris & Jamie Rademacher, their new owners:
- Flagstop RV Park (Milford)
- Thunderbird Marina & RV Park (Junction City)
Wrapped up on our online sessions for this off-season.
Encouraged members to step up to be on the Board of Directors.
Uploaded the recordings of this year’s online sessions, and emailed the links to our members. Click here to see our benefits presentation.
MAY & JUNE
In mid-May I was chosen to represent the state associations during RVs Move America (scheduled meetings with legislators in Washington DC).
The entire group of RV-industry people was divided into many sub-groups. My group started as a large one of mostly ARVC staff, but quickly dissolved down to just me and an RVIA lobbyist. By spreading out we could cover more ground.
RVIA had several topics we were to discuss, and ARVC had two topics.
Here’s part of my report to ARVC and the other state executives, followed by some pics I snapped along the way (not all made it to our member’s only Facebook group during the trip).
It was a pleasure and an honor to be chosen to be a part of the Advocacy trip to Washington DC. Thank you, ARVC, for allowing a state exec to participate, and thank you, CAMP, for choosing me.
My last experience representing the industry in Washington DC happened under Linda Profaizer. Being under the RVIA umbrella made it very different. Still, my meetings seemed to go very well.
The first meeting was with a legislative assistant to Rep. Jason Crow (CO), in which Paul (Bambei, ARVC CEO) handled the content.
With Rep. Dusty Johnson’s (SD) legislative director, I presented my views of the issues. Susan (Motley, ARVC) and the RVIA guide contributed as well. I feel the meeting went well.
On to the Senate side, the group was down to the RVIA lobbyist/guide and myself. We met with staff of Senator Rounds (Pierre SD) and then staff of Senator Thune (SD).
Each time, I addressed the RVIA issues, with the RVIA lobbyist (guide) filling in some of the details, and I spoke on both ARVC issues:
- ADA compliant website guidelines being needed and the 90-day window being needed,
- plus the need for assistance for EV charging stations.
I had also called a special meeting with … Senator Moran (KS). Since RVIA had earlier visited with his staff … I focused on our former days and told him I had two campground concerns. … I later bumped into Sen. Moran at the very end of the day, as the ARVC group was heading out to dinner.
For each meeting, I would say the ADA compliant website issue drew the most “ah ha!”. While the EV issue perhaps provided a perspective they hadn’t yet considered, the ADA website issue was mostly completely new news to them.
My sixth and last meeting included many more people from our RVIA / ARVC group. It was with Sen. Bennet (CO), and RVIA and ARVC did the talking for the group.
My report would be incomplete without mentioning the RVIA connections. I wanted to make sure I mingled with some of them, even though that meant I wasn’t always at the ARVC table. Paths had previously crossed with a few of them, and now more paths have intersected.
As for the DC trip, that ends my report (oh, did I omit the “interesting” hotel room and the 18-hour delayed luggage?). Well, I’ve learned that every trip has its interesting situations!
Again, I’m grateful for having been chosen for the trip. Thank you!
Respectfully, Mary
Actually, Rep. Johnson had just had his primary election the day before, back in SD. I expected to be in his home state for that event.
JULY
This month was like playing the old game of pick up sticks as I tied up loose ends that were created from an insane 6-month marathon of life! As of 7/27, I can attest that I still have loose ends to tie up, albeit a few trillion less than on 7/1. It focused mostly on administrative things: bookkeeping, documenting for upcoming meetings, and strategizing. But it also involved one major detail in the life of KPOA itself: ascertaining the ramifications and direction we’re to take with our failed election back in February!
July is always when we finalize what the next year is going to look like, benefit-wise. In mid-July, we launch our industry supplier membership drive, so that’s now underway. There’s also a lot of prep work for the launching of our 2023 outdoor hospitality (the parks) membership drive in early August.
Election
The members who had volunteered to serve and the existing (continuing) Board of Directors met and agreed upon a strategy, and then the members were asked to vote on a slate to elect all of those who volunteered to lead us forward: 14 of our 21 members responded before the stated deadline; 100% voted to approve the slate.
