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Buttercup · 01-08-2010, 10:06 PM

International is within our range of travel BUT after taking in all of the aspects of it and what value it is to us, we are electing NOT to go. We were excited because it would have been out 4th International. After learning the ropes at previous Internationals, we were excited to be able to pre-register for Gillettte. We were even planning all the stuff we could see while we were still in We thought we had it all figured out until we saw the price tag! Almost $500! What in the heck are we getting for the additional funds we were paying? NOTHING except 30 amp service that we just don't need. The dream ended right then and there.

We have no desire to pay to support early workers that are just not needed, Breakfast, Dinners and parties that we are not invited to enjoy, meetings that we can not attend and even if we could our presence there would matter none, Red Coats, white dresses, ties and uniforms... Forget it!

We are opting instead to attend the Wally Byam Birthday Bash. I have seen enough to know that for the money ($500 versus $150 for my wife and I) I will likely have a vastly more rewarding experience there than anything that WBCCI can offer.

Sure, I will indeed miss all of my VAC friends but I know there will be many opportunities to reconnect with them all in other venues. And I know many of them will likely just not go because of the price.

WBCCI - we are letting you know, paying so much for a rally with disappearing venders and less than family activities does not really appeal to us. We have had enough of the mismanagement of club funds to support a leadership that sees its members as expendable (Jim Franklin's Quality over Quantity speech), the club as a vehicle to a higher existence (MOHO Issues) and sees the history as disposable in lieu of a perceived greater good (AOAI). We are at the point that we are even questioning what possible value our membership $$$ go for. Besides the VAC, it is getting hard to see any value in the WBCCI.

I know a WBCCI flag waiving spokesperson will likely jump on this thread and say something about this being the same old song that goes on and on - but really, it is the same old song and danc that the WBCCI leadership is doing that is getting really old. By not adapting to the needs of the club it is slowly strangling the club. And what happens is more and more discussions like this about why WBCCI just isn't a value anymore pops up. So go ahead and tell me why I am wrong and WBCCI is so great - your voice to me sounds like the band playing on the deck of the sinking Titanic.

I am WBCCI #17330 - and I am looking for the better value. I like others am thinking that my $$$ are better spent elsewhere. WBCCI, I have done for you in dollars and countless hours of efforts, what have you done for me?

wkerfoot · 01-08-2010, 10:16 PM

Tim,

I hope you and Kimber have a great trip across the country. Since you are over 2500 miles away, your fee will be paid by the event.

Bill

Buttercup · 01-08-2010, 10:24 PM

Actually, that offer was made to me and I refused it. I have already paid. I am not special and need no special treatment just because of the distance I travel or for any other reason. I am just an attendee who is looking forward to a great time!

mistermike · 01-09-2010, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buttercup

I am not special and need no special treatment just because of the distance I travel or for any other reason. I am just an attendee who is looking forward to a great time!

Look at it this way - you are spending a lot of $$ to travel to the event and thus the organizers have deemed you an honoured guest.

We offer the same amenity at our amateur radio event we hold twice a year in NH. Folks come from as far as FL and even CA. I am pleased to see that the WBBB organizers share our philosophy on this aspect of hosting events. This is the kind of event that my wife and I would love to attend. I don't even think I own a tie anymore. The only uniform I have is that of a Soviet Navy Captain that I picked up in Europe in the '70s and I don't think this is the uniform to which you refer ;~)

RickDavis · 01-09-2010, 04:57 AM

WE have attended the last 14 Internationals. We were one of the first there when they opened sign up for Gillette. Then we found out, no 3 amp, $210 price increase.
I have spoken with the IP in person and also posted about this on various forums in hope that a solution, 3 amp, boondocking, or something would be considered. Obviously nothing happened.
Indications are the same situation will exist for the 2011 rally in Illinois.
We are looking forward to spending our former international budget to finance the WBBB and the Pocono Raceway Rally. ( why do I think that could become a non wbcci event?)
It is time to get out of the rut of doing the same thing year after year, and we expect to enjoy both these events.

It would be interesting to know how many on the WBBB attendance list would have signed up for International??

drag'nwagon · 01-09-2010, 07:06 AM

We will see you in NY Tim/Kimber.

Airboss · 01-09-2010, 08:57 AM

I was not planning on attending the International this year after attending the last two..So looks like its WBBB for me.. Plus They are having a Vintage radio display... I will bring a few of mine...

wheel interested · 01-09-2010, 09:14 AM

We have been to every other International since joining; three so far. But we would never spend $500.00 to attend the International rally.

Airboss · 01-09-2010, 09:27 AM

Well C.J. Get to Baker's WBBB!!

drag'nwagon · 01-09-2010, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airboss

I was not planning on attending the International this year after attending the last two..So looks like its WBBB for me.. Plus They are having a Vintage radio display... I will bring a few of mine...

