Who's club is it anyway????

[05ModPod]

I think Bryans points are valid - and some of us forget sometimes that - that many of us have been on the forum for a long time - but not everyone has.

There are always new members here to the forum who are also evolving - past all their questions about their rig and feeling comfortable within the community to start chatting about their own expecations.

Unfortunately the forums search now is so big that who has the time to weed through the material to get to points like those above......

And no not everyone has heard them and no there will always be people that will hear and read things for the first time here.

It is up to the long standing members to be patient and to "repeat" and continue to "repeat".

I tried a "kick at the can" I honestly did - it just did not turn out to be what I expected - so I took a breather and will try and find a new avenue to approach - because simply I am stuck on Airstreams and eventually I want to get to meet more people stuck on Airstreams - preferably those who have a keen sense of humor and knowledge on how to keep these oldies rolling down the road - between the ditches and the shinny side up!

[bryanl]

Why discourage with all your rhetorical questions that we've all read before?

Discourage? How on earth does figuring out who you are and what you are about be considered discouragement? In all other circles of any veracity about which I am aware, such things are considered encouraging. Yet here it is different and I am assigned something like this?

The question of this thread is of the same class as those you denigrate. Is it discouraging as well?

The nature of identity and purpose is critical to organization health and welfare. Those units that are revived and the ones that are invigorated in large part because they got back to the basics of their identity and purpose. Should we not know this and learn from this in order to share it with others?

Much of the rancorous debate in these forums is because people have not thought through issues of identity and mission and their own participation in defining these concepts. Priorities get confused and values get misplaced.

Yes indeed I "should know about that ..." - I have actually engineered 'that' as well and am trying to share how I did it. Yet what I find is a hostile environment for such sharing - from the moderator no less. That is extremely discouraging. You do me, and also the purpose and mission of these forums, severe diservice IMHO.

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Sharon ~

Region 2 is home of the WDCU, which is densely populated with vintage trailer owners. If you are interested in getting together a vintage rally in your area, you can contact the Region 2 VAC Rep for some support & potentially some other like-minded folks.

If you plan it, they will come! One of the VAC's goals is to have at least one VAC rally in every region every year...more if people want to! If you need help getting started feel free to contact me offline or via PM or in this thread. I will do what ever needs to be done to get your ball rolling!

Shari

Thanks for the encouragement Shari.

I did contact Walt 2 years ago - but was politely directed back to my own Unit - where of course I had joined in the middle of a Vintage War or the Worlds....so I was left with no-where-else to turn at the time - but that is water under the bridge - and by listening here at the forums - things are changing - slowly but they are changing - and mostly because of people like yourself AND Bryan who maintain such a diversified field of views on all walks of the Airstream society.....

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by GT6921

I tried a "kick at the can" I honestly did - it just did not turn out to be what I expected -

Sharon ~ I know you have tried to work with your unit...as we spoke about that a couple of years ago.

Originally Posted by GT6921

so I took a breather and will try and find a new avenue to approach - because simply I am stuck on Airstreams and eventually I want to get to meet more people stuck on Airstreams - preferably those who have a keen sense of humor and knowledge on how to keep these oldies rolling down the road - between the ditches and the shinny side up!

This is why I am trying to encourage you to give it a try through the VAC. Generally, the VAC folks are more willing to work with an individual to get something going without the sometimes stodgie WBCCI mindset. If you find other like-minded folks and approach the local unit or have enough like-minded people to start your own, how can that be denied? Yes, I am a part of Region 11 - who has recently discouraged the FCU from forming...however that is not over, it was just the first hurdle. We'll see how it plays out in the next couple of weeks at the IBT Meeting. It may not always be 100% smooth sailing from the get go ~

Am I a supporter of the WBCCI? Yes, absolutely, 110% but my way of going about things is sometimes a little out of the box. Like encouraging people to look for different ways to get something going without offending your local Unit.. The Regional format of the VAC for someone with VAC interests is a perfect example. I would encourage anybody with similar interests to do the same. Get creative, I know there are others out there that will support you!

I agree, Bryan asks some valid questions...but it's time to think outside the box!

Shari

[Shacksman]

Hi Peter and Sharon;
We do have an unoffical vintage club in Ontario. We have a rally each year on the Aug. long weekend. The offical club has never reconized the vintage group, thats why I am in the WDCU and was even Pres. in 2005, even though we live in southern Ontario.
We have attracted a number of Ont. members to our rally and would like to meet up with you soon.
I am running the Cherry Blossom Rally this year in Washington and will put up the info soon, but you are welcome to come along if you want to see how the vintage rally.

