How to improve the WBCCI

[azflycaster]

I saw this post on the WBCCI forum and I wanted to include it here. It was posted by "clubwagon" and he has some good points.

When I joined the Club 25 or so years ago we had 20K+ members and two or three thousand rigs came to International. Even then there was talk of renewal and change. Such talk was ofter met with "I knew Wally and he would not approve." That mostly put an end to that conversation.

A couple of years ago, when "the Survey" lived briefly, I had hope that the time had come. Less ritual, fewer restricted entry events, fewer perks (but more respect), two-way communication, a willingness to change. Well, that didn't happen. I am hard pressed to identify one of the many well supported changes surfaced by the survey that has been inplemented.

We are getting to a critical point. If we don't soon get things right the Club will cease to exist. I expect it will be replaced with a loosely connected group made up of those Units with the critical mass to go it alone. The others will just wither and go away. No ritual, no perks, personal communication and a real desire the work together. We may end up with the kind of organization many of us want within the Club. Too bad there might be no Club.

We need new ways of thinking. Just because we have fewer members does not mean dues must increase. Maybe we could just cut expenses a bit. Less ambitious events, for example. And do we really need 500 rigs to be at the International three weeks before the rally to prepare for the other 500. Maybe we could save about two weeks rent on the site. Hey, we should at least be able to talk about such things.

I think "our leaders", who we chose, after all, are dedicated, honest and well-meaning. It could just be, though, that all the time they spend working up through the ranks has caused their thinking to be boxed in a bit. Lets help them expand by sharing our ideas with them. Gandi would have said that sooner or later they will have to listen.

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

I saw this post on the WBCCI forum and I wanted to include it here. It was posted by "clubwagon" and he has some good points.

Excellent post....

That "boxing in affect" is very real. You see it in many organzations. In order to follow the rules of the position you are elected to - it is hard to rebel from within. You are basically folded into the "mold". You soon become on the other side of the fence - from one that you want to make a difference to the side where you are constantly pelted from the unruely MOB - yep we could be considered part of the "Mob" here at times too.

The elected ones eventually band together and support each other - and thus the once ideals you had to change the world - are set aside to help a fellow executive get through a tough report or decision yadayada.

I guess my biggest dissapointment is when such effort is given to obtain input from its members - through the survey of 3 years ago now - that very little followup has happened on the points that received a much higher percentage of concern - that the name change and the MOHO issue. This is just irresponsible administration - and somewhere along the line either right the way from the Unit on up to the IBT we have to be accountable for our future actions!

[moosetags]

Clubwagon's assessment of the situation is very incitful and very well put.

[safari57]

Richard,

thanks for posting Clubwagons's comments. Over the many years I've been involved as a car enthusiast I have seen very vibrant car clubs suddenly evaporate because the executive lost touch with the members. No one wanted to offend anyone so rather than challenge decisions or offer suggestions in a constructive manner, they instead just quit participating. One national club in particular was way ahead of it's time initially but then the executive locked into place the thoughts of the couple who founded the club and over a short time the whole world had changed. It's sad to think that this could happen to the WBCCI, or that it become just a tool for promoting the sale of new units as an alternative.

Thanks,
Barry

[05ModPod]

RE: Vac/or better still Shari - being made the scape goat for some comments the IBT are a bit defesensive about - hmm might suggest that they just might feel a bit embarrased about their overal actions and what has received such air time.


OMG - Presidents "Your organization and Ours" - what the heck does that say!!!!

VAC is an intra-club and yet the organization within the constitution is run like seperate entities Boards, Budgets etc. - get the organization straight and run these Intraclubs within the wbcci instead of a branch outside of the wbcci.

Emphasize programs - rather than the working committees to the programs like international site committee etc.

Promote more Standing Committees or re-shape the exising Intra-Clubs to meet the growing needs of the membership.

Why would the full timers be dispanding - go figure????

[rickandsandi]

There have been some very good suggestions along the way as to what WBCCI can or should do to bring life and members back into our great club. Each year there are 2,000 more Airstreams put onto the road. Assume half of that number of Airstreams are retired off the road for a whole bunch of different reasons. Then there are those like myself who bring older forgotten Airstreams back from the dead. So just for the sake of argument lets assume (I hate that word) the club has a real potentional of 1,000 new members a year. Of that number let's say 1/3 of them are not within a reasonable distance to a local unit. So not matter what we should have 600 new members joining our club each year. A very conservative numbver to be sure. Now how do we get all those out there who already own Airstreams but don't want to deal with the politics and old ways and may be hearing way too much of the ugly and not enough of the good? As in another world wide non-profit organization I once belonged to, was Chapter President and then State Chairman and was responsible in raising over $3,000,000 in 10 years while increasing state-wide membership by 33 % I can say it was all done at the grass roots level with the local chapters. We can do this! We are doing it in the New England Unit. We have a wonderful mix of long time members and an influx of new members young and old, singles, couples and couples with young children. Each of our rallies provides something for everyone including just hanging around with friends. Please take a moment to see the attached flyer for an October rally. Fun for all. So it is up to us to bring in new members because they can not do from the IBT level. This is our club and I have said it a million times and it is now our turn to show IBT what we do to keep our units growing and active and a fun place to be. They need to look at our sucesses and learn from them!

