WBCCI, Why you left or did not join?

[rideair]

Since I'm part of the WBCCI "Leadership" (WDCU Prez) I have a quick question.

If you were a member of the WBCCI, Why did you leave??

or

If you are an Airstream owner and not a member of the WBCCI,
Why did you "not" join??

To let you know, I plan to copy your responses and forward them to a member of the WBCCI IBT. I think there are many that would love to join if the club meet more of there needs. And this is one of the reasons why the WBCCI is shrinking in numbers. So, Why did ya??

[ibgl6]

I have not joined due to the fact I am not sure it is for me I am employed working 40 + and dont get to use my camper very much just a few times a year mostly local (100 miles ) or so for just a long weekend also dont know to much about it I however am a life member of Good Sams and have been for 10 or so years I do most of my adventures through the eyes of others in there stories.. Maybe one day....

[2airishuman]

it may be a 'quick question' but it isn't new...

while not exactly the same question,

many of the comments herein are close to the matter.

http://www.airforums.com/forum...rvey-8494.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...lub-16187.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...poll-8493.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...sam-20034.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...cci-17099.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ship-6784.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...cci-16194.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...nce-20747.html

http://www.airforums.com/forum...hip-24597.html

include yours...

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ber-29230.html

and a few polls....

http://www.airforums.com/forum...long-2345.html

just a few places with pro/con remotely similar threads and posts...

enjoy the reading...

2air'

and it just occured 2 me...

the airforums has

the largest collection of a/s folks...

the largest collection of a/s photos..

the largest collection of a/s repairs...

the largest collection of a/s activities....

and

the largest collection of comments on the wbc'

already.

and what's the wbc' got?

the largest collection of officers
who dislike airforums content.
we are...
'just a bunch of malcontents'
as i recall...

[Stefrobrts]

I quit because I didn't feel the annual expense was worthwhile for the average one local unit activity a year I found time for. I found little or no entertainment value in the Blue Beret (not like Airstream Life).

The international came to our neighborhood last year and I was unable to find out what would be going on when. I was unable to just show up for a weekend, either you registered for the whole thing or nothing, which was impossible because of work. And then the Open House was held on a weekday during the day when everyone who might have wanted to visit was guarenteed to be at work! Talk about a snub to the working folks in the club!

Basically I just wasn't getting my money's worth. Then all that name change hoo-ha came along and I got tired of the politics. Now with this motorhome thing - ugh. Might as well just go join some generic RV club if my little vintage silver trailer is going to be towered over by those big white-box motorhomes anyway!

However,even after all that, I am considering rejoining just so I can join the VAC. They do have a good magazine, though I wished it came out more often. And they have rallys that are worth driving across the country for.

In the NW we have a very active community of forum members and we regularly have low-key fun rallys. No rules, no schedules to keep, no dues to pay, just new and old friends getting together for a potluck and to sit around the campfire. Those rallys are so much fun I do everything I can not to miss them, and they don't even cost me $70 a year to participate. I don't know how the WBCCI can compete.

[alvinator]

I'm still in the WBCCI but I am not so sure I will continue if this silly amendment passes.

[JimGolden]

I was all set to join right after I bought my trailer. Then I found that it was going to take some work to get it roadworthy again, and put off joining until then.

Meanwhile, my grandpa who is 81 and has been a WBCCI member for many years (although he's down to only one Airstream at the moment.. ) started grumbling that it wasn't worth the money anymore and that he might quit.

He gave me one of his newer Blue Beret magazines and I have to say it is really lame. Airstream Life is way better.

And then is see the tons of turmoil and the unhappiness with the guys at the top of the club.

So for me, I'm waiting until I get the trailer back on the road. By then the dust should have settled from all the motorhome stuff. I think by then it'll either be really clear that the club is going to go all Airstream or open it up. I'll decide then.

Seriously though, the Tin Can Tourists look like a fun bunch too. Personally, I like all the old silver trailers. A club for all of them would appeal to me. I just like aluminum

I would like to add though that Paul did graciously invite me to attend their DC spring rally, even though my trailer isn't roadworthy. He told me to come on down and meet the folks. I wasn't able to make it, but I think it was very nice of him to offer and I really wish I could have gone.

So, it seems to me that it's probably just like with most other big organizations. They may be totally screwed up at the top level, but you get down to the local one and they're a bunch of great people.

I'm keeping an open mind and will make a decision next year when the Monster is ready for the road. I'd like to join the VAC and probably will do it unless it all just goes to pot this summer.

Cheers!

[Ganglin]

I looked into joining after we purchased our A/S in July, even though the other half was not in favor. We've camped for the last 30 years in State Parks primarily as we do it to relax and enjoy outdoor activities. The thought of heavily organized activites didn't appeal to us. Went to the web site for Region 4 anyway just to check it out. The following link stopped us cold. If I could just be a VAC member that I would do, as Stephanie mentioned above.

