Deep thoughts... (1 Viewer)

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JasonH

JasonH

Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Threads
202
Messages
2,269
Location
McKinney, Texas
Website
www.lslc.org
Sorry if this gets long… I’ve been thinking about how LSLC has changed over the last few years and also how we relate to the TTR guys. I kind of see TTR as how we were 5-7 years ago. There’s a lot of fresh energy there with some younger guys that are new to the sport and have the time and drive to be very active in the club. That’s why I really dig the TTR group. A lot of the formerly active LSLC’ers have moved away, sold their rigs, or just have more stuff going on in their lives as they and their kids get older. I know my weekends are filled with soccer games, tae kwon do, birthday parties, etc. Since that’s our demographic now, we tend to do the occasional big family trip instead of the frequent weekend trips.

So what can we do in LSLC to get more active and to promote more (to quote Kowboy) par-ti-ci-pa-tion? Do we need to do anything? Maybe we just keep operating as sister clubs with the TTR guys being the more active wheeling group and the LSLC guys being the collectors and the occasional family trip group. I do like what Austin is doing with having an activities director. Since they have a small core of ‘wheelers’, they tend to do more non-wheeling activities. I still think that’s something we can do in DFW too.

For all of you folks who are new to the club, what would you like to see? I know there are lots of people out there who have never wheeled before and may have some trepidation about being the new guy and perhaps holding someone back or getting in over their head. Don’t worry about that. If you’d like to go out some weekend and get your feet wet, either post up here looking for someone to go out with, or watch the TTR boards and hook up with those guys. I know that they have lots of trips planned. Once I get my 40 back together, I’m hoping to do some more quick weekend trips before it gets too hot to camp. It really just takes one person to pipe up and say they want to go wheeling and I can almost guarantee that you’ll get some takers.

Give me some thoughts on what you’d like to see or changes you think we need to make, if any.
 
Really well said Jason. I would just like to add that, as the President of two clubs, I firmly believe that what Jason and I do in our capacities is merely to provide a service- that being to manage the club in the direction that offers the greatest benefits to it's members.

LSLC really needs to re-think it's identity... exactly what is it? Is it just a "car club" as Chef likes to say, or should it be a social club, or a wrenching club, or an off road club?

Without everyone's input, it's hard to tell what direction would give the most members the greatest satisfaction.
 
The club has changed in many ways since 2000 when I came along. I think Jason is correct in wanting to define what we are wanting out of LSLC as a club. The smaller weekend trips were some of the most fun for me. I would like to see the club head in a direction that Chris has TTR heading, but also keeping in mind that LSLC has many "older" members that have kids and have other activities that are attended and the Landcruiser community just seems to be getting older and smaller. The new FJ generation is younger and a lot like we were 10 years ago. I think that its a natural progression of a shrinking small club that doesn't actively try to get new members.

One area that I think LSLC has missed the boat on is the FJ. If we went after the FJ guys more openly to be a member of LSLC it would possibly open many more doors for our membership. Most of the younger FJ owners I have seen are ready to go wheel at a moments notice and really want to be part of something. I never dissed the FJ guys, but probably never took them really seriously to become a longtime member of LSLC so attention to them wasn't given. Now that the FJs are increasing in numbers and have proven themselves to be of legendary Cruiser heritage, I think LSLC should really go after them and welcome them into our community. The newer Landcruisers (80s and up) are really out numbering the rest as shown at Moab last month. The FJs were out there in force as well and wheeled right beside the 40s and wagons. I think that within a few years the FJs will outnumber the Landcruisers at events like these. The TTR guys have done a great job of gathering these guys up and I think LSLC should do the same. The FJ is such a bridge vehicle between the mini trucks and the Cruisers that they can attend both events and be members of both organizations. This brings me to another subject that may ruffle some feathers.

I have thought about this several times, but had my druthers about pushing the issue.Our future may want to bring more consolidation between TTR and LSLC to allow for all Toyota offroad vehicles to belong to one larger organization with all types of members/wheelers. I found myself being so Landcruiser focused with LSLC that somewhere along the way I did just what Jason is doing now.....asking wyself where is the club going? People are selling their trucks, moving away or just losing interest and the club is shrinking.

I think that Jason has great points and other than all of my ranting above, I think new members, weekend trips and diversity will really help the club. After all you can never have to many friends.
 
