September Blue Beret

[peegreen]

How come there's never any hype about the upcoming issue of the Blue Beret? Subscribers weigh in from all over the continent waiting and tracking their issue of Airstream Life. What do you do with your issue when it arrives? I have become my parents - turn to the obits first.... a very sad existance. Is it time for another A/S Life to arrive? A good rumor to start. The Blue Beret is ripe for an extreme makeover.

[streamer23]

Originally Posted by peegreen

How come there's never any hype about the upcoming issue of the Blue Beret? Subscribers weigh in from all over the continent waiting and tracking their issue of Airstream Life. What do you do with your issue when it arrives? I have become my parents - turn to the obits first.... a very sad existance. Is it time for another A/S Life to arrive? A good rumor to start. The Blue Beret is ripe for an extreme makeover.

I guess there is never any hype about upcoming issues because of what you just said,'The Blue Beret is ripe for an extreme makeover.'
There are occasionally good articles in the publication and I sometimes enjoy the pictures but it needs to be a little more interesting.Another thing is that any club news in it has generally been made known online weeks/months before.
Living in Canada,I just received my AUGUST BB on Friday,SEPTEMBER 1st,hmmm

I do enjoy receiving my BB but......


What are some of the things you would like to see changed in the publication?
How can it be made more current and enjoyable?

[bill benton]

My guess is that Airstream life well written, is available to anyone. It has info and articles about Airstreams and Airstream people. Blue Beret is only available to those who are members of WBCCI.

[Condoluminum]

Blue Beret occasionally generates some excitement (as with proposal to change name..) but usually it sits 'til I need to check and update calendar with local and region rallies.. A quick glance for tech tips or Phred article, and then it goes in stack... Reading reports from committees at International, or about next year's International are not nearly as fun as reading human interest articles in Airstream Life...

And I once proposed to Cindy that BB be "outsourced" to publishing firm that would enhance content and production values and save $$ by balancing ad revenue with costs to print.. Not accepted, as WBCCI feels (for some reason..) they have to write and publish magazine themselves....

John McG

[Stefrobrts]

I flip through it and look at all the international news, national rallys and caravans I don't have time to go on, and then toss it on the recycling pile. Takes no more than five minutes.

AS Life I eagerly await, read it slowly, put it in the magazine rack and pull it out and re-read the articles and tips. It never goes on the recycling pile. When I'm really done with an issue I might stick it in the trailer to give away to AS'ers I meet on the road who haven't heard about it yet.

But who says BB wants to be like AS Life? Maybe they're happy serving the members they serve, just the way it is.

[myboyburt]

I'd like the Blue Beret to be more like Good Sam Clubs magazine "Highways" in content. But then Good Sam has about a zillion more members than the WBCCI and has the cash to do a good job on it's publication. At least (and I know this is not PC) I'd like to see photos in the Blue Beret of younger WBCCI members, and I'm not talking about member's grandchildren!

I'm gathering the best photos from the 2006 Region One Rally which was held by the New England Unit to submit for publication - concerns I have is many of our photos show Airstreams without the red numbers attached. Many folks in our Unit "just say no" to this - I know because I'm one of them! Besides that we have wine on our dinner tables in the photos. We'll see if anything happens once I send the collection into headquarters.

[peegreen]

The BB last page photo selection commitee editor; uncensored.... A huge layout with un-numbered rigs displaying their vintage port using proper stemware.

[wheel interested]

I'd love to see a revamp too. I page through briefly, but the majority is the same ads and coupons and very light on content. It's a lot like the local newspaper insert flyers that get tossed. It seems to me the articles sometimes are just obligatory to fill a certain space whether there is something to say or not, and when there is no extra space is given. I like the idea of younger member pictures and real club news (what's happening) and interesting articles. You could skip the obits. Or put in births for a happy change.

I love readers' columns with pictures and short story.

Wish some of that dues money could go for better paper, that is, once it's good enough to open a second time.

I don't have September's yet.

