2014 WBCCI Membership Stats

[streamer23]

I have had some requests to start this thread. I did not post the stats for the last year or two.

Every year since 1996 I have gone through the annual WBCCI Membership Directory and tracked which unit each member in the directory has paid their dues to.These totals are for the primary unit and does not include associate memberships.
It is important to keep in mind that my totals are only as accurate as the information printed in the directory.
There is always cases where renewals are received late either by accident or on purpose as has been pointed out in previous years by a few on the forums.There are also other possibilities including printing errors and over the years this has happened several times.
I have over the years refined my tabulations so that each membership is checked at least twice to reduce errors.Human error is always a possibility but I feel very confident that these numbers are fairly accurate.
As this thread runs its course,I will post some of the results I found.

I will show the membership totals I came up with in previous years to give the reader an idea of the dreaded 'trend' in membership. I think it is safe to say that membership has been declining every year since at least 1980. I believe at one point in the mid to late 1970's membership was in the 25,000 area.

Again, these are unofficial totals for some recent years.

1996- 10,300 members

2000- 8,750 members

2004- 7,540 members

2008- 6,394 members

2012- 5,230 members

2013- 5,183 members

Something happened this year that hasn't taken place since I started doing this in 1996.

An increase in total members. Although it is small, it IS an increase.

2014- 5,238 members.

[streamer23]

There were 5 more units lost since the last directory was printed.Some folded and some merged with other units.They are listed below along with the membership totals for these units in the 2013 Directory.

Unit # 16 San Fernando California - 12 members

Unit # 17 San Joaquin California - 16 members

Unit # 48 Greater Wichita Kansas - 13 members

Unit # 122 Canadian Atlantic - 11 members

Unit # 175 Missouri Delta - 14 members

[streamer23]

There are 2 new units in the 2014 Directory.

Unit # 7 - Airstream Club Australia - 8 members

Unit # 12 - Southeastern Camping - 35 members

[hutch309.2]

It's been a while since I have posted anything on Airform and being a long time member I have kept some of the statistics when going through the Region. Gene Stubbs past Int'l President 1994-95 had membership statistics from 1996 membership at 12,204 and in 1990 at 15,159. The highest year was 1977 at 25,641. If any one is interested in having a copy of each Region totals, I'd be happy to send them to you.

[Coloradobus]

This is good news, but some of us have more than one full membership in a single household to skew the true total. I can think of three friends without any research.

[streamer23]

Originally Posted by Coloradobus

This is good news, but some of us have more than one full membership in a single household to skew the true total. I can think of three friends without any research.

In tabulating the totals, if a membership number has dual entries in the directory, that number was counted as one unless there was a (C) co-owner designation in the directory. I have used this approach every year.
These totals are 2014 Directory totals, a snapshot in time. As prefaced in this thread, there are many variables to 'skew' the actual number.

On any given day, it is impossible to know the 'true' number. One can only go by the info provided in the directory and use the same set of criteria each year to come up with a total.

In recent years, when I compare my total with the "official" number, they are very, very close.

[Denis4x4]

If AS is manufacturing 50 units a week as posted recently, the drop in membership is even more dramatic.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . Wow, I had no idea there were only 5,000 of US out there ! Interesting, I wonder how many actually have their 'red numbers' on their units. At my storage place are 5 Airstreams & none with #'s, one of whom actually is a member whom I know thru this forum. I do see a LOT more AS's without than with.... good discussion, thanks....Regards, Craig

[streamer23]

My stats regarding 'members' are actually membership numbers (the big red ones)
I'll give a few examples with the examples listed in the directory under one membership number.
a) A traditional family unit, husband/wife/2 kids (one entry in directory)
b) A brother and sister (both entered separately in directory) hence 2 entries
c) A couple of companions(both entered separately in directory) and 2 entries.

How many members would you say there are for each example? How is a) different than c) ? The directory entries are different for those examples.