Wow...that says it all. Well said to all of you all. The club has lost EVERY charter member since inception except maybe Butch and I. Membership is down and we do need fresh faces. As a matter of fact, I think I'll withdraw my acceptance of becoming the V.P. and stay treasurer. I think we need a fresher face for V.P. Hopefully, a younger person can step up and bring in more folks....or else, we'll have to close down due to lack of interest
Steve
 
Hey all! I have been to the meeting once a long time ago but due to work and my extra activities on the side I find it hard to attend on the Thurs. meet. That's Just me though. Also seeing the TTR guys, you see that the trucks are easily sourced and a good after market support for them. The FJ's are coming on strong and the following will be there. My 2 cents ain't worth much but aside from the Thur. night meet where have you show cased the chapter here in DFW? I know of a lot of 40 and 60's owners that ARE NOT members and never really heard of the chapter. Although they are Mud members. I think it is just a matter of changing up the routine and doing something on a Saturday/Sunday and getting a chance to showcase the club and the members vehicle's. How many rig's have you seen out there and don't recognize them. So the potential is there you just have to get the routine broken up and expect to see new faces and let them feel like they are old friends. After meeting you all at the first meet you are a great bunch with a lot of knowledge to pass on to younger wheelers. Organize an open YOTA event here in DFW for both clubs and get it some Promo time with one of the club supporters/sponsors. Then you will see some interest. Sorry for the soap box ramble, since I really have no room to voice since I myself have not been as active since my brother passed away but I will do what ever I can to help the Chapter out.
 
Just an observation from an outsider, but it seemed to me that the LSLC's were more of a social/car club then a 4x4ing club, while the TTR's are more of a real and very active 4x4 club. Anyway, it's really just a matter of what people want from the club. If your happy socialzing and going on the occational trip, then great. If you want to go on a trip every other week, then the TTR guys are probably a better choise. It might also make some differance as to what kind of vehicle you have, and the personalities in the club. Anyway, now I'm just thinking out loud, so ...
 
airlaird said:
Wow...that says it all. Well said to all of you all. The club has lost EVERY charter member since inception except maybe Butch and I. Membership is down and we do need fresh faces. As a matter of fact, I think I'll withdraw my acceptance of becoming the V.P. and stay treasurer. I think we need a fresher face for V.P. Hopefully, a younger person can step up and bring in more folks....or else, we'll have to close down due to lack of interest
Steve
Click to expand...

Hmmm.... Let me see.... Is there anyone else.... Not sure. There could be some other guy in an 80 that has been around for a while. It also seems like there may be a few that have moved away but still take the time keep up. Not sure. Maybe we haven't lost EVERY other "charter member"
 
I see no reason a socializing car club can't also be a 4X4 wheeling club. Marde and I met most in the club at ICBM. There was lots of socializing and wheeling. The people are great and we really enjoy the company. Something I'd like to see however is more moderate wheeling. Most of the wheelers in the club seem to wheel with 35+ tires, lockers, SM420's, sawzawed bodies etc. (THIS IS NOT A RANT). What I have noticed was in the begining of LSLC the rigs were more stock. As time went on the group began seeking harder challenges and thus the mods began. Now as I said earlier the wheelers rigs of the group far out class anything close to stock. The wheeling trips (other than ICBM and Round Up) I've seen posted here and on the E-Mail list always seemed too hard core for me to consider thus I never went. I have no desire to start chopping my cruiser and I want to wheel. Is there room for a weirdo like me?;)
I should note that I am in no way advocating no hardcore wheeling. Just suggesting we add in some more moderate and even easy wheeling. Taking a new member in his FJ to Clayton might not work out.

PARTICIPATE IN THIS THREAD
You care or you wouldn't have read this far:rolleyes:

Chris
 
I think that this is the progression that we have all done over time. People gradually put more into their rig so they can do more then before you know it, we are all running the hard stuff. I agree with Chris, we have several members who would go more if we did less difficult stuff. The Colorado trip is just that. Lots of scenery, cool temps, and all of it can be run in a bone stock unlocked 30" tire 40. I realize its a long way to go, but here in Texas there is not that many places to go family style.
 
Last year I was exposed to the Land Cruiser by Todd Huey. He took his to Big Bend when we went there on one of my regular trips. I liked it so much that I went out and bought one. I was excited.... I went to the very next Land Cruiser meeting and wanted to join even though my Cruiser was stock (actually the previous owner put on smaller tires than stock). I wanted to go put it to the test. I was waiting and waiting for the opportunity to go and wheel, but aside from the occasional local small dirt roads, I never got much a chance to play. I must say that I really like the guys in LSLC, but was extremely disappointed in the fact that there was no real wheeling trips to do. It seems that everyone in the club has been there so long that they no longer wheel or have modified the vehicles so much that they do a lot of extreme stuff. Although I have armored my 80 with front and rear bumpers and sliders, I really can't keep up with the modified 40's. (maybe its my lack of wanting to destroy my 80's body). I always heard about the good ole days when people went to local trails on weekends and it was a family type atmosphere, but those days went away before I got here. I really wish they would come back.

