Travel Resorts of America E-Traveler Newsletter
January, 2010
In this edition:
Contest Winner!
As you know, we requested members submit entries for the naming of our new referral program's mascot. Kenny Parker submitted the winning entry, ROSCOE! Kenny's home resort is Sycamore Lodge. He will receive a free year of maintenance fees. We'd also like to take the time thank each of you who submitted entries and ask that you all participate and support the new Roscoe Referral Program. In doing so you can earn amazing prizes for yourself and give your friends and family a wonderful TRA experience! For more details, please call 1-800-644-8068 or send an email to roscoe@travelresorts.com.
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Greetings from Your Director of Operations
As we begin the New Year with our first monthly E-Traveler member newsletter, I think it's important to note that this is a result of a suggestion that came from members at our very first “Meet the Manager” meeting in Gettysburg back in July. The goal of these meetings and continuing with the E-Traveler is to provide consistent, regular and open communication with the members and resort staff.
With the ringing in of the New Year we are saying good-bye (sort of) to a 10 year veteran of Sycamore Lodge and welcoming a new but experienced leader at the same time. As many of you are aware Frank Rowley, the Resort Operations Manager at Sycamore Lodge for the past 10 years has accepted the challenge of taking another entity in the Trident Marketing family from a fledgling company to a vibrant and profitable standalone company. Trident Resorts Inc (TRI) is a company that was created to provide unique and exceptional landscape concepts and maintenance to not only Sycamore Lodge but to the public as well. Frank has been responsible for TRI as well as his duties at Sycamore Lodge. Each time you see one of the beautiful landscapes added at Sycamore Lodge it is the hard work of Frank and the TRI Team. Many of you may not know that Frank has a degree in Landscape Architecture and has a passion for that industry and the creativeness that is associated. During his time at Sycamore Lodge he and his Team have made huge strides in improving the amenities, grounds and service levels from a campground to Camping Resort. Frank's leadership and dedication will be greatly missed. Sycamore Lodge has entered into a contract with TRI for them to provide the day to day maintenance of all the grounds that Frank created during his 10 years, so although you may not see him daily he will be on site a great deal. Please stop and wish him well in his new adventure.
Finding someone to fill Frank's shoes was an enormous task, but we were fortunate to be able to hire one of the top Camping Resort managers in the country. Ron Williams has been in the industry for 20 + years and has managed some of the top and largest Resorts in the United States. Please stop in and say “Hi” to Ron on your next visit. His office is on the first floor of Sycamore Lodge.
We hope you have a great New Year and we look forward to continuing to grow the facilities, amenities and service levels at all our Travel Resorts of America properties.
Robert Bouse
Director of Operations
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Letter from Your Travel Resorts Sales Manager
Happy New Year Travel Resorts of America Members!
We hope the Holidays were great to you and your family and the New Year ahead is even better!
With the upcoming camping season just around the corner, it is just about time to dust off your camping gear and start planning for some serious fun in the sun. Travel Resorts of America has Great Activities and New Amenities in store for 2010 and we are set to have our best year ever and quite frankly, are super excited about getting it fired up for you guys!
I would like to introduce you to our new referral mascot; his name is Roscoe Referral and he is a super cool guy! He has put together an Awesome Member Referral Program designed to generate new membership sales for the company that reward you with great prizes and benefits, such as computers, High Definition TV’s , surround sound systems, golf cart rentals, cabin and condo getaways, free maintenance fees, t-shirts, hats, and coffee cups, the list just keeps rolling on! Go to www.travelresorts.com and click on Roscoe and scope it out!
As you know, Travel Resorts of America is a company that does not sit still, does not wait for the economic times to dictate our future and we continually strive to impress you, our membership owners with new sites and amenities. As I’ve said hundreds of times in the past, your maintenance fees maintain the resorts’ functionality, and new sales allow us to improve and build new things for your resorts. The way we move forward is by bringing in new members. In an age where it costs our company big bucks to bring in potential members like you, we have shifted gears so to speak and are asking you, the foundation and rock of the company, our members, to bring in friends and acquaintances to see what the TRA WAY is all about. Just about everyone who camps, know others who camp too! Turn them on to us, and we’ll reward you with great prizes, rewards and getaway vacations designed just for you!
So make sure you check out our new friend Roscoe’s new and exciting referral program and contact our Resort Referral Managers, Mo and Tiffany. They will answer any questions and get you set up so you can start banking reward points immediately.
You can call the ladies toll-free at 1-800 370-1645. Their phone extensions and email addresses are:
Sycamore Lodge - Mo Missory: Extension # 1630 or ncroscoe@travelresorts.com
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort - Tiffany Topci: Extension # 1714 or gbroscoe@travelresorts.com
We look forward to a super 2010 Team TRA; see you at the resort soon!
