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wheel interested · 03-12-2006, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SafeHarbor

Gee, there really IS a generation gap. "... mail check for $70 to WBCCI, 803 E. Pike Street, Jackson Center, OH 45334."

MAIL A CHECK? I haven't mailed a check for anything in the last two or three years. I'm not even sure where my checkbook IS.

Yeah, I'm going to try this out. (I wonder if they accept Paypal?)

Lamar

I think a motion was made and passed to accept internet transactions. anybody?

2airishuman · 03-16-2006, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperhawk

At first I just really enjoyed your humor 2air, but now it is getting really scary!! I find myself saying, "geez, he makes a lot of sense"!

cooperhawk......

thanks.....for getting it.....i think.

as for me, when i get the call for the 'big event'......

i'm puttin 'em on hold, or call waiting, or forward to someone more deserving that deep dream.......

and to get me in the oatmeal line at nursing home......

they will need to pry my dead fingers from the cold.....

of the acrylic handle on the airstream......

cheers
2air'

**Stefrobrts** · 03-16-2006, 10:07 PM

Dude, that was like.....
Poetry.....

fastrob · 03-17-2006, 07:08 AM

There once was a man with an Airstream
His wife and kids made his head scream
He loves them so dear and keeping them near
He hooked up the Airstream and said have no fear
We would join but we are up to the hubs in mud and green Irish beer.

R

Van · 03-17-2006, 10:55 AM

I am still on the fence.

The wife and i have considered joining for a while. Her folks are members of one of the two Oregon chapters. For the most part though, from their description of the events and goings on it really isnt something that we are interested in.

The events that are usually planned really dont intrest us. We have no problem with the ages of the "usual" members but frankly we dont have anything in common beyond owning Airstream products. They never seem to hold their rallies at state campgrounds. A gathering at a fairgrounds? No thanks. In a "RV campground", aka a parking lot? Nah. If these groups would go to state parks or other locations like the forum gatherings we would certainly join.

As it is now, we are not interested in membership ceremonies, new member inductions, or hiding our drink of choice in a plain cup as to not offend anyone.

Now, i know Steph Roberts is a member of one of the OR chapters and is trying to change it to be more focused at what we all seem to seeking. I know that without others like her and us to help in such a thing it makes it that much hard to make that change. I would be willing to attend a gathering if it was in a normal campground. I just wonder if the couple of occasions a season that there would be a gathering that we would be willing and able to attend is worth the $70 a year. Steph is persuasive though and makes a good case.

Still on the fence...

LuminumTraila · 03-17-2006, 11:08 AM

Seems like there are an awful lot of Oregon/Washington folks on the forum who like the informality of the forum rallies. How many of the forum rally attendees in that area belong to WBCCI units? Are there enough of you to start your own Pacific NW unit with guidelines similar to the WBCCI Heart of Texas camping unit? That might be a way to shake a few people off the fence out there.

jordandvm · 03-17-2006, 11:28 AM

Van......I'm like you, except we joined when we first bought our 22' CCD (complete newbies at RVing), because at that time WBCCI was the only venue for AS's to get together.........there were no forums rallies in our area (4/04). Then we attended our first forums rally in Nov 04 and had a great time at Beverly Beach. The first WBCCI rally was the Sister's Quilt Show, which was fun and really amounted to almost all attendees being from out of state..... and being a newbie I learned a lot about my AS. Last year we attended our Unit rallies in Lincoln City and Coburg.... which were "parking lot" rallies and not much fun. Then we attended a joint Unit rally with the Idaho unit in the Steens Mtns which was a great rally and well planned and in the "boondocks" .....but my spouse caught pneumonia and we had to leave early.

