Thread: survey on 4wd clubs

o.k.
the reason i'm asking all of this is that as public relations officer for the LROC (syd), one of my jobs is to encourage new membership.
the club's membership is well over 300 at the moment and while the committee is always talking about encouraging new members, no one is doing anything to achieve this goal.
so i just wanted some unrelated views on what people think.
thanks for all your replies, they are awesomely helpful, but please keep them coming.
cheers
matt

1 - are you a member of a club and which one?

Used to be a member of LROC, but dont feel i am getting the value i need to from the $85 a year i am paying for membership. Will be renewing my membership with Henry's club as soon as i get to it.

2 - would you prefer to form your own club instead of joining an existing club and why?
I am trying to start a Land Rover based club out this way as its not possible to participate in much with LROC, and the meetings each month are part of the socialising aspect and its to far for me to go, so i wouldnt mind starting a club out here.

3 - why would you not join a club?
I am joining one but what would turn me off is; all the crap associated with the politics, and people who take things like the constitution way to seriously, its all about having fun not creating a bunch of rules and making sure everyone adheres to them exactly. The first club i joined had a couple of members who spent a whole meeting arguing with other members about how you go about fixing a spelling mistake in the constitution, and these were members who turn up to every meeting but never go on trips.

4 - what would you want from a club?
Driver training, and regular trips to places that most members can actually go on, i am different at the moment as i have little money to go on any trips but eventually i will be able to attend regular trips and i dont want trips that spend most of the weekend driving miles away only to get a few hours of 4wding in and then come home. Good friendly people who are not affraid to jump in and help out (hang on thats AULRO. ).

5 - if you joined a club, would you prefer it to be all landrover, mixed or don't give a rat's?
I dont really care but i wouldnt join a club that didnt alread have a few land rovers in already, i joined one a couple of years ago where i was the only land rover owner in the club and all some of the members just didnt know when to stop.

Originally Posted by barney

o.k.
the reason i'm asking all of this is that as public relations officer for the LROC (syd), one of my jobs is to encourage new membership.
the club's membership is well over 300 at the moment and while the committee is always talking about encouraging new members, no one is doing anything to achieve this goal.
so i just wanted some unrelated views on what people think.
thanks for all your replies, they are awesomely helpful, but please keep them coming.
cheers
matt

Hi Barney, my biggest gripe with LROC is the cost of membership, most other clubs are half that and still manage to get a magazine out each month. $85 a year is to high, especially when quite a few members, like myself dont actually get to go to meetings etc. Whilst $85 a year to many people isnt high, it is for me at the moment, but even if i had plenty i would still think that for what you get from your membership $85 is to high. I know of one other member who has dropped their membership because they cant log onto the website, and after about 5 emails to the coordinator in the front of the magazine they havent had a reply. Its the little things like that that ruin a club. Other than that LROC is a great club, they are very active, the members are friendly and the Expo is brilliant, there are just a few things that need addressing. I think having the membership fee at around $50 even would attract new members. Mat

Originally Posted by Ace

Hi Barney, my biggest gripe with LROC is the cost of membership, most other clubs are half that and still manage to get a magazine out each month. $85 a year is to high, especially when quite a few members, like myself dont actually get to go to meetings etc. Whilst $85 a year to many people isnt high, it is for me at the moment, but even if i had plenty i would still think that for what you get from your membership $85 is to high. I know of one other member who has dropped their membership because they cant log onto the website, and after about 5 emails to the coordinator in the front of the magazine they havent had a reply. Its the little things like that that ruin a club. Other than that LROC is a great club, they are very active, the members are friendly and the Expo is brilliant, there are just a few things that need addressing. I think having the membership fee at around $50 even would attract new members. Mat

Yep a reply to emails would be good, also an updated website would be good, cause the current one isn't that crash hot.

Baz.

Hi Barny

There seems to be a perception about politics. Not all clubs are the same. And its people that cause the politics, not the structure. Why do some internet forums go down the gurgler - politics. Why do some individuals get banned.

Clubs rise & decline over time - just look at any major football club.

