2013 Rally Attendance Tax

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by mgriffrus

As a member of the Younger, Working, and Kids-Having demographic that WBCCI is targeting I have been watching this thread and the hand-wringing of the WBCCI both on these forums and the free copy of the Blue Beret I can read online with great interest. This is my response:

To Whom it may concern…

A very well-written response. The issue of event timing is one that I also brought up in this thread, ages ago, though you expressed your concerns much more eloquently.

With regard for having to work around school schedules, WBCCI does have a Family/Youth standing committee, whose brief includes: "To develop an effective continuing program and structure to encourage Family/Youth participation in Unit, Region and International Rally and Caravan functions…" It does seem to me that scheduling and promoting events that are specifically scheduled for when kids (and teachers) are out of school would fall into their bailiwick.

[Lily&Me]

I believe that anyone who really wants to camp with others will find nice people to camp with.

Also, that anyone who really wants to be a member of the WBCCI, for whatever reason, will seek out and find a group they are compatible with---or settle for being a MAL.

For some, the issue is not "the WBCCI" nor with finding a group one is compatible with, it is with one's paid membership going directly to this leadership---which implicitly becomes tolerating and supporting the chronically self-serving actions and agendas of the IBT.

Many aware owners simply can't stomach this. Period.


Maggie

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by fraubear

Absolutely. A survey of Airforum members asking just those questions is in the planning stages. Please be patient with us, though. We are volunteers, and a good, objective survey is not easy to create. We want to get it right and hope to have the survey and the results completed by June.

Carolyn
ECC

I think this is a good move and am looking forward to seeing the end result.

[Nuvite-F]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Another side note, on the "Not a Member?" tab suggested above, a listing of scheduled Buddy Rallies that non-members can attend, with an open invitation to same, would definitely be appropriate. "See for yourself what WBCCI is all about at one of our Buddy Rallies…" Preferably the schedule would be somewhere on the page that the prospective new member doesn't have to follow a whole chain of hyperlinks to find it. One link on the "Not a Member?" page, click, and there's a calendar of Buddy Rallies, with every unit's scheduled Buddy Rallies all in one place.

Just for everyone's information, any Airstream owner is welcome to attend any Unit rally as a guest. They don't have to join WBCCI to see what a unit rally is all about.

Buddy rallies are for the purpose of inviting non-Airstream-owning RVers to a WBCCI rally.

Our unit has invited a lot of Airstreamers to come to a convenient rally as a way to meet us, and we have picked up a lot of members that way.

This does complicate Protagonist's suggestion, however, since with 120-some-odd units, it's not practical to list all the unit rallies in one place.

(See WBCCI bylaws, section 8, "A unit member may invite a non-member Airstream recreational vehicle owner, as a prospective member, to attend rallies and other activities of the unit.")
.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Nuvite-F

This does complicate Protagonist's suggestion, however, since with 120-some-odd units, it's not practical to list all the unit rallies in one place.

Doesn't complicate it all that much. Buddy Rallies are still a good venue for my suggestion, since someone who is still looking for an Airstream can attend; they don't have to already be an Airstream owner yet, just an RV owner.

There may be other ways to implement something similar to my suggestion. The crux of the suggestion is, "Make it easy for prospective members to find out about WBCCI events in their area so they can 'try before they buy.'"

Maybe something like, "If you'd like to attend a WBCCI event and see for yourself, choose a Region below to see the events coming up in your area…" That should help ease the clutter.

[mgriffrus]

I've often wondered how difficult it would be to integrate a map into the rally calendar/list options on the forum. For example there are several Texas rallies and it would be easier to glance at a map and realize that this rally is just across the state line, but that vintage one in October is an eight hour drive away.

I know it only cuts out one step or browser window, but it would definitely help in the "what's in my region?"

[monah]

Originally Posted by fraubear

Absolutely. A survey of Airforum members asking just those questions is in the planning stages. Please be patient with us, though. We are volunteers, and a good, objective survey is not easy to create. We want to get it right and hope to have the survey and the results completed by June.

Carolyn
ECC

fraubear:
Glad to hear something is in the works! I applaud the efforts of the ECC and look forward to hearing the actionable items that come from this survey. It's encouraging to know that you're listening and acknowledge the need for input from this passionate group of Airstream owners. As SilverPal said "...changes, they are coming. Baby steps, perhaps, but we're moving ahead."

Mona

[Air Apparent]

The point being, It can be done in ways that are appealing to the younger crowd with out alienating those of us who recently graduated from the school of curmudgeonry.

I was refused for admission to the school of curmudgeonry so I couldn't attend or graduate. However, I'm sure we are covered by those who have advanced degrees from the school of curmudgeonry.

[twobikes]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Doesn't complicate it all that much. Buddy Rallies are still a good venue for my suggestion, since someone who is still looking for an Airstream can attend; they don't have to already be an Airstream owner yet, just an RV owner.

