President’s Corner
President’s Corner, June 2008
Many of you told me already how great it is. So many Airstreamers have done it before I did. And, while I believed you, I just had to see it for myself. Deb and I are simply awed. What’s the big deal? We wrapped up this afternoon our first WBCCI Caravan. John and Thelda Guy led the Fly-Drive-Alaska Caravan for their third time and no one was disappointed. (Except the people who didn’t attend.)
Caravanners streamed into Anchorage from Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. They arrived by plane and by cruise ship. Some arrived early to explore Anchorage and nearby points on their own before the rally. A few are staying on as most of us prepare to fly home.
Our group of 40 caravanners in sixteen Cruise America motorhomes came together wonderfully from the first minutes of meeting. I guess the only conspicuously missing thing was the great helpfulness we usually see at a rally of Airstreamers when someone has a problem and lifts an engine hood or a water heater door or a refrigerator panel. We were pretty much all without tools and were unfamiliar with the units. A few motor homes had problems (after all, they weren’t Airstreams) but no one dropped out and we all arrived at the assigned destinations each day.
Together we loped out of campgrounds every two or three days, in twos and threes, to explore another Alaskan village or city. Our drives averaged 160 miles and we managed to take up to seven hours for the trips. Deb and I have never thought we’d spend so long traveling so short a distance unless it was for mechanical break-down. But this is one of the joys the Caravan introduced to us.
We had to learn, and quickly, how to stop and explore every attraction along the road between two points. Each time we were pleased at the discoveries of little places, usually within a few miles of the highway. These included the Jade Shop between Anchorage and Seward, the beautiful lookouts and the chainsaw carvings between Seward and Homer, the Russian Orthodox Churches and Alaskan Native Heritage Center between Homer and Palmer, and on and on. The caravanners were delighted at these road stop attractions and probably saw more and different things on these road stops than from our destinations.
Deb and I have Airstreamed over 15,000 miles over the past two years since we bought our new Airstream. And we often felt compelled to go point-to-point to destinations, knowing we have skipped over countless memorable places along the way. Even the 145 mile trips from our former home in Charlotte to Virginia Highland Haven Airstream Park in Copper Hill, VA have been nearly non-stop. Now don’t you suppose anyone could find interesting things to pull off the highway and see between Charlotte and Copper Hill? Of course!
And when we Airstreamed out to Vancouver, BC last August we might as well have been on a jet plane for the the things we stopped and saw along the way. Well, almost. We stopped overnight in Sauk Centre in a lovely city park and had a harrowing miss by tennis ball sized hail as it coursed between St Cloud and St Paul. We did stop and see the largest buffalo in the world in Frontier Village in Jamestown, ND. And we saw a few other things that just happened to fall in our laps as we skipped across this beautiful country.
How can I decide what the best part of this caravan has been? We made friends with people from seven different states. We renewed acquaintenances with a few caravanners we had met before. We learned how to slow down and dig for the sights in our beautiful lands. We learned a little better how to slow down and enjoy the journey. Thanks to John and Thelda Guy for creating this great WBCCI Caravan, the Fly-Drive Alaska Caravan. And we are grateful for the Airstreamers and their guests who shared themselves with us and allowed us to get to know them better. What a great gift to share, isn’t it?
Many of you told me already how great WBCCI Caravans are. Many of you have done one or more WBCCI Caravans. Perhaps most Airstreamers either have gone, or will go, on a WBCCI caravan. Debbie and I feel enriched by the experience. And we can’t wait for another Caravan. We hope you’ll take a WBCCI Caravan if you can!
Your President,
Jim
St Louis, MO
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President’s Corner, May 2008
WBCCI members pledge in the second paragraph of the WBCCI Code of Ethics:
“To be ever mindful of what we say or print with
respect to the effect on others so as to avoid
disharmony and ill feelings among club members
and to dedicate ourselves to the work of cementing
together the members of WBCCI in bonds of good
fellowship and mutual understanding.”
This second paragraph of the WBCCI Code of Ethics has two distinct goals. One is to dedicate ourselves to building friendship and fellowship in our great club. The other is much like what our mothers taught us, if you can’t say something nice then keep it to yourself. The Code of Ethics says we must “work” to cement together the members.
If it was easy we probably wouldn’t need it in our Code of Ethics, but it isn’t easy. We need to apply ourselves to this; and, really, isn’t this a good reminder to each of us to try and grow through understanding one another better? We sometimes expect other people to conform to our expectations. We might not even be aware when we are doing this and other people may notice before we do.
It’s easier to keep on as we have been doing and ask others not to “rock our boat”. Can’t other people either leave us alone or just be more like us so we can stay in our comfort zone? Sometimes we might seem especially to want other people to learn about us so they can know how to fit in. But as Stephen Covey wrote in his 1989 book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we must first seek to understand before trying to be understood.