I am planning on attending the Int'l in Salem because I think it will be a great way to see all kinds of AS's and meet lots of interesting folks. But the other Unit rallies this year are simply not my "kettle of tea". And with the forums rallies being planned now throughout the year.......there is now competition with the WBCCI rallies. For instance, which would you rather go to.....Western Confluence SP forums rally in Wenatchee, WA....... or WBCCI Unit rally at Premiere RV Park in Salem....both on the same weekend. It's no contest! Forums rallies rule! So bottom line, I think these forums rallies provide a different kind of experience that most younger AS'ers are willing to attend, therefore maybe pulling away some potential future WBCCI members!
Whada ya think?

Van · 03-17-2006, 11:34 AM

I agree with you Jim. The forum rallies are fun. The Steens Mtns rally would have been interesting though, im certain.

jordandvm · 03-17-2006, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjamie

Seems like there are an awful lot of Oregon/Washington folks on the forum who like the informality of the forum rallies. How many of the forum rally attendees in that area belong to WBCCI units? Are there enough of you to start your own Pacific NW unit with guidelines similar to the WBCCI Heart of Texas camping unit? That might be a way to shake a few people off the fence out there.

That's not a bad idea!!! I wonder how many NW forums rally members in our area would be willing to join a new WBCCI Unit that was structured around the forums rally format/locations/etc we've had the past two years? We could call it the Northwest ASForums Unit of WBCCI (or AOAI, or whatever)!

LuminumTraila · 03-17-2006, 11:45 AM

jordandvm -- I would be willing to join as an affiliate if I can keep my NEUnit membership. We (Doug & Me) have lots of relatives in the Pacific NW and want so bad to get out there with our trailer in the summers to come (when the kids are not in school). My buddy, Uberlanders

, is an east-west coaster, and I think I could be too.

-J

jordandvm · 03-17-2006, 12:04 PM

-J,
You know that'd cost ya more to be an affiliate member

.....but if you knew you'd enjoy the company of the forums members out here......I'd say go for it....if it were a possibility. One thing that concerns me about having a NWForums Unit would be the pressure to schedule and plan a rally each month.......it can amount to a lot of work! I know the Unit we belong to has monthly luncheons during the winter.....which are nothing more than socials, with absolutely no planning at the meetings. I could see that with a NWForums Unit.....all the planning/signups/ could take place online and through emails, which doesn't happen with our WOU Unit. I would like to offer suggestions to my present Unit.....but feel guilty that I would be changing what their idea of a "perfect rally" would be. I'm now kind of a passive member, but have offered my time to start a Unit website.....which is a start to change!! I asked them at the last social luncheon what they thought of the "name change" issue....and the President said he didn't care what it was called! Some did offer resistance to the name change.

LuminumTraila · 03-17-2006, 12:16 PM

Jim -- You should take a look at the March 2006 newsletter of the WBCCI NH/White Mountains Unit which very nicely suggests to the unit's members a new way to think about rallies and campouts without the formality and work involved with the traditional WBCCI rally. You can see it here: http://www.wbcci1.org/whitemt/EchoesMarch06.PDF

These ideas can be incorporated into an older unit to help it evolve

, or they could be used to set up a new unit.

-Jamie

**Stefrobrts** · 03-17-2006, 12:41 PM

I wouldn't object to a new forum-rally style unit. I think the weight of the rules in the bluebook would still follow any new unit, so when people complain about all the old rules, it wouldn't really change that. You'd still have pages and pages of flag rules

That's part of why I've been working to try and get the OR unit to move in a direction that will suit younger people and still meet the needs of the older airstreamers without reinventing the wheel.

When I and another younger member showed up at the planning meeting last year we stated our main concerns: getting up too early on weekends (this includes buglers, Janet), too many planned activities (planning out every minute of a rally and handing out the daily schedule when you arrive), camping in RV parks. The best part was that I hadn't met this other young member before and we came to them independantly with exactly the same issues and suggestions!

They listened, and over the course of the discussion we convinced them there were a few small things that could be done to make the upcoming rallys more interesting without changing things too much for the existing members who were happy with how things were. As a result almost every rally this year is being held in a state park! Now, it's kind of a weird year because of the International being out here and taking up our June and July rallys, plus in June we do a Rose Festival Rally for the Portland Rose Festival. But I think they did a great job of working in some rallys that will be of interest to us younger campers - particularly since none of us younger folks are DOING the rallys!

