WBCCI cyber unit?

[Janet H]

I have been mulling over the "What makes a unit a good unit" issue and have a couple of thoughts....

A good unit has regular communication, rallies, member participation, diversity, encourages new folks to join and carries out the mission of the parent organization. it's members have voice and vote and feel valued.

Some of us belong to those kinds of units - some don't. Many of us live hundreds of miles form a WBCCI unit - and while we belong - we do not participate in the regular business of the organization - we can't - it's too far to drive. Many belong to the WBCCI as "at large members" and have no unit affiliation AND no voice or vote - yet pay dues.

So... how about a Cyber unit? Forums members are already acting as a WBCCI unit. we plan and hold rallies, we meet regularly (online), heck we vote on polls! We work out our differences, we (many of us) are willing to support the forums with cash...

Why not start a WBCCi unit? it could be a venue to give those 'at large" members a voice. We are already a cohesive community. We have the technology to hold online meetings and there is established practice for doing so. I beong to another organization that has online meetings and balloting - it's fairly effective.

If the current model of the WBCCI is not flexible enough for our new population, let's expand it. Don't throw it away - just tweak it a little. There is room for both traditional units and non-traditional units. Many already belong to more than one unit anyway....

just one little small step into cyber space......

[maxandgeorgia]

As one of the members-at-large, Janet, we would be more than happy to make this forum membership our unit WBCCI membership. This forum community fills our "active association" needs. While we have only attended one forum rally (midwest), we enjoyed it a lot and will attend more when time and location fit us. We could be doing this as WBCCI-Cyber/Forum. What about members already aligned with a local unit? I like this idea a lot. ~G

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Janet

I have been mulling over the "What makes a unit a good unit" issue and have a couple of thoughts....

A good unit has regular communication, rallies, member participation, diversity, encourages new folks to join and carries out the mission of the parent organization. it's members have voice and vote and feel valued.

Some of us belong to those kinds of units - some don't. Many of us live hundreds of miles form a WBCCI unit - and while we belong - we do not participate in the regular business of the organization - we can't - it's too far to drive. Many belong to the WBCCI as "at large members" and have no unit affiliation AND no voice or vote - yet pay dues.

So... how about a Cyber unit? Forums members are already acting as a WBCCI unit. we plan and hold rallies, we meet regularly (online), heck we vote on polls! We work out our differences, we (many of us) are willing to support the forums with cash...

Why not start a WBCCi unit? it could be a venue to give those 'at large" members a voice. We are already a cohesive community. We have the technology to hold online meetings and there is established practice for doing so. I beong to another organization that has online meetings and balloting - it's fairly effective.

If the current model of the WBCCI is not flexible enough for our new population, let's expand it. Don't throw it away - just tweak it a little. There is room for both traditional units and non-traditional units. Many already belong to more than one unit anyway....

just one little small step into cyber space......

Interesting thought Janet. My wife and I were talking yesterday regarding our interest in continuing with WBCCI. Quite honestly my work schedule has played havoc with rallies, we don't go to the International or to Regional rallies, we don't go on caravan's, so the question for us is why expend $65+ to something that we don't use?

Obviously if we wanted to maintain any tie to WBCCI, this obviously would be a method. Talk about shaking things up though. Does a unit have to have a geographical home? Obviously you would have officers of the unit living all across the country....not much different than some units today. I guess someone needs to look at the bylaws that relate to forming a unit and see what it says about the geography side.

Jack

[wkerfoot]

Isn't that what the Washington DC Unit is? A virtual unit, the dues are $1.00. Why not contact them and see if they would allow their name on rallies around the US? Make that unit a true all US unit.

Bill

[Stefrobrts]

My Hubby and I were discussing the same thing. Other commitments keep us from attending most of the OR Unit rallys, and even though they meet between rallys and have breakfasts, they are about an hour away, which is further than I want to drive early on a Saturday morning. So we were discussing if we should re-up this year, when experience is showing us we just don't have time to participate.