While I like difficult trails and the challenges they bring, I also like to just drive down dirt roads and see some of GOD's beautiful country every once in a while.

Just my .02 worth.......


P.S. I have asked about the Colorado trip, but it appears different people are going at different times.
 
wdwgdas said:
Hmmm.... Let me see.... Is there anyone else.... Not sure. There could be some other guy in an 80 that has been around for a while. It also seems like there may be a few that have moved away but still take the time keep up. Not sure. Maybe we haven't lost EVERY other "charter member"
Click to expand...

I can't think of any other member........ Has camel three toe been around that long?
 
We used to do a lot of local wheeling where we could just go out for a few hours and be home. The current legal situation of those places is a question, so I don't go to them anymore. Some people still do and swear it's ok. I dunno. So we're left with weekend trips. That makes it a little harder for me than it used to as my kids always have stuff scheduled on the weekends. However we have several very good options.

Where I live, Clayton and Gilmer are the same distance away - around 2.5 hours. When I get the chance, I'll take off after work on Friday and be at either one with some daylight left to setup camp. Then wheel all day Saturday and if I need to I can then go home Saturday night leaving me all day Sunday at home.

The wheeling in the Clayton area is very extensive. There is lots for everyone to do. We had a 'newbie' run in Clayton a few years ago where Butch held an off roading class and we spent the day leading stock trucks around. There are two pay-to-play parks in Clayton and both have a full range of difficulty ratings. Some of the trails parallel each other so the big and little guys can meet up at the end. I like these also as you never have to worry about if you're supposed to be there or not. I can't keep up with the old trails and which ones are off limits. I talk about Clayton a lot because it's my favorite, but there's other places to go too.

I will set up some trips this summer and everybody is invited. I once said that there's no such thing as a closed LSLC event. I don't want anyone to feel like they can't participate because their rig isn't built enough or they don't want to tear it up. And like I said before, if you find yourself with a free weekend and want to go wheeling but you don't see anything planned, then please post up and we can help you with your trip even if I can't personally go with you.

Hey Steve, I joined in 98. Do I count? :D
 
while i might not have an 80 (hi eric), i have been a member since the third time this club ever got together. there were five of us there that night. i'm still here, even if i don't make the meetings as often as i would like.
the charter members aren't all gone, it's just that there's only three of us left. but, tom still comes around every now and then. i've been a member since 96, that's eleven years. and i have no plans to go anywhere.
this club is great for socializing, and there is a lot of good wheeling to have, as well.
like jason pointed out, most of the places we used to go are off limits, or are legally ambigious. if some of the police that are members can find out the legal situation of these areas, then we can probably start hitting up some trails every weekend. maybe we can approach some of the municipalities that are in charge of these areas, and present a plan to wheel those areas, and help clean them up each time we wheel, and perhaps do a work weekend once a year on those areas, therby gaining access maybe others can't get.
just some ideas, but you never know what will work.
any time we go wheel, anybody that wants to run easy stuff just has to speak up. i'll always be happy to lead newbie runs, or to take guys out that don't want to damage anything. i've always enjoyed watching guys take trucks out and find out just how capable these rigs are!!!
i'll wheel hard, but i'm just as happy to wheel easy stuff, too.
as far as direction, i think the biggest thing we can do if we want growth, is to target the fj.
if we just want to keep our core group, then we just gotta get more activities going. we used to have familty trips, which weren't necessarily wheeling, but got everybody together, and got us out doing stuff other than standing in a parking lot, which is cool, too. perhaps we should consider an activities director like jason does in austin, and that way we can get one person to post up all the different trips people want to get together, and keep it organized, and posted up on the calender. also, put a calender up on 'mud, and keep that up to date as well. that way people who are members of 'mud can keep up with what is going on, and maybe draw them to the club through that avenue.
anything i can do to help, just let me know. i do not want to see this club die, and i will help in any way i can. thanks,




airlaird said:
Wow...that says it all. Well said to all of you all. The club has lost EVERY charter member since inception except maybe Butch and I. Membership is down and we do need fresh faces. As a matter of fact, I think I'll withdraw my acceptance of becoming the V.P. and stay treasurer. I think we need a fresher face for V.P. Hopefully, a younger person can step up and bring in more folks....or else, we'll have to close down due to lack of interest
Steve
Click to expand...
 
