quote:

FMCA really inhibits communication by not having an active, vital Discussion Forum on it's site. ... Younger folks LIVE on the internet

I have heard this many times.

Yet organizations did exist before the I'net. For instance, the WBCCI's biggest rally attendance and membership was back in the 80's. How on earth did they manage to get people informed without all these modern conveniences?

Yes, the I'net provides a good medium for communications but it is not a crutch nor is it a excuse for other failures.

I know from first hand experience about the inability to find necessary or even good to know information about events from my own experience with organizations - also going back to pre I'net days.

The first rule often broken is that the information has to be written down and not just common wisdom in people's heads.

A second rule is that the membership has to know that that information is available through habits gained in interacting with their club. It is one thing to know it, another to know it as an assumption, expectation, and habit.

A third rule is that information needs many avenues for dispersal.

A fourth rule is that information has to be available on request - complete and accurate information - and this availability has to be considered, in itself, as knowledge to disseminate and validate.

I know very well, from personal experience, the frustration that occurs when you ask other members at a meeting about what to expect and get divergent answers from supposedly authoritative sources; when you ask headquarters and get incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date information; when you attempt to communicate and get no acknowledgment; when you register and do not get all of the information you need to take advantage of your commitment.

Solving these kinds of problems is not a matter of any simple technical solution. I know of association websites that create more questions than they answer. Their websites only reflect the underlying problems, they don't solve them.

An example I have used as a laboratory experiment on this issue can be seen at SNU history and membership handbook. Also see the Coheridy Project for ideas and links related to organizational development and the Dear Association Leader weblog.

growing your organization takes passion, not excuses. No buts. There has to be enough passion to take care of the drudge work. There has to be enough passion to define a clear goal and consistent efforts towards that goal. It is not the path you trod or the tools you use but rather the destination you seek that is important. If you have your focus on your goals and the reason why the club exists, the members you need will be there.

We were FMCA members, btu Idropped it and stuck with Good Sam. Joined a Good Sam Chapter with all families for kids. I looked around by me for an FMCA Chapter but most were older retired persons. I know they brought grandkids, but it's not the same, nor the same age bracket. I am 37, dw is 34. We would get the magazine, it always seemed geared more towards an older set and even the board and people pictured always seemed to be older. You need to start getting younger people with other ideas. ALL camping clubs are having the same problems. Good Sam still carries the tag as the froup that wears the vests. SORRY I DON'T. I don't know the magic thng totell you to atract families, I have been to rallies(not fmca) and my kids have fun. This year we are heading to Perry for THE RALLY. last year in NJ you had the FMCA rally I tried to get there, even for a day but couldn't. Maybe next time.

Chickadee you have a great point about the younger folks living on the I-net. Every time I start to think that the I-net is a communications medium for the non-retired crowd I just have to go to a campground where there are a bunch of snowbirds and see how bogged down the wi-fi connection gets in the morning when they wake up and log on :0

I believe the solution is a pretty simple one in concept. You have to choose your target audience, then market to that chosen audience. Currently FMCA and most other associations, clubs, groups, organizations and etc have targeted the 60's and older generations to market to, and low and behold that is the audience they are attracting, the only problem is that audience is aging and can no longer attend like they used to.
Until marketing strategies change attendance will continue to dwindle. I speak this from personnel experience. My wife and I have been members of FMCA since the late 1980's, we were the odd 30/40 year old couple out at most functions, the age group that very little was marketed to by the FMCA chapters or convention committees. The person who when looking at a high line coach, sales people automatically targeted us as lookie-lou's. Entertainment was provided by people that our parents talked about, seminars targeted activities for the "Senior"/Full-time crowd, activities and side trips were to places we read about in our history books, not fun to do family oriented things. How many 40 year old and under attendees would you expect at Swing Dance in 1988? Not many! The other major non participation item was scheduling, which has gotten worse over the years. Seems our rallies, conventions and etc. are now exclusively scheduled Monday thru Friday, rather than during periods when hard working couples with children can attend without having to use vacation or personnel time.
Seems our associations need to get back to the basics and remember membership and partication is a product that needs to be marketed just like anything consumers buy and use. If they want new members from the younger ranks, then offer things that will attract that crowd, after I think they are the life blood necessary to continue what we have, are, and will continue to enjoy.

Spike

Spikester, spoken like a true Nuke You are spot on.

Spikester said even better what I said earlier, you will not attract a younger (non-retired) crowd with monthly rallies Tues-Thurs. I can understand a national convention needs more than a Fri-Sun, but why couldn't it go from Wed-Sun instead of mid-week? As a 40 something with two school age boys we just won't be attending. Even local chapter rallies in AZ are mostly mid week (added issue here of 99% snowbird members).

When I was a kid in the 70's and parents were (still are) in FMCA we'd head out to a rally as soon as I got home from school on Friday. A few of the retired members would show up on Thursday AM and stake out our spots, and the rest of the still working/with kids crowd showed up Friday evening in time for the first happy hour. Great times.

A lot of the problem is just the popularity of motorhoming. When it was new in the 60's and 70's it was a younger crowd getting into it. You can't sway public opinion or popularity, its a hard tide to turn. The new RV's with toy haulers and trailers for ATV's behind motorhomes will start the trend younger again. Just takes time and FMCA needs to help nudge and be ready for the swing of the pendulum when it happens.

From my prospective and observations that is going to be really hard to do. First off even a new class B or conversion van is approaching the 100K price range. And most of these do not have room for young families. I think price for a MH is preventing many folks from buying one or joining any organization. Second, with a group dedicated to the Motor Home only already limits your base of potential members. Lastly, at least around this part of the country most of the plaques I see for FMCA are on the largest and most expensive of the class A MH's. That alone would deter me from joining. Again this is JMHO and personal observations.

Our first year in FL we did nothing on the weekends except soccer and lacrosse during those seasons. We bought a MH, yes it was pricey but we took the attitude that if we wait the kids will be gone and we will have missed the opportunity. We have gone somewhere every weekend. Family wise it was our best investment. Before when I thought of RV I didn't think price, I thought that is what old people do. Now I know why they do it, for the fun!

I just joined the FMCA. Me and the wife are in the 50 something category. We are interested in attending both the St Paul and INTO rally but didn't find much information on the website (maps, directions, location, etc) so I looked for an official Discussion Forum but didn't find any. The website says it has information on these two events in their past magazine's issues but since I'm new that isn't available to us. The organization seems to have a lot going for it but unless I'm missing something, no Discussion Forum.

Anyway we hope to meet some of you along the way.

Gedney,

Welcome to FMCA, hope you find affiliation with FMCA an enjoyable one.

March FMCA magazine has an INTO Rally registration form which lists the following POC for information:
Jay Blumenthal, INTO President, 714-749-5701, email jblumenthal@fmca.com.

Another option is to contact the FMCA office in Ohio @ 800-543-3622, they will probably forward you any info you request.

For the FMCA 80th International Convention in St Paul go to FMCA.com, select the St. Paul Convention link in the right column of the page, this link will get you to a page that has links which will give you all the info on the convention along with a link for online registration.

If you would like a copy of the INTO rally or the St Paul Convention registration form send me a private email, I will scan the forms from my March/April Magazine, and then email back to you. Conventions are really fun, I will never forget the first one we attended, what an experience, sensory overload should be expected!!!!

Spike