However, the forum rallys absolutely rock and I do my darndest to NOT miss them! If we could form up as a unit, I would go for that immediately. The forum is such a great way to stay in touch, there's people on here I've only met once who I feel I know better than people in my unit who I've met many times.

I think that's an excellent idea, Janet, now someone tell us why that can't be done...

[maxandgeorgia]

" . . .now someone tell us why that can't be done... "

. . . And then, how to DO it!!~G

[jimmickle]

Take a look at page 31 of the Blue Book. A cyber unit will probably stretch the rules quite a bit. The first thing would be to find a progressive region president and then try to form the unit in that region. I am not close enough to any region officers to make any suggestions. I would be willing to become a member of such a cyber unit and might even volinteer to keep track of the members.

Jim Mickle 6980

[Over59]

I see nothing in the rules that would prohibit any unit from establishing a cybergateway. There are rules about publishing stuff like a newsletter, rallies, ect, stuff like elections that such an arrangement would challenge. Finding a unit to transistion would be the key. Could be any unit. Prehaps a failing one with few remaining member or one that wants to push the edges. You will run into controll issues as there is this officer progression and nominating committee thing that pretty much guarantees that change will be painfully slow and that the unit will survive.... until everyone dies off.... which in some units will be any time now...

Many of the New England Unit's officers and Trustees are on the forum. What do you say guys.... Want to go NATIONAL.... We could vote on it at the Spring Business Meeting....

There is of course that issue of "commerical" entanglement. Do you really want to be at the mercy of those who "own" the forum...

[Uberlanders]

It isn't the forum's unit....it is just that the forum becomes the vehicle for the communication. Andy already hosts many WBCCI unit web pages. It is like making a meeting to go have a get together at the local pub to do a business meeting. But instead we log on and use one of their rooms.

[47WeeWind]

Seven or so years ago I was a founding member of the WDCU Chapter of the WBCCI, an Internet Unit that was virtually based 1,500 miles away in Washington, D.C. Many other founders were, like me, WBCCI Members at Large who then lived thousands of miles apart but who met and stayed in touch over the Internet via the VAC List, the forerunner to the current VAL List. Participation in the WDCU occurred wholly via the Internet, the only delivery medium for its newsletter. Although distance and full time work prevented me from attending a WDCU Rally, it was only after I joined and became active in the local Denver Unit that I finally let my WDCU membership ($1.00 annual dues) drop.

The first two VAC Rocky Mt. Rallies were organized solely over the Internet through the old VAC List. Many of us locals joined the Denver Unit after the Second Annual VAC Rally and brought that event with us into our Unit. So, Janet's idea has already been implemented and could easily be replicated. The WDCU blazed the trail and provides the template for a Nationwide Virtual Unit. Contact them, I'm sure they will be happy to help any way they can.

[wahoonc]

I am for it! My current work schedule is brutal, I actually spend more time visiting other units than my own My unit's last business meeting was 90 miles from my home and I was over 700 miles away at the time, not exactly an easy commute Our unit appears to not be very internet oriented, I get an occasional email and the snail mail newsletter. I would be interested in the formation of one or more cyber units.

Aaron

[Mike Lewis]

count me in ---Pieman

[bryanl]

The internet is a tool or a set of tools. A common interest, such as that in a set of tools, is usually expressed as an intra-club, not a unit.

IMHO a unit should have a geographic basis and identity. It should represent an area of the country and be a host for that area and be a voice for that area. It should be strengthed by the common bonds of those who choose to call that area home.

Rather than setting oneself apart because of the participation in these forums and the use of other internet technologies, why not use this interest to help bring together club members and encourage those who are having difficulties, for whatever reason, in using the internet effectively, to come on board so all can benefit.

Set up a plan, a scheme, and support methods to better coordinate the use of the internet by WBCCI and its components. Devise means to bring people on board. Find ways to help out those who are afraid the water is too deep.

There is a good kernel here. What would it take to make a coherent and planned communications media for WBCCI in this model?

