FG raffle rule

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Tossing my .02: let the BOD participate in the raffle. I'm sure there are very easy methods to ensure random results in the drawing of tickets.

As for non-Toyota vehicles participating in the FG: I'd be much, much less interested in the event if it was more open to other other makes. One of my primary reasons for attending is to see what other's have done to their old 40 series trucks. It's a learning experience for me. I'm not a brand snob and I don't care if someone drives a Heep or Hummer. I'm just not interested in those trucks so why have them taking up the prime camping spots?
 
I think Gotham City has a similar rule.You should get their input. Just a thought. Can't hurt.
 
I have nothing against heeps!!!! er i mean jeeps, but i wheel with them all year long, I want the one time a year experience to be among other Toyota owners and talk about the lineage of the 40 and discuss the differences between an 80 and a 100, I want to wheel with other trucks like mine, see the mods they did and show off mine. Most jeep guys I know go out and get a TJ, pay a couple thousand to clayton, bolt on their long arm kit and go wheelin, yota guys build their own stuff,, from scratch, their own designs and thoughts, this is what I love about this club, Now I am not putting down jeeps or clayton(its a great kit) and Ive seen jeeps do amazing things but this is Yankee Toys Fall Gathering, let's keep it that way.
Nothing against our token jeep guy, I hope he is allowed to attend,
 
I have posted up a poll on the matter.
I personally would of liked to be more official on the matter and had a member vote at Spring Meeting but there hasn't been any opposition thus far.
The poll closes 9/29 @ 5:30am.
Please vote.

Bob
 
Don't worry about him. He has already stated that this will be his last year Fall Gathering and membership of Yankee Toys.

Yup, we'll take your money but we won't let you play with us. : (
Out of our membership of 80 or so we have what, 3 or 4 non Toyotas.
And I'm sure I've seen those guys at a lot more trail cuts and work days
than most of the membership.
 
I chock the whole non Toyota truck thing up to growing pains. A few years ago it was the raffle and this year it is this.

This has in the past been loosely monitored with no hard guide lines that I'm aware of which in itself can lead to problems.

When the FJ team came to town a club member was chastised by one of the team members because he had a beer in his hands and if Corporate saw a picture with him in it they would not be allowed to come back. Now this year because they made a donation we have to limit our close friends who don't drive a Toyota from coming out with us.

As far as I'm concerned I don't need their charity so bad that I'm willing to sell my friends down the river, Toyota can stay the hell away as far as I'm concerned!

When cooler heads prevail and time permits I hope the BOD gets together and hammers out an acceptable way to deal with this.
 
I agree Rick. Friends are more important than Toyota $$$.
 
I'm the guy!

Glad to see some discussion on this issue (Non Toyotas) and I observe some opinions for both sides. This may be a long post but that is only because I am the guy. I am the one who said enough is enough after getting numerous registrations from non toyotas. For some reason we were inundated with applications and in order to preserve the integrity of our club event, a cap was imposed.

First, this really has nothing to do with the raffle sponsors. The weighing for that factor is only worth around 10%; our sponsors often ask for numbers of attendees and the types of trucks they drive and with that information we have been able to secure Toyota specific sponsors. The gist of the decision making is based on the history and bylaws under which the BOD functions. This club was founded by 40 and 60 series owners with a similar passion. Have you seen the club's original emblem and read the mission statement? As the club evolved into a TLCA chapter, YT adopted their membership policy of accepting any Toyota 4wd model. This is the first and foremost emphasis in our bylaws. There are words authorizing the BOD to allow exceptions and this has been implemented historically with no issues. However, this year is different.

Like I said, the club has had non toyotas at the FG and I personally have never had an issue with those exceptions. However, I fail to understand the expectation that bringing your buddy is ok. I took some time to look at other clubs. The Jeep Jamboree registration is exactly similar to ours in that non jeeps are subject to approval. If this was a Corvette club, would you expect to bring your buddy with a Mustang to track day? I dont think so and the Corvette club bylaws I looked at today affirm that position.

There are many possible outcomes to this discussion and the BOD will actively engage the membership to ascertain your views and implement a compromise. We certainly do not want to drive anyone away over this issue, but be assured that I will not vote for OPEN enrollment for the Fall Gathering. If a change to the bylaws is warranted, we will look at that. I personally feel that we should run a second smaller event where the theme is to bring your buddy. The club reserves the trails and campground for a weekend and registration is a one for one enrollment. Just my idea. We would love to hear yours. Please communicate.

BTW, we haven't taken anyones money and turned them away. Club dues run from October to October.

Ernie (Treasurer)
 
Last edited:
This is long winded like me - you probably wouldn't expect anything else.

Issue #1 - The Raffle.

I vote with Rick in allowing the BOD to buy tickets. I thought it was a silly rule when I heard about it a day or two ago. These people work very hard for the club and they can't even participate? Makes no sense to me. Selling more raffle tickets leads to more $ for the club. Participating in the raffle with a chance to win a prize is an incentive to get more prizes donated. Seems simple to me.

I was big into Ducks Unlimited 20 odd years ago and we had one big annual event here in Concord, NH that raised $28-30K annually. There was a huge raffle, but there was also a big auction. An auction provides the opportunity for people to buy stuff they are specifically interested in. Plus there is no issue with people thinking there is hanky panky going on. (I'd like to see that special Toyota Radio Flyer wagon in an auction, I'd open it for $100 to start and would expect it to go higher.)