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

Hi Peter and Sharon;
We do have an unoffical vintage club in Ontario. We have a rally each year on the Aug. long weekend. The offical club has never reconized the vintage group, thats why I am in the WDCU and was even Pres. in 2005, even though we live in southern Ontario.
We have attracted a number of Ont. members to our rally and would like to meet up with you soon.
I am running the Cherry Blossom Rally this year in Washington and will put up the info soon, but you are welcome to come along if you want to see how the vintage rally.

Hi Shacksman - If I am not mistaken I think we met at the Florida State Rally - our first ever Rally back in 05 - we were Newbies and really pro Ontario Unit greenies or Red Dots as we were known as. We stayed in the Vintage section and had not a clue what we were doing!
(and still don't )

I remember it being very discouraged to travel 1500 miles to hear people "bad mouthing" the Ontario Unit. I don't think we got off on the right foot.

We had attended one rally in the spring of 04 and our first impression like many 40+ year olds was mixed - but still felt strong that we would evolve and be a part of the club. But it never happened.

But this is WRONG!!! people should not be leaving their home units - there is something not right with this system for this to be happening.

Upon our return from the FSR - we did try to jump in and without going into any details - it was like jumping into a 100 year old fraternity. We provided input from a new persons/demographic point of view - but was butting against 'old school' ways. There is new blood there - but the minute they are enveloped into running the rallies for such a Large group priorities change from within the ranks. And it is all they can do to keep up with meeting the minimum WBCCI requirements.

Ontario is changing - (I hope) slowly but surely as their member demographics change - and when we are ready we really do see ourselves in their like a dirty shirt.

As stated somewhere we are toying with where to join - MAL, Ontario, SNU, or WDCU and of course perhaps start another Unit - but I think that might take a bit too long.

On another point - there is a faction of Vintage followers in the Western part of the Province - but they too have 'attitude' and my first impression was that they could not see beyond Western Region area nor were they willing to work with the Ontario Unit - and at the time I still had hope to work with the Unit to promote a vintage intra-club.

I just don't want to be like the cattle out in the field - I want to be something different - I don't want to settle in being ostricised from what should be an open and diversified Unit that needs a more personalized infrastructure.

The bottom line for us right now is maintaining #1961 so we can have the red numbers on our Overlander - now what does that say for the system up here.

I love the SNU site - and love how they have gone through their own wars and survived as a group. I like the WDCU and the fun they seem to have - as well as all the other units like them...but we are so afraid to put on our MAL badges - and be looked at as if we had two noses and three eyes as we did when we arrived at Ontario's Rally with that classification because we could not find anyone in our Unit to take our membership during the winter. They were all in Flordia.

[Shacksman]

"Hi Shacksman - If I am not mistaken I think we met at the Florida State Rally - our first ever Rally back in 05 - we were Newbies and really pro Ontario Unit greenies or Red Dots as we were known as. We stayed in the Vintage section and had not a clue what we were doing!
(and still don't )"

Yes we were there. You were toying with selling your trailer to the guy with the big checkbook.

"I remember it being very discouraged to travel 1500 miles to hear people "bad mouthing" the Ontario Unit. I don't think we got off on the right foot."
I think that the Ont. Unit are fine people, they just don't want to see old trailers. They have a great time in their own way, but never go very far to a rally. We bought a trailer to travel and see things out of Ontario.

"We had attended one rally in the spring of 04 and our first impression like many 40+ year olds was mixed - but still felt strong that we would evolve and be a part of the club. But it never happened.

But this is WRONG!!! people should not be leaving their home units - there is something not right with this system for this to be happening."

Actually if everyone left their home unit they would see a lot more of the country.

"Upon our return from the FSR - we did try to jump in and without going into any details - it was like jumping into a 100 year old fraternity. We provided input from a new persons/demographic point of view - but was butting against 'old school' ways. There is new blood there - but the minute they are enveloped into running the rallies for such a Large group priorities change from within the ranks. And it is all they can do to keep up with meeting the minimum WBCCI requirements."

They do like their flags and berets in Ontario.

"Ontario is changing - (I hope) slowly but surely as their member demographics change - and when we are ready we really do see ourselves in their like a dirty shirt.

As stated somewhere we are toying with where to join - MAL, Ontario, SNU, or WDCU and of course perhaps start another Unit - but I think that might take a bit too long.

On another point - there is a faction of Vintage followers in the Western part of the Province - but they too have 'attitude' and my first impression was that they could not see beyond Western Region area nor were they willing to work with the Ontario Unit - and at the time I still had hope to work with the Unit to promote a vintage intra-club."

The vintage is an inta-club of WBCCI not Ontario unit so you can do a rally with permission of the vintage club and invite all of the WBCCI. There are no unit intra-clubs.

