Rally Etiquette
 

Okay, so I need some advice here. I know, I know, nobody likes rules...but, sometimes you gotta have some.

What would Wally (or you) do?

Here's the scenario - You have planned a rally and it is 'sold out' at a limited number of campsites which was published from the get-go. This is primarily because that's all the number of sites the campground would allow you to have for the group. The campground wants the remaining sites for other non-rally travelers, which is totally understood...it's their business, to give us more they would risk turning business away. After the rally "sold out" a waiting list was started, of which 7-8 additional trailers have been added to the rally as people dropped out...which always happens, even up to the last day. Everybody on the waiting list has been allowed to attend due to cancellations.

The rally fee (in addition to the 2-night minimum campsite fee) is $22 per person. This covers: 2 Dinners (including some adult beverages - oh my!!! :brows:), 2 Breakfasts, 1 lunch, decorations and a rally goodie bag which has rally nametags, a customized Open House Sign, a rally magnet, a rally plaque and other goodies and door prizes. Quite the bargin for a 6 day/5 night rally. Oh yeah and kids under 9 are free.

So here's the dilemma...you KNOW there are a couple of people planning on crashing the rally...there always is. They have made their own reservations with the campground directly. The planning committee has always welcomed the public and other campers to the Open House & no cost presentations, and plans on doing the same at this rally.

Now, we all like to think of ourselves as a "the more the merrier" kinda folks...and the committee is made up of very normal, nice, non-rules oriented folks...typical VAC'rs not traditional old-time WBCCI'rs. But if "some" are allowed to attend at no-rally-fee-cost, what would make anybody want to sign up for a rally that has orgainizational and catering expenses per person? What would make anybody want to host a rally if they had to come out of pocket for everything on top of their time to accomodate these rally-crashers??? We all know how much time & effort goes into planning something a large rally. Even the Planning Committee pays for their entire rally fee, "no perks and no profit"...why should a rally-crasher get the rally for free? When a paid rally member shows up for dinner and a party-crasher has basically eaten their meal because there isn't enough to go around, it gets ugly! (This has happened before) And it's usually those involved in the planning that go without.

So, any advice???

Shari :blink:

There is nothing you can do unless you want to be confrontational. We did that totally unintentionally years ago and when we realized we were amonst a rally, we joined the WBCCI and their chapter on the spot and donated money just to prove we were not crashing but I know what you mean. This was long before we knew about the VAC and remember thinking, mayonnaise a lot of Airstreams here this weekend.

I might want to come to the campground during your rally (with trailer, of course). Since I have delicate stomache, and since I haven't registered, would you mind if I brought my own supper? If I did you wouldn't have to pay more for food, and I could still join you.
If that won't work, how about making a donation to cover the cost of the food, so you don't get stuck paying for my meal?
I just thought of something else. You know who is coming. Why not have assigned seats with place cards? No name card, no food?

rally etiquette
 

Welcome the rally-crashers and sell them tickets without the camping fee (since they paid on their own). NO surcharge. Everyone should be willing to pay for food. Do people actually go without food? I always seem to attend things that have way too much food. Someone must be forgetting to throw one in the pot for that unexpected guest. ;)

Of course, we wouldn't double charge on the camping fee. But, why not add a surcharge, the planning committee is inconvienenced, why shouldn't the drop-in be? A lot of "events" are say $20 pre-registered/$25 at the door? How is this any different? What incentive would there be to signing up ahead of time? They obviously knew they were coming ahead of time...the campground sells out regularly, so if you don't have a reservation ahead of time, you don't get a site.
We have actually run out of food at caterered meals...the caterer was serving so it was portion controlled and we had padded the headcount by 10%. No, we didn't forget to through one in for the pot...we threw 10 in! There were several known rally-crashers in attendance, and a couple of planning people went without, as we always eat last.

How much "overhead" is enough to accomodate drop-ins? How much would you be willing to pay? Why penalize the rally attendees by charging extra to cover the extra meals...for the non-planners? At $10 pp for a dinner, we're talking about $120 to cover an extra 10% headcount. So every registered person should have to pay and extra dollar per meal??? I don't think so...