[apolaroid]

Hmmm, I thought this was going to be fun. We acquired our two Airstreams because of needing short-term housing after hurricane Ivan. The plus side of this was finally getting an Airstream (I fell in awe of them as a small child). After the practical use of what the Airstreams were bought for, there is the fun part. Well I thought there was a fun part until I started seeing all the threads on politics. Please do not get me wrong, I understand the need to gather and set up some simple guidelines and rules for putting so many people together, get real even when Moses came down from the mountain he only brought 10 Commandments and that was from a higher source than any level of the WBCCI. I plan on keeping at least one of my Airstreams for enjoyment of the simple life when I step away from home. I attended my very first and only rally (due to limited time with life’s other callings) a few months back. It was the Vintage Airstream Rally held at the Pensacola unit. Everyone was welcoming and the event was so much fun. My plan had been to try and join and attend the rally held in Perry until I started reading about how complex the whole event was going to be. I thought this was going to be about a simple life way of enjoying something with others who held a common interest. As someone who has not joined any club yet (soon to change by joining Pensacola if they will have me), keep things simple. If more than a small percent of time is geared toward obsessing over too many rules, I will just take my Flying Cloud solo. Simple rules should guide these events, such as respecting others around you, safe set up, clean up during and at the end of your stay, and reasonable fees to cover the operating cost of the location used. Does it really matter that much what the order your flags are placed? A focus needs to be placed on what we all have in common and grow from that point. The reason I plan to join my local unit was they made the event enjoyable. We ate a few meals together, I learned some things about Airstream care, and it was laidback and relaxed. Where some time was used for business, the event was more about enjoyment than politics. I left the rally thinking what an awesome group of people and looking forward to joining the club as a member and attending future events held by them. I am a single father with custody of 3 teenage sons taking the Airstreams out is supposed to be about bonding with each other in a relaxed and laidback environment. Beyond the simple needs of some structure and order is the WBCCI turning into a retirement community of ridged rules or does it follow the free spirit concept of the open road and endless adventures of people open to new ideas and ways to continue the journey started by Wally. So as someone who is not a member of the WBCCI I suggest the following: Keep it simple, use common sense, and make new friends.

[63air]

I belong to both the WBCCI and VAC as an MAL but will probably not renew due to a number of issues that are a problem to me and I am sure others that drop out. I offer the following suggestions:

I pay the dues (extra in fact as an MAL) so I should get a vote. Easily accomplished via the web or if by mail, include the ballots in the Blue Beret.

Update the look and content of the Blue Beret. Too much of it is devoted to politics and the whose who in officers. Airstream Life might serve as an example of what is appealing.

More short weekend events that involve active participation; biking , hiking, kayaking , baby boomers don't like to sit.

Lighten up. Is it really that important how you display your flags (other than the US) or what size your bulletin board display is or what color of shirt and tie you have. Formality does not appeal to younger people

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by 63air

....Is it really that important how you display your flags (other than the US) .....

... and other countries too as long as it is not upside down

[05ModPod]

I know 63 Airs - your just ticked that I got WBCCI #1963.....

Seriously It is ashame that you will not be renewing hope you change your mind.

It is quite wrong that the MAL's don't have a vote!!! But there are more and more units now that are taking in the "Unitless" entities that enable them to cast their vote.

What happens to those who have no unit even close to them within a couple of hour drive to the events.

I know in my former unit - 3 of the 4 available events were pretty much either a good 5 hour drive or not on a great weekend and since there was only 4 to choose form you were pretty limited.

Smaller events and more frequent like in the States where there are several Units would make a lot more sense. Maybe there is a trend out there that unhappy members are coming from large 50+ regimented units??? And just want to get involved in a nice comfortable size unit that is not 800 miles away????

[moosetags]

I live in Florida and was A MAL until recently when I joined 4CU in New Mexico so that I could have some say-so in WBCCI. I was a MAL because I don't really care for large group activities on a regular basis, I want to be part of the Airstream community.

