WBCCI- Doesn't listen or just doesn't care

[Stream 1529]

We've been members in the same unit for over 7 years. My wife and I worked during this time. The first 4 years we made almost every rally - arriving on Friday and leaving on Sunday. We missed out on almost all of the activities scheduled during the rally, but we did get to attend the business meetings on Saturday and socialize with other members in the evenings.

Then came the "any motorhome is an Airstream to save the International officers from having to downgrade to a travel trailer" idea that would save WBCCI in the '06-'07 term. By this point we were beginning to feel that nothing was going to change in a positive way to encourage young, working people to join and stay. My wife and I began discussing whether we should stay or leave. I was retiring at the end of 2007, but my wife still would have 8 years of work left, so there still wasn't any chance of our both being able to get to a rally on a Wednesday. I talked with some of the officers, and they said that this was just a fact of life of members until they could retire.

I enjoyed the friendships I had made at our unit, and was still reluctant. We made a few rallies in 2007, but I decided to not attend the rallies in 2008 and to just ponder over our decision of staying in. Three weeks ago our President called and said he thought I would be a perfect candidate for 2nd VP. I said no, thanks. My wife still works, and that we were actually considering not renewing our membership. Explaining that almost all of the activities were over by the time we arrived, and camping for a day and a half was not a relaxing event for my wife who would have to get up on Monday to start another work week. He asked me to re-think, saying that we would be missed.

This week I received the monthly newsletter. In it was the schedule for next month's rally, which included the officers' election. THE RALLY STARTS ON TUESDAY AND ENDS ON THURSDAY!! You add in the 200 towing miles to get to the rally, a great tour of a local beauty college, and you get a picture of the last nail going into the coffin.

We had been considering a MAL membership up until the International Rally when they decided to up the dues for MAL's. So now it's just plain Adios to the good and old WBCCI.


_________Tom

[Andrew T]

Hi Tom

You have likely already tried this but I thought I would mention it.

One thing I have found is that the experience varries greatly from one unit to another. Maybe there is another unit that has a more progressive membership in Texas that you might enjoy more.

Andrew T

[wkerfoot]

Tom,


Why don't you try the Heart of Texas Camping Unit? There contact info is here: WBCCI.org and here: WBCCI Unit Guide

You could also contact Artstream on this forum as he is a member of that unit.

Bill

[norsea]

Or, you could come join those of us who are working on the creation of a new Airstream club if you would like to continue to be part of a social organization associated with Airstream's.

Send me a PM if you are interested.

Jim

[Stream 1529]

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

Tom,


Why don't you try the Heart of Texas Camping Unit? There contact info is here: WBCCI.org and here: WBCCI Unit Guide

You could also contact Artstream on this forum as he is a member of that unit.

Bill

Bill,

We had considered shopping around for Units as a MAL. The increase in dues showed us that WBCCI is discouraging MAL's and trying to push them into a designated unit.

We do have friends in other Units, and will probably join up with them on a buddy rally on occasion. We're also looking into attending a forum rally when there is one in the area.

_______Tom

[azflycaster]

Tom - If your unit does not have rallies for working people, I would first talk to the officers of your unit about it. You could always volunteer to host a weekend rally. Jan and I host one every year with the 4CU and another with our flyfishing club. It's a lot of fun and everyone pitches in to help.

[warbler5]

Originally Posted by Stream 1529

We had considered shopping around for Units as a MAL. The increase in dues showed us that WBCCI is discouraging MAL's and trying to push them into a designated unit.

Hi Tom,

I completely understand your frustration! We joined WBCCI recently and intended to join as MAL's, for fear of joining a unit that didn't suit our needs. We thought that being MAL's was a way to attend any unit's rallies. But, we discovered that any WBCCI member is welcomed to any unit rally. So, we joined the Four Corners Unit, which is many miles from where we live, but not too far from a place we go every year. Why don't you pay those dues one more time, and just start shopping around....it seems like there are other, more progressive units that have sprung up recently in your state, and maybe you can find one that suits your needs. Another thing you could do is just go to the WBCCI web site and look at the rally schedules.

Besides.....MAL's cannot VOTE (a strange rule, especially considering that MAL's pay more $$$ to belong!). Hang in there....not all units are created equally!

Cheers

[PeeWee]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Tom - If your unit does not have rallies for working people, I would first talk to the officers of your unit about it. You could always volunteer to host a weekend rally. Jan and I host one every year with the 4CU and another with our flyfishing club. It's a lot of fun and everyone pitches in to help.

