Fall Gathering - Input? Problems? Improvements?

[stainless 40/45]

mmmmm
tough subject that raffle

rick's words were well put
you win whatever is up
this is how most raffles I have attended have worked
there is usually a bunch of trading/selling prizes afterwards
maybe Harry would have built a 40?
save that pristine 60 for lesser evil?
Is Gary building another 40?
sounded like he had other ideas.....
I think Mark W does have a 7840...
who can say


my only other notes
at other events, the driver's ticket, the one received with registration of vehicle, is a grand prize ticket, ie winch, tires, tub
giving incentive to registration maybe?
then who dtermines the grand prize?
not sure if that happens alot, just have seen it

at Gsmtr one year they had three grand prizes, in envelopes
drew three tickets, had winners pass envelopes around until happy, then open
that was fun

overall, event was well run,
we forgot to thank Mother Nature for the sunshine as well
it just needs to be a weeklong event and have an lv present

I did not attend this event even tho I was all paid up. But from my experience (7 rubicons 2 Gstrs and 1 Moab and other events,Kina hit the nail on the head with what he had to say. Just my opinion,backed up by many top notch events.

 

[landtank]

We need to give better instructions for sure and get folks out earlier. Stopping for gas on the way is NOT an option, folks need to plan ahead better.

I'm sure the party will be reading this and I don't want them offended, but it was a little awkward for me. I was placed in a situation where I wasn't sure how to respond. While I wanted to include everyone there was some that expected to run the trail on time and had plans for the afternoon that were outside the Fall gathering.

Now the party in question did encourage us to continue on which we did and they caught up. So I think everything worked out for the best.

 

[landtank]

Jason & Gary - If you guys are resigning from the raffle committee due to this years complaints and challenges, it would be understandable as well as a big loss for the club.

This was my thought as well. With both of you out there will be no passing of the baton so to speak and lessons learned by you will have to be learned again. This unfortunately will be a set back for the club.

 

[NE07FJC]

I remember my first Fall Gathering. I had been on the email list and made a couple of posts but didn't know anyone. We got there friday night. Went to the fire and NO ONE was friendly... I believe that it would be difficult to take people around to introduce... There has to be some sort of even that we could hold on Friday night to get new members more involved.

I did NOT mean to suggest anyone was unfriendly - everyone I met was very friendly. But *if* I didn't "crash" other people's campfires I probably wouldn't have met anyone other than the people I wheeled with -- and Joe .

I was just trying to suggest some sort of organized effort to target new members to help them meet more people. And, again, I'll put my money where my mouth is. I volunteer to help in this area next year -- even if I don't yet know many of you yet myself (I'll need a little help).

I think you might be right about "taking people around" and I like your idea of an event of some kind instead. Another random thought -- how about setting aside some of those freebies at the raffle for newbies?

Anyway, this was (is) NOT a big deal -- just an area to consider for improvement.

Dave - put me down for "making newbies feel welcome" for next year.

 

[eleblanc]

LOL Dave. Damn Universal Translator.

Jason & Gary - If you guys are resigning from the raffle committee due to this years complaints and challenges, it would be understandable as well as a big loss for the club. You two put in a lot of work to recruit more support from vendors than we've ever had at Catamount or the FG and also did a great job MC-ing the event. Your efforts helped to create a very fun time for members, a solid revenue generating opportunity for YT, and a good marketing opportunity for vendors to show support. Many folks commented on the great job you guys did. Thanks for all your hard work.

x2, The raffle was fine, IMHO. but i was a newbie, so can't really comment. But all honestly, do some people drive hours to go to the FG for raffle? I was there for the wheeling and meeting people and that is what i got.

 

[mikeyg79]

I meet more new people by going to lots of events during the year, not just the big ones at the end.

 

[eleblanc]

I remember my first Fall Gathering. I had been on the email list and made a couple of posts but didn't know anyone. We got there friday night. Went to the fire and NO ONE was friendly. The wife and I went back to our site and had a fire. Turned out that people had gotten back late from the days wheeling due to breakage.

