The vote is now behind us...so what is the next step? I think a quote from another thread, by the NEU delegate, sums it up rather nicely: "Now to get back to the real work of making this a club more folks want to be a part of."
Along those same lines, I want to mention a book I'm reading called "Bowling Alone," by Robert Putnam. He discusses the social changes in society that show how Americans have become more disconnected from family, friends and social structures such as Lions Club, Knight of Columbus, PTA, bowling leagues, Masons, etc. WBCCI is yet another social structure that is going thru the same declining membership pains. These clubs and organizations had an explosive growth period in the 50's and 60's and they are all now suffering from a membership decline. The author blames the membership decline on pressures of time and money, mobility and sprawl, along with technology and mass media.
I'm still working my way through the book so haven't reached the part yet where the author offers up possible solutions to the social disconnection problem. Has anyone finished the book yet? What did you think of it?
The challenge is now before us -- what can we do to make this a club more folks want to be a part of?
Glad you brought it up. You mentioned this book to me before and I couldn't remember the title/author. I may take up reading again, if I can drag myself away from the mobility, sprawl, technology mass media...
Well, we can start by shutting down Airstreamforums.com, so people will have to join the club and go to rallies to talk about all things alluminum...
good heavens, what am I saying?!?!?
Seriously, though, this is part of it. society is just changing. we have busier lives, spread across more geography...commutes, long hours, etc. We fill the void (in part) with the internet. its just a different kind of community.
Well, we can start by shutting down Airstreamforums.com, so people will have to join the club and go to rallies to talk about all things alluminum...good heavens, what am I saying?!?!? Seriously, though, this is part of it. society is just changing. we have busier lives, spread across more geography...commutes, long hours, etc. We fill the void (in part) with the internet. its just a different kind of community.
The Internet has enabled communities of narrow and specific interests to form and prosper without regard to geographic distance, whereas the older "bowling league" and community service organizations were based primarily on geographical proximity coupled with a lack of wide choices or variety that was available only in communities having large population density, i.e., very large cities. I'm more social today but have less human contact with nearby folks, replaced by more electronic contact with distant folks who share common interests. I get fewer colds but more viruses.
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Fred Coldwell, WBCCI #1510, AIR #2675
Denver, Colorado - WBCCI Unit 24
Charter Associate Member FCU
Vintage Airstream Club Historian
Airstream Life "Old Aluminum Adventures"
My problem with a lot of in-person social groups is that you have to meet up with the expectations of people. You have to dress right, act right, say grace at their meals and stand for a pledge of allegiance, hold hands for group prayers, and explain why we have no kids. People treat me funny when I show up by myself to a car club meeting (which is 99% guys, and some wives who tag along). Even at the WBCCI I've seen rallys where the guys go do one activity (like a maintenance seminar) while the ladies do another (shopping or a tea party). You can guess how that works, I want to go to the seminar and my hubby wants to go shopping.
On the internet you can just be yourself. Nobody cares if you're a man or woman, black or white, short or tall, old or young. It's like we've found a better way to socialize. And we can do it for free and in our leasure time without leaving the house.
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The author blames the membership decline on pressures of time and money, mobility and sprawl, along with technology and mass media.
...
The challenge is now before us -- what can we do to make this a club more folks want to be a part of?
With the time and money problem, I think it would be good to look at how rallies are done. I fall into the 40-something with kids and busy life category and I'm finding the rallies that fit us best are the rendezvous or renegade rallies. The more planned-out the rallies are, the harder it is to commit to them and all the planning that revolves around them.
Technology and mass media seem to me more of a help than a hindrance in getting people together to revive the clubs (e.g. Airstreamforums, SaveWally.org ). But with mostly older, volunteer-based clubs, it's taking a heck of a long time for technology to come into place and be used effectively in the workings of the club. The forum works well, people come together naturally because they have a common interest (Airstream) and can pick and choose their topics and the people they'll hang out with over the net. This isn't something that happens easily with a WBCCI unit. All kinds of people at different points-of-view and stages of life set aside time to get out with their Airstream and other owners of Airstream, and they sometimes have very different ideas about what they want from the rally and club experience. It's a lot of commitment going in when the only thing you know for sure you have in common with other members are geographic proximity and Airstream ownership.
Sorry for the rambling. It's a good topic, Yuki. Lots to think about.
My wife and I just returned from a car club tour and will host the cars tomorrow as they head back to AZ. A friend with a new AS will be arriving today to hang out with our car club buddies and await the arrival of the Great Race tomorrow afternoon. BTW, several of the car club members also own AS's and one of our tours was to the Shady Dell in Bisbee AZ.
Quite frankly, organizations like WBCCI tend to become so organized that they turn people off. Fun is in doing spur of the moment activities. I can phone or email some friends and have something going by the end of the month that will include 9 -12 AS owners along with owners of SOB.
We've been RV'ing for 20 + years and have had more than our share of fun. I've come to the conclusion that AS ownership and WBCCI membership have unintentionally become elitist. I have just as much fun with owners of SOB as I do with AS owners.
Let's see how long it takes to see the "save wally" icons go away.
I think we "Bowl Alone" because we can. My guess is that in the past you were forced to interact more. Now there are so many choices in life to occupy your time. Not all of them good. Neither is the loss of the social group a good thing. I am very isolated in my social life. I have friends from my surfing, but we just run into eachother at the beach and that's about it. A party once or twice a year put on by a more social surfer than the others. My wife and I 'Stream alone. And actually do bowl alone from time to time. Other people usually wind up complicating my life. Cold hearted SOB, aren't I? Jamie
Has anyone finished the book yet? What did you think of it?
