What do you LOVE about WBCCI?

[KenSanLan]

I look at the forum timeline nearly every day, and sometimes get really tired of seeing negative comments about WBCCI. We are a fantastic, thriving community, and our members are having fun! So tell me, what do you LOVE about our club?

[Protagonist]

The people. Isn't that the reason to join ANY club, meeting great people who have a common interest?

[DanB]

The history. And the fact that I get to make some more of the "history"!

[Skater]

The people. Our rallies are a lot of fun, and we've gone to some fascinating places - last fall we had a rally on the grounds of George Washington's Birthplace (a national park not normally open to camping). In a few weeks we're going to have a rally at an old plantation home. A few years ago we had a rally right at the water of the Chesapeake Bay at a VFW. The famous now-defunct Cherry Blossom Rally was held at a horse farm with a giant tent set up for the rally. None of those would have been possible with just my wife and I. We have rallies about once a month between April and October. Most rallies are in campgrounds, but often in places we wouldn't have gone otherwise - so even when it's in a campground, it's still some place new and different. It pushes us from our comfort zone. And those unique spots really stand out in my memory.

There's a practical side of it, too: Several of those more unique rallies wouldn't have been possible without an insurance policy, which the WBCCI covers as part of our dues. Imagine trying to negotiate an insurance policy every time you want to hold a rally...ugh. Few people would want to go to that trouble. Instead, when we need it, it's just a matter of an email or two to HQ and it's taken care of.

I'm president of our unit this year, so I'm trying to resolve some of the administrative things that have been hanging around to keep the unit healthy and moving forward, so that we can continue to have fun.

[Janet H]

The berets. Yup, seriously. If the beret happens to be on the guy in the utilikilt who is lying under my rig replacing the dump valve - even better

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Janet

The berets.

I have one of those, but haven't worn it to any WBCCI functions. I guess I'll have to wear it next year when I'm a Unit president and I go to the Winter and Summer Internationals.

If the beret happens to be on the guy in the utilikilt who is lying under my rig replacing the dump valve - even better

I'm not touching THAT line with a 10-foot torque wrench!

[m.hony]

I am a member, but I haven't yet found the opportunity to participate in any rallies.
Maybe in 2015...

[m.hony]

That is the very reason I waited or hesitated to join.
I joined when I accidentally learned that there is a Mississippi unit.
The likelihood of participating in a rally is far greater for working people when it is closer to home. I will miss the Spring Fling because we already have plans to attend another rally.

[Protagonist]

Don't sweat it. My first year, I attended zero unit rallies. My second year, I only attended two. Doesn't matter. I still got to meet some great people even if it was outside of a rally setting, and I don't regret joining before I could take full advantage of the membership. It just meant that before I went camping with them, I already knew them.

However, I am giving serious consideration to changing my Primary and Affiliate memberships around, to make the Louisiana Unit my primary and the Greater New Orleans Unit my affiliate, because it seems like a better fit, but not until after my stint next year as president of the GNO Unit.

[2Taylors]

Absolutely it's the people we have met in the WBCCI. The Oregon Unit is awesome and we have made some lifelong friends we never would have met had it not been for the club. I also love being part of Airstream history.
Susan

[KenSanLan]

So great to see all these responses! We had friends in the club long before we could finally buy our own Airstream - my Mom has been a WBCCIer for a long time, and we bought an Airstream specifically so we could join, too. We are going places we would never have gone on our own, and doing things we would never have done, and have friends that enjoy the same type of adventures. We're curious to see which one of our nieces/nephews/grandchildren will make us a third-generation Airstream family!
- Sandy

[damonbeals]

Hi Sandy! Yes back a few years ago the WBCCI bashing was very bad, but the club is moving forward and the bashers have gone away...

I would have to say the #1 reason to join is the fun of attending a Rally with other Airstreamers. Have not met a unfriendly WBCCIer yet. I think many people don't realize how many very active units there are within the club, while they may not post pictures and do blogs about it, every weekend WBCCIers are camping and having a great time. The club does try to cover all the areas, with long caravans for the retired, weekend Rallys for the working families, Tech help group for those who need help with issues, etc.

Like any club, you get out of it what you put in, simple as that.

Damon
#4827

[Air Apparent]

It's the people. We all have something in common; Airstreams and the desire to do outdoor activities.

We have not had a bad Airstream rally because of the fun we have together.

[urnmor]

I am looking forward to our first airstream rally this April

[SteveSueMac]

I'll echo the peeps. The first unit we joined didn't have a ton of rallies so it was hard to get a sense for things but we switched to the NEU after joining them on a couple rallies last year and they are just the best folks to hang out with! I mean - they created a rally called "Diggin the Dead" which included both tie-died clothing and more importantly, an education on the historic gravesites and burial practices of old New England in Freeport, ME at a gorgeous campground on the bay.

Unbelievably helpful folks who speed up the learning curve and help you have a great time. We do plenty of camping ourselves which is wonderful and knowing we'll see our NEU friends at some rallies is also wonderful.

[InsideOut]

The VAC & camaraderie of local Peeps.

Shari

[Bill M.]

The caravans. And the people. And the Airstream parks. And Travelers Rest Resort (It was Airstreamers who built it). My retirement has been much different and better than I was looking forward to thanks to the friends we have made in WBCCI and in thanks to the caravans. Alaska, Newfoundland, Rockies, Southwest, Cajan, Blue Ridge Parkway, Southeast coast, and Taste of Carolina. Plus local rallies, TCP, and a lot and Airstream parked at Travelers Rest. Headed west again this summer. We will know half or more of the people on the caravan from previous trips. Caravan Cody to Arcata and then fish and camp on our own on our way home. Great combination for a trip.

[SilverCabin]

The people, and now that I'm retired, the caravans. I was a new Airstreamer, and new to trailering when we joined in 2007, and the people have taught me so much. I'm trying to pay that forward now that I have several years of experience under my belt. For those of us retired, the caravans are a great value. You can't take trips like that for less.

Randy

[mefly2]

Hmmmmm ... can we get back to you on that ... when we were a number (before the haircut), the best part was meeting some of the people.

[Blue Pearl]

The friends we have made all over the US and Canada. The worst part is deciding from all the rallies and activities. This May we will have to decide between the crab feed with the Washington unit, touring the Redwoods with the Oregon unit, the fishing caravan with the BC unit in Canada or get the yard ready for summer. WB members use their Airstreams.
I also agree with Janet, the Berets are cool