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streamer23 · 01-31-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverback

Ditto what Artstream said. Moving from MAL to the Four Corners Unit has been great.
-KL

For the general overall health of the club,I wish more folks would follow your lead.

Strong Units=Strong club

Here are the Member at large (MAL) totals

2007-536 members
2008-549 members

SierraBreeze · 01-31-2008, 10:23 AM

Mike your hobby takes a lot of time and effort, I for one appreciate it. This is great information.

Now I wish the Units and WBCCI could develop some standards to track related membership information on a consistent basis. I think there was some effort this direction on a Regional level. Things like how did new members learn of the Unit/WBCCI? Why did they join? If they joined a Unit, what attracted them? If they joined as MAL, why? If members don't renew, why - health, sold AS, what? How many members don't renew after 1 year? Why did they leave? What percentage of the total membership attends unit functions. If members don't attend - why? There are lots of other questions that could be asked as well. For me this type of information would compliment efforts such as yours and could be very useful to the Units and WBCCI in understanding and developing membership.

I know you enjoy collecting and maintaining this information. It provides some real insights and things to ponder. Thanks.

maxandgeorgia · 01-31-2008, 10:24 AM

Interesting that MAL's are among the "growing" factors of WBCCI, even though we know a number of these members moved from MAL this year into various units to salvage votes on important issues or to join newly formed units. This MAL number well could have been negative rather than positive in the stats. With encouragement and invitation, many MAL's will move into units if they see they are 1) wanted and 2) offered something they need as Airstream owners. 500+ is a big pool of prospective unit members to draw upon and it seems to me that every unit should be fishing those waters to adopt the MALs into becoming unit members. Just some thoughts upon seeing these numbers...~G

streamer23 · 01-31-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxandgeorgia

Interesting that MAL's are among the "growing" factors of WBCCI, even though we know a number of these members moved from MAL this year into various units to salvage votes on important issues or to join newly formed units. This MAL number well could have been negative rather than positive in the stats. With encouragement and invitation, many MAL's will move into units if they see they are 1) wanted and 2) offered something they need as Airstream owners. 500+ is a big pool of prospective unit members to draw upon and it seems to me that every unit should be fishing those waters to adopt the MALs into becoming unit members. Just some thoughts upon seeing these numbers...~G

Good insightful post.Our unit has been working on this for some time and just yesterday provided to my unit some MAL's in our unit's area.Sometimes an invite to a unit function is all that is needed.
For units that are interested I'm pretty sure that Home Office will provide a list of MAL's in your units area.Some new MAL's may not even know your unit exists.

nangoff · 01-31-2008, 10:53 AM

I believe as the Baby Boomers invade the 60+ space that the membership of WBCCI will climb. WBCCI's backbone is their ability to provide good value in their caravans which no other Airstream organization can. I recently went to a Airforums rally and talked with a lot of AS owners, mostly younger working people...none had ever been on a caravan so they had no appreciation for WBCCI. Until they free themselves and are capable of taking sorjourns of 2 to 4 months they won't understand. I enjoy and support both Airforums and WBCCI for different reasons.

Gerry Goffinet
WBCCI 6948

jimmini · 01-31-2008, 11:55 AM

HI MIKE

VERY GOOD JOB ON VERY GOOD INFO

HOPE THIS GET YOU SOME VERY GOOD KARMA.

4CU GOT US TO THE WBCCI

safari57 · 01-31-2008, 12:22 PM

Ditto to what jimmini said.

Great effort Mike. Much appreciated.

What's the total membership of 4CU?

Barry

streamer23 · 01-31-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safari57

Ditto to what jimmini said.

Great effort Mike. Much appreciated.

What's the total membership of 4CU?

Barry

19 members

azfiredog300 · 01-31-2008, 12:48 PM

Does that 4CU number include those of us that have joined in the last few weeks?

streamer23 · 01-31-2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azfiredog300

Does tat 4CU umber those of us that hae joined in thelast few weeks?

No.Only those that paid dues by November 15,2007 and made it in the annual directory.