I'd hoped to knock off quite a bit on the plane but it never got out of the bag. So far it's a pretty good read and certainly explains and explores the entire realm of issues.
This 2000 publication was followed up with, I believe, BetterTogether. Here are the links for inquiring minds...
I haven't gotten that far yet, but it sure is better to see people have done all the background research and can explain what is going on instead of chicken littles continually screaming the club is dying. It's not dying -- it's just receeding back to a core group of real supporters -- doers.
Maybe the club winds up at the 2,000 - 3,000 level eventually. Maybe at the end of the day that's not such a bad thing. If we can get some changes through that reduce the 50's pomp and circumstance and create some guides that truly would help a prospective member (what we do, not who we are) that could go a long way to increasing membership.
Ah, we just have to find a group of leaders that want to listen (hand cupped to ear)...
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My problem with a lot of in-person social groups is that you have to meet up with the expectations of people.
Boo -- hiss hiss -- boo!
You show up with a smile and a friendly conversation and that's all anyone cares about.
If other minor events are uncomfortable they pass quickly (you're not alone) and then you can get back to the fun. You're right about the mechanics are typically guys, but I'm guessing you've been in that situation for at least a decade (and I'll never push it beyond that! ) so you've gotten used to that too.
Yeah, the internet can replace in-person contact to a degree but until you can type as fast as you talk and get replies back as fast as you've sent them it will still be a different time-retarded experience. There's nothing like getting out there and meeting people and having a good time.
I can't think of a single exchange here that's been more fun than any single event I've attended. Right now the past few days is at the top of my list. A lot of surprises and a lot of good conversations. Hell, I didn't even get wacked, but I'm thinking I may have a warning level I don't know about somwhere else.
Sorry I didn't get to meet you this trip but I did find you a way in!
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Let's see how long it takes to see the "save wally" icons go away.
Sorry to disappoint -- start marking your calendar -- we're on to phase II.
Standardizing club voting procedures. Yeah, it's not as exciting, it will be very difficult to get most to follow down that path with any real interest, but we'll be working on it. Once people realize the club isn't dying -- that the membership downward trend is something clubs and organizations have and will continue to face -- the faster people will get on with having fun.
The system is set up for elitism -- it really is this voting system that's the culprit. Leaders have their own visions and leaders share their visions with other leaders and then they act. What they just witnessed with the name change was the membership saying 'hell no' right back at them.
Sure there was Leaderland in Salem where the IBT all had their motorhomes (yet there were a few surprise leadership trailers present) and they were surrounded by Region leaders, etc., but it was refreshing to hear at least one Region officer (no I'm not going to mention you here Phil! ) get up and other than bashing SaveWally he also bashed everything that's elitership about the current system.
I think a wise guy named Fred once said something along the lines of you can bitch all you want looking in from the outside or you can join and help make things the way you think they should be. If that wasn't Fred let me know and I'll slap him with negative karma for putting me under that impression.
I think you'll find that amongst regular members (we are the majority by the way) there are a whole bunch of campers that happen to love their trailers and like to hang with people that feel the same way. Elite? I don't think so -- it's just the 50's regimented pomp and circumstance and these AWFUL uniforms people subject themselves to that move opinions in that direction. Flag rules are also a big sticking point, but that's somebody else's pet peeve at the moment and I missed how that motion turned out on the floor. I'll have to get the scoop on that one.
SaveWally was out of pure frustration by being told that this name WILL change -- well that didn't happen. We weren't the reason it didn't happen but we were sure able to provide a lot of documents and links that allowed others to figure it out for themselves. We had Unit Presidents pointing their members to OUR site in THEIR newsletters to get information that wasn't being provided by the WBCCI. We had a LOT of help in all of this but SaveWally at a minimum provided a place to go for information and updates.
So get your crayon out and let me know when you get to 365 days. When the voting gets fixed you might see us fade away. It won't run at the same frantic pace you just saw us go through. We had a deadline on the name change -- we don't have one on voting procedures. I think Perry, GA in 2007 is a pretty good tentative goal to get that to the floor. We'll hope to get every Unit President involved for their feedback and suggestions as we try to implement members' rights.
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I attended a rally seminar here at International where the presenter is a big supporter of change and in the short time we had tried to help folks think outside of the box.
I saw a young woman (20 something) represent her Unit as their delegate - speak against the name change and share her view of the importance of Wally Byam to our club.
I've had members of other Units come up to me and ask how the NEU is attracting new members - really trying to understand our success, ready to make an effort to impact change in their own Unit so that they can be sucessful in attracting and retaining new members.
But, these are still just pockets of light. During the Delegates Meeting (5 bum-numbing hours sitting on bad chairs wearing white shirts, red ties and blue berets, listening to Roberts Rules and Points of Order - and this is a camping club?) the fellow who proposed the name change addressed the group and said something that I believe just may be true. He said (and this is not an exact quote): "Some of the older members understand the club is dying, but instead of accepting change for the survival club they are just hoping the club out lives them."
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). But with mostly older, volunteer-based clubs, it's taking a heck of a long time for technology to come into place and be used effectively in the workings of the club. The forum works well, people come together naturally because they have a common interest (Airstream) and can pick and choose their topics and the people they'll hang out with over the net. This isn't something that happens easily with a WBCCI unit. All kinds of people at different points-of-view and stages of life set aside time to get out with their Airstream and other owners of Airstream, and they sometimes have very different ideas about what they want from the rally and club experience. It's a lot of commitment going in when the only thing you know for sure you have in common with other members are geographic proximity and Airstream ownership.
It's a good topic, Yuki. Lots to think about. 
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