Blue Beret Discouraged

[till]

WOW
I must be an odd ball. I just got back from my unit Rally. I'm the younges member (36) and I couldn't bring my Airstream. They had no problem with the pop-up I'm currently using. I don't drink so that is not a problem. I have to admit that I do not understand the "who ha" over a no drinking policy, is one weekend or a week with out beer or some other adult beverage that bad??? Maybe it the fact that I do not drink that keeps me from understanding.

As for the "rituals", I can't complain there ether, a pledg to the US flag, club meeting, no big deal. I like the fact that grace is said at each meal, but that is just me. Heck I was thrilled that we had a Sunday morning church service.

Our rally was great even if it rained about 75% of the time. I learned a lot from the other members. Seeing the other trailers, hearing what works and what doesn't from so many people is really helping me get my plan together for my trailer.

To each, his(or her) own.....

[smily]

I find it astonishing that so many disinterested people find time to talk about it.

If they spent half the time they do bashing the WBCCI on participation, they would have nothing to bash.

Reminds me of an old Forum member, "Hex". He literally spent hours on this forum writing posts and comments of his distaste for Airstreams. I never could figure out what his life was........he is gone now, maybe he got a life.

Love taps!

Smily

[maxandgeorgia]

Well said, Stephanie. Your voice shows that you are a person of warmth and compassion yourself. I hope someday we meet you at a rally!

[panub]

I had the pleasure of meeting of Jack Canavera this weekend (he's the main guy of the St. Louis, MO. chapter - I don't pay attention to titles )

After a short, open discussion about any question/concerns/issues...we feel a lot better and more welcome than ever!!!!!
Thanks for listening, Jack

[Pahaska]

Just returned from a unit rally and the trailer is packed to pull out at about 5:30 AM tomorrow morning for Pennsylvania.

Maybe we have an exceptional unit (Hell, I know we have an exceptional unit!), but we had about 25 Airstreams there and several younger couples plus a lot of younger visitors including my daughter.

There is certainly no prohibition against siocial alcohol in our unit. One of the "events" during the rally was a tour of a local winery and a wine tasting. Last rally, we also had a wine tasting. There were bottles of wine at all of our happy hours as well as beer. There would be a general rebellion if you told our members they couldn't have a can of beer!

We saw a great live comedy as a group and many of us went to the bluegrass jam and I got in a little banjo playing. I gave up at midnight, but many of the group stayed till 2 am. Not bad for a group that is reputed to turn in at 9 pm!

We have Battle of the Bulge veterans and WW II Air force Pilots in our group and they are still active and on their way to International in a couple of weeks.

Interesting to note that our unit split from another local unit who were a "do nothing" unit. The other unit is struggling whil our unit is gaining members.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by panub

I had the pleasure of meeting of Jack Canavera this weekend (he's the main guy of the St. Louis, MO. chapter - I don't pay attention to titles )

After a short, open discussion about any question/concerns/issues...we feel a lot better and more welcome than ever!!!!!
Thanks for listening, Jack

Gush, Gush you are so nice Panub. Although I'm a trustee of the local unit (sort of sounds like something from a prison movie) I might be classified as the unit director of non conformists.

Jack

[Big Dee]

Smiley, you did more "bashing" than anyone on this thread. So point that finger at yourself.

What it all comes down to is the WBCCI can never be all things, to all people. So why argue? Either the WBCCI appeals to you or it doesn't. You will either join because the group is appealing or you won't. Either you get something out of it or you don't. Some people will love the WBCCI the way it is. Some people do not care for the way it is.

Personally, I am on the fence. I just don't care for rallies that feature oaths, pledges, flags, worship services, etc. as their activities. My vacation time is SO PRECIOUS and LIMITED that I must do the things I am interested in. I just can't waste a week at a rally doing meaningless (to me) ceremonies. But I like the idea of kicking back informaly with a group of A/Ss at a campground for 1 or 2 days- 3 max. Hmmmm.....sounds like a forum rally.

So, what I say above is "bashing" the club, right? I don't see it as bashing but....well....whatever.

[smily]

Originally Posted by Big Dee

Smiley, you did more "bashing" than anyone on this thread. So point that finger at yourself..

You crack me up!

Smily

[thenewkid64]

Big Dee,

I have to say that the WBCCI is hearing this from many members, my wife and I included. I can offer a few suggestions:

Originally Posted by Big Dee

I wanted to attend the Region 12 Rally. All set to send in the coupon and I see that it's $145 rally fee. Well, I am a working stiff and would only be able to come for Friday & Saturday night. That's $145 for two nights? I don't think so. OK, so they make no provision for working/family members on the coupon. Very discouraging.

