Why do you not belong to WBCCI

[Castaway]

The WBCCI recently polled its members on why we belong. I am curious as to why people have never joined.


Gary

[DanB]

Your poll left off probably the two biggest reasons.

1. The membership dues. (If it was free, many would join)
2. No apparent benefit beyond what they have now (See reason 1)

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by DanB

Your poll left off probably the two biggest reasons.

1. The membership dues. (If it was free, many would join)
2. No apparent benefit beyond what they have now (See reason 1)

There was a time when purchasing a new Airstream came with a benefit of a free year's membership in WBCCI. Sadly, many of those buyers never renewed for a second year, so the program was considered a failure and went away. In addition, the free memberships detracted from the club's operating budget. If membership was free, the club couldn't afford to stay in operation, because we couldn't even afford to pay the few full-time employees who process the memberships!

Membership in Good Sam costs less and gets you more benefits, that's true. But look at the cost of an all-brands Good Sam rally vs. the cost of an Airstream-only WBCCI rally. The now-defunct WBCCI Mardi Gras Rally is a good example. The Mardi Gras Rally was held at UNO Lakefront Arena. There was a Good Sam rally right next to it, also at UNO Lakefront Arena. The Good Sam members paid four times as much to get exactly the same level of service as did the WBCCI members. The difference in price for that one rally was a whole lot more than the difference between a $25 Good Sam membership and a $65 WBCCI membership.

Good Sam makes their money on the back end and turns a profit. WBCCI as a licensed non-profit organization gets its annual operating budget from the membership dues, and only charges enough for any given rally to cover that rally's expenses. No profit, and only enough rally fee funds retained to cover unforeseen contingencies.

One thing that was brought out in one of the seminars I attended at this year's International is that WBCCI is still the largest RV association that is owned and operated directly by the membership, as opposed to Good Sam and other larger clubs that are run by a corporation where the membership is not given a say in how the club is run, and the club has to turn a profit for the sponsors.

[mandolindave]

Because I haven't had a reason TO join.

I care more about going to music festivals or camping with a few close friends, rather than going to a rally, where Airstreams is the only thing you have in common.

I should go to a rally. I bet there are a few close friends there that I haven't met yet

[ttbikes]

I have joined the WBCCI even though I do not think I will be going to many if any of the big rallies. I do plan on attending many vintage rallies though. But beyond this I just think it is good to promote airstreaming on lots of levels. In many ways the WBCCI is the face of airstreaming. A strong active airstream community promotes interest, part availability, and resale values.

[dznf0g]

1) I like to camp by myself or with family.
2) not retired and can't take advantage of many scheduled events.
3) after spending 30+ years of association with organized, structured, processed organizations, I just don't want to spend mental energy on another one.
4) unnecessary expense for me
5) from the outside, looking in, the organization seems to be struggling with the change in need sets of new generations of potential members...(like many other institutions)

[RangerJay]

Relevance is everything.

There is a real lot about WBCCI that should be appealing - and very relevant - to most Airstream owners.

When we first purchased our Airstream we were able to take advantage of free membership for a year.

We were one of the ones that did not renew that membership.

There were a couple of reasons.

One was plain geography - we simply weren't in a location that allowed us to easily participate.

Second was more the organization itself. WBCCI seemed to us (like much of the Airstream corporation's marketing efforts at the time) to invoke a spirit of Wally Byam that was way more vicarious than real.

It came across as stale and musty.

The once proud and stately WBCCI organization had become bureaucratic and policy driven with a largely geriatric agenda and a whole lot of old pictures .....

Relevance - at least to us - was nowhere near.

I did continue to follow a lot of the discussions about WBCCI on this forum for a while but stopped doing so a number of years ago.

It seemed that WBCCI needed to take a long hard look at what it was doing, who it was doing it for, and how it was doing it.

Maybe that has happened - I hope it has.

We would love to purchase a membership in a WBCCI with a fresh image and diverse mandate ......

..... although I gotta tell you - the way my knees and back feel these days - the old WBCCI is starting to look pretty good too ......


Thanks,


Jay

[SteveSueMac]

FWIW - here's a little snippet related to the transition of leadership in the NY Ballet:

"When it comes to programming, Mr. B taught him to keep things vital. "He was actually on his hospital bed, and it was really, truly towards the end. ... He said, 'When you schedule your season, don't be reverent. Be relevant.' And it has followed me through all these years. That's always in the back of my mind.""

To the extent the club thinks more of relevance to now and the future over reverence to Wally and life in the 50s, the club will grow.

Alternatively, the club may have served its purpose to promote RVing and there is nothing relevant anymore? And it all still boils down to the local unit you would consider joining anyway. I initially joined one and didn't resonate with it. Met folks from the NEU at a joint rally and joined. Been a blast!

