This particular topic has some rather important implications in several areas. The event insurance topic is one. Recruitment is another. Then there is the freeloader's paradox (e.g. see PNAS) to consider. Some is also related to the threads about dues and voting and the privilege versus responsibilities balance in the association.
There are several questions the event planner must consider. One is how to honor the value of a membership and figure out how to communicate that value to visitors or others in a civil and appropriate manner. This last gets more difficult when you have people that do not understand or do not accept that membership may have a value related to the existence of the event. The latter group includes not only the 'freeloaders' but also the members who do not respect the association sufficiently to follow its customs and rules.
The other question is how to accommodate guests and stay within reasonable rules. Part of that is making sensible rules (and, sorry, but not having a rule to cover a contingency is not good practice). Part is the manner of enforcement of rules and customs and that requires a well established values basis understood and accepted by all.
As for the rule in question, I think it is important to consider its scope. Where does it apply and when? If there is another RV owner in the same park as your rally, does the rule mean you have to ostracize them? Are the campground facilities you use restricted to renters or are they open to other campers or to the public? What do you do if you are having an 'official' function and someone wanders in? Does that function require payment or is it included in some other fee or is it voluntary?
And all of this has to fit within a proper support for the purpose of the club. That gets to be a challenge when many do not fully understand what that purpose really is.
Randy----
Given your stated goals for the unit, keep it simple. Be inclusive. If someone with an Airstream wants to attend one of your events, just say welcome.
Boatdoc;
I would have to agree with Mike. I know you are a substantial distance from the Four Corners Area but we have members for areas more than just the 4 Corners Area. I would say that the local unit might have slipped up and did not return the e-mail. Any inquiry like this sent to our unit would be answered within 24-48 hours. That is why we have had such a significant growth in members. One thing about it is we have rallies year round in the 4 Corners Area. Granted winter time is not condusive for rallies in Colorado but in Arizona and Southern New Mexico there is excellent winter camping and you don't freeze your butt off.
Just so you know some units are pro growth.
Bob Member Four Corners Unit/CAC WBCCI # 10105 AIR # 28748
People make stuff up in the WBCCI all the time. It's a way of maintaining controll and a feeling of authority. Cann't imagine why anyone would want to join unit after running into that at a rally. It is particularly telling that a unit officer doesn't know what is and isn't a rule. Makes one subject to the manipulation of those who believe it's their club because they have always done it that way. This "insurance" issue is a prefect example. Has another who has posted on this read the policy?
ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES Sec. 8 A unit member may invite a non-member Airstream recreational vehicle owner, as a prospective Bylaws member, to attend rallies and other activities of the unit. A unit member will not invite the same non-Airstream RV owner(s) to more than one buddy rally per year. (1/17/03) Sec.12 A. A unit, once each calendar year, may host a rally or caravan or combination thereof with a Bylaws recreation vehicle club not chartered by the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, Inc., and it may conduct, twice each calendar year, (but not more than 50% of the rallies and caravans conducted by that unit in any calendar year) a buddy rally or a buddy caravan or combination thereof to which each member of the unit may invite not more than one non-member recreation vehicle family. (7/5/02)
The non-member RV family to be invited is intended to be one, which is a prospective member, and one which does not own an Airstream. The family is invited to the buddy rally or caravan to introduce them to the WBCCI "Way of Life" and the unit members in the hope they might decide to purchase an Airstream and join the club. A buddy rally is not intended to be used by current or past WBCCI members to attend a WBCCI rally in their non-Airstream vehicles. (7/5/02)
People make stuff up in the WBCCI all the time. It's a way of maintaining controll and a feeling of authority.
The shrinks could have a field day with this sort of pronouncement!
IMHO, it is this type of delving into other's motivations, feelings, and desires that is a primary source of much discord and miscommunication. We should stick to what we can actually see, not generalize about groups based on some arbitrary criteria, and be careful not to cast judgments about the character or qualities of others.
Forrest, one of the areas that confuses folks is that the bylaws and the policies are intermingled at the source. The quote you have is chopped up a bit and that may add to the confusion. It is a good idea for anyone facing the issue to take a good objective and careful look at the blue book so they know what is constitutional, what is bylaws, and what is policy.