I'm not going to quibble, but I've made most of the meetings since 1998.

IMHO, Lone Star has two core groups. We have folks that like to wheel. We also have folks that come to Pappa's BBQ to trade info, parts, and beer. I sincerely believe we need to make new folks feel welcome, no matter what they drive. I want to include newbie activities in all of our activities. And, I'm willing to commit time and money to non-wheeling events. For example: Haven House, pet adoptions, car shows at malls, whatever.
HTH
Happy Trails! N


wardfoto said:
while i might not have an 80 (hi eric), i have been a member since the third time this club ever got together. there were five of us there that night. i'm still here, even if i don't make the meetings as often as i would like.
Click to expand...
 
wardfoto said:
as far as direction, i think the biggest thing we can do if we want growth, is to target the fj.
Click to expand...

Respectfully, I don't think that in itself a solution to anything. Target them for what? Targeting owners of this car or that car will make it a car club, but it doesn't necessarily make the club into what the membership wants.

As I said before, LSLC really needs to re-think it's identity... exactly what is it? Who exactly does it serve? What are the benefits of membership the majority of participating members value? Who are the active members, how is that measured?

IMHO, let the active members figure out what the active members want it to be, and let them make it that way.
 
sentence pretty much explains itself. if all we want is growth, then target the fj owners. that is the fastest growing segment of "cruiser" owners, and logically if we are just shooting for members, then that is an excellent avenue to pursue.
while i might not make the meetings as often as i'd like, or get to go wheeling as often as others, i am, in fact, an active member. i'm not trying to direct anything, rather throwing ideas out for discussion. and it's working. you responded.
it's the responsibility of mr. harsch to steer the club, but seeing as he wanted some discussion, there it is.
every member of this club should have input, active or merely "a member", but we are not going to please everybody. i defer to our elected leaders, and my statement stands.
if there is anything i can do to help, i'm on it to the best of my abilities.
by the way, i'm not campaigning for the vp position. i've learned my lesson about stepping up to volunteer for that stuff, courtesy of tlca. however, if i can help, i'm happy to do so.
and i agree. it's only a solution if all we want is more members. if we want more activities, then we need to find places that are close enough to enjoy.
at over three bucks a gallon, closer is better. and closer will give a rather sizable number of our group the chance to play. i know with my little guy, i'd sure be able to hit trips that are closer.
and if we want more participation from our membership, then we ourselves have to participate. that's what i'm doing here.
please keep the conversation going. it's good for us all.
and is it possible for our law enforcement to get info from mr. harsch, and check out the legalitys of some of our former playgrounds?
 
Personally, having an FJ, and in looking for a club to join, I'd like to join a club that has some other FJC's in it. I want to be able to talk to guys with similar vehicles so we can discuss parts, modifications, and other stuff like that. Because of that I’m not sure if a Land Cruiser club is really the right way to go in that case, since the FJC’s really aren’t Land Cruisers, but closer to the Tacoma’s and 4runners.

But Chris is right, that's not the only thing that I'm looking for. I get the sense that the LSLC group is more family oriented then other clubs I've looked at, and that's something I'm really looking for. I want my wife to come along with me, but she's not going to do that if it's just a bunch of guys doing a bunch of guy stuff. I also appreciate more family friendly environments, and that criterion is likely to win out over anything else.

I also don't plan to take my FJC on any hard core trails any time soon since it’s my daily driver and I like my low insurance premiums; so if that's all you guys do, I'm not going to want to go on any runs and for me that basically defeats the main propose of joining a club. That doesn't necessarily mean I want a really easy trail that any old truck can drive down; just not something that’s too tricky or likely to result in damage. I do like scenery, though, and I’ll be sure to bring my camera and take lots of pictures.

I also think it's odd that you have two separate but closely associated LCLA clubs in the same place, but I might just be an odd duck that doesn’t fit the average mold so taking my opinions to hart might be the death of you all. Take it for what you will.
 
spaldam said:
I also think it's odd that you have two separate but closely associated LCLA clubs in the same place...
Click to expand...

LOL! There are actually three TLCA Clubs in North Texas. Someday I will explain our lineage to you Seth, but suffice it to say we are siblings with LSLC, as are the White Trash of the Elwood. Three clubs to meet the needs of diverse memberships, and for the atmosphere you desire I think you would really enjoy LSLC. :)
 
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