There may be other ways to implement something similar to my suggestion. The crux of the suggestion is, "Make it easy for prospective members to find out about WBCCI events in their area so they can 'try before they buy.'"

Maybe something like, "If you'd like to attend a WBCCI event and see for yourself, choose a Region below to see the events coming up in your area…" That should help ease the clutter.

YESTERDAY, when I was downloading the I-pad app which shows all the WBCCI courtesy parking locations on a map (nice job by the way. There is a state by state listing in theDirectory, but this should be easy to update between times)
So while I was up on the ESRI application searching "maps" for WBCCI, I saw something that might serve. Evidently the Santa Clara CA club has posted a map with locations of all the Unit's rally sites with complete information on the events. So theoretically any wandering Airstreamer, member or not, could find a nearby rally and politely wrangle an invite...
I'm not a computer programmer but it seems the map site would be easy to imitate by any Unit (or Forum or ....) and a NATIONWIDE map of rallies ( with appropriate index for dates, blah blah) would be both useful and fairly easy to construct. .Aren't units required/requested to report their rally schedules to HQ anyway?

[dwightdi]

If you have a computer and internet connection, you can easily find any rally location you are interested in. The WBCCI.org website has links to the Unit websites for units by Region and state. The unit websites have the list of rallies and location they are sponsoring. You will need to contact the rally host before you visit, because many rallies are conducted at private campgrounds with limited availability (unit members have priority). Once you have made the call and received approval and details for the rally, you can attend. If you are a member you can use the Blue Beret you receive monthly. If you are not a member, all Blue Beret issues are also posted to the net on WBCCI.org and contain the unit and Region rallies to be held that month. You should contact the listed rally host before you attend.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

If you have a computer and internet connection, you can easily find any rally location you are interested in.

I think different people have different concepts of "easy." For someone not already familiar with the WBCCI web page, it's not necessarily so easy, because you've got to follow a long trail of breadcrumbs (multiple hyperlinks) to get to the information you're looking for. Non-intuitive links, at that.

For example, in another window on my computer right now, I went to the WBCCI.org site. Right there on the front page, there's a statement: "Click on your Region (Area) to view units and upcoming events in your area." That's all to the good, but where do you click? There's no map or listing of the regions on that page, not one single hyperlink that says "Regions" on that page. So, right from the get-go, persons new to the site are lost. It's not exactly intuitive that you first have to click the "Join" tab to get to the map of the regions. And as previously pointed out, if they're not ready to join, they probably won't click a tab that says "Join" anyway.

Nonmembers are also unlikely to know that the Blue Beret Online provides information on upcoming rallies, because the WBCCI.org web page doesn't say so. They'll know if they read it on this AirForums thread, but otherwise, not so much.

Contacting the rally host before attending is important, and that tidbit needs to be emphasized.

Side note: I routinely use my laptop with the popup blocker ON, as many people do. I can't follow the "Magazine" link, because that pops up in a new window, and when I try to right-click and open in a new window or in a new tab, I can't. The only way to get to the magazine from WBCCI.org is to turn off the popup blocker. The ECC may want to do something about that, because newcomers to the site (nonmembers) are unlikely to set their computers to allow popups from WBCCI just so they can go to the online magazine. So again, not so easy for nonmembers to find rally information by going to the online magazine, either.

Since I am a member and naïvely trust WBCCI to not link me to anything that could harm my computer, I allowed popups from WBCCI.org, and can now follow the link to the magazine. However, there's nothing on the magazine webpage that indicates that the magazine contains rally schedules, either. A nonmember doesn't get that information until he opens up the current issue online, and flips to the contents page. A brief blurb on the online magazine webpage that lists the regular features of the magazine might help nonmembers know that they can find rally schedules there.

When I open the magazine and find the contents page, there aren't any hyperlinks to take me right to the rally scheule; I have to flip forward, page by page, until I get to the schedule.

However, from there things do get slightly easier. There's a hyperlink to the rally host's e-mail address, so it's easy to contact the host from that point. No link to the registration forms, though. Still have to flip through the magazine a bit farther to find those.

[dwightdi]

Thanks for the positive suggestions on how we might improve the "ease of use" of the wbcci.org website. We want to make it easy as possible for newcomers to find out about and join in the fun at wbcci.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

Thanks for the positive suggestions on how we might improve the "ease of use" of the wbcci.org website. We want to make it easy as possible for newcomers to find out about and join in the fun at wbcci.

You're welcome. I try to please. Sometimes, once in a blue moon, I even succeed.

[Jim Foster]

Being able to search by general area or month would be easier than searching unit by unit.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

So, right from the get-go, persons new to the site are lost. It's not exactly intuitive that you first have to click the "Join" tab to get to the map of the regions. And as previously pointed out, if they're not ready to join, they probably won't click a tab that says "Join" anyway.

Apologies to the ECC and the AirForums users who actually read my post above, but what I said above wasn't entirely accurate. You can get to the region links through the "Join" tab as I said, but you can also do it through the "Home" tab.

