Question for the masses

[Big Jim]

NO! if they've not paid by now, then they aren't going to do.

 

There are those that sell on their cars.

Those that buy the kit with all expectations of building it in 6 months but it gets left, and will be one of the "part built" for Sale sometime.

 

I can name quite a number that fall into both of these catagories in the North West, and have therefore not renewed.

 

No! put any spare mags up for sale at the shows.

[Guest Ant]

Question for the masses: We have just signed up member 916. However, 199 of last years members haven't rejoined yet. Do I send them a magazine next month? They all got a reminder in the last mag which prompted 150 to get their cheque book out. If they don't get a mag we will save £400.

Opinions please 

 

Cheers

Tim

 

Right, some of this has been said already, but here's my twist on it:

 

- If people don't renew their memberships then they should get say a month or so as "good grace" and after that their membership should cease. Sending mags out to people who haven't renewed more than a couple of months into the year would be a definite no no to me!

 

- I find it unbelievable that people are parking their cars in the RHOCAR area on show days and haven't renewed their memberships. They're either affiliated to the club or they're not. This sort of thing does turn into a nightmare to police, but how about checking reg numbers as the cars pull in, and turning away non-members? The fact that people are getting away with this, and it has been noted by Mick on here a few times now, then we (the paid up members) have to do something about it, otherwise it becomes a free for all.

 

- Regarding this forum then it is good that non-members can put up a few posts, get to know who's who, and see the benefits of the club. Anyone can read these pages and I think that is good too. It does annoy me though that some people get to 40 or 50 posts or more (several hundred in some cases) without being a member. Often their posts aren't even related to Robin Hoods in the first place! I would support a 20 post limit for non-members.

 

Perhaps the summary is this: Would RHOCAR exist if nobody paid their subs? If the answer is no then we have to prevent blatent free-loaders. As Bill said earlier, £15 quid is small fry for the benefits which we receive. Will there come a time when the membership fee goes up to cover the extra costs of the free-loaders?

 

Ant

 

PS - How about some A4 stickers to put on people's windscreens saying "This vehicle belongs to a RHOCAR freeloader"? Drastic, but effective? Cheaper than wheel clamps, and watching them peel the stickers off would be satisfaction in itself

[Guest Battery Bill]

Hey who moved Ants post

At last something that Ant and I agree on

[Guest trevor hooley]

no if they havent re-joined by now they are not going too,

[Longboarder]

I think a time limit should be set for non renewers to still receive mags. Thats fair enough and five months is generous. I would suggest one issue or three months. For the terminaly disorganised a few extra mags could be printed and kept for late late rejoiners and sold off at shows after three months.

As for posting on the rhocar site it belongs to Matt and its not up to members to decide rules for it. However if you are taking suggestions Matt, limit non members to 5 posts, take away their avatars and give them realy silly ones, make their posts come up in red to show they havent paid with a disclaimer on the bottom saying tight fisted git and no one is to help, send viruses to their computers as thats all freeloaders deserve, make static shocks come out of their keyboards so it painfull when they post and arrange for their families to be abducted by aliens. Or you could continue to keep the original spirit of the internet alive by providing and maintaining a free helpfull knowledge based resource which makes no judgement on who it is willing to help by demanding fees or membership. (Anyone got any pictures on their websites or computer that I have drawn? I know of several and only NW Hoodies have 'permission'. But you are all welcome to them wether you are Rhocar members or not.)

Finaly Tim should be bought a shopping trolley. My Mum-in-Law has just got one with blow up wheels, brown leatherette and a zip up top for when its raining.

And finaly finaly bagsy be the traffic warden at shows. Except I wouldn't want to be a member anymore.

 

Nigel

[Guest 2BBoulton]

I used to be a member when I had a robin hood.

 

I would not expect to be sent any mags after my mebership had expired.

 

I still enjoy reading this site and adding my two pence worth. If someone has a problem or I find somthing that I think others will be interested in then I will add a post.