People form relationships "clicks" if you want to call it. We get to see people that we haven't seen in the last year. We check out everyones mods and talk about past trips. During Fall Gathering we normally have a number of new members and I believe that it would be difficult to take people around to introduce.

I never want anyone to feel unwelcome. I felt very welcome during my first fall gathering even though I didn't meet a ton of the club members. There has to be some sort of even that we could hold on Friday night to get new members more involved.

Wasn't the case for us on thursday night. Dave came to meet us when we arrived. Then when we showed up at your camp fire, beer, chair in hand and with our bad accent, everyone was friendly.

 

[green40]

Wasn't the case for us on thursday night. Dave came to meet us when we arrived. Then when we showed up at your camp fire, beer, chair in hand and with our bad accent, everyone was friendly.

We wanted to kick you two out, but you never stopped talking long enough for us to do it. : )
Good thing because you guys were great to have around! Really hope you come back next year!

Lane

 

[eleblanc]

We wanted to kick you two out, but you never stopped talking long enough for us to do it. : )
Good thing because you guys were great to have around! Really hope you come back next year!

Lane

Yes i plan on being there next year unless timing is bad.

 

[Sporin]

I tried to get out to welcome folks while it was light out but once chilly dark came it was hard to leave the campfire.

 

[hwi1s0n]

How about having a central campfire on the nights people are arriving? That might lead towards more mingling...


Harry

 

[Wrench]

How about having a central campfire on the nights people are arriving? That might lead towards more mingling...


Harry

Well last year it was very dry so you were not allowed to have a fire at your site. So there was only a big central fire in the field next to the eating area. A lot of people gathered around and I was able to meet a bunch of new folks. This year it was not as dry and you could have a fire at your site. So many people just stayed at their campsite in little groups. Left little in meeting new people.

 

[foxfab]

I disagree. Everyone came to our fire but you Chris

 

[LCCRUISER]

Hi,

I'd LIKE TO SAY THIS IS A GREAT EVENT AND I HAD A WONDERUL TIME!
OK <> I JUST SAID IT!

I thought the post barbecue/raffle encounters were quite friendly. I moseyed (not sure that is corect spelling - just think wandered) around, found a campfire and a few folks I knew and settled in.

I saw some of the day's action on Nat's laptop and even my own Faux Paux's!. I exchanged my brand of brews for something unique on occasion. (There's something that came in a bottle from Montreal that might be considered a controlled substance in 39 of our 50 states.) After ALL my beers were all used up, I still didn't go without. Thanks for the Bass Ale at Nat's site whomever brought them! If you were a little light on them Sunday morning, I owe you more than a few! GREAT TIME!

Now on to the over blown complaints about the raffle. If I buy a ticket for a buck and win a winch or a 40 tub I can't use, Im still in heaven! (Actually, I could use a 40 tub for one or 2 of my four as well as another winch.) Do they make tubs for FJ62's?

Back in my salad days I used to be heavily involved with Ducks Unlimited in the 1980's (I'm getting soooooo waaaay tooooo old). Our local NH chapter raised $25-30K every year. We got great raffle and auction prizes donated from local businesses, special stuff from DU and stuff from naional companies just like YT has done. We sold raffle tickets for a buck each or a bit less for the arm's length. However, the better prizes were either auctioned off or special raffles. For $5 each for a special ticket for the special raffles you could put those in for the nicer prizes. Usually they were guns or a guided hunting trip. That same level of prize relates to the winch, Wally's tub or something else special. THANKS AGAIN WALLY!

It's maybe a slight amount more work, but it would be easy enough to have 2-3 members (or pretty girls like we did who made a commission) to sell the tickets during the banquet (barbecue). You can alos buy those different tix for $5 and put them in a container for the particular prize you want. Need a new winch or 40 tub? Spend $5-$100 or more on SPECIAL tix for that item and hope for the best.