The newly elected Board of Directors then held their first Board Meeting. Among other business that needed their attention, they elected their officers. The results are displayed on the HOME page of this website.
- President Richard Lord (Rutlader Outpost RV Park, in Louisburg)
- Vice President Ralph Newell (Kansas City West / Lawrence KOA, in Lawrence)
- Treasurer Karen Weber (Mid-America Camp Inn, in Goodland)
- Secretary Kelly McKenzie (Walt’s Four Seasons Campground & Country Store in Abilene)
- Director Dave Sachleben (Wilson RV Park, in Wilson)
- Director Jeanne Squier (Beaumont Hotel & RV Park, in Beaumont)
- Executive Director Mary Arlington
We will miss having Terri Schwerdt (KOA of Salina in Salina) on our Board but we understand her need to focus on some other projects at this time. Terri, thank you for your years of service to KPOA!
I applaud everyone who stepped up and I applaud our members for getting their votes in! ~Mary
AUGUST
Launched our 2023 membership drive for providers of outdoor hospitality.
Welcomed Camp The Range as a new member. Jill Howard is the owner and Chris Sprague is the manager. The park is located in Wichita and was formerly known as USI RV Park.
Launched our 2023 membership drive for outdoor hospitality providers.
Our August report to the Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK) Board of Directors:
- We have new members and a new and larger Board of Directors
- Kelly McKenzie, of Walt’s Four Seasons Campground & Country Store in Abilene, will be representing us on the TIAK Board starting in October, with my assistance for a bit.
- In June, a cross section of the camping industry met with legislators in Washington DC, and I was chosen to be the one to represent state associations. My focuses at those meetings were to push for support in the private sector for the electric infrastructure as demand increases with EVs, for clear definitions of an ADA compliant website, and a 90-day grace period for those who are sued for not having an ADA compliant website.
- The Dept. of Homeland Security, through it’s CISA division, has now added campgrounds to their essential business list, thanks largely to Jeff Sims of ARVC.
- Fuel prices have impacted campgrounds but our central location allowed many campgrounds to serve more regional campers when the long-distance ones cancelled.
- Most are reporting occupancy that’s better than 2019 (the pandemic produced anomalies for 2020 and 2021).
- My concern / focus to the members has been more on revenue and pricing structures; even consistent occupancy needs to produce proper revenue during these rates of inflation.
Added the Public Affairs Resources page to this site, with plans of adding more content in the coming days and months. Stay tuned!
Yes, I now see that the dues notices show 2022 Outdoor Hospitality Membership. I wish there was more time to create documents and set them aside for my fresh eyes. Better yet, it would be nice to have an assistant so I didn’t work at this pace. Rest assured, the form really is for 2023 membership!
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER
2023 membership dues are being collected. Those whose payments arrived by 9/15 gained additional perks for 2023.
We hosted a booth at The Glamping Show USA! It will take a few months to ascertain the overall return on our investment, but we are certainly gaining some brand familiarity while we inspire people in the glamping side of the outdoor hospitality industry to join us.
After settling back into our home office, having spent 7 weeks on a special assignment, I asked members to be patient while I dig through the backlog. It will take until Thanksgiving for things to get back on even keel.
I attended a meeting where Senator John Thune spoke. He’s the Minority Whip of the US Senate. He took questions from the floor, including mine relating to electric vehicles (EVs) and the infrastructure at campgrounds and other private sector businesses.
Visited with some of KPOA Board of Directors in a meeting that didn’t achieve an official quorum. While no business could be addressed, the attendees were presented with information relating to several industry topics. We have taken our 2023 marketing projects out for bid so the Board can evaluate options when we later discuss our 2023 budget. We’re now rescheduling the official business meeting for December.
I’m hearing from some of you so I thought I’d put this here. Those who saw this statistic (minus my “WHAT???”) in an email from ARVC, please know that it’s merely evidence that statistics aren’t always worth the paper they’re written on (or the space on your computer screen).
