International Rally

[RickDavis]

Now that the rally is officially started does anyone have an updated trailer count??


In Ohio heading for the Bash

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

No one has asked the potential members, what they want in a club. Personally, I think we need to find out what potential members want. Then we need to see if it is possible to restructure the club and its activities to match their desires, while not losing our current members.

Part of the problem is: (1) how do you identify a potential member; and (2) how do you gather information from a potential member, without turning them away from club membership?

Being a new member myself, I would suggest this… For each new member (easier to identify and contact than potential members), ASK them what they want from the club. Then, LISTEN to what they have to say, and ACT on what we've heard.

This will go a long way to putting an end to people who join for a year then get out because the club doesn't meet their needs, and will make the club more appealing to folks who are considering joining.

The difference between a democracy, an autocracy, and a dictatorship is: in a democracy, change happens from the bottom up; in an autocracy, change happens from the top down; and in a dictatorship change doesn't happen. Which is WBCCI going to be?

I personally haven't been on a caravan. I still work for a living, for an organization that quite rightly makes me schedule my time off in well advance except for emergencies. Maybe caravans are fun, I don't know (yet), but they do tend to cater to people who have much free time and few commitments, i.e. retirees. So, despite the word "Caravan" being in the club's name, I didn't join WBCCI for the caravans.

As for technical knowledge being what makes WBCCI worthwhile, yes and no. Knowlege of any kind is worthwhile, the only wasted knowledge is knowledge that isn't shared. However, if I have a problem with my Airstream, WBCCI is not the first place I check to get an answer; that honor falls to the AirForums. So, I didn't join WBCCI for the knowledge base, either.

I joined WBCCI for the people. Anywhere I go, if I see an Airstream with big red numbers on it, I can walk over, introduce myself, and say, "Hello, friend!" As a solo camper, I don't mind spending time by myself; I can keep myself endlessly amused. But when I want company, with people who share at least one common interest, thanks to WBCCI I know where to find them. In the end, ANY club, not just WBCCI, is about the fellowship.

[eubank]

We've got a really simple way of recruiting members from among non-club Airstreamers who stay here. If they stay for a week or so, the amount they save from the club discount pays for their year's membership in the club. We fill out the application for them; they supply the check; and we stick it in the mail.


Lynn

[Nuvite-F]

Originally Posted by RickDavis

Now that the rally is officially started does anyone have an updated trailer count??

In Ohio heading for the Bash

420 on the board yesterday, probably go up some today.

Let us know how many you get at the Birthday Bash.
.

[Nuvite-F]

Update: 448 showing on the board this morning.
.

[Buttercup]

Just an FYI - the Executive Committee meeting and the IBT Meeting that immediately followed is uploaded to WBCCI.org now. Its one file so there is a 10 minute silence in between the two meetings. The EC meeting was REALLY short.

[RickDavis]

Originally Posted by Nuvite-F

Update: 448 showing on the board this morning.
.

The International attendance has been going downhill since 1976 when it was over well 4000.

It appears the slide has drastically accelerated in the last 3 years with attendance now down another 50% since 2009.
A 50 % drop in 3 years

Undoubtedly there are many reasons that would contribute to this.

Part of the problem could be as simple as "been there, done that" you can only see so many seminars and opening ceremonies before there is not much new left.

Some blame fuel costs. I don't take that one too seriously. diesel fuel was pushing $5.00 a gallon in 2008 and yet Bozeman, more or less in the middle of nowhere, pulled about 800. The economy was on the way down at the time also.

Good vendors help but they won't be there if it is too expensive for them and of course the lower the attendance the fewer the vendors

The same can be said for entertainment, I don't think that is a big reason to attend and of course as attendance drops the available funds to hire some one worth seeing drops also

Cost.. For a 7 or 8 day attendee the cost is around $70.00 a day, and you don't even get a "free meal" unless you are among the elite.

The rally cost was affectively increased by $200 for those of us (28% at madison) who would choose 3 amp or generator.

This last is why we aren't there. I will spend the money for fuel to cross the country but I will NOT pay an extra $25 per day for hook ups. For those who want or need them that is ok, but it ain't all of us.

The rally has been profitable the last 2 years and it would appear with good management this rally could be done at a cost of $400 with hookups.
I am not against the hookups. I am against paying $25 a day for them.
I would probably attend a $ 400 international

For us, having attended 15 or so internationals the main reason for attending is to see our friends in the vintage club and the ham radio club.

We seem to be able to find many of these friends at alternative events, TAC rallies, Pocono, or The Radio Club Rally in Orlando, for example, and we haven't even had a chance to try alumapalooza or any forum rallies yet.

The International is obviously in a death spiral and probably won't be around in a few more years unless there is serious change.

End of rant

In Ohio on they way to the bash

[HowieE]

For those that are interested in the Constitution Committees report on the Revised Constitution and following rebuttal you can hear it on this site

http://www.wbcci.org/club-informatio...-meetings-2011

scroll down to the bottom of the page and download part #1.

Move the clock to 15 minutes and 30 seconds.

The discussion is until 22 minutes 20 seconds

You may want to move to 146 minutes 46 seconds and hear comments that got an applauds from the audience.

[Castaway]

Originally Posted by HowieE

For those that are interested in the Constitution Committees report on the Revised Constitution and following rebuttal you can hear it on this site

http://www.wbcci.org/club-informatio...-meetings-2011

scroll down to the bottom of the page and download part #1.

Move the clock to 15 minutes and 30 seconds.

The discussion is until 22 minutes 20 seconds

You may want to move to 146 minutes 46 seconds and hear comments that got an applauds from the audience.

The fact that Howard was not allowed another 3 minutes to finish enforces what he was saying, to many rules.

I suggest that a 1 year FREE membership be included with every purchase of a new AIRSTREAM. It would cost the club very little and would automatically expose several thousand new families to WBCCI. If only 20% of new owners re-new their membership for the 2nd year the number of members would greatly offset any upfront costs


Gary

[jimmickle]

has anybody els had problems downloading these audio files?

[dwightdi]

They are big files, so depending on your available download speed, they can take quite a while. With fairly fast Comcast cable internet, they took more that 3 mins. To help pass the time, you can do it in the background while you are doing something else. There are some pretty slow areas within the meetings and playing them back at higher speeds can help you get the important points without falling asleep.

[xrvr]

Anybody remember what the break even point as far as attendance was for this year? Jim

[RickDavis]

The delegates feed is up and running. Appears to be bogged down in procedural matters at the moment.
It also seems that many units do not have delegates attending

[RickDavis]

Third VP vote

Jim S. 2597

Richard G. 2196

Now on break for 15 minutes

[Buttercup]

What a bummer.

[SilverCabin]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

What a bummer.

Agree! It's too hard to break the "follow like sheep" mentality of most of the units. Whatever the IBT wants is okay with them. "Father knows best."

Randy

[RickDavis]

New constitution to be brought to vote after 10 min. recess.
This may cost some votes as I THINK some units won't vote for it without the delegates
meeting amendment.. Hopefully they will vote yes and amend later

[RickDavis]

They are doing their best to set this up to fail

[Buttercup]

The club or the motion?

[RickDavis]

seem to be lots more No than yes. Now voting on constitution.