Clubs take on the characteristics of the members. Good clubs have a good volunteer ethic. And good forums like this one are attributable to the efforts of the volunteer moderators. But no-one is perfect.

So for me:

1 - are you a member of a club and which one?

Yep a variety, LROC, MG, Aston Martin, even Dr Who, and a couple of others

2 - would you prefer to form your own club instead of joining an existing club and why?

No - In my observation the clubs created after a politics dummy spit are often centred around a couple of individuals. Now, those ones are political.

3 - why would you not join a club?
N/A

4 - what would you want from a club?
Value for money, camaraderie & a variety of trips. If the trips don't suit, put one on!

5 - if you joined a club, would you prefer it to be all landrover, mixed or don't give a rat's?

Landrover is the common interest. Theres plenty of generic clubs out there for those who want variety. As long as the landrover marque stays central, I don't mind mixed.

Regards
Max P

are you a member of a club and which one?

used to member of Nissan 4wd in Victoria
havent joined a 4wd club in WA but considering Go Bush or West Coast 4x4

2 - would you prefer to form your own club instead of joining an existing club and why?

No why re-invent the wheel

3 - why would you not join a club?

Monthly meetings to attend to retain membership
Club Politics
Inappropriate trips compared to my preferences for day trips and variety of off road challenges to conquer

4 - what would you want from a club?


Ability to go on 4wd outing with another well prepared vehicle in case l get into difficulty
Knowledge of destinations and tracks is larger than being an individual
Regular ie monthly outings on at least 1 weekend day

5 - if you joined a club, would you prefer it to be all landrover, mixed or don't give a rat's?

Every club l have been out with always has variety of vehicles in it, its the people in the club and the activities undertaken by the club that count not the vehicle

Bigger problem is difference in capacity between vehicles and division between people who have 6 inch lift and diff locks and who want to climb ayers rock on weekend to compared to armchair soft roaders who are happy driving down a foresty smooth track trail and think they have been 4wding

cartm58
1993 range rover

Originally Posted by barney

1 - are you a member of a club and which one?
2 - would you prefer to form your own club instead of joining an existing club and why?
3 - why would you not join a club?
4 - what would you want from a club?
5 - if you joined a club, would you prefer it to be all landrover, mixed or don't give a rat's?

1. AULRO and recently joined LROC (Sydney).

2. No way! Hassle, politics, insurance, legal garbage.

3. I think comments already made about smartarse wannabe-Rambos driving jap monster-trucks are high on my list, but also in the other direction being overly snobbish and anal about rules and regulations would put me off too.

4. Friendly members, organised trips and events, good communication, knowledgeable support, easy contact, driver training, safety training, navigation training, equipment loan/hire (maybe), group insurance, member discounts (real ones), expert guidance on 4WD legalities such as access rights, vehicle modifications, and similar things.
AULRO does remarkably well on many of these things.

5. The more Land Rover owners in the club the more expertise the club can offer (you would hope!) on the brand but I wouldn't be in favour of excluding the unfortunate people who didn't have one. They would merely have to agree to talk, eat, sleep and think 'Land Rover'.

Originally Posted by barney

guys and girls,
i need your help. there's been many threads on this forum relating to the joining of a 4wd club and quite often why not to.
i know there's a few of you in sydney that are members of the LROC and there's some in other states that are in 4wd clubs.
what i would like is;-
1 - are you a member of a club and which one?
2 - would you prefer to form your own club instead of joining an existing club and why?
3 - why would you not join a club?
4 - what would you want from a club?
5 - if you joined a club, would you prefer it to be all landrover, mixed or don't give a rat's?

if you don't want your views to be posted on here in case you offend someone, i don't mind if you PM me. i only want opinions and numbers. no personal info or online names will be published anywhere.
thanks for your help.

Barney Like Ace distance dictates the club I could join and hold an active roll in. I would join LROC today but attending a meeting for my would be a 3hr round trip plus potentially a day off work (due to shiftwork) An internet based meeting held over a few days before the traditional meeting could allow people like myself the luxury of joining and having an active roll in your club