Proposed Club Vehicle Requirements
- Thread starter 97TJGUZZY
- Start date
Thanks for clearing the list up Brooks. What Dan and myself are saying is that if a new member shows up to a meeting because another member told them about it and they sit down and hear that they are REQUIRED to have a laundry list of items...whether they're cheap or not...they will be turned off. If they are welcomed and slowly brought up to speed as they learn why they need certain items they will be much happier and MUCH better at using these items effectively.
Obviously I wasn't at the meeting, but I wish I had been. What I've heard about the meeting from others is that it was sort of a whirlwind of change. Everyone had gotten use to coming to the meeting, eating, hanging out, seeing members they don't get to see any other time, and just having a good time and occasionally hearing about upcoming events. They were sort of blown away at what was going on and from what I was hearing there wasn't much discussion...as you indicated as well. I would have to guess that was because they were in shock that a much more formal meeting was taking place with a lot of changes all at once.
I know you've been around the off road club scene for quite a while now, but not quite so long with the MCJ. I was around when the club consisted of Joe Berendzen, Joe Baldwin, Mike, Joe Meaders, etc. and it was just about the only club in SC that was actively making group trail rides (those were some good times by the way...just ask around about the "fake po-po"). Typically, the MCJ club has been very laid back so you'll have to excuse us if it comes as a shock that all of these changes have shown up so suddenly.
The updated list does look A LOT better though...thanks
Obviously I wasn't at the meeting, but I wish I had been. What I've heard about the meeting from others is that it was sort of a whirlwind of change. Everyone had gotten use to coming to the meeting, eating, hanging out, seeing members they don't get to see any other time, and just having a good time and occasionally hearing about upcoming events. They were sort of blown away at what was going on and from what I was hearing there wasn't much discussion...as you indicated as well. I would have to guess that was because they were in shock that a much more formal meeting was taking place with a lot of changes all at once.
I know you've been around the off road club scene for quite a while now, but not quite so long with the MCJ. I was around when the club consisted of Joe Berendzen, Joe Baldwin, Mike, Joe Meaders, etc. and it was just about the only club in SC that was actively making group trail rides (those were some good times by the way...just ask around about the "fake po-po"). Typically, the MCJ club has been very laid back so you'll have to excuse us if it comes as a shock that all of these changes have shown up so suddenly.
The updated list does look A LOT better though...thanks
I still dont get how this is a "laundry list of items":
1. Valid Driver's License
2. Fire Extinguisher
3. Basic First Aid Kit
4. Tow strap
5. Safety belts
6. Spare tire, jack, and lug wrench.
7. Front and Rear tow points.
I was in the club in 2003 with meaders, joe, apex, DJ, Tony, George, and the like. I understand how it was run. Yet at that time, we had to pull people out of mud holes at Redbank from their axles and there was always discussion of how so and so should have known to bring this or that....
On this list of 7 basic needs, you need #1 and #5 just to drive on the road, and anyone thats new with a stock vehicle should have #6.
I guess I'm just in disbelief that yall believe that this is a radical change. These are things most of you already have and you are so worried about the "new members getting turned away" yet I know of many new members that were turned away just by the pure lack of organization. If you want a beer drinking and eating club we should have one, but if we call it MidCarolian Jeepers it should have some Offroad Fun thrown in too!!
I'm taking all this as constructive criticism and thank you all for the discussion.
PS: its funny you mention that the meeting was a "whirlwind of change" I tried to talk to just about everyone after the meeting to ask what they thought of it and how I could make it better and they all said it was better than before and they liked actually getting something done at the meeting....?
I don't want to hurt feelings or step on toes, but since I've been coming to the meetings (probably 1.5 years) the meetings have been just eat and chat. Most of what we knew about the club and trips came from discussion on USJeeps. The meetings were always 'Hey how's it going, we've got a ride to Gulches coming up, enjoy dinner.'
This last meeting was a huge change. It lasted over an hour... Brooks (and the rest of us) are trying to communicate more and let everybody know what's going on with the club. We spent a lot of time talking about membership, budget, incorporating the club, t-shirts, stickers, trip plans through the spring and how to get the MCJ name out in a positive way. The trail requirements was a very small portion of the meeting. From what I heard afterwards the members appreciated the communication and got something out of the meeting. If we're wrong, please speak up.
Before I never knew if the club had $10 or $10,000. I didn't know where the money we had was going. I didn't know what was being done to promote the club, gain members, and promote offroading in general. Maybe it was just a lot to soak in and people are starting to open up. We need that. Next meeting we shouldn't have as much to say, so hopefully we'll get more feedback. After all, a club is nothing without it's members.
This last meeting was a huge change. It lasted over an hour... Brooks (and the rest of us) are trying to communicate more and let everybody know what's going on with the club. We spent a lot of time talking about membership, budget, incorporating the club, t-shirts, stickers, trip plans through the spring and how to get the MCJ name out in a positive way. The trail requirements was a very small portion of the meeting. From what I heard afterwards the members appreciated the communication and got something out of the meeting. If we're wrong, please speak up.
Before I never knew if the club had $10 or $10,000. I didn't know where the money we had was going. I didn't know what was being done to promote the club, gain members, and promote offroading in general. Maybe it was just a lot to soak in and people are starting to open up. We need that. Next meeting we shouldn't have as much to say, so hopefully we'll get more feedback. After all, a club is nothing without it's members.
I definitely don't intend to bash what's going on. I don't think I said anything that would make you think that people at the meeting didn't like what was happening...just that it was A LOT different.
I think you're heading down a good path, but I just got the impression that it was a lot to take in for one meeting. Maybe if the last meeting would have let everyone know that you were going to come up with some changes and say what you were thinking about and ask everyone to come up with their ideas and then collaborate at the next meeting it would have been easier to soak up. Once again, I wasn't there, but just going off what I heard...which is obviously someones opinion...and we know what the deal is with those.
I think you're heading down a good path, but I just got the impression that it was a lot to take in for one meeting. Maybe if the last meeting would have let everyone know that you were going to come up with some changes and say what you were thinking about and ask everyone to come up with their ideas and then collaborate at the next meeting it would have been easier to soak up. Once again, I wasn't there, but just going off what I heard...which is obviously someones opinion...and we know what the deal is with those.
:
All I know is how is someone going to get home if no one else has a tire or rim in the right size? I know im 6on5.5 and not a whole lot of people running that.
If you dont have a tow point in a xj your screwed. For instance the guy I got my old xj from didnt have one and hooked to the uni body and it ripped it in half for something that could have been advoided for $50 or so bucks I spent 400+ having it plated back together.
If you dont have a tow point in a xj your screwed. For instance the guy I got my old xj from didnt have one and hooked to the uni body and it ripped it in half for something that could have been advoided for $50 or so bucks I spent 400+ having it plated back together.