Richard is right on. The 4CU's practice what the Club is all about. After attending two 4CU rallies, I have returned to the Airstreaming I remember.

Thank you for being a guide to reality and fun, Richard.

Pee Wee

[GStephens]

Tom, previous posters are correct. There are a number of alternatives to your present unit that are conveniently located to you and are more oriented to the working member. One unit that hasn't been mentioned is the Texas Highland Lakes Unit. For what it is worth, THLU is the only unit in Texas and one of the few in the nation that has consistently grown each of the last ten years which means that it is recruiting and RETAINING its membership. There has to be a reason for that and one of the reasons is that THLU schedules virtually every one of its rallies over the weekend to be more friendly to the working member. You won't miss much at most of their rallies if a weekend is all that you have available. As a group, THLU is somewhat younger than most units with some members in their 30's, several in their 40's, 50's and 60's which offsets the unit's older member's ages and brings down the average age of the unit. This unit's personalities really mesh which creates an enjoyable atmosphere in everything they do.

Whether you renew your membership or not, THLU is sponsoring the Texas Vintage Rally at Braunig Lake RV in San Antonio February 4th-8th. You don't have to be a WBCCI member to attend. Many forums members attend every year and quite a few attend who resolve to never be a member of anything. Everyone is welcome. Bring your trailer and be a part of the whole thing with your wife joining you when she gets off work Friday afternoon, bring your trailer and pay for only the days you are parked with us at the rally or leave your trailer at home and come out just to tour the vintage trailers on Saturday afternoon. Either way, you can get a feel for what this unit is like.

Other units you might consider include the Heart Of Texas Camping Unit that has been mentioned whose membership is geographically centered around the Ft. Worth area, but which has members from Austin and perhaps other places near you. The Texas Hill Country Unit is another unit you might consider. It has made great strides in becoming a more active and vital unit in recent years after almost disbanding a few years ago. It is becoming revitalized and is now probably a good fit for you. And then there is the Texas Coastal Plains Unit whose members I've really enjoyed being around. They are an active and fun group. Most all of these units schedule rallies all over the place so where you live is not as important as it once was for sooner or later they are likely to schedule one or more rallies in your back yard.

I hope you find a unit you like rather than just quit altogether. WBCCI has so much to offer at the unit level. What the International does or doesn't do is never mentioned at most unit rallies. It is just a non issue at unit rallies. Now, having said that, I am not suggesting that what the International officers do is not bothersome and that it doesn't often rile the membership. I'm just saying that most units don't let it effect their rallies.

GStephens

[jimmini]

A beg 4CU Heidi Tom
Pardon me,could ah have a ward with yawl? Yew know yawl can Always come join us at the 4CU.Yew only have to pay yore WBCCI dues $55 + $1 club due.Yawl still get yore vote to hep try An change the WBCCI and it is cheaper than being a MAL.Ah jes hate to see yawl leave the WBCCI And that's john Deer green
We are jes nice Folks, having fun campin at our rallies ain't No meetns at our rallies just fun that's the cowboy way.
I Know we ain't as close to San Antonio as some units but please thank about it.Yore always welcome here and that there ain't no honky tonk lie.
Yawl come see us yew hear.From a displaced Texan

[cooperhawk]

We were in a smiilar situation. My Wife is still working and I am caring for an elderly Mother in a Nursing Home. We can't do much traveling. We sponsered and ran a couple of parties which were pretty successful and then were tapped to be officers and lead Caravans. Can't do it.

I provided web sites for all of Region Seven for more than five years at my own expense and then suddenly we were ignored at parties. Not by everyone, just officers. You can't force someone to do something that they haven't the time for. Then they started up their own web sites and I just canceled the ones I was providing. Another snub!

Then came all the rhetoric over motorhomes, which we have. A lot of unkind words went back and forth, not really to us, but just in general. That was enough.

This summer I power washed the numbers and stickers off the motorhome and we are dropping our membership. Those people we counted as friends, are still our friends. The rest can go to, well, you know.

I realize that many clubs haven't enough members and some people have to serve as officers over and over. It's a real problem, but trying to solve it this way won't work. Somehow they will have to become more user friendly to entice younger members to join and be able to participate. And all the negative rhetoric has to stop. Who wants to join a group like that?

[Goin camping]

Tom,

You have a lot of options besides the Unit you are in.

