Good-bye WBCCI

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by racoco

You can't even claim membership to this forum on the WBCCI forums without being censored. I simply used the same "signature" on the WBCCI forums as you see here and it was edited for me by Cortes, who informed me the WBCCI forum TOS does not allow the mention of competing clubs or forums. Oh well.... WBCCI leadership doesn't pay attention in their own forum either, so I guess it doesn't matter.

That is itself funny - there is only one competing forum and it isn't AIR. In fact, Air was the first real forums on Airstreams, anything that came after is actually competition. The WBCCI forums were supposed to be for the WBCCI - a club forums. If it is not that it is news to me.

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by Forrest

I got my 2010 WBCCI Membership Directory in the mail today. I counted 16 fewer pages of member listings than the 2009 Directory. I'm stunned. Did I count wrong? If each page averages about 55 member listings per page then 2010 has about 880 fewer members. Does anyone know what the numbers actually are?

From a letter from Cindy Reed at WBCCI headquarters:

Each year headquarters sends out a letter to all members who have not paid their dues. This letter also includes a request that the member let us know why they did not renew. Following is the response received this year:
Letters mailed to 1,140 members
Received 239 responses (21%)
59 renewed
69 Airstream sold
20 Age or health
8 Death of spouse
4 Unhappy with club
1 Will rejoin later
3 No comment
13 Lifestyle, economy, time
8 No notice from unit
18 Pd unit; not sent to headquarters
36 Mail returned

According to this, we have certainly lost something in the realm of 1000 members.

[byamcaravanner]

Originally Posted by 65GT

What petty dung, huh?

Right... funny how when I posted the accurate caravan costs after someone posted low-ball numbers I was told I was being petty and my post was deleted.

Seems on the WBCCI forum, petty is in the eye of the beholder.

[mistermike]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

Each year headquarters sends out a letter to all members who have not paid their dues. .....Letters mailed to 1,140 members

1,140 members are a lot to lose. I am assuming that these are members that did not "re-up" in 2009. It would be good to know a total to put this in the proper perspective. Can anyone come up with the figure?

Just for interest does anyone have the total number of members in the WBCCI over the last several years? What was it at its peak? When would that have been?

MisterMike

[SilverRanger]

"PS. I'm bringing the mother of all pototo cannons."

Propane or hair spray?

[RickDavis]

Originally Posted by mistermike

Just for interest does anyone have the total number of members in the WBCCI over the last several years? What was it at its peak? When would that have been?

MisterMike

I don't know the membership numbers, and of course some of the losses will be offset by new members.

I do know that when I attended my first International Rally in Bozeman there were over 3900 trailers.(1973)
At the last International in Bozeman (2008) There were about 800.
A loss of close to 80% when there are more trailers on the road now.
Is there a message in there somewhere??

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by mistermike

1,140 members are a lot to lose. I am assuming that these are members that did not "re-up" in 2009.
MisterMike

Think of the upside: of those 1140 members, 59 were reminded to renew. So if you were to actually look at that in a positive manor it was only 1081.

1081 is a lot less than 1140

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by RickDavis

I don't know the membership numbers, and of course some of the losses will be offset by new members.

I do know that when I attended my first International Rally in Bozeman there were over 3900 trailers.(1973)
At the last International in Bozeman (2008) There were about 800.
A loss of close to 80% when there are more trailers on the road now.
Is there a message in there somewhere??

Rick.

It's not the price of gasoline.

Back in the early 70's, when the gasoline prices were going up and up, the club did a survey.

The question was, "How much would you be willing to pay for gasoline, so that you could still attend the national rally?"

The answer was $5.00 (five dollars) per gallon. That was a surprise to many people.

So, the price of gasoline today, is not the answer.

I am not sure there is a single answer, but I am sure that all to many members, are "very" unhappy with the club.

This past February, the Hobo rally had right at 60 coaches, instead of the usual 300 or so.

Oh me.

Andy

[Rusty9]

Rob- I quit two years ago for many of the same reasons. Good luck with any and all new endevours and I support your decision.
Marv

[JStanley]

If WBCCI loses 10% membership in year one, it takes a 11% gain in year two to get back to year one’s total
If they lose another 10% in year two it will take a 23% gain in year three to get back to year one’s total.
And if they lose another 10% in year three it will take a 37% gain in year four to get back to year one’s total.