ALL of the coupons in the Blue Beret have only fees for attending the FULL 5-7 day rallies. No provision for paying by day. EXCEPT for Region 5/Indianna Unit's coupon. They are the only unit to offer pay by day and seperate the fees: parking, rally, and banquet.

In many cases there is a pro-rated rally fee, but it is not published in the Blue Beret. If you contact the rally coordinator, or the treasurer they can normally tell you if there is one and what it is. This is something new that is being done and there has been support for it from many rally coordinator's. The majority of the attendees will be there for the whole rally so the form in most cases are kept as simple as possible.

There are very few email addresses on the coupons. Most communication is by snail mail. Another clue as to the demos of the club. And it discourages me from attending the Region 12 Rally if I can't ask questions about fees by email.

This is the case for many of the members that travel. Some have e-mail, some do not. This will change as the membership of the club becomes more computer savvy. Most of the rally coordinators travel extensively and have mail forwarded or have planned stops back home to get it. The club has not caught up with the Internet generation yet. It is getting there, but will take time. Sometimes there is also a phone number. If you have your directory you can look up the address of the contact and get a phone number from the internet based phone book.

Region 12 Rally has a Halloween theme, with a costume parade. Now I assume since they make no provision for working families that this will be seniors walking the loop in costumes? I don't know what to make of that. Will they be trick-or-treating? Yikes!

I doubt that all of them will be trick or treating, but they will be having fun none the less.

Maybe I'll stick to Forum Rallies, which are really my cup of tea. What do I need my WBCCI membership for, then?

There are units that are active and fun, others are less active, but it works for them. I know of a few of both kinds. All I can recommend is to contact a unit membership chairman and ask to drop by a rally sans trailer. Normally a visitor is welcome with open arms and you can at least try to get a feel of the members of that unit in a face to face way. This does not require a full weekend of travel or camping and may offer a better understanding of the intangibles that a rally , unit or otherwise offers.

Look at that group picture on the inside back cover. Nice folks I am sure, but it looks like an AARP picnic.

Just because they look old does not mean that they will act old or have old feeble minds. This is judging a book by it's cover in the worst way. At our active rallies the "old timers" are normally still going when I am ready to drop from exhaustion.

And finally, big news in the Blue Beret. The opening ceremonies of the International were not long enough. They have added the Canadian military anthem. Now, how many anthems is that?

The flag ceremony and it's length is something that is under discussion among the members. We all have opinions, but if you are not in the club the opinion that you voice may not be counted like those that are in the club. The ceremony is optional for all members. If you are not an officer with assigned duties you do not need to attend, so why is the length an issue?

[tin can luv]

Originally Posted by smily

I find it astonishing that so many disinterested people find time to talk about it.

If they spent half the time they do bashing the WBCCI on participation, they would have nothing to bash.


Smily

If the Old Farts that bug us so much would spend more time and interest reading this forum, and not out vacationing, and rallying, and doing what retired people do, maybe they one of them would put their oxygen down and invite younger more exciting events into their rallys.

If I sat down to have dinner at a non christian event, and was subjected to saying grace and morning church service, I would be very unhappy, just as I expect my non religious views will cause others to be unhappy.

Love and prosperity,

Ron

[smily]

Originally Posted by tin can luv

If the Old Farts that bug us so much would spend more time and interest reading this forum, and not out vacationing, and rallying, and doing what retired people do, maybe they one of them would put their oxygen down and invite younger more exciting events into their rallys.

Think about that, They are out doing what we aspire to do.
Glad to see that you recognize a good thing when you see it.

Sucking on Oxygen tanks may not be a bad thing, Love is like Oxygen..........

Smily

[Pahaska]

If I sat down to have dinner at a non christian event, and was subjected to saying grace and morning church service, I would be very unhappy, just as I expect my non religious views will cause others to be unhappy.

I am an athiest. At my first rally, I was told that "devotions" were at 8:30 on Sunday. I politely told them "I don't devote." and that was that. I have never been subjected to any pressure to attend. As far as grace at meals, I can certainly afford to spend a half-minute studying cracks in the ceiling if it makes others happy. I also omit two words in the Pledge of Allegiance that should not be there.

Has this affected my status in WBCCI? Hardly. I'm currently a trustee of the unit and Region 9 Webmaster. I will decline to ever be President because I refuse to call for or schedule religious rites. I will willingly serve in any other capacity in the unit.

[maxandgeorgia]

I wonder, does anyone else do what I find myself doing? I must have typed out a dozen Quick Replies only to delete them, knowing how they would be read and misinterpreted without being there to explain in person. Am I the only one???