It is just flat wrong that a MAL does not get any vote in WBCCI. If WBCCI had one member/one vote, we wouldn't have some of these problems because officers that refused to comply with the rank-and-file membership's wishes would be out of office. I guess that's why they have it set up that way, so the "in" group gets to hand pick it's successors.

If we can get one member/one vote, we can have a real election and get some folks in office who can turn this thing around.

[2airishuman]

i found it curious that a new thread would appear

intent on offering suggestions (constructive or not) TO the wbcci wigs on improvements....

we have done this drill many many times, and as recently as december...

renee (communicator) has only posted a few dozen times but mostly on just this issue.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/sear...earchid=743218

she even had a piece IN the bb with a long list of suggestions for change/improvement...

and she went so far as to organize the ideas by
'club admin, bb improvements, membership/marketing, bylaws/constitution and the int rally'...

this was to become a regular bb feature....

yea right. methinks some1 changed the plan...

at the bottom of this post is my link to the original piece as printed in the bb...

and the posts (#30 and #44) with the organized suggestions summarized for forum members.

who don't want to download the clean/virus free ms word attachment.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/309263-post30.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/309523-post44.html

so, it is great to read the vigor contained in suggestions from new folks...

but i don't see any really NEW ideas.

and the truth is the ibt REALLY doesn't care.

the name change and moho fiascos are vivid proof that this fish is rotting...

from the head down!

as for the bb as a publication,

forget the efforts at improving it or making it more 'asl' like....

the bb is mostly a coupon book for old style rallez' and caravans...

it ain't supposed to be entertainment!

so my suggestion is for 1 YEAR...

NO PRINTED BLUE BERET!

that's right. no mailing for one year.

rally/carvan coupons can still be mailed to members quarterly and printed from online templates for those that know how.

play around with an online version like the newsletters many units currently have...

with the money saved, the home office can BUY a moho for whichever ibt wig needs an upgrade!

cheers
2air'

so IF ya really wanna send something to the wb/ibt send 'em a copy of the attached piece. they must not have read it the first time!

[overlander63]

I used to say, "Do Something, Even If It's Wrong". It has become obvious that even that can, and has, been taken to a ludicrus extreme. Maybe there needs to be two sects in the club, under 55 and over 55, called the Blue group, and the Silver group. If you qualify for a senior's discount at Denny's, you have to be in the Silver group. Both groups would have their own officers, the Blue group electing their officers by one member one vote, the Silver group electing theirs the way it has been. We could then see if "Old and stodgy" or "Young and active" do better. I am sure that there are a thousand reasons why this can't be done, and only one reason why it should.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by overlander63

I used to say, "Do Something, Even If It's Wrong". It has become obvious that even that can, and has, been taken to a ludicrus extreme. Maybe there needs to be two sects in the club, under 55 and over 55, called the Blue group, and the Silver group. If you qualify for a senior's discount at Denny's, you have to be in the Silver group. Both groups would have their own officers, the Blue group electing their officers by one member one vote, the Silver group electing theirs the way it has been. We could then see if "Old and stodgy" or "Young and active" do better. I am sure that there are a thousand reasons why this can't be done, and only one reason why it should.

Terry,

Be careful where you draw that line. I am over that line, but do not consider myself "Old and stodgy". There are many in El Camino Real much farther over the line but still "Young and active". ECR cast 90 votes against the motorhome motion and abstained for 3rd VP.

I will never qualify for the senior discount at Dennys, because I don't go there.

Bill

[rickandsandi]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Maybe there needs to be two sects in the club, under 55 and over 55, called the Blue group, and the Silver group. If you qualify for a senior's discount at Denny's, you have to be in the Silver group.

Whooo Terry- I am just about to hit 51 and I am far, far from wanting to be in the Silver crowd. A person should never be judged by the date on his or hers birth certificate. I will always run with the younger crowd. I may not want to be staying up till 3 every morning but I want to have fun! I have not read anywhere in the Blue Book that members of WBCCI are to spend all their time bickering and fighting, causing members to leave and that you need to be a bitter tight a$$ to on the IBT. When our current president publishes in the BB that we as members will never know Wally, BITE ME! How dare an officer of WBCCI tell that in print to it's members. Who is failing this great organization if its members do not know Wally? Sort of like a priest telling his congregation thay don't know God! Can we improve WBCCI as members, you bet we can. Start at your unit level. Become active. Get to know the folks in your local unit. Know one says you will immediatly become best friends with everyone but you will make friends. Host a rally if you don't like the ones you have been going to. BECOME a part of the WBCCI! That is the first step to improving the club!

