Ex-WBCCI Members at WBCCI Rallies

[SilverCabin]

On my thread discussing the Jacksonville Ships Ahoy Rally sponsored by the Florida Unit Jacksonville's Ships Ahoy Rally I made this statement

This rally is open to all WBCCI members and non-WBCCI Airstream owners provided they haven't been WBCCI members in the past.

I seem to have poked some old wounds, and I would like to hear more. As most of you know, I am new to the WBCCI (2-year member) and am an officer in the FL Unit. I’m sincerely trying to understand all the politics and work toward change where I see it necessary…the list goes on and on.

I was told this is the rule for WBCCI sponsored rallies. Can someone confirm that? I was given this rule for the FL State Rally for which I am the registrar. However, I’m not sure how it could be enforced, since I don’t have any directory of ex-members.

I can see the logic in the rule: Extends a welcome to all new Airstream owners to come and find out what the WBCCI is about, and prevents someone from benefiting without paying their dues. If you are an ex-member, you know how to rejoin if you want to attend WBCCI events. What’s wrong with that?

Pick: I see numbers on your trailer in your avitar. I guess you are no longer a member. Why did you leave?

Gunnyusmc: Does the above answer your question? Any comments?

HowieE: I see you are a WDCU member. I like what your unit does and think you are on the right track. I want to take the FL Unit in that direction. What is the rule for ex-members in your rallies?

pmclemore: Sorry to leave you speechless.

Please come back with your thoughts on this. No flame wars please, that hopefully ended on November 4. Lets work together for change.

Randy

[moosetags]

Randy, things have been real quiet on the WBCCI front for a while now. Your comment on this Club Rule is sure to awaken the sleeping tigers. Thank you for providing excitement in this dull period on the Forums.

Brian

[pmclemore]

Randy,

I appreciate your obvious goodwill and thanks for your comments. I'd like to respond in kind.

I think I was disappointed with the policy because, if it were me, I'd welcome everyone - what better way to recruit back those members who, for one reason or another, decided not to cut the membership check? I think the ones who left didn't feel the cost was worth it. If I were recruiting (and club leadership says we all should) then what better environment to recruit than at a rally that is sure to be a hit?

I've never been to a Florida unit's rally. I suspect there are a lot of others, ex-members or not, who have not been. If you guys are proud of your unit, try inviting ex-members; perhaps they are just exes because they haven't partied with you guys.

Back to you.

Pat

[azflycaster]

From everything I have read, there is nothing in the club's Constitution or Bylaws that prohibits a former member from being a guest at a rally. They must attend in an Airstream to qualify as a guest. We have had many former members attend 4CU rallies, most of them are now 4CU members.

[rickandsandi]

Randy,
Past Members as noted in the Blue Book, are considered those who have either left the RV life-style or no longer own an Airstream. I would think that there is room for some clarification. It must be noted that a non-WBCCI rally attendee is there as an invited guest and as such is covered under the Umbrella Insurance each unit enjoys. Because of the insurance restrictions, the individual would then have to join WBCCI to attend any future rallies. This would also apply to any 'returning' member, someone who was a member in the past, is at the rally as a guest and would then have to join to attend any future rallies. Of course the whole idea to inviting a guest is to get them to join and should also apply to any of the 'lost sheep' of the club.

[overlander63]

We had to let our membership lapse, and are looking for a unit to join now that we've moved to a different part of the country. If I read your post correctly, we would have to rejoin our old unit an entire continent away, just so we could attend rallies with any units around us now, so we could choose a new one.
Our situation is rare, but I'm sure we're not the only ones who have had to drop out of the club, and move. It seems we are in a catch-22, we don't want to blindly join a unit just so we can attend rallies, only to find out we didn't want to join the unit we joined to find out if we wanted to join that unit. And we aren't allowed to attend rallies in order to find a unit we are comfortable with, because we aren't members, but were once.

[mustang]

I have never heard of that rule?? not to say it doesnt exist.

Why not make it a buddy Ralley?? then everyone can go.

[HowieE]

I can quote from written text but my impression of WDCU is the best rules are no rules.

Your impression of why none members are excluded simple to prevent them from taking advantage of the system without paying into the system may be the reasoning but that is not how it is projected.

