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Tin Hut · 12-22-2005, 06:48 AM

I followed the recent threads on WBCCI and the timing is interesting because a group of us in the DFW area have made some decisions to take action recently and start a new WBCCI unit of like minded members. For almost the past two years several of us locally have belonged to WBCCI and attended many of the local rallies. A group of us have also on our own had many "non-official" rallies or campouts of which many attendees are not WBCCI members and several are forum friends that have joined us. We have had many discussions about working for change within the existing WBCCI unit but have decided that the best course if we want to give WBCCI a chance is to start a new unit. I have developed many friends in the existing unit and frankly, I can not conclude that the structure they have for rallies or events is wrong or broken because it seems to work for them, so for me or a group of "younger" folks to ask them to change how they approach things may be a bit much. It’s like asking some older friends to redecorate their house because it doesn’t suit me….I guess I expect a generational difference in that regard. I guess one could argue that generally speaking the WBCCI is broke and that’s why there’s little if any growth even with the resurgence of old and new AS purchasers. However, in our local unit, this group of good people has established a routine that works for them, they find comfort in, and they seem to be happy to maintain.

That left several of us with a choice, to either not renew and keep camping like we have been with the informal group or give WBCCI another chance but start fresh. We went back and forth on that one because there doesn’t seem to be many advantages of belonging to WBCCI but the one tangible benefit (or requirement) is the ability to belong to the VAC, which many of us enjoy. There is a formal, but not too onerous of a process to get a new unit off the ground and we now have a provisional charter that will be voted on at the IBT . There is a template of minimum bylaws to join and we have adopted that. Other than that, by starting fresh there is flexibility in how the group operates. The things we wish to avoid are structure and puffery within the group. I don’t like the idea of camping with my family and having big signs in the windows of motorhomes or trailers announcing that a President or VP sleeps there. I find that kind of silly since this is an RV thing we’re dealing with here and it’s no more important than that. Our unit leaders have agreed to take a low key servant approach. We’ve also seen the pressure put on folks to be "hosts" for rallies and the load they have to carry.

Basically, our objective is to keep the formula that has worked for us on our informal campouts over the past couple of years. In a nutshell, we do campouts, mainly at state or natl. parks and avoid rallies at RV parks. Everyone that wishes to attend is responsible for making and paying for their own reservation based on when they plan to arrive/depart. We potluck our dinners and breakfasts. We do not conduct any business meetings during a campout (ours will be done on-line on a Yahoo site). We’ve had some small "caravans" over the past two years as well that worked fine with attendees being responsible for their own arrangements and schedule. Our objective is to keep the annual unit dues to under $1.00 per year. (maybe a can of baked beans as well)
We have had great times and have gotten along just fine without the policies, policing and structure for the past couple of years of these informal gatherings. In other words, the description of our weekends should be simply "Camping with Friends". As a matter of fact, the name of our unit is the Heart of Texas Campers. If any on the forum would like to join our group feel free to PM me with any questions.

smily · 12-22-2005, 06:54 AM

Congratulations, and glad to see it.

Change from within. An obvious demonstration of folks putting the effort forth. Even if the goal is in-formalization, it took a slight effort to make it happen.

Best of luck on your adventure.

baldeagle · 12-22-2005, 07:19 AM

VERY interesting approach.

Good job on focusing on issues, needs and differences w/o disparaging others.

That kind of approach will make you strong unit and ultimately make a stronger WBCCI for all of us to continue to enjoy.

Kathie and I will be at IBT and hope to see/hear more.

Dave

wahoonc · 12-22-2005, 07:21 AM

Change within the structure...kind of a remodel if you will.

Aaron

streamer23 · 12-22-2005, 07:23 AM

Bravo and the best of luck with the new unit.Sounds like it would be fun.

wheel interested · 12-22-2005, 07:42 AM

That is exactly the kind of unit I want to belong to. I hope your forward thinking spreads like wild fire and makes it way over to here.

47WeeWind · 12-22-2005, 08:32 AM

My gosh, that is so rational and straightforward that there is nothing left to argue about! I like it: if you hit a roadblock, take a few steps laterally, engage in minimal papershuffling, and proceed forward in the direction that suits you best. Congratulations on your spunk, drive and Heart.