If you want to try one out, try to hit the April 28-30 rally at Champoeg (near Salem) and they're planning a salmon feed. I can't make it because we'll be out of town, but it sounds like they're trying their best to make it a fun rally.

However, as has been announced in the last couple newsletters, they are having trouble finding people to run the club next year. There is no VP this year, which is normally the person who helps out and gets trained to be Prez next year, so they have no one waiting to move into that position, no VP for next year's prez, and two director positions are opening up. The people in these positions have done their part to keep the club running for years, they've put in their time. One suggestion has been to drastically cut back the number of activities next year, which I think would be a huge mistake. We could be seeing the beginning of the end for this unit.

People are hesitant to get involved for various reasons. They had someone lined up for VP, but when he found out that meant he'd be prez the next year he backed out. We stepped up and said we would do it, but then realized that with Dave's theater, our home business, and other commitments, it was too much for us. It IS a LOT of work. If we can't find people to run the club next year, how could we start a new organization and expect have any more success?

So I figure maybe we should figure out what's wrong with what's already there and help fix it if it needs fixin'. It sounds like what the TX unit is doing isn't exactly easy either, they have some procedural hoops to jump through, and have to draft a constitution and meet minimum requirements, get approved by the old guard in the region. I'm just saying we already have a club in the region that is willing to change, that has already made some effort to do so, maybe we should work with them to keep the ball rolling.

You couldn't ask for them to be more cooperative. They WANT our input and our help. They WANT to make activities that are fun and attractive to new members. It's not like some units around the country where people have been told not to rock the boat, or to take their children and go bug someone else. These people actually WANT younger people to jump in and get involved!

If we're not willing to get involved in an existing club, what would we do different if we started our own new unit? I think it's an important question. Is there something we could do better by starting with a clean slate? If so, let's try and figure out what those things are, and see if we can apply them to the existing unit and make progress there. If not, THEN maybe it's time to look at creating a new unit.

LuminumTraila · 03-17-2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Is there something we could do better by starting with a clean slate? If so, let's try and figure out what those things are, and see if we can apply them to the existing unit and make progress there. If not, THEN maybe it's time to look at creating a new unit.

Several people have mentioned initiations, and I think you mentioned that your unit did that but you didn't think it was so bad (correct me here if I have you mixed up with someone else), but that seems to be a sticking point for some. I've only been in my unit a year but I'd never heard of WBCCI initiations until I saw it here. Maybe that's something you could approach your unit about changing if they want to attract new people. Just a thought.

**Stefrobrts** · 03-17-2006, 05:19 PM

The initiations are really nothing, I'm surprised that has even come up. We didn't know there was an initiation until it happened. After dinner at our first rally they said 'and now we have some new members' and called us and the Koltzes up in front of the crowd. One of the other members had us recite the club pledge (though in the book it states that he simply reads the pledge and we agree to it, I seem to remember stating it)

"I will be ever mindful of my responsibility and obligation as a member of the Oregon Unit to perpetuate the spirit of goodwill and understanding toward all people and to observe the accepted rule of courtesy, consideration, and conduct, which characterizes this organization.

"I sall willingly and cheerfully perform my fair share of membership duties and RALLY chores. I will make every effort to keep my equipment up to high standards and maintain my parking area in a clean and orderly condition at all times.

"I shall endeavor at all times to be self-reliant, courteous, and considerate.

And then he says "will you repeat after me? To these purposes and precepts I do solomnly pledge my sacred honor." and declares us official members. Everyone claps and we get to go back to our seats.

No paddles, no goats, nothing like that - at least in our unit - can't promise what other units do

. It is really nothing. I guess if it made people uncomfortable, they could discuss eliminating it. But really I can't imagine that with all the club has to offer, saying a little pledge and being welcomed to the club is keeping people away. Is it really?

