BY COLIN & ANNE BURGESS

The year 2009 will be looked back upon by Diamond Wheels as a summer of glorious weather and a series of very enjoyable camping trips. It will also be remembered with great sadness, because during the year we said a final goodbye to two very much loved club members and a past member.

In May we were stunned and saddened by the sudden death of our loved friend Ron Titmus. Ron passed away following complications after surgery and is greatly missed by his wife Barbara and his family on both sides of the Atlantic. Later in the year, we were dismayed by the sad news that a very long time and much loved club member, Ivor Williams had also passed away, following a long illness. Ivor is survived by his wife Meta and family. We will dearly miss Ron and Ivor. That was not the end of the unhappy news, as we have also received the sad information that a past club member, Stan Bower, has also died. We send our sympathy and condolences to the families of Ron, Ivor and Stan.

Not all membership news was sad, as we welcomed new members Jackie and Rod Collins (not the famous author Jackie Collins). Welcome aboard Jackie and Rod!

 Also long-time members Pat and Reg Cooper have decided it is now the right time to hang up the RV keys for good. We all very much hope that they will continue with the Club as associate members. We will look forward to “drive in” visits to Club camping trips.

We opened the 2009 camping season in April with a trip to Thousand Trails preserve at Cultus Lake. This campground is nestled in a valley at the south end of Cultus Lake and is very scenic. The Thousand Trails members in the Diamond Wheels Club were able to take non-T.T. members in as guests and the arrangement worked very well.

 A trip to Merritt in June was very much enjoyed and the weather was very kind to us. Merritt is a very interesting town and we enjoyed exploring the area. We stayed at the Clay Banks Municipal Campground, which is close to all the services and attractions. We all enjoyed a great supper in a near-by pub. I think we were all a little reluctant to leave Merritt when the trip was over.

We held the traditional Club barbeque at the Coquihalla RV Park in Hope and we enjoyed good companionship, fine weather and an excellent Salmon BBQ, skillfully grilled by Bill Lantz. Thank you Bill!

Year after year some members make the pilgrimage to walk through the Kettle Valley railroad tunnels a must and this year was no exception. Some said the cool of the tunnels was a welcome relief from the hot sun!

 We closed the season with a trip to Thousand Trails Birch Bay in early October and again, we were blessed with great weather. Border passport requirement and the need for medical travel insurance, kept the attendance down. Those who made the trip were rewarded with not only the good weather; we also saw some spectacular sunsets. The abundance of near-by casinos proved a great attraction for some of us and although it does not seem that anyone made a fortune, they certainly had a great time.

The Club AGM was held in the Tapadera Estates Clubhouse on Sunday, November 8th at 1p.m. and a short business meeting was followed by lunch. A full slate of officers for the club was elected by acclimation. We had volunteers for every position.

The new Wagonmaster is Doug Hewett. Grace Hewett and Colin Burgess are arranging the 2010 trips. Evelyn Lantz continues as Secretary/Treasurer, Colin Burgess will take care of correspondence. Grace Hewett will be the Club’s historian and Donna Harder will take over the Sunshine correspondence. During the meeting we also arranged luncheons and hosts for each of the winter months.

If any of you out there feel like joining a very easy going RV Club, give one of our officers a call. We are all either in the Upper or Lower Fraser Valley phone books. Be advised we are a pretty active bunch and are all dedicated to the RV lifestyle. Almost all of us are retired and all our trips and functions are mid-week rather than weekends.

By the time this magazine makes it into print, the festive season will be almost all over. We, the members of the Diamond Wheels RV Club hope that all readers have enjoyed a very happy Christmas holiday and we wish you Health and Happiness in the coming year.