 

Banning non members from this forum may or may not be a bad idea. I am a member of the Mercedes owners club but the web site does not really cater for my tastes (1968 220 Auto) so I hang out here.

 

I like the idea of only letting club members park in the club area. I felt guilty parking there after my membership had expired and I was trying to sell my car. That said, none of the comitee came over and tried to get me to join, nor did anyone say anything to me.

 

I belong to Rotaract (part of the Rotary organisation) and we have the same problem in recruiting new members. I feel that all publicity is good publicity.

Don't send non memnbers mags.

Do let non members park in the members area, this gives the impression of having lots of dedicated members. BUT go and say hello to them and make (or should that be pursuade) them to join.

 

Coming over all heavy handed will just put people off.

 

Bruce

 

No to be flamed :boohoo:

[Guest mickmellors]

As availability of funds has an effect on my efforts at show weekends I will stick my oar in the water as well on this one -

 

A few days before each show, I get an up to date copy of the database from Tim and print it off in different orders. A copy for each show day in Member Surname order, a copy for each day in Registration Number order and another in order of Areas - Derbys, Notts, Leics etc.

 

As people arrive I try to check them against the reg no list and if they dont appear on that I approach them and ask their name and check against the Surname list. Some Members have not let us know their reg numbers once they get the car on the road so we have a blank space in the database , which again doesnt make it easy for me. If they are not members I tell them all about the Club activites and invite them to join.

 

Regarding non-members parking on the Club Area at shows, I would not want to turn a prospective member away from parking on the Club Area because just the same as has been mentioned above about trying the website before joining, I think it is also fair to let someone try the Club area too. It is disappointing when they dont join and more so to think that they have possibly 'visited' before and perhaps will again without joining the Club.

 

I gladly devote a VERY large proportion of my spare time to the Club (as do others of course) and I thoroughly enjoy the Show weekends but it is HARD work when I have already worked 60 hours + at work and probably attended 1 or 2 evening meetings as well for other voluntary work that I do locally.

 

I try to check memberships at the shows as people arrive but when 3 or 4 cars arrive together it is simply impossible for me to cover all of them. It also means I spend time doin this instead of seeing the Show - I had 1/2 an hour in the show at Stoneleigh last week and that is the most time I have spent in a show for 2 full seasons ! !

 

In direct answer to Tims original question I could use the £400 towards buying a trailer for the Club Gear to be stored in, ready packed to go to shows and other events.

 

I have all the Show equipment stored away in 2 sheds, the garage, the loft, my office and the dining room. You might imagine the slight friction this can cause with Mary.

 

Each show weekend I have to get all the gear out, check I have everything - this took me just under 3 hours on Friday evening for Stoneleigh. Then I try to get it all into my car and on the floor in the caravan. The car footwells, passenger seat, rear seat and boot were all filled as was the topbox. Thanks to John White for a helping hand with some of the packing. This took a further 3 hours on Saturday which is why I was much later than intended arriving at Stoneleigh.

 

At the end of the show it was a similar packing exercise with the difference that I had some more help. Thanks chaps.

 

When I got home at just gone 6pm Monday evening John, bless him, was there again to help get the gear unloaded. It took us 3 1/2 hours to get everything put away. In total we spent 9 1/2 hours packing and unpacking at home without counting set up and pack away time etc at the showground.

 

It does all rather take the edge off an otherwise fantastic weekend with a great bunch of Hoodies I am proud to count among my friends.

 

After a bath and some supper I got to bed at 11pm. I had to be up at 3:30am Tuesday to drive down for work in N.London for 7am start.

 

I always try to see the best in people I meet and hope they see the best in our Club. Life is littered with free-loaders and I suppose it always will be. I have never expected something for nothing and I dont think it is fair that others can be so blatant!