I'm not picking on you Janis, I'm just trying to understand the points you brought up and I've been struggling with for some time now.

Shari :flowers:

If someone tries to crash a Rally, then his/her character can't be that great. It should be understood that expensed privileges are for paying members only.
I would welcome them to socialize, but I would have no problem advising them of the fact that they are not welcome to grab free food. A generous donation on their part would change things, I guess.

I understand if it's by happenstance...what I'm talking about is the intentional crasher. The person who says, I don't want to play by the rules, the rules don't apply to me...or the habitual rally hopper.

I have observed one rally-hopper in particular repeatedly show up to club rallies, ALWAYS un-registered, not a club member, always really, really hungry when it comes to potlucks and meals (to a point of taking filled plates back to their trailer for tomorrow), and yet never seems to contribute anything. They know exactly what they are doing.

How would you handle that?

Shari :flowers:

Shari--If what you write in your post is the general concensus of the Unit you should put up signs that state the nature of the Rally. Something like "Private Rally of the Denver WBCCI, No one else allowed! Crashers not welcome!!!!, keep out!!!!, we paid for it, it's ours". !!!!! It seems hypercritial to call your selves normal, nice, non-rules oriented folks who think of themselves as the more the merrier kind", and even bring up such a subject. Perhaps a fence with barbed wire might give them the message without the signs.
Thanks for putting out the Welcome mat----Pieman

Gate crashing is always a contriversial matter and there isn't a solution that will please everyone. My opinion is to charge for the events/meals where there has been a fee collected within the rally fee from the registered guests, don't charge the camping fee and add a gate fee, similar to what most of us know as a door charge. It's only fair.

Brad
FF

Of course we always try to be accomodating to special needs. As a courtesy, I would hope someone in that circumstance would let the planners know ahead of time so they would know what to expect and plan accordingly.

Shari :flowers:

On the other hand, you could actually encourage it as a membership drive and ask them if they would like to join before the eat. Have the servers ask if they are members. There are great ways to do that. You can turn it into a positive thing.

I think that's a bit harsh and overstated...

Shari :rolleyes:

Shari----Are you referring to my remarks or yours??? Pieman

When large events are planned by a committee, you have varying degrees of opinion. What I am trying to find out is a larger population's opinion and how it is handled in other groups. This is NOT a Denver Unit issue, it's any rally...WBCCI, VAC, Forum, ???

Shari :flowers:

Sheri---Then do I understand that this is how YOU feel and has nothing to do with the Denver Unit?? If so I apologize to them. However I stand by MY opinion.---Pieman

No...YOU couldn't be more WRONG Mike!!! I am "the more the merrier one"...some other planning committee members hold the other "cut them off at the knees" opinions. That's why I'm asking what forum members think...am I the only one that's accomodating???

You and I have obviously never met, or you wouldn't have assumed what you posted.

Shari

That maybe was too harsh but has merit if you are not recruiting. This isn't the Hells Angels, it a bunch of folks that own Airstreams and ther're are bad apples within. You have to reach out while you reach within. Figure 20 % instead of 10 if you feel the vibe. If you promote a rally, why would you not hope others would come out of interest assuming they are interested in joining. If they are rally bashers, ask them to say so and charge them to eat, maybe they will join. It you are trying to break even with the food, make it more restrictive. If it is a closed rally to "current" members only", then you have to say so and wear name tags. How else can it be answered.

Shari--my assumption is based on 2 things---You wrote it ----you signed it!!
No where did you say you were writing on behalf of anyone else.--Pieman

I voted "D" on your poll. It's a no brainer Shari.

My fly fishing club has an outing every month and we don't have any problems like that. We have a pot luck on Saturday afternoon and everyone brings a meal. We always have alot left over. We always have great food and no one is left hungry. If we see a park ranger or a campground host, we invite them to join in. As a matter of fact, my wife and I are hosting a crayfish catching outing this next weekend. Dem sum goooood eats!