Photo Gallery

[wheel interested]

"The following link stopped us cold."
What you don't want to win a prize too?

I didn't leave the WBCCI but I left my local unit. The membership committee person was actually more of a treasurers assistant asking for dues each year. Would have liked to see a program or effort for new members to be welcomed, instead I had a battle getting membership materials because I did not attend the luncheon.

It also was one of the units where the members had actively opposed the name change and then the delegate (unit president) flipflopped the vote to change the name.

[maxandgeorgia]

". . .The following link stopped us cold. . ." I should think it would have stopped any of us! Where is an Airstream?????????????// Is this a Craft Club by mistake, misusing the Airstream linked title? Good Grief. We are still MAL members. Waiting to see. I know, I know. We should have taken a unit membership in order to have a vote, but we just have not. All of this seems to create a sense of inertia. Wrong, I know. Like others, we just want to go camping with folks that have fun and respect and retain the history of Wally B.

[Lumatic]

Pro/
BIG RED NUMBERS especially if I can get my 71's original number back 21212.
VAC
Local informal rallys/ events
Con/
not kid friendly
schedule conflicts
not enough local informal rallys/ events.

The score so far is a draw for me. When and if I can spend more time on the road it will be more attractive, assuming of course that I and the WBCCI are still around.

[Jim & Susan]

We are not members and probably will never be. Y'all sure find a lot of stuff to argue about. Isn't it supposed to be about Family, Friends and Camping? Not about lots of rules and entrenched leadership that refuses to change with the times? Seems to me that ya gotta change with the times (in a POSITIVE way).

FAIR DISCLOSURE: These are my own personal views and in no way are meant to represent the views of this forum, its ownership, its staff, any other person or any other organization.

Jim

[cosmotini]

To paraphrase Michael Corleone ... "Just when I thought that I would join they push me away".

Seriously, we bought the A/S for RECREATION and FUN.

Reading all of the posts about the WBCCI and the antics of the IBT keep people like me away.

[thecatsandi]

I removed my rear numbers when I was in Florida last January. A little De-natured alcohol and the glue was gone. When they replaced my front panels due to the dent I had them not put my numbers back on. I am now bald. This leaves me with the option to leave at any time. I expect to excercise that option when my renewal arrives this fall.
I joined WBCCI because I wanted to socialize with other airstreamers. I found that on the forums. I see no need for the WBCCI at this point.

[genearnold]

I joined many years ago when I bought my old 1969 International in 1983. Since I was a pastor and my weekends were my busiest time I didn't get to attend any functions so I dropped out after a few years. Now, in retirement, my wife and I enjoy being alone in the Airstream. I guess the forty-seven years of active duty gave us enough group activities to last a while!

[gyandell]

Looking at the photo galleries I swear I saw WB at the Ohio event. I'm in my early 40's. I want activities that are flexible and easy going. As far as the turmoil goes in the club, who needs that in there life.I here politics all the time on TV don't need it in my recreation time.
Our AS's are special. They were created by a man with a vision. They were created to last. All of the new giant MH's were not his idea. They were created to compete in a new marketplace of gazillionaires. Most of those guys look down on us lowly vintage shiny palaces.
So for me the forums are community enough. When I see an Airstreamer I know I have something in common without having a number across the front of my AS.

[Silvertwinkie]

I did not renew after the free membership because:

1) The club was stale. I got newsletters with folks on oxygen tanks.

2) The national group lost touch with the membership many years ago and it was clear to me that the dues were nothing more than supporting a group of folks that had their own interests above that of the majority of folks who are buying in this sales boom of new units.

3) The club is very resistant to change. It's got a post WWII mentality, chain of command type feel and is not at all geared overall, nationally or in most cases locally for folks that work. In comparision, this forum does have rallys geard more toward working folks with and without a family, with the only costs required, the campsite fees and less political red tape.

4) The rules and browbeating is a joke. The "where are your numbers", the "they are not mounted correctly", the eye rolls over someone having a drink, they stupid uniforms and berets. This is suppose to be camping, not the army reserves.

These are but a few. In retrospect, it was the best call I made. Why? Well since jumping ship after 2003, there was a name change that most didn't want, a basecamp arguement (like the Argosy), only to come to the point of the once "exclusive" club talking about allowing rebadged motorhomes in which was only to benefit a very select few, yet these same folks were very stern about not wanting Basecamps and the Argosy line in....up until Airstream pulled out of the main moho market, which they quickly changed tunes when it directly effected them.

You can look at Joe (2Airs) post or do a search and you will be here for months cutting and pasting all the comments.