 

For those who read this that have not joined the Club, please consider this -

If you are happy enough to use the Club facilities, be proud enough to join the Club. If more people join the Club, there will be more facilities for us all to use ! !

 

Sorry - it touches a bit of a nerve, does this. Rant over !

 

 

PS Matt does receive an hororarium from the Club in recognition of his fantastic service in designing, producing, maintaining and contributing to the Club Websites. It isnt anything like what he deserves but we are not a Fat Cat Club. Thanks Matt.

[Peter Bell]

I think we need something like a SORN to send out with the renewal form/last mag of the year so that at least people who can bother could send it back so you know they will not be rejoining. Perhaps it could be called SLOC, Sorry Leaving Owners Club? I think that 2 months is about the max for an oversight in sending money in.

Peter

[Jon Bradbury]

Tim

 

What facilities? There are none in particular that are accessable to me. Where I live the nearest club meeting point is miles away. All the real action in the Robin Hood and kit car scene seems to take place up North. And my build has gound to an absoute halt. It struck me that I'd paid to join a club that I couldn't really participate in, and so when the renewal notice came I didn't bother.

EDIT BY Mick M - if Area Meetings are a long way off, why not contact your Area Sec and suggest a change of venue once in a while or why not put life into your own Area by becoming an Area Sec yourself and having meetings on your doorstep - our 'local' Members seem to like to drive their Robin Hoods a few miles to the meetings

 

The only thing of use to me at the moment is the web site, use of which is not predicated on club membership. And before you all shout at me, you might bear in mind that as well as asking questions here, I've contributed too by participating in the provision of answers. And that contribution is more valuable to the community than the membership fee. After all, if no one answered your questions, what would the point be of forming a club?

 

Last year the club arranged all sorts of events, days out and even a Christmas bash, paid for by membership fees EDIT BY MICK M - Not strictly true Jon - The money that was sent out for Chrismas was the residue of cash from the previous committee and was not from membership fees since the New Committee has run the Club - we (the new Committee ) asked for suggestions as to how the money could be spent to best distribute it across the Members and a contribution towards a Christmas do was the best suggestion , none of which I was able to attend (mostly due to distance). I wasn't able to attend any of the shows, due to distance. I did read about all the fun you all had in the magazine, all the cliquey jokes (eg Jim and dog poo or Joey locking himself & Bill out of the tin top) and I thought "how nice for them". Which it is.EDIT BY Mick M - I travel approx 250 miles each way to both Exeter and Detling shows in order to put the Club on the map at the shows and to provide the 'local 'Members with a place to call their own for the weekend - what do YOU consider to be 'too distant'. We have 3 members from Scotland and 3 more from Wales who come to at least 1 show weekend per year and usually 2, and we even had a visit from Holland at Stoneleigh last week and one each from France and Switzerland at Donington 2003. There are regularly 6-10 cars from the North West Area attending virtually EVERY show - even Exeter !

 

My point is that I'd love to subsidise Edit by Mick M - I have 'subsidised' the Club to the tune of just over one thousand four hundred hours of my free time since we took over the running of the Club in January 2003 and all I get out of it is free membership which works out at about 3/4 of a penny per hour. I get a HUGE amount of pleasure by putting myself out and GOING to show weekends and mixing with anything up to 100 fellow Hoodies all this but I don't see why I should and I don't think all this indignation - righteous or otherwise - is fair.

 

Of course, I'd much rather participate fully in the club activities, but am unable to.

[Guest Ant]

Jon, you're in Worthing, right? Detling show is only 75 miles away. That's not too horific is it? I do 50 miles in my 2B just coming to work and back Exeter show is bigger I guess and its 168 miles from you. Ok, so it's not ideal, but it's still highly practical. The NW clan seem to get everywhere! Another option would be to encourage some RHOCAR member to be in the London to Brighton kit car run.You're also closer to Le Mans than most too That's just 4 possible events. By the time you've kept up your input on here, and then read and written mag articles, well you'll be the life and soul of the club!