Of couse, that's not exactly intuitive, either. If you're just arrived at WBCCI.org, you wouldn't necessarily think to click "Home" since you're already home. Since clicking the banner takes the viewer home to the welcome page and thus is the real "home" link, perhaps the "Home" tab could be renamed to something more representative of the drop-down links it contains.

[damonbeals]

Yes a big weakness with the current website is the event and calendar system. We have looked a several solutions and tried many calendar systems, but none of them where easy to manage or would work for the club. Finding a 'better' way is one of our top goals for the upcoming year. The club in general, needs a better way to report and gather Unit events. Way too many units with 'TBA'. Currently we just run what is in the Blue Beret, but that is only three months out, and we should have the entire year available. We are trying, and thank you for the input.

Damon
#4827

[Don McKelvay]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

....

Seems to me that WBCCI recruiters, whether at the Unit level, Region level, or the Membership standing committee, ought to be lurking on the AirForums, even if they don't play in the sandbox with the rest of us. They should take note whenever someone announces that he/she has just bought an Airstream, so that said new owner can be contacted with an invitation, even if only through an AirForums private message...

Originally Posted by SilverPal

Lots of great conversation happening here! Can we convince Don to stay on come July? During my short tenure in the WB, I've seen changes, they are coming. Baby steps, perhaps, but we're moving ahead.

Hello especially Protagonist and Lynda SilverPal but all other AirForum members as well.

I have been not only a very long-time member (AIR #42) but have been reading almost every message - particularly anything to do with WBCCI from members or non-members over many years. I have picked up some great suggestions as well as problems and have done my best to implement or solve them. Although I do not publicly post many messages I do send PMs to address certain issues as I have found there were tremendous 'flames' and 'attacks' which went on and on. I also contacted many prospective WBCCI members privately offering information and help where I could. Listening to Airstream owners is extremely important and I have tried to encourage especially regions and the international officers to at least 'lurk', listen to what members and non-members are saying and consider their views. Carolyn Fraubear, from the Electronics Communication Committee and I have worked together for a very long time for the betterment of WBCCI - she is a gem, listens to others view and works exceedingly hard.

As far as 'Can we convince Don to stay on come July' -thanks for the what I think is a compliment. Not sure if you know but usually the International Membership Chairman serves only one year, at the request of the International President. I have served three consecutive times and was asked to continue another year, but have declined. Unfortunately this job is a 'daily' resonsibility and not just writing the monthly Blue Beret articles or monthly emails to the region membership chairmen, region presidents and the Executive Committee, etc (I guess I have made it that way as I love WBCCI and its members and try to do my very best for them). It is now time for others to take up the membership torch and for the first time in almost 20 years of working at the unit, region and international level for my wife and I to relax and enjoy what I always say as the FUN, FELLOWSHIP and ADVENTURE and get back on the caravan trail meeting more of you great people - both Club members and those that are not.

All that being said, if anyone wants to discuss something with me - just drop me a PM and I will do my best to help.

Cheers,
Don McKelvay
WBCCI International Membership Chairman

[Aolani]

Good idea re: mapping more Rallies. We did the ESRI ArcGIS Santa Clara Unit rally maps as a test before starting the Courtesy Parking (CP) version. Now that the CP concept seems to work reasonably well, will take a look at what a Regional Rally Map might feel like.

Did a quick test of the concept: Region 12 Rally Map. Will be looking at folding this into at least the Region 12 website. It's a conceptual start. I think the real version would be re-done in the Google-based format that CP will probably later migrate to (easier to support).

This is new and interesting stuff. I have been pleasantly surprised at how well our WBCCI members like the spatial representations. Even just for the test.

Good ideas!

[Scott J-24]

Originally Posted by Aolani

Good idea re: mapping more Rallies. We did the ESRI ArcGIS Santa Clara Unit rally maps as a test before starting the Courtesy Parking (CP) version. Now that the CP concept seems to work reasonably well, will take a look at what a Regional Rally Map might feel like.

Did a quick test of the concept: Region 12 Rally Map. Will be looking at folding this into at least the Region 12 website. It's a conceptual start. I think the real version would be re-done in the Google-based format that CP will probably later migrate to (easier to support).

This is new and interesting stuff. I have been pleasantly surprised at how well our WBCCI members like the spatial representations. Even just for the test.

Good ideas!

Very cool map and appears to be very easy to use. I just added it to my list of bookmarks!

[SilverPal]

Don, yep, it was a compliment! You have been a GREAT help over the years and have always assisted when I came knocking via email. Never once did you make me feel I didn't have direct access to our International Member Chair. Thank you for all your years of service and for leading the membership drive, what I feel is the most important component of all WBCCI. You're leaving some big shoes to fill! Jim and I hope to see you at IBT? International?? Or somewhere Down the Road! Safe journey and enjoy you're well-deserved travels!