Membership Benefits

One year on & i'm considering what i have gained from being a member of the club.

Positives
Discount on parts.
Great tech advice from the forum. (Thanks guys)
A good web site.

Negatives
No RO for my region.
No meets near enough for me to attend.
3 or 4 Magazines in the 12 month period.
No info on changes to club officers i.e The mag editor.

Is this enough to attract new members, or to even hold on to existing ones?

Sorry to moan but i'm feeling a little cheesed off!

Cheers,

NIge

The previous post by X1/nige is the most worrying I have ever read on this forum. It sums up what presumably lots of members are getting in return for the £25 outlay. We could be losing members hand over fist and the cause of that is the magazine. There are approx 650 members so I have been told, of which only 160 are registered on this site. Doing the maths that leaves 490 members who unless they have a strong, vocal regional organiser have recieved literally nothing since Easter time.

I personally consider myself lucky that I live in Scotland, where the club is quite strong and we are prepared to travel long distances to get together. And I feel the forum is as good as it could be, with terrific tech support and general good banter, but I stress again that 490 club members are not getting this benefit and if they are not getting the mag what are they getting for their £25?

As I seem to be the cause of some of this, although when I took over the editors job there was a temporary editor in place from March 2005, but not a single magazine for 7 months (yes 7 months!!) did the club fall apart then?. I seem to think that the club is looking at this the wrong way.

Many clubs with much higher membership DO NOT run a magazine every month............

Many clubs with much higher membership do not have as many committee members................

What they do provide though is personal service. Now for a club with ONLY 650 members or so, this would be very easy.. . . yes?

Electronic magazines and newsletters. Text messaging (far cheaper than postage). EMail and for those few who don't have any access to this, a bi monthly magazine or newsletter.

It is very apparent that so much emphasis is placed on the magazine but Nige said that there is no RO for his region. Why is that? But again the magazine gets blamed. There is no RO for TVS. So what are the members supposed to do there? The magazine is great if you want to read about the die hard X19 members who go on these trips but what about the local stuff?

A club is about socialising so what of those regions with no RO or no outings planned (West Mids for instance). This is merely glanced over but no magazine every month is sacralidge. I think the priorities are all wrong........membership is about socialising etc and a magazine is a bonus. Think about it......... how do you convince a person to drive their car? An RO organising a local meet or a plea in a magazine.......it hasn't worked in the past so why should it now. RO's are important and the Scottish guys have got it right. Despite there being no magazine they are still very active and passionate about the cars. And why....because Ewan etc do such a good job of keeping the club alive.

Credit to them. There are many people out there who are quick to comment and point fingers (and be personal) which is not helpful. Think about it. Do you own a car to read about others enjoying theirs or do you own a car to enjoy driving it with others who enjoy driving theirs?

I am expanding a business and value per buck is important. If I can do it cheaper and more effectively then I will. Perhaps some of this should go into the club.

EMail. Text Messaging. Website. Newsletters. All cheaper than a monthly magazine and you can do it more often. REAL TIME information. The magazine is a luxury not a necessity. Our members are spoilt. That is our downfall. . . . . . .

PS To a particular member of the committee, that is my opinion and is not open for debate. I am now a member and this is how I feel.

Nige / weedavemac......... glad you stuck with it. I love the cars and go to many meets (not this year though, very busy and soon out of a job) but if you saw what I see then you may understand.

I must stop opening these worms

Warren

In no way do i mean to finger point at you Warren,or anyone else, all the people who do jobs for our club do them on a purely voluntary basis because they love their cars & want the club thrive.Spare time is short for everyone, i know, i run a business & have a family who like to see me at the weekend!

Warren, you are spot on when you say that the RO post is more important than the mag, but when local meets are in short supply the next best thing is to read about meets elsewhere in the club & to check out other peoples cars etc. from photos & write ups! Perhaps the mag needs to be discussed at the next commitee meeting as to the way forward for it.
Let the worms be free Warren , banging our heads together on this forum is good for the club. When people care, things get done & a way forward is never far away!

Can one of the web team tell me how many of the forums' registerd users are from the TVS region - it would be interesting to gauge how many there are of us?

Cheers,

Nige

I don't usually get involved in club stuff like this,but I've seen so many postings about the club being about socialising....Yeah,thats a great side of it,but as the only UK club the X1/9,its our duty to save,care and nurture these cars for ourselves and future generations.I have already had a discussion with a member about how scarce parts are becoming-its finally happening-as I said it would a few years back. I had to order rear brake pads,they have fallen off the re-order list,and are no longer stock.My car was off the road for 2 days for one of the most common consumable items.....This situation is getting worse by the day,and without the specialists who advertise in the club mag,it would be even worse.With a car like the X1/9,its quite an emotional purchase,usually by an enthusiast who would join the club.No magazine,no adverts,no parts,and eventually no cars.The specialists are running a business,and if its not financially viable,they WILL stop.
At the end of the day,socialising is people brought together by their common interest for the car.Many good friends met just because they own an X1/9.Its the interest for the car and the people who own them which makes a club,the rest happens after.

Do we have a member who is recognised by the DVLA to allow correct age related plates to be issued if need be?

Do we have someone who is qualified to give agreed valuations for insurance companies?

Do we have any kind of parts backup?

Do we have any kind of inegotiated nsurance deals or benefits because we are club members?

At the end of the day we have 650 members so it has been said.This would allow some sort of group discount at many places..

Do we have someone in charge of media,if a car is needed for a mag?

I'm in this club because I love X1/9's.I will always love X1/9's.When I'm old and grey I'll think back fondly and ask myself what happened to them all,and maybe read about a pristine example in Classic and Sportscar..