Hopefully, you will be able to make a difference and finally, get these folks to smell the roses. There are a few local units doing the right things...the national group could learn a lot from this very small handful of local units IMHO.

[GoNomad]

Originally Posted by rideair

If you are an Airstream owner and not a member of the WBCCI,
Why did you "not" join??

My wife and I were so excited when we finally bought our Airstream; we wanted to immerse ourselves in the Airstream experience. We spent many hours searching the internet for information and fellowship. As former members of the AKC and the Saint Bernard Club of America, I was prepared for the politics and an unnatural longing for the past. From the WBCCI web page we sifted through the information, which I might add is not a very user friendly site, to discover the dues and fees. They seemed steep but hey it’s the WBCCI we figured. We searched several times to find a local unit near us (very tip of north east Georgia, 2 miles from NC, 7 miles From SC) none of the local units had websites so we couldn't tell much about them. It was about this time we stumbled onto the AIR and found a very supportive cyber community ready to take us in. We visited a few of the websites of other local units not in our area and were left cold. We called the local units that were near us and two of the three we called never called back. One did call back to tell us that the number listed on the website was incorrect and to give us another number we played phone tag for days and finally we both gave up.
We followed the forums and looked for a WBCCI rally near us to visit. Our local units are not very active or they don't report their activities to the WBCCI. Luckily for us a Forums rally was being held just down the road, we packed up and joined the fun. It was an eye opening experience for us. Just good people that wanted to have fun, fellowship, and follow the golden rule (not Roberts’s rules). We had a great time and liked that families, singles, grandparents, dogs, everyone was welcome.
We looked at the cost of WBCCI membership ($$$$$$$$$) weighed that against the benefits of membership (None) and decided that the WBCCI is not for us. We are active members of the forum contribute ($$) to it's continued financial health and attend rallies as we can.

To summarize, the WBCCI in my opinion offers no value for the money. They provide no discounts or volume purchaseing power; they are not responsive or helpful. They discourage (from what I have read) families and animals from attendance. They appear to be nothing more then a status symbol for an older generation. No caravans, no service projects, no real sense of belonging. With the National rally in our state we thought about joining for one year to say we attended but after listening to the VAP and reading blogs of others who attended in Oregon we have decided to forgo the “privilege” of attending.
I wish the WBCCI much success and hope that someday it will offer something for my family, but until then LONG LIVE THE AIR!!!!

[nilesrob]

We were members when we first bought our first Airstream, and this may be our own problem, but the WBCCI didn't add any value for us. Seemed like too many rules/reg's - we just want to enjoy as a family.

We still work and have kids - just not a huge connection with WBCCI activities.

On the other hand, the Airstream Forums adds HUGE value - great ideas, willing contributors, and from time to time, get together in a somewhat ad hoc manner with like minded 'streamers. Bingo!

[Boondocker]

I normally stay out of these discussions, and to be frank, were it up to me, there would be no WBCCI threads on the forums. Why? Because, these discussions tend to produce a great deal of heat and not much light. I am mildly disappointed in the evolution of the club. Would it be neat if there was a Club of Airstream owners who were in it for the camping? Absolutely. Is that why I own mine? Nope. Has the club evolved into a disembodied social structure? I have to say from the outside it looks like it. Do some of the members confuse the club for a holly order and Wally for the messiah? Again, from the outside, it looks like it. So, yes it is a disappointment, but that’s just the way things are.

Having said that, I think it is admirable that you are making this effort and I wish you well in it. With the foregoing in mind, here is my response.

Paul, I think you have asked the wrong question.

If you are an Airstream owner and not a member of the WBCCI,
Why did you "not" join??

Instead of asking those of us who have not joined, ‘why not’? I would instead have the club ask of itself: “what is this club about, really about?” and if I were not a member “why would I want to join”? “What need does this club really fill"? I suspect in short order this would lead to the realization that the club needs to ask of itself; “Do we REALLY want to grow? What is it that we really want to be, and what are we doing to get there”?

I think if the club was to do that sort of honest self-assessment there would be little reason to ask those of us who are not members what the problem is. Others have been quite eloquent in saying why they didn’t join. I can say this though, as near as I can see, of all of WBCII the 4CU is the only group making good arguments for joining. There may be others, but I haven’t seen it. I hope this is helpful, and I sincerely hope nobody takes any offence to my comments.

[Fyrzowt]

I have put off replying, I didn't want to reply just for the sake of replying.
I also have been wondering what is being done to attract and hold membership.
It should not take too much reading here on the forums, to figure out what the complaints are. The shear volume will take a while to read if you are to read all of it. What else is there to say?
What kind of future does the club want? If they don't wish to make positive changes, then the writing is on the wall. And from the sentiments expressed here on the forums, it doesn't sound like re-badging is a positive change.
The ball is in the court of the WBCCI.
Dave