Your friend, Rick Treadway
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Sycamore Lodge - Resort Operations News
Howdy from Sycamore Lodge! I am excited about the opportunity to join the Travel Resorts team and make a difference here. The resort is located in an incredible area, with a beautiful natural setting and has a lodge that is an historical treasure. But most importantly, the resort has wonderful people. It did not take me long to see that members and staff are very proud of Sycamore Lodge.
During the first couple of couple months it has been a pleasure to meet and get to know many of our members, and join in the Holiday celebrations at the resort. I have an open door policy and I encourage all members to stop by my office on the first floor of the lodge if you need assistance, have a suggestion or just want to say hello. Of course everyone is invited to attend our weekly Meet the Manager Meetings on Saturday's at 10:00 AM.
The staff at Sycamore Lodge has certainly been welcoming. There are wonderful folks on staff at the resort, who have worked tirelessly in the past to make sure everything is perfect for your next visit. My objective is to lead our staff and the resort to the next level. I would like to thank Frank Rowley and all the great staff members at Sycamore for making me feel welcome and helping with the transition. A special thank you to all the volunteers at Sycamore Lodge for their hard work and caring.
We have some exciting plans for the New Year that will enhance your membership at Sycamore Lodge. During the coming months we will keep you updated on our progress. Below is a list of some of the important projects on the agenda for 2010.
- After a very difficult process we expect to receive the approval from the state to install additional sewer sites in 2010. In my conversations with members there is no doubt that this should be our top priority.
- If you like to putt around, we have some great news. Our miniature golf course is scheduled to be replaced with a new and updated nine hole course.
- Our General Store is receiving a face lift with some new display space and counters. This will allow us to add new items including fountain drinks, nachos, cappuccino, an upgraded coffee service and hotdogs. Mary Alice Parker is doing a wonderful job searching for new souvenirs, Sycamore Lodge logo clothing and hats.
- Wi-Fi is coming soon to your campsite! In the very near future you will be able to surf the internet in the comfort of your RV. No more packing up your laptop and driving to the lodge. I know members are very excited about this improvement, to quote one of our members “I will be able to check my email while in my pajamas”.
- The old snack shack building will be relocated, renovated, and transformed into an area for crafts, and recreation activities.
Happy New Year from everyone here at Sycamore Lodge and we will see you real soon!
Ron Williams
Resort Operations Manager
Sycamore Lodge
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Gettysburg Battlefield - Resort Operations News
Hello All,
The 2010 New Year is upon us, and as we leave one decade we have great hopes for the next. 2010 will be a year of many exciting changes and improvements at Gettysburg.
One change is occurring right now as this is our first E-Traveler newsletter. It's one way of saving our precious renewable resources and decreasing litter. Another change the resort is making to help with our environment is by reviewing our energy usage. Currently we are replacing some lighting fixtures and bulbs, updating them with more energy efficient models.
You'll also see more noticeable changes in the upcoming season. We'll be adding more sites now that our “conceptual” plan has been approved. As I've said in the past and will continue to say, “We are moving forward and always will.” The plan also includes a new location for the Game Room – I will not leave any hints on location, but I am sure you will be amazed. In addition, the pool will receive a much needed facelift…no more band-aid applications! I've also recently met with an engineer to discuss ways of providing “sewer” for new sites and perhaps existing sites. The meeting was very promising, but that is all I can say for the moment.
The future always holds changes for our grounds, but it also holds changes for our staff, here in Gettysburg and in North Carolina. As you may or may not know, I have a new Assistant Manager. Her name is Bryana Nelson, whom I “stole” from the Billing Department. Sorry, Tyson! A great, but huge undertaking Bryana is tackling, along with Sherry and Tara, is to improve our inventory and layout in the General Store. We are not sure if the General Store will be expanded, but expect to see a new layout and more inventory than ever before.
North Carolina's Sycamore Lodge has a new Resort Operations Manager and I'd like to take this time to welcome Ron Williams. Ron brings with him over 20 years of experience in the campground/resort industry. As a matter of fact, I've even had the pleasure of “borrowing” some of his ideas. I'm sure Ron will make a great addition to our team, so the next time you travel to the “South”, be sure to say Hi! Welcome aboard Ron!
Though there are some new faces on board, please know we will always strive to be the best at making our resorts family oriented and friendlier than ever!
Happy Camping, see you in 2010!
Richard Kellermann
Resort Operations Manager
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort
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Christmas at Sycamore - December 5th 2009
During the week members helped Kim Frye set the mood by decorating the lodge. Christmas trees and beautiful ornamental wreaths filled the halls. Christmas at Sycamore kicked off on Saturday with crafts and great tips for the holiday, followed by a great evening of festivities. 52 members came together for a pot luck dinner that was delicious. Then Santa stopped by for a visit and some photos. He's seen here, along with Mrs. Claus, his daughter, his head elf and his elf helper! What a wonderful evening for all! Thanks to all who attended. We look forward to next year.