[ticki2]

Originally Posted by overlander63

I used to say, "Do Something, Even If It's Wrong". It has become obvious that even that can, and has, been taken to a ludicrus extreme. Maybe there needs to be two sects in the club, under 55 and over 55, called the Blue group, and the Silver group. If you qualify for a senior's discount at Denny's, you have to be in the Silver group. Both groups would have their own officers, the Blue group electing their officers by one member one vote, the Silver group electing theirs the way it has been. We could then see if "Old and stodgy" or "Young and active" do better. I am sure that there are a thousand reasons why this can't be done, and only one reason why it should.

I always thought it was "Old and Wise" or Young and Foolish". Just havin' some fun . It seems to be more about power and control than age . Unfortunately all age groups have the propensity for that trait , remember "Lord of the Flys". There's a little too much pedigree , especially at the top , some mixing of the blood line would be good.

BTW chronilogically I qualify for discounts at Denny's , but always forget,

[rideair]

As many of you know, I always call it like I see it. When I felt the IBT was wrong about the MOHO, I said it. Name change, no way. Need to loosen up, oh yes, etc... I've seen many threads(I've even started some) about the problems with the WBCCI, what changes need to be made, etc... On all of these threads in less than 1 day you will get many people telling you what needs to be done/fix/change/etc... A day or so ago, I started a thread called "What will you do?" I asked what will people be doing to help make the WBCCI a better club. So far, there's been "ONE" response from someone(and I thank you) saying what they plan to do to help the WBCCI. I only hope that all whom have no problem telling the IBT and the WBCCI what is wrong will take all those wonderful ideas and try them out somewhere in the club. If your current unit will not support you, I will. You want to try something different to make the rallies better, I'll let you host one. I think at this time, we all need to quit telling everyone how bad it is and start to fix the problem. The change needs to start somewhere. Please do not sit around and wait for somebody to fix it. Get up and fix it yourself. I'm someone that feels this way, "If you don't like things the way they are, then change them". As many of you know, I p*ssed off a bunch of members of the IBT. But, everyone of them I saw at International said "Thank You" for trying to make the club a better club. Many just said, I was trying to move to fast. The club wants and needs your help, so quick typing and start doing the things you talk about.

I will now wait for the arrows and fire balls

I love you guys, but we all need to do our part to make this a better club. I don't want to see the IBT be correct when they say "People will not step up to help out". Please, let's all prove them wrong!

[Roadschooler]

I posted to that thread about an hour ago............I'm embarrassed that my "stuff" wasn't as lofty as yours, but I get your point. We need to "do" more and "talk" lees. Convicted

[thenewkid64]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Maybe there needs to be two sects in the club, under 55 and over 55, called the Blue group, and the Silver group. If you qualify for a senior's discount at Denny's, you have to be in the Silver group. Both groups would have their own officers, the Blue group electing their officers by one member one vote, the Silver group electing theirs the way it has been.

I think something like this would work IF you let the member define what group they WANT to be in. It goes towards a two party system, and would allow for much greater flexibility toward new members, and what people are looking for in the club.

Take this to the next level and have an international every year, but have the rally run by blue one year and silver the next. I would be willing to be the Blue group would have bigger, more fun rallies. Competition, it is a good thing. Even if it is inside the club.

[apolaroid]

Did some people forget, this was about getting out with your Airstream and having fun? No wait that should be having FUN. More focus needs to be placed on what we have in common then the many differences. As I stated in the reply I made earlier on this thread, I am not a member of any Airstream club yet, but I am in your target group for recruiting. I am in my early 40's with 3 teenage sons. We have 2 Airstreams and are looking for different ways to use them and have a good family time. Other people like myself can be the future of this club. Maybe there do need to be changes in the WBCCI, even Airstream has changed over the years. Where today's Airstream is still an awesome product it has changed to reflect a different buyer. Microwaves, TV, computers, and cell phones are part of today's lifestyle and built in with the new Airstreams, but look at the product, it is still an Airstream. The same can be done with the club. The history of what made this club great is still here, but times are different and some changes might help. I have read on this site advice from owners to people looking to buy an Airstream, they say to consider your future needs. The WBCCI might think in those terms. I think looking at what today's teenagers might enjoy would help. Think about what today's young families are like and what would help bring them into the club, and keep them. Wally was a man ahead of his time, the club he started is great because he understood what the people wanted and needed. He also understood change. This club can outlive all of us, but only if some focus is put towards a changing Airstream Family. Like the changing Airstream, the club can adapt too, but at the same time hold strong on to the values set in the early days of the WBCCI. Teaching new Airstreamers the basics, and sharing a strong history will keep the club true to what it started as, adapting will keep the club alive. Don’t be afraid to learn a new dance move, but don’t forget the Tango.