 

I don't put a lot into this club outside of this forum. I'm at a couple of monthly meets a year, and a couple of shows. And for that it's 15 quid very well spent!

 

Mick - about a fortnight before each show, why not put up a "helpers needed" list on here and get volunteers to sign up for specific jobs in advance? eg someone to help load up at Littleover, a few to set the stall up on arrival, some to help pack up, someone to check the car reg plates, and even get people to sign up to man the RHOCAR stand for specific 2 hour shifts during the day. I for one would be very willing to help out. I usually know which shows I'm going to be at and could sign up for a specific duty to do whilst I'm there. Then you and others can get more free time to wander around etc. Enevitably some people would sign up and for whatever reason not be there when they should be, in which case you've lost nothing coz at the moment you do it yourself anyhow.

 

I also think the club needs specific rules about what non-members are allowed to do. Putting a car up on a show day is often a free or reduced ticket into the entire show, so £15 quid for the year is still a bargain! Putting an A4 sized "non paid up member" sticker on their windscreen wouldn't cost a lot, and would probably encourage some to join rather than be named and shamed. It's also harmless.

 

Ant

[Guest MikeD318]

Tim,

I think you were generous sending the last mag to those that hadn't re-newed. Most clubs, kit car or otherwise would just send the renewal form. No mebership renewal, no member benifits. You'll probably find that those who no longer want to be a part of the club will throw the magazine away before reading it anyway.

 

Mike.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Jon

And my build has gound to an absoute halt.

Why ?

Ants right "Again" make the effort to get to a show and that will get you back in the "do the car" frame of mind.

Also I agree that the NWHoodies get a lot of the press coverage but thats because they are always up to something new (And they are the most vocal)

Anyway you have Rizla He is like a one man club.

Mick

Again I'm with Ant on this (3 Times in one day thats a record), I think most of us would not mind manning the post whilst you and the others go shopping. Joey says he would love to do it but he's not 14 :boohoo:

[Guest Bob's Babe]

Many thanks for all your comments on this. Tim hasn't yet seen any of it....still at work :boohoo: A few replies, Tim doesn't need a shopping trolleys to shift the mags as the kids and I do it, he's usually at work and I can't face the kids fighting over it (nice thought though) We like to give people a fair chance to renew as many do it every year at the same show but it would be nice to get it all sorted and over before the summer as we then start on new members joining and all their paperwork I do think the decisions on the use of this sight lay with Matt, and it should be open to all that can benefit from it. I wouldn't want to discourage new members joining by not letting them on to the RHOCAR show site or putting stickers on their cars, they have never been an issue. We would like people to let us know if they are not rejoining so that we can delete their details from the database and reuse the numbers... :boohoo: or send their cheques with the first reminder...150 managed this. Well done!

Extra help from anyone at shows will never be turned down and always appreciated you might even get a beer or burger from Tim...well not the beer

And really sorry you didn't feel the club didn't do enough for you down there in the south. We supply a list of names and roughly where they are, so why not try and organise your own mini area or help build weekend....Tim is turning my house and garden into a free for all this weekend as loads of boys are coming to play...sorry, build

Thanks for the support

SUE

[Mat-Moo]

For the "non-members" there is only 2 things on this site you are missing, 1 is a "Members benefits" section where any special Members only things are shown, and also links to perhaps special deals, and 2 the ability to advertise on this site. I have no intention of stopping anyone use the site, but they do have a couple of very minor restraints which I feel is fair.

 

"PS Matt does receive an hororarium from the Club in recognition of his fantastic service in designing, producing, maintaining and contributing to the Club Websites. It isnt anything like what he deserves but we are not a Fat Cat Club. Thanks Matt. "

 

(BTW I've never really said thanks, but I honestly didn't think I deserved it!)

[Guest Bob's Babe]

We do or the site wouldn't get the use it does

Sue