Good Sam club's convention a success

Mountain Home High School was crowded Wednesday afteroon last week -- not with students, who had finished their last day of school that morning, but with hundreds of members of the Good Sam recreational vehicle club.

The state "Samboree" of the club, sponsored by the Mountain Home chapter, was held here last week, drawing nearly 300 RV units that packed tightly together onto the old high school football field, and spilling over onto the junior high lot.

The approximately six hundred people from at least 14 states who attended the Samboree were a noticeable presence in the community, spending money in local stores and touring the sites of the area, including a tour of the airbase.

Inside the high school members attended voluntary classes on subjects ranging from safety to crafts. Outside, the members gathered under the awnings of their RVs to play cards, chat and either visit with old friends from previous Good Sam Club excursions or to make new friends.

"It's just like a family reunion when we get together," said Boots Otto, the assistant state director of the Good Sam Club. "There are lots and lots of old, dear friends, here."

The Good Sam Club is an international organization of RV owners. There are 40 clubs in Idaho, alone. Members gather together and often caravan together to specific destinations, enjoying the sights of the nation and each other's company. The excursions can be short trips, or long travels to other points in the United States or outside the country.

While caravaning, Otto said, members have a lead unit and a "tail gunner" end-of-the-line unit, and each driver tries to maintain a half mile seperation on the road. All the units have CB radios for communication on the road. "Safety is always our first concern," Otto said.

Although the club is open to anyone, most of the members are at least 50 years old and most are retired, Otto explained, adding, "we have people here from all walks of life."

That doesn't mean they act elderly. Members of the group gather for bean-bag baseball games and other evening activities, while visiting tourist attractions during the day.

Every excursion is "a new adventure with friends," said state secretary Carrie Isaak. "It's all about traveling and having fun."

Tom and Pauline Watson of Burley, sporting red Good Sam Club vests with pins representing all the places they've visited over the years, said they do it "for the people and the food. You gather up so many friends.... and it gives us an excuse to get way from home." The couple have traveled all over the United States with the Good Sam clubs.

Al Thomsen of Eagle and Jim Smith of Meridian sat back in the shade of their RVs, and laughed at each other's jokes. "It's so stressful," Smith said. "Can you think of a better life?"

Like many club members, Bus and Jan Smith of Eagle, had a small dog with them. "Piper" enjoyed running around on his leash and meeting all the new people.

"We like to do short trips," Bus Smith said. "There's so many good places in Idaho to visit, we don't have to go too far. There's nothing like parking it next to some lake or stream and just enjoying the day."

And, he added, "when you put this kind of money into these rigs, you have better use it."

The RVs that appeared at last week's event ranged from small trailers to buses larger than a Greyhound. Inside the larger units it was just like home, with big-screen TVs, gas-powered fireplaces, bathtubs, dining areas, living rooms and bedrooms. Many of the units cost over $100,000, but Otto said, "if you've just got a tent, that's all you need to take part."

Otto had high praise for the local club's effort to organize the state Samboree, and thanked the local merchants, many of whom contributed door prizes to the club's evening activities, or provided special dispensations for club members while they visited.

"Mountain Home has just been great to us," she said, noting that an event like last week's here can take over 30 committee people working to make the gathering successful. "The Mountain Home Club, the committees, the community have really worked hard to make this a success. I think everyone is having a lot of fun," she said.