Wouldn't it be a nice idea for every issue to have a different region and its units work to put it together for variety? Some of the newsletters I have seen are fabulous!

[Mike Lewis]

Recieved my BB day before yesterday. The first thing I read is the presidents column. I have read this one over at least 4 times and have yet to figure out what Don is saying. He speaks in such generalities that I have no idea what he said ,who he's addressing or what he's talking about. Perhaps someone can clarify this for me!!---pieman

[Stefrobrts]

My impression was he is trying to smooth over the rift caused by the name change and get the club all together as one big happy family again, without actually naming names or topics.

[peegreen]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

My impression was he is trying to smooth over the rift caused by the name change and get the club all together as one big happy family again, without actually naming names or topics.

My first impression was a spiritual session.

[bobandcarla]

Originally Posted by peegreen

My first impression was a spiritual session.

I got that impression also!

[jcanavera]

I think its content has improved over the last few years (they have tried), but it's not something that I eagerly look forward to......as a matter of fact what I really look forward to is to see what condition it comes in. I've never had any monthly magazine come to me that arrives in such sad shape. I think the cost to put it in a plastic bag has been quoted at a .01 each. Personally with that kind of cost I would do this in a second. It gets kind of old finding the covers torn, missing or in an unreadable conditioin.

Jack

[Stefrobrts]

Mine used to come looking like it had been attacked by wild badgers, but recently they have been showing up in good shape.

What's a spiritual session?

[maxandgeorgia]

Pieman, I had the same reaction after reading that column. In fact, I kept looking around that section trying to find something I missed in the reading.???????????? Well, at least we read it! ~G

[moosetags]

Like some others have stated, I really look forward to AS Life. Blue Beret, on the other hand, is very dry. I am only on my third issue of BB, and I guess that I have not been taught the secret handshake yet. I, too, cannot follow most of the articles. BB has all the excitement of the newsletter from the local nursing home.

[Over59]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Recieved my BB day before yesterday. The first thing I read is the presidents column. I have read this one over at least 4 times and have yet to figure out what Don is saying. He speaks in such generalities that I have no idea what he said ,who he's addressing or what he's talking about. Perhaps someone can clarify this for me!!---pieman

The title suggested he might say something. Wrong. This is classic mukky mukky speak. I think it's why these guys get elected. A surprising lack of spherical shapes for a leadship group with so few woman.

The BB is 80% the same every issue. Has to take all of an hour to put together. Good article on the regulators. Lots of ads, I think they make money on it or should.

[peegreen]

I always turn to the inside back cover to look at the pictures of all the people having "fun". Maybe the editors don't get a lot of submissions to choose from or they have very strict selection criteria. The pics from rallies posted on the Forums seems to be a better representation of club gatherings.

[Alumaholic]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Recieved my BB day before yesterday. The first thing I read is the presidents column. I have read this one over at least 4 times and have yet to figure out what Don is saying. He speaks in such generalities that I have no idea what he said ,who he's addressing or what he's talking about. Perhaps someone can clarify this for me!!---pieman

This month's cover was a real shocker. Krystal is a lovely young lady, and I'm sure her grandparents are very proud, but it's always more fun and interesting to see an Airstream parked in some scenic location. How does the Teen Queen Contest increase or sustain interest in a camping club?

Pieman is right, after reading Don's message three times, I pronounced it dead on arrival, whether by bad writing, or bad editing.

Flipping the page quickly to escape the vague obfuscation of our President's message, there I find Bernice and Malcom Nadler smiling at me from the SkyMEd advertisement. I'm not sure that I want to read about their medical evacutation month after month.

Let's give the Blue Beret to Rich Luhr and pay him to make it a world class periodical.

[Dbraw]

Have been receiving this magazine for about four years. Still waiting to fine an article worth reading. The best thing about it is that it is consistant, poor design, worthless reading and boring. Bless their hearts. I think they are doing the best they can. Airstream Life is a fine magazine.