Not hard to understand a trend and the difficulty of reversing such a negative trend in this example.

So what are the WBCCI captains going to do? “Maintain course and speed.” “Damn to torpedoes” “Steady as she goes (down)”
What will the crew do: “Abandon ship” and “Any port in a storm.”

[wheel interested]

Originally Posted by silverbear

This is one of my favorite Tee's

Maybe we could ask our forum artist "ArtStream" to do a flag like this.

This is one of my favorite shirts. Leo designed it. I have worn mine. I think it's very cool. Was that in time for the name change vote in Salem Oregon Leo? I think so I think that was in answer to who is Wally Byam and in reply to the rationale that leadership was tired of telling others who Wally was or what the WBCCI was and stood for so that is why we needed an easier name to be identified with.

Membership seems to fall off directly because of the leadership and their initiatives each year. It's rather perplexing that they think these ideas will bring more members and more money to the club and yet they drive away loyal members. I think listening to membership and serving them rather than writing up motions for dues increases and in the rationale expecting and accepting to drive away 100 good members because of raising the dues and not caring about them but moreso wanting to get more money out of the members that can still afford to remain is simply the WRONG course of action. Sacrifice a meal ... not members!! Cut the spending and the fat.

[wheel interested]

Ah yes the menacing clown, my favorite...not.

Well with the way the current trend is going, you may have to start a full fledge campaign to recruit supporters and retain members to Save Wally in 2010!

[munimula]

Originally Posted by wheel interested

Ah yes the menacing clown, my favorite...not.

Funny you should mention 'menacing clown'. that was Leo's costume at the Metro NY Boo Rally in 2009. Quite scary I might add.

[wheel interested]

Leo's a very scary individual. Got pictures?????

[robandzoe]

Originally Posted by mistral blue

I've got extra WBCCI fives, threes and nines kaffe. I'm thinking about just putting the #3 on the front and rear of my Argosy. Nothing is there now. It's the number I wore throughout my schooldaze.

You don't have to be a member of WBCCI to put red, white or even blue numbers on YOUR trailer. You can put on, or take off, anything your heart desires.

Shoot me a PM with your address and I'll send them through the mail.

P.S. I love your signature line.

I've got lots and lots of the numbers 2, 8, and 0... I ordered for like 5 trailers....

[munimula]

Originally Posted by robandzoe

I've got lots and lots of the numbers 2, 8, and 0... I ordered for like 5 trailers....

I'll take 'em Rob as I asked the club for your old number. just kidding...i got Frank's.

[Buttercup]

HA! Carol - Funny, I still have VOTE NO buttons if anybody wants any!!! FREE (just pay postage).

[wheel interested]

I am holding onto my stickers and buttons and waiting to make a mint on selling them on e-bay, when you all are famous in the next decade or so.I guess that will be sometime after they drop the prefex from imfamous.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Funny reflection on this entire experience...
Those people I viewed as family (my former Unit) have with exception of one not reached out to me at all. Just one, "hey Frank, sorry to see you go. We will always camp together, club or no club."I was shocked by that. I had the false pretense that they all valued my participation in the activities of the Unit. Oddly enough, one has even mocked me and the choice I made. However on the flip side, so many total strangers have reached out. The PM's have been very touching from people I have not known before. I thought it would be the other way around. I have learned a great deal from all of this.

I also find it interesting how many use that Wally ecomotion. I guess by hitting that button you are speaking and traveling with the spirit of Mr Byam himself.

[mistermike]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Funny reflection on this entire experience...
Those people I viewed as family (my former Unit) have with exception of one not reached out to me at all.

I am sorry that you are experiencing this. It often comes with doing what you believe to be right despite what others may think. It's hard to explain how people you thought were friends can react. I mean, geez, it's not like you are a child molester or something like that.

Just wait until one of them needs something repaired and you are the only one around who can do it.

What goes around comes around.

Always remember: Illegitimi non carborundum

MrMike