There are several other Texas units that are worlds different from your current unit. The Texas Highland lakes unit sounds like it ought to fit you just fine. Of course I always suggest you join my unit. Great folks many of whom who still work for a living. So our rallies are designed for weekends.

Feel free to join us in the FCU.

As an aside. The FCU is the unit we joined after running from our first unit. Each unit is different and there is the perfect fit out there if you look for it.

[Mikethefixit]

Talkin about not listen'n ,I have attempted to contact the two local Units in my area for a yr. The area which will remain nameless.
Today I accidently ran into(didn't hurt her) the president one of them.
She had no clue as to the suppensions of the two members,or did she know that the website in her local had not been attended too since 2006.
I mentioned those who cannot attend rallys in the middle of the week and she said they knew of the problem.
This attitude I think is comon in WBCCI, the older crowd really dont care wheather they gain any new members or not, and it appeared to me that Rallies in the middle of the week is done with a purpose to eliminate the working stiff.
Sorry ONLY one man's opinion
Mike

[Goin camping]

Originally Posted by Mikethefixit

I mentioned those who cannot attend rallys in the middle of the week and she said they knew of the problem.
This attitude I think is comon in WBCCI, the older crowd really dont care wheather they gain any new members or not, and it appeared to me that Rallies in the middle of the week is done with a purpose to eliminate the working stiff.
Sorry ONLY one man's opinion
Mike

Mike,

New Units are being founded and older units are modifying because they hold the same opinion you do. Their members are also in the same boat as you and I. We gotta work to Stream.

Thats change for the better.

[jerrypeterma]

I probably shouldn't add to this because I am not a wbcci member, but I would like to know about this new club that norsea was talking about.
Thanks
Jerry

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by Mikethefixit

...
Today I accidently ran into(didn't hurt her) the president one of them.
She had no clue as to the suppensions of the two members,or did she know that the website in her local had not been attended too since 2006.
I mentioned those who cannot attend rallys in the middle of the week and she said they knew of the problem.
This attitude I think is comon in WBCCI, the older crowd really dont care wheather they gain any new members or not, and it appeared to me that Rallies in the middle of the week is done with a purpose to eliminate the working stiff.
Sorry ONLY one man's opinion
Mike

Mike,

Just goes to show one that (a lot or some) units do not care or follow the International soap opera.

We belong to two units in California, one has the rallies from Wednesday through Sunday (most attendees do not leave until Sunday) and the other only Friday to Sunday. We enjoy both and there are several members of both. We seldom arrive on Wednesday, but they accept us arriving late and always appear happy to see us.

Bill

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by jpeterman

I probably shouldn't add to this because I am not a wbcci member, but I would like to know about this new club that norsea was talking about.
Thanks
Jerry

Jerry,

Email Norsea about the new club he is working on.

Bill

[Nuvite-F]

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

Just goes to show one that (a lot or some) units do not care or follow the International soap opera.

Bill,

Actually Mike's comment that the Unit President didn't know (rather than "didn't care") about the disciplinary actions against Bob Thompson and Leo Garvey is telling.

WBCCI members who don't use the Internet (a large majority of the membership of the two units to which he refers) don't know about the things that the International Club doesn't want them to know about, which is the way the International Club likes it. Hence the animus on the part of certain members of the International Club against us "Internet blogging MALcontents" who do use the Internet.

Cheers,
Nuvi

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by warbler5

We thought that being MAL's was a way to attend any unit's rallies. But, we discovered that any WBCCI member is welcomed to any unit rally. So, we joined the Four Corners Unit, which is many miles from where we live, but not too far from a place we go every year.

Certainly every member is welcome to any rally, but in my experience the unit that is footing the bill holds it against you if you live locally and regularly attend their events, but send your dues somewhere else.

[warbler5]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Certainly every member is welcome to any rally, but in my experience the unit that is footing the bill holds it against you if you live locally and regularly attend their events, but send your dues somewhere else.

Wait.....you mean the local unit would begrudge the ONE DOLLAR in yearly dues that goes to the unit I belong to????? Okay.... If that is the case, I doubt we would see eye-to-eye anyway! And, THIS is why so many of us would prefer to just be MAL's!

I think, if I found I was attending more than one local unit meeting per year, I might consider joining that unit in addition. My understanding is that it IS possible to belong to more than one unit, but you are only allowed to vote in one unit.

Cheers