Our Unit began at the Yost Farm Rally “introducing” or featuring several members at the Sunday morning service. We will continue this in meetings and in some editions of the Tarheel Traveler newsletter. Through member introductions we can all better try to understand each other. I hope this can lead to strengthening our bonds of good fellowship and mutual understanding.
The Code of Ethics is more than just a few paragraphs put together to fulfill a requirement for a corporation’s vision or mission statement. The Code of Ethics is a well-considered guideline for our club. I need to listen to you instead of just talking at you. I need to try to understand you better if I want to ask you to understand me. I’ll try.
Jim
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President’s Corner, April 2008
South Florida Unit recently proposed an amendment to the WBCCI Constitution [membership requirements section] for further consideration by the International Club.
Article VI, Sec. 2, Part D, if approved, would read as follows:
“Regular members, who own a motorhome manufactured by Airstream and who were in good standing as of the date of this amendment, may purchase a Class A Motorhome manufactured by the Four Winds International Division of Thor Industries, Inc., and retain their membership in WBCCI.”
If the membership numbers in WBCCI do not meet the finanicial obligations, what happens? Worst case, we could all join a Thor Travel Club with Dutchmen, Aero, Four Winds and others. I was researching an attractive Avion fifth-wheel we saw in the campground today. You remember their silver ones, I’ll bet. Later on Fleetwood bought Avion and started labelling them, “Avion by Fleetwood”. Avion Travelcade Club membership diminished over time. What happened next? The Avion Travelcade Club became . . . Fleetwood Travelcade Club, open to owners of any Fleetwood product “including Avion”. Search on [avionclub] for the sad description in the search result, or here’s the link to the Avion Travelcade Club: http://www.avionclub.org/.The goal is to increase WBCCI’s financial viability. The simplest way apparently is increase membership as it generates revenue to support staff, publications, and other operations costs. Any actions which reduce membership will reduce revenue and cutting expenses could further reduce appeal of the club to members and prospective members. Airstream Co stopped manufacturing Airstream motorhomes. Unless Airstream/Thor can create another Airstream motorhome, this will reduce membership. WBCCI members are proposing best guess ideas to save the club. The solution, short of resuming branding of Airstream motorhomes, seems to involve alienation of existing WBCCI motorhome members or to alienate some percentage of WBCCI trailer members.If the Club doesn’t support existing motorhome owners who are WBCCI members, then those members and perhaps all WBCCI motorhome members may become sufficiently offended to leave the club. If the Club agrees to allow another brand motorhome into membership in WBCCI, then a percentage of the Airstream trailer owners in WBCCI will become sufficiently offended to leave the club. Further, if the Club agrees to allow another brand into membership in WBCCI then how will the Club prevent the Paradise Park effect, where an exclusively Airstream membership was undermined through legal maneuvering? Is there no middle ground, which will less offend both groups and preserve the single-brand integrity of the Club?No one can unequivocally state they have THE solution. We each have to try to think what is best for our Club and act accordingly. What can you do? Recruit new members now. Approach owners of any un-numbered Airstream with a friendly smile, talk with them and introduce them to the friendliest WBCCI members they could ever meet. Oh yes, and invite them to join your unit or any unit, just join and enjoy all the fun we have with our Club. More members is A solution.Let your Unit President know TODAY, if you have not already, whether you support or reject this proposed amendment to the WBCCI Constitution.
See You Down The Road!
Jim
Crooked River SP, St Marys GA
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Presidents Corner, March 2008
We have a great club. I’m reminded of this with every interaction with each of you and with many people I meet for the first time. I talked with Betty Cross today about Bennie’s and her long association with WBCCI (twenty-three years, since 1984). She shared with me how much it has meant to her for so many members of our Unit to call her since Bennie’s death just over a week ago. We are glad to lend helping hands, friendly words, loving thoughts with each other in times of need. Please be sure we know when you’re going to be in the hospital or you or your family is suffering, so we can undergird you and keep you in our prayers.
Another great quality of our Unit is our charitable giving. We have done this consistently year after year through designated programs like Region 3, International, and our Unit’s charities. Although we know the needs will never be met still we each understand the need to share with others less fortunate and the blessings we receive by giving. This year Tom and Jackie Tisdel, our Region’s President and First Lady, have designated Interact of Wake County as the supported charity for our Region 3 rally donations. Please look at the article in this newsletter for information about how we can support this important giving opportunity. Giving through WBCCI helps build each of us and develops stronger ties between our communities and our Units. Please think and act as generously as you can.
We have increased our Unit’s membership by four units, or six people, this year already. Jim and Pat Waters transferred from Members-At-Large; the Rick and Marie Moore and Pam Devine joined, and Louis Stein reinstated his Life Membership. While a great start for our Unit, you know what it takes to keep a membership organization alive and kicking. We have to have members, especially active ones. So look around you and take every opportunity you can to talk up our Unit and the WBCCI, and see who you can bring to one of our Unit functions. Once they see us, they’ll join us. Let’s not keep Carolinas Unit of NC a secret. Invite a friend to join now.
See you down the road!
Jim and Debbie
Hollywood, SC