E-Mail from EC4WDA

[the colonel]

Here is an E-Mail that I received from EC4WDA. I think it's something we need to look at as a club. What do you all think??  Tom
 

Hi there!

There are many advantages to membership in EC4WDA. We
hold organized events: trailrides, clean-ups, food
drives, and at least one toy drive every year. As a
member, or as a member club, you are welcome to
participate in as many events as you choose. Our clubs
welcome members from other member clubs and individual
members on trailrides, except when their own members
fill the limit (which doesn't happen often). We are
also active in matters of public access and management
policy,  including legislative issues. We also have
access to several parcels of private land which can be
wheeled by prior arrangement as an organized run. We
have a new forum as well,
http://www.ec4wda.org/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=3 which is
starting to take off and theres a lot of good
information and knowledgeable people on it. Feel free
to sign in if you haven't yet.

Additionally, EC4WDA publishes a quarterly newsletter,
and you'll get a sticker and some other miscellaneous
goodies. We also hold regional quarterly meetings, and
are working on a conference-call option for those
living far away from our Brookfield, CT meeting site.
The next meeting is April 20.

If you have inquired about Individual Membership,
please download the form from here - either a Word doc
or pdf: http://www.ec4wda.org/docs.asp

However, the benefits of membership in a member-club
generally include social events, preference in
trailrun sign-up, and a closer camraderie with fellow
members. Our current member clubs are:
Adirondack Jeeps (not jeep exclusive)
Berkshire 4 Wheelers
Cape Cod Jeep
CTJEEP.org (not jeep exclusive)
Eastern 4 Wheelers
Hudson Valley 4 Wheelers
JT4x4 (Navy personnel stationed in Groton area)
Long Island Off Road
Northeast Toyota Crawlers
Underground Jeeps

Feel free to check out any of the clubs' websites and
forums to see if their interests match your own.

Thanks, look forward to working with you in the
future.
Aili McKeen

[ArmyRover]

my thoughts are:

1.  what is the benefit to us as a group?
2.  what is the cost to us as a group?
3.  what does it obligate us to do?

Not trying to be a fly in the ointment here but, looking over their forum I don't see much there that we aren't already doing or planning.  The cost to each of us will be $26 and the following directly from the bylaws.

H.  Membership in Region D will consist of the following types:
1.  Probationary Member
a.  Be allowed to display EC4WDA and Region D emblems, decals, and patches on jackets and vehicles.
b.  Must attend and sign the roster books of at least two (2) consecutive general meetings. It is the responsibility of the member to sign the meeting roster books. Any member not fulfilling these obligations will remain a Probationary Member until this obligation is met. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, and by majority vote of the Board of Directors, under extenuating circumstances, a probationary member may be excused from attending meetings.
c.  Be permitted to sit on a committee, but not to chair that committee.
d.  Is not permitted to be on the Board of Directors.
e.  Is not permitted to vote in an election for Region D officers.
2.  Members in Good Standing
a.  Title given to that member who has completed the probationary period and whose application has been approved and accepted by the Board of Directors and the majority of the members. The Member in Good Standing shall:
1.  Have full and complete voting rights on Region D issues.
2.  In order to be eligible to be nominated for an office on the Board of Directors, a member in Good Standing must have attended and signed in on the roster books at least Two (2) of the regular meetings throughout the dues year when he/she is nominated. This stipulation can be waved by the Board of Directors, if need be, by a majority vote on a case-by-case need.
3.  Be eligible to run for committee chairpersonship on any designated committees.

ARTICLE IV.   MEETINGS
A.  Meetings shall be held once in the spring and once in the fall with both meetings being held prior to the East Coast Four Wheel Drive Association spring and fall Board of Directors meetings.
B.  At any regularly scheduled meetings, in order to conduct the business of Region D, a quorum will be set at Thirty Percent (30%) of Club Delegates.
1.  Club Delegates will do the voting on all matters except the elections of Region D officers (see Article IX), whereas Region D members in good standing present at the meeting do the voting for Region D officers.
2.  There must be at least five (5) Board of Directors in attendance. One of which must be the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson can fill in for the Chairperson only if the Chairperson cannot make the meeting.
3.  If there are less than five (5) Board of Directors remaining on the Board at the time of the meeting all remaining Board of Directors must be present at the meeting in order to conduct Region D business.
C.  Each year the spring and fall meetings will be designated as our semi-annual meeting. The agenda of the meeting shall include:
1.  A report from all committees that worked.
2.  A report from all Region D officers.
3.  Treasurers financial statement.
4.  Elections and results (if any).

I can't say I'll make both meetings seeing as they can be up to 4-5 hours away.  So for me I vote no thanks.  I like what we have and thing we should work at developing that before we branch into more endeavors.

[cellulararrest]

I've never heard of that association before. I've heard of the New England association (don't remember the name exactly).

[the colonel]

$100.00 per club per year...like i said, i got the e-mail, just was passing it along....