"I just don't want to be like the cattle out in the field - I want to be something different - I don't want to settle in being ostricised from what should be an open and diversified Unit that needs a more personalized infrastructure.

The bottom line for us right now is maintaining #1961 so we can have the red numbers on our Overlander - now what does that say for the system up here.

I love the SNU site - and love how they have gone through their own wars and survived as a group. I like the WDCU and the fun they seem to have - as well as all the other units like them...but we are so afraid to put on our MAL badges - and be looked at as if we had two noses and three eyes as we did when we arrived at Ontario's Rally with that classification because we could not find anyone in our Unit to take our membership during the winter. They were all in Flordia. "
You should see the looks I get with a past Pres badge from WDCU, from the Ont. group.

We are going to the FSR this year, will we see you there?

[bfred]

As a non-officer who owns a large AS MH 396XL and reading some of these posts, I think it might be better to rebadge my MH a Mandalay and just stick to the FMCA rallys and Mandalay Travelers Club.
I have been assured by AS that my unit is a real AS in spite of what some people think.
Lets just go camping.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by bfred

As a non-officer who owns a large AS MH 396XL and reading some of these posts, I think it might be better to rebadge my MH a Mandalay and just stick to the FMCA rallys and Mandalay Travelers Club.
I have been assured by AS that my unit is a real AS in spite of what some people think.
Lets just go camping.

You can always use multiple nameplates...one for each club you want to belong to....no one would be the wiser.

[str8strm]

Originally Posted by bfred

As a non-officer who owns a large AS MH 396XL and reading some of these posts, I think it might be better to rebadge my MH a Mandalay and just stick to the FMCA rallys and Mandalay Travelers Club.
I have been assured by AS that my unit is a real AS in spite of what some people think.
Lets just go camping.

Don't let 'em get you down bfred. You can always move to California. You look silver to us. Ron

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

We are going to the FSR this year, will we see you there?

I only wish! Peter has a new Job - and has traded a daily 4.5 hour drive for his 4 week winter vacation time! So unfortunately our travel will now be during the summer months - hence the interest in learning where the fun places are.

Yes....Flags, Executive parking, Fair Grounds, Satalite TV, Standard Agendas, Early nights and early mornings. Cards or Dominos. Siting long periods after large meals at the variety of Entertainment......a wonder our life styles are so unfit.....just look at the extra Rallies we could all get in if we just did more Movement and got more fresh air.

Not knocking the Units that Do get outside! and enjoy some fun exercises and knowledge sharing.

The idea of stepping in a newer trailer too as in the open house concept just about gave some people a coronary....and yet they are the first to pile in our little Globetrotter - hmm could that be called nosey

Not all - we met a lot of great new members - each scratching their heads a bit and not sure what to expect. Just not too much in the line of maintenance or vintage hurray - which is the category we fall into. And most were I admit retired and most in fact the majority owned the big triple axle mobile homes tee hee.

[AYRSTRM2]

Wow, spend a couple of months away fromt the forums....and things are just the same! WBCCI name change? Didn't you folks already settle this?

Fordstream. Really, that thing is a one off concept with a hydrgen fuel cell
that couldn't pull the '49 18 footer in Henry's Museum. And that one needs a new axle! (I'm surprised more people don't mention that)


GT6921, et al, make sure and keep an eye out for the Metro Detroit Rally this year. As Buck can tell you, if you can push, pull or drive it, you're welcome (as long as you bring Canadian beer).

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by AYRSTRM2

GT6921, et al, make sure and keep an eye out for the Metro Detroit Rally this year. As Buck can tell you, if you can push, pull or drive it, you're welcome (as long as you bring Canadian beer).

Thanks for the invite - I aint pushing for 8+ hours - better get on the Hubby to step up the Overlander Reno....

However, no leash no beer! We have beautiful well behaved girls - that at rallies we are told must stay on their leash. In the dog world that is only fair. So if your big fellow (if of course I have the right owner) comes a sniffin I will have an extra lead that I will swap for the cool canadian beer!

Sort of like that 1m1v deal - a one off and one on deal does not make for a happy meeting. You see - we may not attend but there are eyes everywhere.... If my dogs are not happy we are not happy, kind of like kids that way.....

We missed the Rally two years in a row! and we were almost there both times. Maybe third year lucky - cause we just gotta get some Lou to keep us going and I know he has finished all that Canadian Ice by now.

[NorCal Bambi]

Another two cents! The important thing about any group is the people. When the orginazation becomes greater than the members it is time to rethink. Just look around at all the orginizations and service groups that are hanging on the edge of survival. What starts out as good can become something else when the group becomes greater than the individuals who make it up. It's like the idea; It's the jouney not the destination. I think I saw written some where; " We the people".
Don