Here's the full story of the quote if interested:
http://m.timesunion.com/entertainmen...st-4645607.php

[m.hony]

I had no reason to join until...
I starting meeting nice people who were already members, one of which lives 2 doors up.
Then, I started meeting nice people at campgrounds who were members.
Membership in some cases is neither here nor there, because I would still camp and attend bluegrass festivals with those same people. but...
Since I have joined and attended a rally, I have met so many good people. You can never meet enough good Christian people who share the same hobbies.
Another reason to join was to have the iconic big red numbers. That is just part of it to me.
I had considered not paying dues and getting out, but the Mississippi Unit rally in Vicksburg was so great that I will likely be a lifetime member. We attend other rallies outside of WBCCI, but we really enjoy the WBCCI rallies as well. The rallies are so well planned and so well organized.
I think my dues are $80- $65 to national (international?) and $15 to Mississippi Unit.
Most units raise money for needy children or other charitable acts of kindness. WBCCI is a bunch of good people doing what good people do- in an Airstream trailer-

[wrhnco68]

We're not joiners and are not good at organized events. BUT we have saved the membership fee during our travels on the occasions we've stayed at "Airstream Only" campgrounds. Its also nice to know that, wherever you travel, you have some local folks that you can contact in the event you have problems.

[Stefrobrts]

We joined for a few years when we got our trailer (that year we got a free membership for a year even though we bought used). The club at that time was very stodgy. But the people we met in our local unit (Oregon) were very friendly. We were odd ducks because we were so young - in our 30s - and got lots of attention at the rallys. But everyone was super nice.

The only problem was that their rallys would start midweek, and we would not be able to join them until Friday night, and often people were packing up on Saturday to get home in time for church on Sundays! So those rallys were kind of a bust for us, by the time we got there, they were already reminiscing about what a great rally it had been and saying good bye!

On top of that we just didn't have as many weekends to sneak away for rallys. So after paying our dues and only getting out for a rally or two every summer, we dropped out after a few years.

The club has loosened up a lot. Now they have more younger members, rallys that actually last all weekend, campfires, stuff like that. I would like to join them again, but we still have that lack of weekends getting in our way.

AND somebody else got our number. I check every now and then, if it ever becomes available again, I'm in

[KWN306]

I'll probably will get a lot of sh*t for what I'm going to say but AS owners are snobs, just like BMW motorcycle owners.

I have owned many BMW motorcycles and went to over 100 rallies, what a bunch of fakes.

I go camping to enjoy the outdoors not to have my head filled by a bunch of garbage from folks telling me how great the product is and then you read posts on this forum about new models falling apart.

I've took delivery of a 2015 AS in January, every time I use the trailer something else breaks or doesn't work. The trailer has spent more time at the dealers waiting to get repaired than it has in my driveway.

I owned three Keystone products before purchasing the AS and not one of them ever had a warranty issue.

The build quality of the new AS suck IMHO.

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by KWN306

I go camping to enjoy the outdoors not to have my head filled by a bunch of garbage from folks telling me how great the product is and then you read posts on this forum about new models falling apart.

That does not describe any rally I've ever been to.

[rochar3]

Never joined because of the stupid hats they wear

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by rochar3

Never joined because of the stupid hats they wear

I don't mind the blue beanies. I even wore mine once (for about an hour) during this International rally. But it's only the second time in three years that I've worn it at all, and both times it was optional; I wore it only because after buying the danged thing it would be a waste to never use it. It's one of the good wool berets that's properly floppy, not one of the newer nylon ones that don't drape properly and fit like an undersized chef's cap.

I'm more concerned about the rest of the "uniform." The last time I wore a necktie at work was December 23rd, 1989 (it snowed in New Orleans that day) and I refuse to get more dressed up to be retired than I ever was to be be working. The day they tell me I must wear the "uniform" red necktie, I'll quit the club then and there.

[xrvr]

Referring to post 12. What doesthat have to do with the WBCCI? Not a member now but the rallys I attended did not dwell on the trailers but on social interaction and good will. As far as the BMW stuff, I never experienced any of what you said there either. I guess it's just a difference in perspective or attitude.

[M1953]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I don't mind the blue beanies. I even wore mine once (for about an hour) during this International rally. But it's only the second time in three years that I've worn it at all, and both times it was optional; I wore it only because after buying the danged thing it would be a waste to never use it. It's one of the good wool berets that's properly floppy, not one of the newer nylon ones that don't drape properly and fit like an undersized chef's cap.

I'm more concerned about the rest of the "uniform." The last time I wore a necktie at work was December 23rd, 1989 (it snowed in New Orleans that day) and I refuse to get more dressed up to be retired than I ever was to be be working. The day they tell me I must wear the "uniform" red necktie, I'll quit the club then and there.

I agree 100 percent. I won't tie a knoose around by neck for anyone. I had no idea ties where required.

[Hittenstiehl]

Unless that was tongue in cheek. Don't be mislead, I think he was joking, Ties are not required in any way.

Sometimes this forum is like the old telephone game. ;o);o)

[Sodbust]

400 miles to the nearest group is the main reason and all but 1 rally is always away from us than toward us.... Went to one event and seemed nice people,, but saw them picking up stuff that I might steal kind of rubbed me wrong..
A well polished Overlander,, new pu.. and no tattoos so what rang the warning bell I was a outlaw?

Sodbust

[StreamDog]

We didn't join because:
1. Nothing about the club interested us.
2. Didn't want that number on our rig.
3. We'd rather spend the $65 on (put anything here).
4. We're not the "go to something organized" kind of folks.