BTW, I passed that NH newsletter on to our President and she called me back this afternoon and thought it was a great idea and wanted to work some more 'camp outs' into our schedule. She thought they sounded like fun. So hopefully we'll get to do that. I don't mind organizing them, they're pretty easy on the wagonmaster.

She also asked what people wanted to do in the winter months. We have kind of mild icky weather all winter here in teh NW. We can get out, if we want to. We can't cross over the mountains (at least I wouldn't want to plan on it) but the beach is always available. So do people want to get out and go camping in small groups in the winter, in addition to the social luncheons which are great for the folks who don't like cold wether or may not want to de-winterize? There's room for both kinds of activities, if there's demand for it.

LuminumTraila · 03-18-2006, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

It is really nothing. I guess if it made people uncomfortable, they could discuss eliminating it. But really I can't imagine that with all the club has to offer, saying a little pledge and being welcomed to the club is keeping people away. Is it really?

The word "uncomfortable" describes how I would feel about the initiation. It might depend on a person's personality (this coming from a terminally shy and introverted individual), or it could be generational. I always think of Fred Flintstone and the Grand Poobah of the Order of the Water Buffalo when I hear about this type of club activity.

It just seems a little hokey in this day and age.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

BTW, I passed that NH newsletter on to our President and she called me back this afternoon and thought it was a great idea and wanted to work some more 'camp outs' into our schedule.

That's great to get such a quick and positive response!

Actions speak louder than words. It's a good indicator of your unit's openness to finding new ways to do things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

So do people want to get out and go camping in small groups in the winter, in addition to the social luncheons which are great for the folks who don't like cold wether or may not want to de-winterize? There's room for both kinds of activities, if there's demand for it.

I was never interested in winter camping, especially here in the northeast, and even less interested in winter luncheons. But after seeing the good time that folks had at the northeast Winter Rig & Rent, I'm tempted to give it a try next year. I think they did this at a place where facilities were available so de-winterizing wasn't necessary.

wheel interested · 03-18-2006, 10:42 AM

Thanks for posting the pledge. When Brad and I missed our luncheon we weren't there for initiation. I e-mailed my officers to ask what it was and did not receive an answer in regard to that. We were relieved that we hadn't been brought up before the group and would have had no idea what we would be swearing to or that it was going to happen to us. It would have been awkward at that point for everyone. We probably would just have declined to participate. I suppose you'd have to know us to understand why anyone would have reluctance to make a public vow.

**Stefrobrts** · 03-18-2006, 11:23 AM

Hey, I'll be the first to admit that some of this stuff seems pretty hokey and out of date, and maybe this is the beginning of it falling into disuse. I'll definitly bring it up, as I certainly wouldn't want people to miss out on our group just because they were uncomfortable with the initiation. I guess if I'd known it was coming I would have been nervous too, so I'm just lucky I didn't know about it ahead of time! I am actually a pretty shy person too, though you wouldn't know it from how much I post on the forum!

But a lot of the hokey stuff just gives us something to go back to our trailer and laugh about later. But that doesn't mean it might not be time for a change.

wkerfoot · 03-18-2006, 11:45 AM

When we attended our first El Camino Real Unit Rally, there was no initiation. We were asked to introduce ourselves, tell a little about us and how and why we purchased an Airstream. Just trying to be friendly.

Bill

wheel interested · 03-18-2006, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

When we attended our first El Camino Real Unit Rally, there was no initiation. We were asked to introduce ourselves, tell a little about us and how and why we purchased an Airstream. Just trying to be friendly.

Bill

I like that! That's a great ice breaker in my opinion and if it went around to all in attendance would be a great way to get a head start on becoming acquainted with everyone. Remember when you are new there is only one of you for the club to acquaint themselves with, but many members for the newbie to assimulate in short order.

It also takes care of "what do I say?" I could see that being fun as each member re-references themselves and the snickers and humor that might be generated.