[TightButWillFit]

x2 with army

[ArmyRover]

didn't mean to come off as a dick just giving my 2 cents lol

[Greatdivide1]

hrmm i have delt with this club before as i came from cape cod and have many and many freinds in the cape codjeepclub.... after talkin to them they said they have yet to doanything with them besides put there stickers on there rigs... they seem to like the org..... but reguarly do there own thing....im kind of thinking imwith armyon thisone.... we all live sooo far awayto take avantage of them ..... dont get me wrong would be great if we lived closer but in the end we dont and we are already quite self sufficent as a club.....just my two cents.....Don

[Kara Chaos]

A great opportunity will be missed if this offer is passed up. The EC4WDA is the second largest national four wheel drive club in the United States! The good that they do and the hard work they put in to keeping trails open is unbelievable! Not only do they go out and have fun, but they also maintain trails. I have been to quite a few trail clean ups with them and while it isn't fun, it makes it so the next time you go out, you are able to enjoy the beauty of the woods without looking at everyones trash. They aren't just limited to one area. They have private property all down the east coast. Being a part of that makes it available to you! Isn't being part of a Land Rover owner enjoying the adventure of searching for new roads and finding new trails? Here is an opportunity being handed to you! Do you want to keep running the same old trails year after year? Or would you like the opportunity to meet new people and see new trails? I personally enjoy driving down to Connecticut and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to hit new trails. It's a lot of fun. And the people in this organization are the nicest people I have ever met anywhere. They are really excited about their sport and enjoy meeting others with different trucks than theirs. The amount you get from them is only as much as you are willing to put in. It's great when someone gives you a gift card, but in order to reap the benefits of that gift card, you actually have to use it.

Kara
91 GDE RRC

[Greatdivide1]

hrmm.......you argue a good point Kara.......i dont mind helping out on clean ups....and i dont mind driving to go to new trails.......will chat with tom about this......

[cellulararrest]

I'm all for joining a larger organization. I think we need to do some talking with the organization though. Find out some more details and then we can make the decision as a club.

Kara, thanks for the perspective and welcome to the group! Hope to hear more from you. That makes 3 GDE's...

[ArmyRover]

honestly it sounds good but according to their own website and as Don pointed out from people in the club their efforts really aren't based in our area in the last 3-4 years I count 1 trail clean up effort and that was western ma.  Last year they did no trail clean up efforts.  This year they have one trail cleaning event scheduled again and that's it.

As far as new trails go most of their schedule goes round and round the mabell trails in mass.  No mention or plans for New Hampshire or Maine at all.  No mention of a group run to winter romp or an effort to coordinate with the largest off road event the New England area has to offer.

Honestly I think they have a great PR campaign with little real substance.  I realize I'm basing this on their website alone for information, but that is the main way to reach the off roading community at large.  It doesn't really support the claims of things they are pledging to accomplish.  

They do seem to do a great deal with the food banks in ma/ct in the past (not in the last two years)but nothing in your home state(since home for me is still Indiana.. Hoosier at heart baby).  That is admirable but we can do the same with our local food banks if so wish.  

They also seem to do toy drives for toys for tots (in the past not in the last 3 years) and that to is admirable but if we wish to do that I can coordinate that easily since I help the Marines at DRFTA with that at christmas anyways.

I fail to see the benefit to our fledgling club at this time.  The best course of action I could recommend at this time would possibly be a guest invite from thier organization to our club to participate in a off road event or two.  Then we could see first hand what they are about and if it's worth the effort of having a parent organization.  I can certainly see where the benefit is for them of course with the club fee and all the individual membership fee's.

once again my 2 cents.....

[Kara Chaos]

I fail to see the benefit to our fledgling club at this time.  The best course of action I could recommend at this time would possibly be a guest invite from thier organization to our club to participate in a off road event or two.  Then we could see first hand what they are about and if it's worth the effort of having a parent organization.  I can certainly see where the benefit is for them of course with the club fee and all the individual membership fee's.

That isn't a bad idea. That way you both can get to know each other so you both aren't blind going into it...if that's the road chosen. ;-)  It's kind of like dating...sometimes you're pleasantly surprised and other times it's like 'ew get away from me now'.

As for their web page haha I know for a fact that they suck at that. :biggrin: Not that I blame them...I could never do what's being done right here. No way. I'd still be swearing at the computer going 'well now what did it do?' I think their forte is in their trucks, not their web site. I mean we all can't be blessed with a forum as beautiful and great as this one. :wink: (did i earn brownie points for that?)

Kara
91 GDE RRC

[cellulararrest]

As far as new trails go most of their schedule goes round and round the mabell trails in mass.  No mention or plans for New Hampshire or Maine at all.  No mention of a group run to winter romp or an effort to coordinate with the largest off road event the New England area has to offer.

Hate to say it, but all the good (as in challenging) trails in the area are out in Western, MA. Florida RD, MA Bell, woodpecker hill. All the trails good trails in New Hampshire are private. The land issue is another good reason to branch out.

I don't see this as changing our own group at all, just adding to our resources and connections within the area.

[ArmyRover]

That isn't a bad idea. That way you both can get to know each other so you both aren't blind going into it...if that's the road chosen. ;-)  It's kind of like dating...sometimes you're pleasantly surprised and other times it's like 'ew get away from me now'.

I feel that would be the best method.  Not that I remember what dating is like lol.

I mean we all can't be blessed with a forum as beautiful and great as this one. :wink: (did i earn brownie points for that?)

Kara
91 GDE RRC

lol I think you have a spot on your nose from that one  and where the hell did you find the smilies?  I must be special or something.


Chris I agree that there is a shortage of trails in NH but as a club I'm sure we can hit MaBell if memory serves isn't that a public access trail?

Follow up post:

ahh chris must have enabled them since my wanna be smiley turned into one....


Just for the record Chris does do a excellent job on the forum.

[cellulararrest]

Chris I agree that there is a shortage of trails in NH but as a club I'm sure we can hit MaBell if memory serves isn't that a public access trail?

Yes, all three of the trails I mentioned are public access. However they are not without issue themselves though. They only remain open with effort. Maybe Russ can chime in on that. I'm pretty sure VTXS has been involved.