How to run a Region Rally?

[yukionna]

I will be taking a role in running a WBCCI Region rally shortly. I'm looking for everyone's thoughts on what has worked and what hasn't in their Region rally's. Additionally, I'm looking for entertainment/activity ideas that will span the two generations of members that will attend this event.

[Silvertwinkie]

I think that is great and I hope you are able to find a good balance between the existing base and the ones that are either just starting their Airstream thing or are part of the younger working crowd.

My suggestion would be to simply try to get some rallys going where people who work and/or have kids can easily make it. Also costs can be important. I get rally info all the time and they are mostly hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a week here or a week or two there and it just is plain unrealistic for any person who is not independently weathly to attend, even if they have some of the money for the reall expensive ones due to vacation being what it is for the "working class" folks....

Not sure what the shape of the membership is in your unit, but I would STRONGLY suggest that you try to break some of the molds if they haven't already been tweaked and get some of lead out of the structure if there is any....some do and some don't have lead....

Best of luck to you!

Eric

[thenewkid64]

Eric,

While I will agree that the bigger rallies cost more, International is in the 200-300 dollar range. The value is there if you look at the offerings of entertainment, tours and food. Some rally fees include the parking, water, and electric. I have never been unhappy with the fee I paid for a rally regarding getting my monies worth.

If all you are using as a reference for rallies and caravans is the printed national ones in the Blue Beret then yeah they are expensive. But the caravans price normally covers everything but food and gas.

Local unit rallies normally have a small fee (ours is $8.00 per person for the rally) and you pay your own way on the campground fees when the rally is held in a campground. I am not independently weathly and I am able to financially attend all 10 of my unit rallies without breaking the bank.

One other thing to look at. If you compare a national rally offered by the WBCCI or Airstream against the same rally or caravan offerd by a company or tour planner you will see that the WBCCI ones are a bargin in most cases. The origanizers are normally volunteers and there is not a profit motive to the event, hence the cost is the cost.

[Chuck]

first thing that comes to mind: there's gonna be more than 2 generations; at least 3...maybe 4

(p.s. are you heading down east today, or tomorrow? we're heading up tomorrow....)

[Silvertwinkie]

Brett,

Thanks for the info. None of the info I have received has had a price under a few hundred bucks. Normally, that's not a lot of money to me, however, when the dates mostly are when I can't make it because I have to work, is where the value goes south. Sure I could make it for a day, maybe two, but there just doesn't seem to be anything taylored to an short extened weekend (or at least what I have seen from the locals around here). I understand that each club is different, and that as volunteers, you can't ask that much. The crux of it is you pay the dues, you get the paperwork, numbers and all, but in my case and I know there are others, it just isn't a good fit as currently configured.

If there are some that are configured or changing to meet working folks needs too, I am very happy for those folks. I too hope the local ones turn around that haven't, but until they do, I can't see spending $50 for something that I may only get to really participate in maybe one time a year. I know there are lunches and meeting and such, but the ones I've seen here have been during the workday, about 50+ miles away.

Of course, keep in mind that I'm talking about my perceptions and my surroundings, others may have different surroundings. My take though is that my case is not an isolated one, in fact, I am finding that more and more folks across the country find themselves in the same boat....

Eric

[yukionna]

Originally posted by chuck
(p.s. are you heading down east today, or tomorrow? we're heading up tomorrow....)

Chuck, unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the Maine rally due to another commitment. I am running a local farm festival in my town this weekend.

[Chuck]

too bad there's a conflict. We'll have to catch you at the next one....are you going to VT or Greenfield?

[bryanl]

please check through the materials at
http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/ow...ing/index.html

I have started to put some resources for rally and caravan planners together. It is still incomplete but should have a lot of good ideas and links on budgeting, staffing, site selection, entertainment and activities, agreements, communications, applications, rules and regulations, and other things.

contributions and suggestions aimed towards making this site a more useful resource for rally and caravan planners would be most welcome.

[yukionna]

Originally posted by chuck
....are you going to VT or Greenfield?

I'm not sure yet. With the festival consuming all my free time, I haven't had time to plan that far ahead. Pam and I are planning another impromptu rally somewhere on the ocean in the York, ME area for the w/e of 9/27. Let me know if you are interested in joining us. Earl & Elaine, who you met at Region One, are also planning on joining us.

P.S.
Your little girl is looking very cute these days! No, I'm NOT talking about your Airstream!

[yukionna]

Originally posted by Leipper
I have started to put some resources for rally and caravan planners together.

Bryan, your website is very informative -- thanks for posting the link. In the "Rally Site Survey Information", what do you mean by: "Roads and trails type and condition"? I'm assuming you mean ease of access from highways/freeways and ingress/egress of the site location. Is that correct?

[bryanl]

"Rally Site Survey Information", what do you mean by: "Roads and trails type and condition"? I'm assuming you mean ease of access from highways/freeways and ingress/egress of the site location. Is that correct?

sounds good to me ;-)

The issues would be: ease of access to the camground as well as inside the campground to individual sites, how weather might effect access, maneuvering needed to get into a site properly, potential obstacles,...

trails issues would be pedestrian, bicycle, or similar avenues for in-grounds use to get from campsite to facilities of various sorts. These need to consider campsite privacy, use by people in wheelchairs, etc.

The problem in any survey or check off list like this is to be complete enough to cover all the bases yet open and flexible enough to satisfy multiple needs over differing situations.

What would be nice is to have a collection of actual examples to serve as illustrations.

oh well, lots of things would be nice to have. Maybe one of these days when I find that 'round tuit I lost somewhere.

[Chuck]

Your little girl is looking very cute these days! No, I'm NOT talking about your Airstream!

um....she's a "HE" (Jack, the airstream wonder-baby)

[yukionna]

Sorry about that!