Jazz-backed Planning - An excerpt from 'For The Love Of Motorhoming: The CMCA Story'
My favourite chair is by our sound equipment. I had succumbed to jazz in high school. Most of my journalistic output had been jazz related. At the time I made the decision to pursue my later passion of motorhoming by forming a national club I was in a jazz journalism revival period, writing and producing a monthly newssheet for listeners to a Brisbane FM radio station. As I sat in that favourite chair, headphones in place and pen in hand, my jottings alternated between Fats Waller and Winnebagos. They soon veered more and more down the motorhome road.
Late '85 was an intense period of deliberation and planning. It has never been my nature to rush into anything and this club was to be no exception. I wanted it to go and to go well. Initial decisions would be of vital importance. Ideas and alternatives spilled onto page after page of notes. I couldn't wait for Erica to arrive home each day to air my latest thoughts. What should the Club be called? How can we best find fellow enthusiasts and influence them to become members? Where will the money come from? What membership subscription will cover start-up costs but be seen to be reasonable?
My every marketing sense told me our Club name should be capable of incorporation into a logo design for universal use - letterheads, badges, flags, stickers. My original logo sketches were for "Motorhome Club of Australia." The shorter name would have been preferable on several counts but we eventually decided it must be a campervan and motorhome Club if all types and sizes of motorised living vehicles were to feel welcome. Even "campervan and motorhome" later proved inadequate to cover the field. I had quite a job persuading some early members with beautiful bus conversions that they were driving "motorhomes" and not "buses" and that they should refer to them that way.
Our research had revealed that there were already a few small campervan clubs in various parts of Australia. We were in no way put off. Ours was to be a National Club, seeking membership and offering services nationwide, so "...of Australia" seemed appropriate. The Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia it would be. It had a quite impressive ring to it and we were out to impress!