[bryanl]

Originally Posted by 65GT

We've already seen examples where members are either uncomfortable with their local unit and/or sometimes unwanted by their local unit.

If anyone wants to know why WBCCI might be sick, look in the mirror and think of this.

I really can't imagine a club like WBCCI with its mission and purpose making people uncomfortable or unwanted. - but I very well know it happens much too often in WBCCI. And this is why so many other efforts are going to have significant barriers towards achieving goals.

[Over59]

I was all set to join the WDCU until I happened on these really strange NEU people at a forum rally in VT. Then met even stranger ones at a later rally. For Yankee's they are almost friendly... .

One would expect that with all the standing committees unit have that there would be an internet portal ect. committee. Some regions don't have any events posted online expect for luncheons. While International has contests for member booklets and posters (I think that's like a school teacher does but I'm not sure), no standards, guidelines, or contest are evident for online sites or activity.

I wonder what local unit has the fewest active members.....

[2airishuman]

hi janet and other free thinkers......

1'm also a member at large......

the idea of unit for mal folks that
-conducts all business online and
-has 1-3 'rallies' each year it wide ranging locations,
-also a buddy rally or 2 each year....for potential members...
-does meeting online/in a chat room
-conducts voting via email or snailmail
-has a 'virtual initiation process'
-has officers and all the other crap required
-could even do some 'pomp stuff' on line...

something like this wouldn't really be an a/s forum unit specifically but a real wally unit designed for the present time....wdcu may be close to this but not fully.

folks who full time or travel lots or aren't close to a useful unit....and so on, might be potential members....
clearly lots of forum users might seek this unit out too.

i don't see this as an intraclub but a genuine 'virtual unit' which could or would need to do most of the stuff all units do...so this isn't so much about rebels who want a 'new wbcci' but a real unit for a virtual geographic space...

so they would still be the issues of doing the work of all units and so on....

but such a unit might also help the wb move into a new century and new demographic....certainly the operating costs would be real but small. dues could start at the same rate as most land based units and go down as membership grows and so on....


perhaps andyr could host the web site for this unit and we could have a regular chat time (instead of luncheons) that only members could log into....really most unit processes could be done online....


i'd join tomorrow.......
so who wants to work on approval and the unit start up process......
i would help with that now too.
ideally it would be nice to have some folks who are currently active in regular units lead the process....

cheers
2air'

[thecatsandi]

I was talking to another member about that very subject a couple of days ago.
At the moment I am not sure where I will be working. It may be out of the area for my "home" unit.
What do we have to do to get this rolling?

[3Ms75Argosy]

I won't mention WHERE Janet got this idea..... but I will say that I think this idea has great merit. I'm really too far from any "local" unit to be a part of, but I DO check in here almost religiously (well, actually, MORE than every Sunday!). Would we need a separate forum category for "official" stuff - separating the forums from our official business? Or - would we need our own web forums for this to work?
Marc

[Shacksman]

As the past president of WDCU and I am from Canada, I'am offering all members at large a chance to vote on the Wally name. Check out our site at
http://www.servintfree.net/wbcci-dc/ and contact the memberhip chairman, Star Grover, to transfer from member at large to full voting member with us.
Rememer you have to be a full member to vote in WBCCI. You will save money and not have to do anything more then now.
We are open to having rallys anywhere in U.S. or Canada. Our first of the year is the Cherry Blossom in Washington D.C. area.
We have many members with vintage trailers and lots of brand new. All are welcome with us.
If the forums unit comes into being you can transfer to them but you can vote now with us.
Doug Rowbottom
WBCCI #3327

[maxandgeorgia]

I too see this as a virtual unit: the unit we would want to belong to. I don't do luncheons often with my closest friends, and I much prefer a chat meeting on line to getting out at rush lunch or dinner hour for a meeting! I like the whole idea of this. I'm already "acquainted" with this forum community and I know we have good rallies all around the country with forum folks. Connect this to WBCCI and you've connected all the dots for us. Hope it flies. ~G