For examples, if you drive around most campgrounds in the Black Hills of South Dakota, you’ll see license plates from virtually every state, ~~ considerably farther than 179 miles!
When I had my overnight RV park, I surveyed my guests. At that time, my “average” response showed that my guests had traveled closer to 400 miles that day (!!), and many had traveled over 1,000 on their entire trip. Granted, that was many years ago, yet it was based on the business model under which I chose to operate.
In 2021, ARVC shared a stat that the average campground had 185 campsites. In reviewing my member database, KPOA’s average was 52.
IF YOU WANT MARY’S OPINION, please don’t compare your campground to national stats, and don’t compare them to industry specs (size, revenue, etc.). Compare them to your goals and to your previous years. If you want to compare them to others, choose like-minded ones (ones who are of a similar industry business model).
NOVEMBER
Reached an agreement on a way to reduce registration fees for those who attend IAAPA Expo (geared for the amusement world) in November. Since this is public page, you’ll need to ask us for the link that gives you the savings (or you could go to our private Facebook page to see the link, if you’ve actually requested access to that page).
Scrambled to catch up so the Board Packets for the next Meeting of the Board of Directors have all that’s needed to set the 2023 budget.
Began launching pieces of our 2023 consumer-driven marketing.
Participated in the Tourism Office / TIAK online Huddle.
In South Dakota there is a law which protects the rights of SD’s campground owners from unfair competition by municipalities, and it was challenged twice by bills this past legislative session. Neither bill survived! 
This type of effort is what can be achieved when we have effective associations. Effective associations are achieved when we have participating members.
This is what makes the legislative affairs membership benefit our most powerful of the 8 areas of benefits offered by each: CCLOA, KPOA, and SDCOA.
I know of no other organization in my three states that work harder at protecting the state rights of campground owners.
THIS is why every member should be asking all campgrounds in their area to join! It’s also why every member should always renew each year.
Distributed the industry supplier information to each outdoor hospitality member.
Encouraged members to do two industry surveys, one by WCM and one by ARVC.
Given that the KPOA Board of Directors won’t be meeting in a timely manner to address project we’ve seen labeled as “national ARVC Standards,” and given the survey’s end-date of Monday after Thanksgiving, and knowing that CCLOA and SDCOA cannot speak on behalf of the KPOA Board of Directors, yet knowing some KPOA members are struggling about the survey, CCLOA’s and SDCOA’s position statements were shared with the KPOA members. It was clearly stated that the “CCLOA and SDCOA cannot speak on behalf of the KPOA Board of Directors, yet knowing some of you are struggling with the survey, perhaps my sharing of their perspectives will assist you.”
Prepared to attend and to host a booth at the Campground Owners Expo in Branson. We’ll have a booth, so there were supplies and new-member forms that were needed for this trip! We were also hosting a cracker barrel session.
My office accumulated piles and stacks like never before, given that I moved twice in 6 months and spent 4 months this year primarily in a mobile office. Sorting through those piles led me to realize I should be posting the summarized updates that Woodall’s Campground Magazine publishes about us. Click on each to see a small sampling from this year (I’ll try to post these each month from here on out):
Changed the menu name of our “newsletter” page from Keeping You Informed to KPOA Campfire. The URL remains unchanged so that old links will still work.
DECEMBER
Attended the Campground Owners Expo (COE) in Branson MO. It was a pleasure to visit with some of perspective members and with many owners from other states. The education and exhibits were fabulous. The only complaint I heard about the 1-hour cracker barrel session we hosted was that it was way too short! They wished it had gone on for at least another hour. The event organizers agreed, and I offered to host it again next year if they keep it on the program.
Added a new online networking event for 1/5/2023. It’ called “Connecting Influencers & Outdoor Hospitality Providers.”
By the week before Christmas (when I’m typing this), it’s all about wrapping up 2022 benefits and preparing to launch benefits for our 2023 members!