The magazine is important.Like me,most of you must have got a wee rush of enthusiasm when it came through the door,even made you nip out and polish something,or made you realise that there were more folk out there just as daft as you,or even made you realise that your car was maybe beyond saving,and that it would be better in the hands of someone who could make better use of it. Tech articles,meet writeups,classifieds,its the hub of the club.A small part,but its the first thing in a long list that needs to be attended to,and until it does its the club,and ultimately the cars that will suffer.

Gentleman,

Many thanks for the valued comments but this thread is not the correct place in the fourm for these posts. Please start a freash thread if you would like to discuss these item in more detail.

Warren,

there is no need to worry about your views being mis understood as you say you a member and you are most correct.

Happy X1/9 Motoring guys

Andy

The sun's out, the Exy is out, all is well with the world! Enjoy your cars guys!!

cheers,

Nige

Nige - no worries about you mate. You are a great contibutor to the forum and I meant no direction towards you at all.

Cheers Andy

Tiff - very expressive and great points

Now like Nige said........ the sun is out so Peapod is going to get a good dusting down round the country lanes me thinks (Nige whereabouts in the country are you?) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sunny Bognor Regis Warren!! I'll also have the X out for the Goodwood breakfast club tomorrow. I'll be ogling the 911s (sorry)!

Cheers

Nige

NIGE STOP MOANING AND DO WHAT I DID WHEN THE HOME COUNTIES HAD NO EVENTS TO GO TO HAVE A BLOODY MOAN AND THEN DO SOME THING ABOUT IT LIKE BECOME THE RO YOU SELF, THE HOME COUNTIES POSIE IS NOW IN FULL SWING AND WILL BE FOR A LONG TIME, I HATE READING MOANS ABOUT LACK OF RO`S IN THIS OR THAT AREA BE MORE POS AND DO IT YOUR SELF, BEFORE YOU SAY YOU DON`T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, MOST OF US HAVE WORK COMMITMENTS AND FAMILY`S,, THE ANSWER IS LOOKING YOU IN THE FACE GET OF YOUR ARSE AND DO SOME THING ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF MOANING.

Thanks for that Paul.

Cheers,

Nige

Tin hats on Boys

write we are going in !

"Thames Valley Area" covers the region of

Oxfordshire/Berkshire/Surrey/Hampshire/West Sussex /IOW/CI

Last officer Stuart "Slaphead" lived in Buckinghamshire !

Main event of the Year for the region is the AutoItala event at Brooklands in the Summer this is a high profile event for Italian cars in the London area.(or where best to hide the X1/9S)This event need some one to keep flying the flag.we have also over the years (decade I think) the BBQ weekend at Ollys very relaxed weekend where our tech officer always gets his hands dirty on our cars if a local car show is taking place in the region then we attend this at the same time with the BBQ on the hill.

Cover me

What you put into this club like any other club depends upon the membership.If some one is prepared to put there hand up then members might start coming out to play easiar said then done.but worth beliving in !.

Dive dive dive




To put your minds at rest both Stuart and myself are willing to explain what is required as a regional officer of the club we both have the Tshirts red the book got the video and more important still members !


On the Subject of the magazine ...
I can remember waiting for the magazine to read events that I had mist which I wanted to go too.reading the problems which I had struggled to
fix and memebrs complaining and about what they were prepared to do
about the lack of a regular magazine weather with their feet or their bums.
we have had the joys over the years of a publishers/printers/Editors
all have provided a sterling service to this club and some not thank enough others taken umbridge because of decissions of the committee
and retired due to what has been put on this web page.
THANK GOD I still cant spell as I am not putting my hand up to be Editor !

Enjoy the car and what ever it may bring you by owning a X1/9.The club
will still continue what ever the membership decides to do in years to come.

Hello all

I am seriously thinking of having a go at being the RO for TVS again in 2007 if you'lle let me and no one else steps forward !


Having joined another car club its evident that other clubs are moving in the direction of electronic comunication and event arranging, howevrer the magazine is important but I still think one every month (which we have not achieved for 2 years) is too much to ask of anyone.

Better 4 definates per year than not knowing ?

Come on guys we need to promote the club and these fantastic little cars. After a blast lastnight in the dark with the top off (of course) what a buzz, lets share our enthusiam with the rest of the classic car world !

Four definates .....
That was the original problem why the Newsletter was instigated the editor (Patrick Howson)who would promise us that a magazine would be with us before Christmass would not be see until early spring with details for Christmas meals special offers made by club suppliers mist.

I know what your saying but the otherside of the problem is that advertisement for cars.Or if like me remembering to do an article for the magazine only when it turns up on the door mat even then two/three months down the line you forget to do it,the Editor will be struggerling to complete to a dead line.

That would mean that events organised by the R/O could not be cancelled. would not like to say at the present moment in time that I would be some where in four months time.At least with the BulletIN/Newsletter you have the ability to let all the club know that events you want to do is having to be cancelled due to no response.


THANK YOU FOR PUTTING YOUR HAND UP :lol:

Mmmmmmmmm. Lets see what is produced by the new editor first and if they are regular and monthly then we have our man............

I agree with a lot of stuarts points though. I too, have joined another club, and they communicate, amongst other means, with text messages!! Only yesterday I got a text about an event going on at the end of august...............very convenient and very easy to reply too.

As for a mag, once a quarter with newsletters or emails if there is something to get across quickly is very reasonable for a club our size.

Missing events etc? Why are local events advertised in a national mag? Stuart used to ring me or email me if there was anything arranged for TVS so the mag didn't even enter into it.

It can be very simple if somebody sits down and puts together a full proposal and then present it back with times, dates, tools required and where to get them. Gather the member info using a full survey, put it to the membership and then get the results. I think you may be suprised..............


Stuart, you did a great job last year.................. 'You Decide!'