As in the allegations about people making stuff up, I find that when I chase down the issue it is usually from an improper understanding or interpretation. It is amazing what you can find out if you learn the background, read carefully, and listen to others to find out what they are actually trying to say.
Forrest, if that is all that is said about it, I see nothing about former WBCCI members attending a rally, especially if invited. It does say they can't attend without their Airstream, which does make sense. It is, after all, an Airstream club.
Afterall it's just camping. We should have fun. I gotta post this, a web grab off of WBCCI.org. We need to loosen up and change the authoritarian image. Has much changed through the years? Put the picture in color and it would look the same today. (thanks Leo)
__________________ CJ The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.-Eleanor Roosevelt It is never too late to be who you might have been.-George Eliot
I am an Airstream owner but I know I would be turned away from a WBCCI Rally because Im not a member ,or was not invited by a member, therefore I won't waste the money to even travel to one. I have tried to contact my local ,without success,like boatdoc my e-mails have been ignored. Requests for info have been ignored. If I were to join, I would want to support my local unit therefore I would not join WDU or 4C ,no offence ment Im sure they are great units. But why would I join a unit 500 miles away.Therefore we will be content to camp at Forums Rallys, enjoy the great WBCCI members we have met and keep our $80 dues or what ever it is and use it to camp and not have to worry about rules or dress codes and the like. We are just gonna have fun campin.
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Roger & MaryLou
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F350 CREWCAB SW LONG BED
7.3 liter Power Stroke Diesel
1977 27ft OVERLANDER KA8LMQ AIR # 22336
My your roads be straight and smooth and may you always have a tailwind!
Once again it evolves to an evil empire scenario. Why is this?
Roman, Your email was caught in a little thing called a spam filter. See, you never mentioned the word WDCU or WBCCI in your emails. I think you have to admit that when you came to our installation rally you were treated as if one of the family. I do not think a single person even once wondered if you were or were not a member of the club. I think you and your wife had a great time too. I know I truly enjoyed spending the day with you during our day trip to Howe caverns. I hope you will try again, or just come to another event and join in person. I also hope we can do a day trip together again some time.
Roger, I am stating this again, easy to bitch about something you do not participate in. I WILL PAY YOUR DUES, so you can bitch from a perspective of knowledge first hand. Send me your info and I will mail the check out today.
Carol, that statement with that photo was perceived by me to be the spark to get people riled up. I think you were showing those guys doing the pledge of allegiance as old hat and stiff. That we are still stiff and starched like that photo. Was that the intention? Maybe it us, the modern crop that have what the club is all about wrong. I mean, it seems we need a name change. Everyone fought so hard to stop the name change, but it should be changed. The Wally Byam Caravan Club needs to be changed to the Wally Byam Camping Club. As everyone keeps saying it is a camping club. Oh wait, it was formed by caravaners was it not? And it should be fun, but only we can have fun if we chose to. I am glad to read you joined a local unit and I hope your intense passion helps grow that unit into exactly what you want the club to be.
In this past year with the WDCU I observed many people come for open house to attend the next rally in the rig they just bought. I witnessed a fifth wheel toy hauler owner go out and buy a 64 tradewind the next week, so he could come camp with us. I have seen many non WBCCI members join on the spot or between the rallies. I think this comes from an openness and friendly group that welcomes strangers in so they can stop being strangers and start being part of the family. I think the rules are often put aside to be replaced by what is right and wrong. Most of us know what is right and what is wrong.
Randy I hope you open your arms to anyone that wants to come. That is how your unit will grow.
Once again it evolves to an evil empire scenario. Why is this?
Carol, that statement with that photo was perceived by me to be the spark to get people riled up. I think you were showing those guys doing the pledge of allegiance as old hat and stiff. That we are still stiff and starched like that photo. Was that the intention?
Want to see a better image of the club's makeup take a look at page 24 of the November Blue Beret. That's the mix that is going on and most of the faces I see when people like the club. Also the front cover photo is a much better representation of the club than the photo posted by Carol.
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