This summer I was chatting with a WBCCI Regional officer. He recognized that a few Units in his Region are stuck in the past and resistant to change, hewing to "the way it was always done". He said he could only encourage them to adopt and change, not force them to. He recognized that if they continued to loose members and shrink in size, those Units eventually would wither away and die. He found that a very natural process. Units that failed to adopt would drop by the wayside and be replaced by other Units, existing or new, that got the picture.

This is the second new WBCCI Unit in recent years, the first being the WDCU Unit based in Washington, D.C. that was founded primarily by VAC members but is open to all. Minimizing pomp and circumstance will appeal to many Airstreamers. Congratulations Tin Hut on your new Heart of Texas Unit and best wishes for continued growth and recurring fun.

Silvertwinkie · 12-22-2005, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheel interested

That is exactly the kind of unit I want to belong to. I hope your forward thinking spreads like wild fire and makes it way over to here.

I agree. Nice one Hut! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, but with your own style.

Pahaska · 12-22-2005, 09:08 AM

Nothing will give me more pleasure than to add your new unit to the Region webpages. I'll give you plenty of press! When it happens, email me a paragraph or two to put on the unit page that boils down the gist of what you posted.

I think we should have enough folks of a similar mind in and around Austin to do the same thing. I wouldn't leave my current unit, but I sure would sign on as an Associate member of any such new unit that starts up in the Austin area.

What you are doing is the right approach. I would like to see similar units pop up at every metropolitan area.

What you are doing is almost how my previous TrailManor club operated. Dues were low and puffery was nonexistant. We had a quarterly newsletter with photos, totally volunteer produced, that would make the Blue Beret blush. We had two very informal region rallies a year plus a National rally every other year. Meals were pot lucks with the exception of some catered meals at the national rally. I could count all of the entire club officers, nationwide, on my fingers and toes.

**Stefrobrts** · 12-22-2005, 10:01 AM

Excellent news! Congrats!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Hut

There is a template of minimum bylaws to join and we have adopted that.

I'm curious to know just what the minimums are. How many hoops did you have to jump through?

wheel interested · 12-22-2005, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pahaska

Nothing will give me more pleasure than to add your new unit to the Region webpages. I'll give you plenty of press! When it happens, email me a paragraph or two to put on the unit page that boils down the gist of what you posted.

Good for you John. One can always count on you to actually get things done and done right.

Quote:

What you are doing is the right approach. I would like to see similar units pop up at every metropolitan area.

Hear Hear! BTW this is an abbreviation for "hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!" That goes for Tin Hut too.

Metro Detroit, are you listening?

Quote:

What you are doing is almost how my previous TrailManor club operated. Dues were low and puffery was nonexistant. We had a quarterly newsletter with photos, totally volunteer produced, that would make the Blue Beret blush. We had two very informal region rallies a year plus a National rally every other year. Meals were pot lucks with the exception of some catered meals at the national rally. I could count all of the entire club officers, nationwide, on my fingers and toes.

Aaaah, that sounds splendiferous!

Tin Hut · 12-22-2005, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Excellent news! Congrats!

I'm curious to know just what the minimums are. How many hoops did you have to jump through?

[/left]

You'd have to start by contacting the president of your region to solicit their assistance and sponsorship. There's a sample constititution and bylaws that you can get from WBCCI and use it for your starting point. Assuming there's no wholesale changes in the fundamentals on paper you submit it to the Reg. Pres. along with a list of 10-12 (I forget the exact number) of members (rigs) that have agreed to join the unit. You'll then receive a provisional charter as the app. goes thru an internal review & vote or sanctioning. I can keep you posted on the progress. We just got the provisional last week.

fruitpie1 · 12-22-2005, 04:54 PM

even as a airstream-dreamer, this type of civilized dialogue reinforces my good impression of the 'stream community. This is one of the few forums which doesn't dissolve into flaming.

3Ms75Argosy · 12-22-2005, 06:09 PM

I really want to know if all of Tin Hut's members get "use" of the kitchen assistant Tin Hut uses to prep meals.

Seriously - this sounds like a fun unit - good luck! I'm sure your numbers will climb with your energy!
Marc

66Overlander · 12-22-2005, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheel interested

Metro Detroit, are you listening?