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Winter Wonderland in Gettysburg
The first snowfall of the year for Gettysburg was a ‘big-un' amounting in 18 inches the weekend of December 19th. Blizzard like conditions rained the snow down, making the resort a most beautiful sight. Though many were not camping at this time, there were some who braved the cold and snow to snuggle up in their cozy RVs. Resort workers however, didn't get to enjoy the warmth of indoors…they got to shovel. Thanks to those who braved the weather to camp and to clear the grounds!
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New Golf Cart Guidelines and Enforcement of Existing Guidelines
Beginning January 1, 2010 there are new guidelines and regulations for Private Golf Cart usage at Travel Resorts of America. In addition to these new guidelines pertaining to Private Golf Carts, the existing guidelines pertaining to ATV's, motorcycles and other similar privately owned vehicles will be enforced. Listed below are frequently asked questions about the new guidelines and regulations.
Why are the guidelines changing? The popularity of golf carts as a convenient, fun mode of transportation has grown dramatically during the past few years. Unfortunately golf cart related accidents during that same time have also grown. This increase has changed insurance requirements on campgrounds and resorts that allow private golf carts. Our insurance carrier now reports golf cart related incidents as the second highest claim.
What are my insurance requirements? Each member must provide proof of $100,000 liability insurance. The proof of insurance must list the member's name, address, cover limits, and specifically list golf cart coverage. Golf cart insurance is available through most insurance carriers, and coverage may be available through you current homeowners or auto insurance. If you need additional assistance finding coverage, contact the Resort Store for a list of local agents that offer golf cart insurance.
Where do I send my proof of insurance? Send your proof of insurance to the Resort store at your home park. Your insurance agent can fax a proof of insurance directly to the Resort store. The fax number for Sycamore Lodge is (910) 693-3065, and Gettysburg Battlefield Resort is (717) 337-1756.
What is the cost for a golf cart pass? The annual pass is $120, and a daily pass is $5.00.
What does the golf cart passes look like? The annual pass is a 3” x 3” that is affixed to the driver's side front of the golf cart. The daily pass is a paper band that is affixed to the driver's side roof support or to the steering wheel.
What are the dates on the annual golf cart pass? The annual pass is valid for the current calendar year and expires on December 31st.
Where do I purchase a golf cart pass? Both annual and day passes are purchased at the Resort store.
If I purchase the daily pass do I have to provide a proof of insurance on every visit? The Resort store will keep your insurance on file so it is not necessary to provide a proof on every visit; however each member is responsible for sending a copy of the renewed policy when it expires.
Is my Annual Golf Cart Pass Valid at all Travel Resorts? Yes
Are visiting Coast to Coast Members and Guests required to meet the same guidelines and regulations? Yes
If you have further questions please contact one of the TRA Resorts directly.
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Letter from the Oval Office: TRA President Steven Baldelli
Let me begin my letter by wishing you and your family, a prosperous new year in 2010. I hope the past year has been as exciting and rewarding for you as it has been for our TRA staff family. The wonderful part of being in the TRA family is knowing that as the New Year begins, we can again look forward to seeing and visiting with our friends at Sycamore Lodge and Gettysburg Battlefield Resort, some of whom may have traveled south for the winter and others who have been cooped up and are ready to break out the RV. All of us must begin to make plans for the coming camping season; you need to plan when you are going to visit us; while we have to prepare the resorts for your arrival.
So that your visits will again be fun-filled camping experiences, our activities directors at both resorts have been diligently planning new activities for the coming camping season which you’ll find both fun and exciting.
I am sorry to announce the resignation of two super stars on our management staff that many of you knew well. Amy Kellermann, assistant manager at Gettysburg Battlefield Resort for over eight years has resigned to pursue other endeavors. She is a truly a great manager, who ran the resort, the general store, reservations, activities, you name it. She was always there to help any member in need. Frank Rowley, at Sycamore Lodge another eight year veteran, will be leaving his position as resort manager to expand in the nursery and landscaping business. Visiting Sycamore Lodge and seeing all the fantastic landscaping and water features that he designed and installed is just a prelude to the great success he will have as he concentrates in this endeavor. He will continue to be seen on the resort as his company will be on contract to handle many resort maintenance tasks and development plans. We wish to thank both of them for their past services and wish them well.
This year as in past years, we have capital improvement plans for each resort; as we endeavor to make the resorts even better. Every year we want you to come to the resorts and say WOW! Even in these tough economic times, we are pleased to inform you that we will continue to the policy of WOW! We can only do this due to your continued loyal support. For that we want to say, thank you. In closing, I appreciate the opportunity to communicate with you and feel confident that we are going to have another great camping year. I hope to see you soon.
Steven Baldelli
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