Steve - no problem - common oversight
Thanks for your kind comments.
I have gone from a really enthusiastic new member, joining the WBCCI to seeing what happens in a very large Unit - seeing the inept difference and attitude between the two facets of the Airstream product - new vs vintage and vice versa. Lived through the issues of being a MAL. Not being quite ready to travel to Rallies on a regular basis. Deciding that the type of Rallies available to me "close" by are not my cup of tea. (wishing that I had the time to start and run a new smaller unit but I am within the huge jurisdiction of one Unit - which negates the possibility of even trying - until polices are changed. I watched the 4CU and their lengthy process and politics to form a new Unit with like minded people/participants.
I don't want to "fight" to have fun - I don't want to have to justify my needs as an Airstream owner - I just want to look and participate and help where I can. My time when I have all the hours to play and really use the Club - beyond its RED NUMBERS - is when I will act in a give and take relationship.
Mike- yes I was aware of the New Committee - and perhaps I was thinking that they will take there time to scrutinize comments here which I am sure all WBCCI members do from time to time.
I don't like to be a pessimist - really I am an optimist by nature.
However, based on the past history of "Committees" their collection and resulting direction - I am sure I would be joined by many others that are a little gun shy as to expecting the results to be different than what has taken place over the past 4 years.
When I joined I immediately recognized that this Club was in a transitional stage of its development. And thought it would possibly take 5 years to see some significant changes - and I was very enthusiastic to get involved and help with the process.
So what has happened in the last 5 years?
1. Recognize the need to Assess its organization 2002-2003
2. Administer the avenue in which to collect data - Member Questionnaire 2003. (this inspired several units to implement their own questionnaires of their membership)
3. Analyze the data which usually means grass routes confirmation.
An international task force was assigned the task of analyzing the questionnaire data.
2004 - What happened to the Questionnaire content??? - We spent the year on the Name Change
4. Confirm the issues and prioritize. Which usually constitutes the formation of a 3-5-10 year plan that includes the vision statement. As well it is determined what infrastructure is needed to be in place in order to administer and implement the organization within the new plan.
2005 - Did we see this stage? No we still spent yet another year on the Name Change (2005)
Moving along to year 5
5. From here the direction is communicated to the Membership to buy into the new direction and pump them up with enthusiasm and RECRUITMENT takes place to fill the committees needed. ( I say committees because that is how this should be structured from the ground up. Where is the voice at the top or the bottom of the triangle.
2006 and 2007 Did we see the formation of Committees have we seen the new plan are we firmly planted to take steps to our new direction with this club. No we have just spent two years on branding and the MOHO issue.
Now here in the infancy of 2008 - we are finally starting back in 2003 again.
To save time perhaps they will pull the data collected 5 years ago - sorry too old.
All the data collected are ideas - they are not logistics of why the organization is not working.
Have you ever driven by an old cottage - where the foundation has crumbled. Do you try to build a new frame on top of it - NO - you tear it down and rebuild it from the BOTTOM up.
It is the Structure - that needs to be addressed - not the ideas we all have on how to have fun in our units. We have to be able to function within the organization. The structure should be strong but invisible and seamless to its membership.
IBT Region Unit - this three tier structure is the basic concept - but how it interacts and works together is not cooperative. The by-laws make the positions and terms restrictive, turnover in positions, type of positions, Committees that are in place are dated and not being utilized. The Intra Club system is sorry - pathetic - and lacks hugely in integration with the overall Organization. There is no consistency and educational aspects within the huge Volunteer infrastructure of this organization.
All the issues that people bring up through these threads are idealistic band-aids just as the 2020 committee.
I am glad to see that this committee has at least narrowed the field in their search to identify issues - primarily targeted at membership. But it will soon shift to the "ideas" instead of the cause of the membership problems.
Structure again - it is all to do with structure and how each piece of wood fits with the next in order to make it stand up. Think timbre frame.
Simple but as strong as a fort that will outlast flimsy framing (short cuts poor materials and quick systems) by 100's of years.
Steve you had asked what restrictive areas in our by-laws I would have to go and spend some serious time to give specifics - but I like to deal with concepts instead.
You have 500 potential members. What percentage of those members will pay $55.00 to join in the present state of affairs.
Now change the membership fee structure.
Base fee - $ + 1 Vote
Levels of membership based on involvement.
From affiliate level - interested but can not join in or travel - or may not even have an Airstream trailer yet.
Define the participation levels and assign the fees accordingly.
So you get 100 at $55 =$5500.00
Do you look at the other 400 members as a lost revenue $22000.00 NO
Get them on board even at $20 each for an affiliate based idea - you have $8000.00 and a 400% increased membership. When they are ready to participate more they will pay the fees that draw more benefits....
Structure and logistics.....
Which brings me to this crazy Intra-Club system the WBCCI is having great difficulty with.
Vintage is a Program - as is all the other Intra clubs. These should all be under ONE ROOF.
the emphasis at WBCCI has simply been the International Rally. 90% of the efforts and I would say our fees - goes towards. This is wrong!!!
This would be like an Provincial sport placing all their efforts on the Provincial Championship and nothing else. All there staff time, all their committees all their board time. With all other programs and services being minimally administered to get through.
Well where would the player development be, the officiating development, the coaching development, the leagues the tournaments, the local associations training and development, and the Regions too, as they are the stepping stone to the Provincials.
It is a simple structure that works with way more volunteers - but those volunteers are not taxed to their limits - costs are reduced - less travel by higher level volunteers.
And hey were are the days where people "volunteered" - volunteer without pay.......novel idea - but we humans have become greedy always wanting something for nothing but will give nothing unless we get something in return. And now as service and tangible benefits seem to be lost - we expect money for our efforts to pay for our gas, our phone, our meals and the list goes on...but time are changing - how many of you forum rally organizers got paid???? NONE
So this 2020 Committee - if it had meat - it would have spent its first effort developing an infrastructure to support its huge task. At best - one member per region - who then would call on 3 members from the region - and a liaison from each of the units. Now you have a manageable structure with a reasonable workload for all and things will GET DONE!
The top committee should place their emphasis on the process and the administration to the lower tiers. It provides the guidance and leadership - it does not DO the work. It helps the work get done. The regions are the power train and we are not using them as they should be. They are not just the voice to the IBT - they are the voice to the UNIT. They are the workers - and yet they are not afforded the Voice in a proper format.
Anyway I have babbled enough - I see yet another 3-5 years at this rate - so maybe by the time I retire in 7 years I will be in rare form to implement finally some of the new plan that will hopefully be in place by then. Hopefully I will be looking at a whole new structure that allows for growth and development of all its membership and hopefully there will not be this silly dividing line between vintage and new and that both will participate in Rallies of all kinds.
What do I need to pay $20 dollars to be a vintage for - I own an airstream period - I would rather my $20 dollars go to the WBCCI so that they can run their club properly and include Vintage Events just as they do for all other events.
It is like a motor home pulling a trailer for one person
I will still put my money where my mouth is and volunteer in the administration - but there is no avenue available - I must go through the ranks of learning what not to do in an organization. There are no adhoc committees, there are no intra club committees at the regional level - just the big wig seat that sits on the International level.
HMMM so I just went to WBCCI and the live links under Membership benefits are:
Discounted Camping Rates
Caravans
And the member Intraclubs would be???? Man this is what gets me going - these are the programs of this club and they are non existant - and to get to the vintage intraclub they are a completely separate entity - so attract the horse to your trough and then don't put water in it - that does not make a lot of sense to me.
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