[WayWard Wind]

Can't say about quick replies, but I've sent a couple of PM only to have them disappear into never, never land. Guess that might be a form of self deleting Just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Hopefully we can all voice our opinions (with in reason), with out long explanations. Fire away, if they don't like it, they can always go on to the next thread.
Best,

[tin can luv]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I can certainly afford to spend a half-minute studying cracks in the ceiling if it makes others happy.

I would probably just roll my eyes at TOny, but he tends to be more religious than I. I guess agnostic is my route, but I just don't even talk about it much. More for the reason that MaxandGeorgia would probably have more to say about religion than I would have to say against it...

That isn't a slam M&G, what I am saying is I don't have anything to back up my personal belief, so the conversation wouldn't last long, I'd feel defeated....

SO, I hesitated too, to write that about not being happy about prayer, but, to each his own.

This is a good example of a thread with people of varying nature, and beliefs, getting along, without horrible arguments.

Ron

[thenewkid64]

Originally Posted by tin can luv

This is a good example of a thread with people of varying nature, and beliefs, getting along, without horrible arguments.

Thank you Ron!

This is what the forum AND in most cases the WBCCI is like. There can be differing opinions. Discussion of those opinions/positions can be done in a respectful way. You never know who you may touch with a well penned paragraph that helps them to feel that they are not alone, no matter where they happen to stand on an issue. You may also make a point that someone had not considered and it leads them to change their position.

For the most part the members of WBCCI are not, in my opinion, what I would consider "bible thumpers". They have a respect for religion, no matter the faith, and feel that it is part of the fabric of their lives. When you get as many people together as attend a rally you will have many people with different positions.

What I think it is all about is tolerance. In regard to this issue IMHO there can only be middle ground.

[j54mark]

So you are a member of a social group (WBCCI, in this case) and you enjoy the kinds of things they do. The years go by and you continue doing those same kinds of things, more or less in the same way because, well, that's what you and the other old members enjoy. From time to time you pick up a new member who happens to like much the same sort of thing you do, so he fits right in. But as the years pass, old members move away, or die, or become inactive. Maybe a few new members arrive with bright and shining new ideas and new activities, but you and your friends put a stop to that because, after all, you like the kind of things you have been doing. And so, little by little, the group starts to wind down.

And there is nothing wrong with that. It is ultimately destuctive to the organization, of course, but what are YOUR alternatives? Go with a new program of stuff you don't like, to get in a bunch of new members you don't like, and find yourself on the outside looking in? What kind of sense is there in that? Yes, at some point the group collapses, but hey, this is just a social club - not the Khan dynasty.

I am now old enough to have seen this happen with virtually every kind of voluntary association I have ever known: clubs, churches, volunteer groups, even condo associations. When faced with the choice to change or die, they choose to die - and frankly I can understand that perfectly. Often what happens is what John described in his chapter - a competing group forms and thrives, or sometimes some vigorous new blood comes in just in time to turn things around. But ultimately their fate is just the same years down the road.

Folks, its all just fun and games anyway.

Mark

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by maxandgeorgia

I wonder, does anyone else do what I find myself doing? I must have typed out a dozen Quick Replies only to delete them, knowing how they would be read and misinterpreted without being there to explain in person. Am I the only one???

I do that all the time! After I delete a couple I usually decide to log off and go find something else to do for a while. By the time I get back someone else had responded and then I don't have to strain my brain any further

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by maxandgeorgia

I wonder, does anyone else do what I find myself doing? I must have typed out a dozen Quick Replies only to delete them, knowing how they would be read and misinterpreted without being there to explain in person. Am I the only one???

Oh heck ya!

Did it twice today on this very thread when I finally realized that it just isn't worth it as I've said my peace on the subject several times as have others.

[Big Dee]

Brett,

You make very convincing counter-arguments...

In many cases there is a pro-rated rally fee, but it is not published in the Blue Beret.

Well my whole point was......WHY NOT??? If they want to appeal to working people, it would seem a no-brainer to me.

The club has not caught up with the Internet generation yet.

For a whole region rally and the organizers can't get an email for questions? And this region includes high-tech California, for Pete's sake!

Just because they look old does not mean that they will act old or have old feeble minds. This is judging a book by it's cover in the worst way.

I really enjoy talking with the many seniors on my travels. And I don't mean any disrespect about them being in pictures in the BB. My point is it wouldn't hurt to show some people who are not seniors in EVERY picture if your goal was to appeal to all ages.

All I can recommend is to contact a unit membership chairman and ask to drop by a rally sans trailer. Normally a visitor is welcome with open arms and you can at least try to get a feel of the members of that unit in a face to face way. This does not require a full weekend of travel or camping and may offer a better understanding of the intangibles that a rally , unit or otherwise offers.

Very nice advice for all of us. I am still planning going to the Region 12 Rally to see all the local units up close like you say.