I classify all 3 of the above examples as 1 membership (number). There are many of the b) and c) examples in the directory each year.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi again from AZ. . . OK, my mistake, the one person I know thru the Forums at my storage place is NOT a member ! He's so active here, I thought he was. So 5 other AS's, no members.....Sorry, You know what they say about assuming. . . Craig

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by RamblinManGa

Hi again from AZ. . . OK, my mistake, the one person I know thru the Forums at my storage place is NOT a member ! He's so active here, I thought he was. So 5 other AS's, no members.....Sorry, You know what they say about assuming. . . Craig

Sounds like a recruitment opportunity to me. Have some membership packets sent to you, and tape one to a window on each Airstream (sealed in a gallon-size Ziplock bag to protect it from the elements until the owner can find it). If you can manage to insert a recent copy of Blue Beret in each membership packet, so much the better.

If they're members and their trailers are just bald, no harm done. If they're not members, you just might turn them into members.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from ,well, you know. . . Good idea Pro (hope you don't mind if I call you Pro !) and let's get EVERYBODY to do that. Carry a few brochures with you for campgrounds, RV parks, gas stations, where ever. I'm ordering a couple dozen brochures, and hope all will so as well. thanks, Craig

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

If you can manage to insert a recent copy of Blue Beret in each membership packet, so much the better.

Now that I said that, what exactly does WBCCI do with all of the excess Blue Beret issues that they print? Bundle them up for a paper recycler? It's highly unlikely that the print run happens to work out to exactly the number needed. If the past issues can be used as promotional materials by including copies in the membership application packets, that's another form of recycling that may have more benefit than just turning them back into new paper.

Sorry for going off-topic. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled WBCCI Membership Stats programming.

[streamer23]

The Washington Unit (Unit #112) is the largest unit in the club with 272 members or membership numbers if you prefer.
The second largest unit is the Georgia Unit (Unit #32) with 245.

[78SovIntl31]

I sen't in the application for my very own red numbers this week!

[streamer23]

Members at large (MAL's) are members who do not belong to a specific unit. They are designated with a (000) in the directory.

The MAL number has been shrinking since 2008 when there were 548. In this years directory, there are 337.

In the past, MAL renewals in the club were lower than those that joined a unit. It seems that there is a lower percentage of MAL's joining each year and a higher percentage of new members are joining a unit instead.

[streamer23]

For the first year since I have been tracking unit membership strength there have been more units with a gain in membership than units that lost members.

In the past, there may have been up to 176 units operating. Since that time there has been a reduction approx. 60 or so units bringing us to the 2014 Directory total of 116 units. This would contribute, in part, to some of the remaining units gaining members. The other obvious factor is the amount of new members joining.

54 units showed a gain in membership
45 units had a reduction
15 units remained unchanged.

Remember , these are unofficial numbers.

[streamer23]

There are some units that have showed a nice gain in membership last year. Doing this every year, most of the units listed here are not unexpected as they have been gaining members at a regular basis and seem to have really healthy and vibrant units. That is my personal opinion only. Here are the units with a membership gain of 10 or more since the 2013 Directory.

Unit 004 - Four Corners Unit of New Mexico 114/2014 104/2013
Unit 009 - Heart of Texas Camping 71/2014 51/2013
Unit 011 - Northern California 95/2014 80/2013
Unit 024 - Denver Colorado 140/2014 120/2013
Unit 064 - New England 107/2014 83/2013
Unit 090 - Oregon 149/2014 127/2013
Unit 103 - Texas Gulf Coast 78/2014 67/2013

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by streamer23

There are some units that have showed a nice gain in membership last year. Doing this every year, most of the units listed here are not unexpected as they have been gaining members at a regular basis and seem to have really healthy and vibrant units. That is my personal opinion only. Here are the units with a membership gain of 10 or more since the 2013 Directory.

Unit 004 - Four Corners Unit of New Mexico 114/2014 104/2013
Unit 009 - Heart of Texas Camping 71/2014 51/2013
Unit 011 - Northern California 95/2014 80/2013
Unit 024 - Denver Colorado 140/2014 120/2013
Unit 064 - New England 107/2014 83/2013
Unit 090 - Oregon 149/2014 127/2013
Unit 103 - Texas Gulf Coast 78/2014 67/2013

Way to go NEU! :-)

[Protagonist]

Here's a question from the Peanut Gallery… What is the smallest Unit that experienced growth at all? Even one more member rather than ten more? I'm wondering if there's a point of diminishing returns, where a unit that's "too small" just doesn't have the resources— or possibly doesn't have the appeal— to successfully recruit new members faster than they lose old members.