Right on Ralphie!

wheel interested · 01-09-2010, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airboss

Well C.J. Get to Baker's WBBB!!

We'll see, can't tell you where I'll be in summer but I will definitely be there in spirit. Glad to see Metro Detroit represented so well in force. Have fun and show 'em how to party hardy.

Frank's Trailer Works · 01-10-2010, 05:07 AM

We are so glad with the response this Bash has received. Thank you so much.

And Ralph, I hope you come and teach us all how to party, but if you could bring Carol that would be good too...

Frank's Trailer Works · 01-10-2010, 05:43 AM

Tim, looks like a trend has been underway for a while.

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4,493 in 1976. 903 in 2009

Airboss · 01-10-2010, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

We are so glad with the response this Bash has received. Thank you so much.

And Ralph, I hope you come and teach us all how to party, but if you could bring Carol that would be good too...

It would make things alot easier teaching all of you if Carol was there....

wheel interested · 01-10-2010, 08:04 AM

M o i ? You are talking about Moi? OOhhhhhh Ralphie!

If I can make it out there by June, you know I will. You boys watch your consumption of Ralph's "recipe," though. Believe me, it can land you in a heap of trouble.

Buttercup · 01-10-2010, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Tim, looks like a trend has been underway for a while.
Attachment 93836
4,493 in 1976. 903 in 2009

Yea, what with that higher price tag I would be surprised if the International does anything but fall in attendance. I think for some Sunday fun here at work I will search out how many people attended International over the life of the club - would be an interesting trend to plot out....

RickDavis · 01-10-2010, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Yea, what with that higher price tag I would be surprised if the International does anything but fall in attendance. I think for some Sunday fun here at work I will search out how many people attended International over the life of the club - would be an interesting trend to plot out....

At least that info is still in the directory
Pages 36,37
Attendance is the number in ( ) after the location

Buttercup · 01-10-2010, 11:41 AM

OK - so I plotted the attendance of International rallies as published in the Membership Directory. The results are surprising but I did notice a few things.

The first is that there are ups and downs. downs seem to follow ups and visa versa. If the trend continues, there will be no attendees at an international by 2015 or later - certainly by 2020.
A huge fee increase for the international is sure to cause a downward spike in attendance. It may be followed next year with a small spike up in attendance as people who dont go this year opt to go next year. But all in all - this simple trend indicates that there has been a continual decline in attendance in International. I wish I could also tie that to the overall membership numbers to see how closely related this to the membership decline.

mistral blue · 01-10-2010, 02:30 PM

I don't know how to do graphs, but could you possibly plot the estimated 1515 to 2000 registrations and the break even number of 1200 registrations Mr. Larson expected for last year's International? That was the one where his contract negotiation skills ultimately cost the club $103,279.76.

As part of the Rationale for his "housekeeping" Mid-Winter motion to transfer funds to cover this obscene loss, Mr. Larson now tells us that high gas prices and the economy were largely to blame for not meeting his projections. Perhaps, then, for comparative purposes, you could also please plot on a graph somewhere the relative gas prices, inflation rate and general overall economic health of President Jimmy Carter's administration? Thank you.

WineStream · 01-10-2010, 04:56 PM

I've been trying to stay out of new threads which discuss what's wrong or point out flaws in the WBCCI; but Andrea was poking around on the Portal and checked out this thread. I was cleaning up after dinner as she was reading at the computer and exclaimed, "honey, you'll love this. Someone made a graph!" So I had to check it out. The graph prompted me to grab the Blue Book that we just received and see if the volatility in international attendance in the mid 70's was due to location. I wasn't surprised to see that the NM rally in 1979 was a spike down. You have the int'l in the on the southern border of the USA...how many do you expect to get? Not that I'm saying anything bad about Mexico, I love it there. But, last time I checked, there's no WBCCI units in MX. Surprisingly, an int'l in Canada had the second largest attendance ever. Again, I'm not saying anything bad about Canadians, but that's a northern extreme geographically. I'd expect the attendance to be lower...definitely not 2nd in history?!?

So I noticed that there's many "repeats" of int'l venue in the 70's and 80's. Notre Dame IN and Boseman, MT were true favorites...each used 4 times between 1973 and 1990. 8 out of 18 rallies held at 2 venues? That's 44%. Anyway, looking at the attendance numbers, all 8 times these were pretty successful venues. Each had over 3000 attendees. So it begs the question of how Bozeman, a proven good venue, only produces an attendance number of 871 in 2008?!? There's no question that the location is not an issue. So, if anyone can produce the data, Andrea and I would love to see the total WBCCI membership number plotted on the same chart as int'l attendance. Perhaps the trend of membership quantity follows that of int'l attendee quantity and there's always a percentage of the membership that goes to int'l. We couldn't find the number on the internet or in the Blue Book. Anyone been keeping track?