2airishuman · 01-31-2008, 12:54 PM

unit #000 is still the largest defined block,

unit #000 continues to add the most new members month and yearly...

unit #000 members pay the most and...

unit #000 members give the most money DIRECTLY to 'club central'

unit #000 needs to be recognized...

unit #000 should be appreciated for the potential it holds...

unit #000 may be a temporary stop for some but,

unit #000 is the GOAL of many, to be 'at large' within the club.

unit #000 is the key to long term INTERNATIONAL club prosperity...

unless and until unit #000 is viewed in a different light...

membership and MOST local units will continue to decline.

even the few fun, healthy, active, growing local units need unit #000...

currently only a few local leaders 'get' the value of unit #000.

and fewer still want to EMPOWER the members of unit #000...

the current policy of member apartheid is an old poison that weakens the whole...

give FULL MEMBERSHIP privileges to unit #000...

power to the people at large!

cheers
2air'

safari57 · 01-31-2008, 01:11 PM

I agree with 2'air,

But, it isn't going to happen unless those members, plus as many in the units as well, raise it in a way that the executive can't miss the imperative of doing this. Excuse my ignorance but is that something that could be initiated at the International in Bozeman? Or done via an email and mail in campaign? Both? Whatever, let me know and I'll support it.

Barry

safari57 · 01-31-2008, 01:13 PM

As for the 4CU # as a note I joined pre end of November, actually this is the second year my name never got into the directory for whatever reason. It doesn't really matter to me in that regard, but it does skew the numbers a tad. But close enough - 19 members in such a short time seems pretty good

to me.

Barry

InsideOut · 01-31-2008, 01:26 PM

As I seem to recall from a couple of years ago when I was a Unit President, the membership and Unit schedule info for the directory has to be sent in by November 1st in order to be included in the directory received the following January. That gives them roughly 6-8 weeks to get it input, printed and distributed to the membership in January.

Shari

streamer23 · 01-31-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsideOut

As I seem to recall from a couple of years ago when I was a Unit President, the membership and Unit schedule info for the directory has to be sent in by November 1st in order to be included in the directory received the following January. That gives them roughly 6-8 weeks to get it input, printed and distributed to the membership in January.

Shari

The November 15th date is what is shown on page 2 of the 2008 directory.Maybe it has changed in recent years.

InsideOut · 01-31-2008, 01:42 PM

Either that or I had to send it in by the first which gave them some time to compile the info...

On second thought, there is always the possibility I gave myself a self-imposed deadline just to be sure we made the cut!

Shari

bryanl · 01-31-2008, 02:14 PM

I see all the usual suspects on the usual rationalizations ... ;-)

I think the IRS has something to say that should be considered:

Quote:

Personal Contact Required: An essential earmark of an exempt club is personal contact, commingling, and face-to-face fellowship. Members must share interests and have a common goal directed toward pleasure, recreation, and other nonprofitable purposes. Fellowship need not be present between each member and every other member of the club so long as it is a material part in the life of the organization. A statewide or nationwide organization that is made up of individual members, but is divided into local groups, satisfies this requirement if fellowship is a material part of the life of each local group.

(BTW, this is one reason why many such clubs have attendance requirements at their meetings and events)

Another one that comes up here is about score cards and 'what is winning?' that is being discussed here. Numbers are fun but, if used as a measure, you need to make sure you are measuring the right things.

dwightdi · 01-31-2008, 03:23 PM

I would think the numbers would be more meaningful if they were expressed as percentages. Some units have different goals as a result of their membership. Some have degenerated into small camping clubs that hold two rallies per year but meet with old friends for breakfast every month. Some like WDCU (as noted above) include many former MAL members who have found it is cheaper to pay the $1/year dues and get a vote rather than pay $20 and get no vote. The Washington Unit owns a very nice park and you get special price parking fees if you pay your International dues through them. I am sure there are many other reasons some units are on different paths than others. I am sure Bill Schrader will be looking at all the reasons for the decreases and increases in membership with his new 20/20 committee.

**azflycaster** · 01-31-2008, 03:36 PM

I just took a look at the numbers and as of the last update the Four Corners Unit has:
38 Unit Members
28 Affilate Members
66 Total

We had a lot of members join at the end of the year and did not make he directory.

We had several brand new members to the club, a few members transfer from other units and a couple of MALs who joined our unit.

streamer23 · 01-31-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

I just took a look at the numbers and as of the last update the Four Corners Unit has:
38 Unit Members
28 Affilate Members
66 Total

We had a lot of members join at the end of the year and did not make he directory.

We had several brand new members to the club, a few members transfer from other units and a couple of MALs who joined our unit.

Impressive Richard.Can't say I am surprised.