Carol,
Not sure if you're talking about the Metro Detroit "area" or the WBCCI unit. We are in the process of joining the Metro Detroit WBCCI unit hoping that they're more like what Tin Hut describes, than our current unit. If you're talking about starting a new unit like Tin Hut's in the Metro Detroit area, keep talking . . .

wheel interested · 12-22-2005, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Carol,
Not sure if you're talking about the Metro Detroit "area" or the WBCCI unit. We are in the process of joining the Metro Detroit WBCCI unit hoping that they're more like what Tin Hut describes, than our current unit. If you're talking about starting a new unit like Tin Hut's in the Metro Detroit area, keep talking . . .

Hey that's great Joe! I haven't been to a unit doings yet, but I have met quite a few of our members now. We'll have to keep each other posted and see what's up. I kind of wish Andy was still president, he and Claudia are so cool.

streamer23 · 01-25-2006, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Hut

You'd have to start by contacting the president of your region to solicit their assistance and sponsorship. There's a sample constititution and bylaws that you can get from WBCCI and use it for your starting point. Assuming there's no wholesale changes in the fundamentals on paper you submit it to the Reg. Pres. along with a list of 10-12 (I forget the exact number) of members (rigs) that have agreed to join the unit. You'll then receive a provisional charter as the app. goes thru an internal review & vote or sanctioning. I can keep you posted on the progress. We just got the provisional last week.

Tin Hut...I would be interested in hearing if there has been any progress in the organization of your new unit.

rebel beck · 01-25-2006, 06:34 AM

Sure wish your group was close to us, we would join in a second, just what we had been looking for. Our closest wbcci group president just point came out and told me they were an older group, and after he found out we had a 7 year old son he stated there where no kids and they all liked it quite. I got his point real quick. And decided real quick we would just enjoy our reg. campouts without being a member.

Becky

Oh yea I hate the signs in windows also President, Vp etc.

05ModPod · 01-25-2006, 06:46 AM

Hi Tin Hut - A #1 that is why you have been quiet on the forums - you've been doin lots of splainin!!!!

That is an excellent approach - and seems to be the only succesful approach these days.

I believe that the Washington DC folk are made up from quite a few of the Ontario Unit members who left.

After two years I have had serious thoughts of starting a new Unit - one just like your Tin Hut - one that gives a choice. Without the badmouthing and infighting between the units.

The first members I met from the Washington DC Unit - had nothing great to say about the Ontario Unit - and quite frankly as a member of that Unit it left a sour taste. Again another group of Vintage within our Unit - also have nothing nice to say about our Unit.

But you hit it Tin Hut - which I recognized in our Unit at our first Rally. Their system works for them! and who are we to change it. But we can continue the system to meet our new needs as campers today.

My question to anyone out their - is the Province of Ontario has 1 Unit - where as States can have several units within the state. Our Province is Huge and I would llike to move toward starting satelite Units within the Province - more like an affiliate unit - that can meet the needs of its geographical members. I strongly feel that smaller units can easily take on a less formal and more personal "camping" flavour that everyone seems to be longing for.

What would it take to make new units within another units territory - and how are territories assigned?

66Overlander · 01-26-2006, 09:36 PM

It's interesting that I just had a phone conversation with a WBCCI member from Ohio who also had the same observation that if you cannot find a unit that meets your needs, it may be better to start your own unit than try to change an existing one, because what "they've" already got must be working for "them". And to be clear here we were talking about local units, not the mother club. I think a lot of us want to remain associated with the mother club that has the rich history.

I think there are fundemental reasons retirees (especially the older ones) may like things to be run differently at the local level than those of us that are still working. Neither is wrong, they are just different.

For Lorrie and I, we still like some of the larger, longer national rallies (7-10 days in length) that are focused around some sort of event. We can attend these once or twice a year by making them part of our larger vacation plans. But for local rallies, we want something more oriented around weekends only, so that they do not gobble up all of our remaining vacation time. But I can see how retirees might like to keep things in the middle of the week, even for local rallies, so that the fees are less, the camping is less crowded, and they can perhaps even be back home for the weekend.

So is anyone in or near Michigan thinking of starting up a new WBCCI unit?