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HOW WE BEGAN
Submitted by Betty LaBrecque
IN THE YEAR 1984 IN YUMA ARIZONA THERE
WAS NO ESCAPEES CO-OP OR ESCAPEES CHAPTER. THERE WERE A LOT OF
SNOWBIRD ESCAPEES AND ALSO BUD BALL, A MAN WITH THE DREAM OF SETTING UP
A CO-OP IN THE YUMA/WINTERHAVEN AREA. HE HAD BEEN IN YUMA DURING
WORLD WAR II, HAD FAMILY HERE AND HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE CASA GRANDE CO-OP. HE CALLED THE PETERSONS IN LIVINGSTON,
AND RECEIVED THEIR BLESSINGS TO GET
STARTED. HE HAD THE BACKGROUND,
THE DESIRE AND ALSO WAS AN EX-MARINE. (THOSE GUYS KNOW
HOW TO GET THINGS DONE!)
A NOTICE WAS PUT IN THE FALL 1984
NATIONAL NEWSLETTER ASKING THOSE OF
LIKE MIND TO MEET AT THE MARINE BASE IN YUMA ON 1/09/85 AT
THE NSCO CLUB. BECAUSE HE WAS A MARINE AND MANY OF THE ESCAPEES
WERE RETIRED MILITARY, HE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A ROOM FOR
MEETINGS.
THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMING TO ALL WHO
CAME, ESPECIALLY TO BUD, WHO NEVER
DREAMED OF SUCH SINCERE INTEREST IN A CO-OP HERE.
HE BROUGHT THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 1:00 P.M.
AND SO WE WERE UNDER WAY. FIRST
HE EXPLAINED OUR PURPOSE, THEN BROUGHT THE GREETINGS
AND GOOD WISHES FOR SUCCESS FROM OUR FOUNDERS KAY AND
JOE PETERSON. THEY ALSO SENT THE PROCEDURES NEEDED TO START
A CO-OP, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS TO START A
CHAPTER.
A CHAPTER MUST BE FORMED AND IN PLACE, TO
SERVE AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
DURING THE BUILDING PROCESS OF THE CO-OP. OFFICERS
WERE DULY ELECTED AND INSTALLED. WE BECAME OFFICIALLY SOUTHWEST
CHAPTER #7. DURING THE SECOND MEETING THE NAME WAS CHANGED
TO ROADRUNNER CHAPTER #7. NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN LIVINGSTON
WAS NOTIFIED AND WE COULD PROCEED WITH THE PURPOSE FOR
WHICH WE WERE INITIALLY FOUNDED.
OFFICERS ELECTED WERE: PRESIDENT:
BUD BALL: #624
VICE PRES: CECIL SIGAFOOSE: #6244
TREASURER: BLACKIE PARISH: #864
SECRETARY: ED TRUESDELL: #2273
A COMMITTEE WAS THEN APPOINTED TO START LOOKING FOR LAND FOR
OUR CO-OP. OVER 100 SKP'S SIGNED UP THAT DAY PROFESSING AN INTEREST. THE STORY OF THEIR TRIALS
AND TRIBULATIONS CAN BE READ IN THE
KOFA PARK TEN YEAR HISTORY BOOK IN THE K0-0P
LIBRARY.
WE MET AS A CHAPTER EVERY TWO WEEKS TO
UPDATE AND DISCUSS THE KO-OP
PROGRESS, ETC. AT THE SAME TIME THE CHAPTER WAS
DOING ITS BUSINESS. OUR MEETING PLACE CHANGED TO THE SOUTHERN MESA
CAMPGROUND. BY-LAWS WERE WRITTEN FOLLOWING THE NATIONAL
GUIDELINES AND RULES FOR OUR RALLIES AND MEETINGS WERE ESTABLISHED. IT WAS INDEED A VERY
BUSY TIME FOR THE OFFICERS.
THE KO-OP OFFICIALLY OPENED IN
FEBRUARY 1986
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