If you want to see how a rally join us at the Cherry Blossom Rally of WDCUrally in April. I see you will be at the Can Opener.

I attended a FL. rally 2 years ago and felt sorry for the host because of the over handed rule application by Mr. Carson newly elected national membership chairman , not the host, towards a new Airstream owner, 2 weeks, and his none membership. Not a welcome or an explanation of what we would ask you to do to join us in the future but rather please leave because you are jeopardizing the rest of us. He left the next morning.

[rickandsandi]

Originally Posted by overlander63

We had to let our membership lapse, and are looking for a unit to join now that we've moved to a different part of the country. If I read your post correctly, we would have to rejoin our old unit an entire continent away, just so we could attend rallies with any units around us now, so we could choose a new one.
Our situation is rare, but I'm sure we're not the only ones who have had to drop out of the club, and move. It seems we are in a catch-22, we don't want to blindly join a unit just so we can attend rallies, only to find out we didn't want to join the unit we joined to find out if we wanted to join that unit. And we aren't allowed to attend rallies in order to find a unit we are comfortable with, because we aren't members, but were once.

Many folks will renew as MAL till they find a 'home'.

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by HowieE

II attended a FL. rally 2 years ago and felt sorry for the host because of the over handed rule application by Mr. Carson newly elected national membership chairman , not the host, towards a new Airstream owner, 2 weeks, and his none membership. Not a welcome or an explanation of what we would ask you to do to join us in the future but rather please leave because you are jeopardizing the rest of us. He left the next morning.

There's another airstreamer who will probably NEVER be a member...

I dropped out because we hadn't found time to attend any rallys in the last three years. I rejoined for a year, didn't go to any rallys, and decided enough was enough. I can't keep paying $80 a year and not participating, it's a waste of my money.

I do have some mixed feelings about it, because we met a lot of nice people, who I would be happy to see again, but I won't be welcome now because I'm not a member. But they are welcome to come to the forum rallys anytime they want, so I might see some of them there.

People pay their dues, and they have a right to expect that everyone they rally with has also agreed to the same rules, and paid their dues, and they are all covered by the rally insurance. I have been told insurance is a big concern when non-members are attending.

If you don't exclude anyone, it wouldn't be a club.

[ibgl6]

I belong to a club (non camping related) and for there "rally's" all are invited you just must sign a insurance liability wavier dont know if this helps or not. Also have so far not had to test its power....SAM

[rickandsandi]

Originally Posted by ibgl6

I belong to a club (non camping related) and for there "rally's" all are invited you just must sign a insurance liability wavier dont know if this helps or not. Also have so far not had to test its power....SAM

I don't know how far that little piece of paper will carry a club if something does go astray. No one ever wants anything to happen but sometimes poop happens. With all the law suits you read about in the papers these days nothing short of having the local Court Judge there is going to stop a civil law suit. I just read an API story the other day where a convicted criminal out on bail broke into a house with a knife, was shot and wounded in the house by the home owner and from jail while serving time for that crime sued the home-owner for bodily harm and threatening and WON!

[boatdoc]

Originally Posted by HowieE

I can quote from written text but my impression of WDCU is the best rules are no rules.

Your impression of why none members are excluded simple to prevent them from taking advantage of the system without paying into the system may be the reasoning but that is not how it is projected.

If you want to see how a rally join us at the Cherry Blossom Rally of WDCUrally in April. I see you will be at the Can Opener.

I attended a FL. rally 2 years ago and felt sorry for the host because of the over handed rule application by Mr. Carson newly elected national membership chairman , not the host, towards a new Airstream owner, 2 weeks, and his none membership. Not a welcome or an explanation of what we would ask you to do to join us in the future but rather please leave because you are jeopardizing the rest of us. He left the next morning.

Hi HowieE; I have attended WDCU Rally in North Norwich NY as a guest. The experience was incredible for me and my wife Kay. We would like to join WBCCI and WDCU. After two requests via E-mail to each organization, no reply was received. I guess someone categorized us as black sheep. But do not despair, we will be most likely very happy to continue to camp just the two of us. Thanks, "Boatdoc"

[bryanl]

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.