However, the more realistic option to this is an auction. The better/high end items go up for bid. Need a tub or winch? Bid it in! It's a live auction and after a beer or two it can get pretty exciting. The final bidder wins and so does the club.

Most of us would like to have a chance at the higher end donations on a $1 ticket. I say that the point of the raffle and/or an auction is to raise money for the club. The club's events and support of keeping wheeling areas open is the main reason for the club, is it not? What would the club and/or the organizations that we contirbute to do if the take was 50-100% more?

We all invest in our unique Toyota 4WD vehicles to buy them, maintain them, modify them and operate them. A few extra bucks at the raffle or in an auction shouldnt be such a big deal. Particulary if you can win a general prize for next to nothing or spend a bit more to win something in a special raflle or auction the you need right now or for the coming winter's project/upgrades.

There's probably some folks in the club who hae auctioneer experince or have been invloved in this type of special raffle/auction event before. If not, I'd be willing to get involved, although I'd need a couple or more brews before getting to the podium. Is that a bad thing?

LC

 

[jmylie]

One of the issues we have always had is one of volunteers. So, to those that do volunteer and do the work, I thank you for your time and effort in making the FG the event it is.

If nothing else, we need a way to handle the raffle. Whether we do the "you place your tickets in the prize/buckets you want" or "when you win, you win, it's yours to do with what you want" or something else, I'm sure it will be resolved before our 10th Anniversary Fall Gathering.

I do know that other clubs also have restrictions on club officers and event organizers entering the raffle.

The best way to influence what happens at next years FG is to volunteer.

 

[Blackhawk1]

I wasn't at the raffle, had to go my word doesn't mean much, even though I did buy tickets. But my impression from this discussion is that an honest effort was made to make it good, and that the worst sin was that it wasn't perfect. Well, it won't ever be perfect. But let's not get into a personal conflict over this. We went to the FG to be with our friends and their families and do some wheeling and enjoy our trucks, the raffle was a bonus. My suggestion is simple, you buy a ticket, and you get what you win. being a mini truck owner shouldn't disqualify you from winning an item that goes on an FJ-40 (please forgive me if I mis-interpreted that scenario). What the winner of said item can do is perhaps trade the item to a 40 owner for some time to work on a project for the mini truck and get other members involved. Or the winner can use the item won to trade with the vendor to get something else that would be more useful to the mini truck owner. Either way, the vendor who donated will still get some buzz for supplying the item that benefitted the club member.

Another approach might be to get gift certificates from the vendors in various amounts enabling the club member to go to the vendor and choose what he/she wants to go on his/her rig. That's a tougher deal to administrate, and it's also not as appealing as going up as a winner and taking a real prize in hand and walking back to the seat as a winner. Just some other suggestions that might be worth thinking about, I'm sure there are better ideas out there amongst this august group...

 

[Blackhawk1]

Just my $.02 on the raffle, the FG as a whole was one of the best ever.

 

[jonheld]

I may be a day late and a dollar short on this one, but I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the folks who put this together. I know what it takes to pull this off and your efforts are appreciated.

The catered BBQ was a great addition as were the kids activities. I won't bother commenting on the raffle. I made my thoughts known to Dave as I was packing up and saying my good by.

FnF is a fantastic campground, but better bath facilities would be welcome. Again, nothing YT can do about it. It is what it is and I had a great time. Great camping, great weather, great trails, great people, great event.

BTW, I loved the idea of rolling out of bed whenever I felt like it and heading for the trail head 200 ft away. You guys who want to get a 7am start, please do it quietly next year. I'm on vacation.

 

[Wrench]

Agreed. A 7am start is no good. Vacation is great! Sleep late, wheel the crap out of your truck and chow down. What more can you ask for?

 

[vtcruiser60]

I am with Hillary above....can we set a date that is a couple of weeks earlier next year? For that matter, when will the date be set so i can plan accordingly......

Looking forward to joining up soon....