On the downside, if you subtract too much good stuff from the raffle, you lose the incentive to buy tickets. Another option is having special raffles for some items. At DU, there were separate raffles for special guns, hunts, etc. That would work for YT with winches, the Radio Flyer, etc.

As most of you know, I was at Cruise Moab this past Spring. This is a huge TLCA event put on by Rising Sun and heavily attended by TLCA BOD members and many of the infamous posters on MUD, vendors. Woody and raffle sponsors. It was humbling to be among them. I just asked my wife and we are guessing there were at least 350 people under the tent at the dinner and raffle, maybe as many as 400. There were some nice prizes including a set of BFG KM2s, roof racks, metal tech stuff, etc. But the raffle took less time to get through than ours and there were a lot fewer winners overall than we have here. I think we are VERY lucky to have such a good raffle for this event. MY hat is off to our current BOD and those from years past.


Issue #2 - Toyota Only Event.

Part of #1 carries over into #2 since the reason we get so much for the raffle is because it is a Toyota event. Not only this year, but in year's past.

I vote for keeping it a Toyota event with a cap for non-Toys. However, we should grandfather current members who own something different. From this point forward, don't let new members in who don't own a Toyota. BUT, please don't boot anyone out who has been a continuous member for 3 or more years that doesn't own one. That ain't right! And if Bob or anyone else has to wheel their built up non-Toyota rig because the Toyota is currently under the knife or incapable, who cares? It's more opportunity to give them crap.

YT is a New England based club and a member club of the NEA4WDC. Most of the NEA clubs are Jeep clubs. There are also a few mixed marque clubs and only 2 that are Toyota clubs, us and NTC. In any month during wheeling season there are a number of events that are oriented toward Jeeps, there are also some that are open to anyone. There is really only one big event that caters to Toyota enthusiasts, that's the Fall Gathering.

I joined YT because I'm a Toyota enthusiast and a Land Cruiser lover. The Fall Gathering is the Land Cruiser / Toyota 4WD mecca for those of us here in New England, and even some beyond those borders. There are plenty of opportunities for me to wheel with friends who don't drive a Toyota, there's the ENH crew and some others. BUT, I joined YT so I can spend time with people like me who love Toyotas. We are all on the IH8MUD website for the same reason. Like others have said, I wouldn't expect to bring my Toyota to a Jeep Jamboree or my Porsche Boxster to the Corvette club outing. I may be wrong, but I think TLCA sanctioned events are much more restrictive on this issue.

I am looking forward to spending this weekend with my Toyota owner friends and not being in the minority like I have been most of this past summer and at another event I will be going to in mid-October.

Whining about not being able to go to the FG is like us whining about not being able to go to the Jeep Jamborees. I haven't heard much about that, have you? So why are people who don't own Toyota's whining because they can't attend our event? Actually, I think I have the answer. It's because it is One Great TOYOTA event and they are jealous!.
 
Funny when you read the bylaws we seem pick and choose the rules we want to follow. There is A LOT of rules that aren't being followed. Although the bylaws seem to allow for non Toyotas. All new members should be jumping through hoops it looks like not just paying their dues and walking through the door.
 
Funny when you read the bylaws we seem pick and choose the rules we want to follow. There is A LOT of rules that aren't being followed. Although the bylaws seem to allow for non Toyotas. All new members should be jumping through hoops it looks like not just paying their dues and walking through the door.

I noticed the same thing regarding new membership requirement. It seems non-applicable or archaic to me.
However, the bylaws should be followed in all cases and not open to interpretation, so we should be following that. Now that we are incorporated, that is even more requisite.

If bylaws need a change or the BOD wants to make a change, that would require a vote. I hope that doesn't require a quorum since it seems to be very difficult to get that many members together other than at the FG.
 
I much prefer how Gotham City does the raffle. Simple and effective. Why complicate things?
 
And how is that for those of that aren't in the know?
 
The hour is late and I'm going to keep this short.

It's too bad that this thread turned in such a negative manner a few days before our event.

I have done what I can.

When you take over something like this there's no instruction manual. You talk with people, get the general feel of things, listen and work with your BOD and do the best you can for it's members.

I have done that with little to no regrets. I have no regrets in which decisions we have made to anything pertaining to the Fall Gathering.
Even in this thread, the decision we made seems to rest well with the majority of the club's members.
That's all I need to hear.

Those who continue to have a problem with the decisions that were made I urge you to present your point of view at a meeting. Present it here if you like, but I often feel that the forum is not the best way to clearly communicate.

I'm more than approchable and thankful to have your input.

Bob
 
My last thought on this is that I'd like to see the fall gathering become an event that actively promotes 4 wheeling and the ideals of tread lightly and the money raised to go to that end as well.

I personally don't see any harm in members inviting friends who don't drive Toyotas as that in itself helps spread the values of the club and will hopefully infect other organizations as well for the greater good of the off road community as a whole.

I honestly think that the fall gathering could have a much larger and more positive impact than just being a Yankee Toys club event.

I haven't read the by-laws and don't subscribe to the idea that a few people back when ever could have anticipated the success of the club and the problems that success brings. I see the club as a living organism and the best we can hope to do is guide and nurture it. Trying to conform and control it will be a constant challenge and on going battle.

I think there is some work to be done and I have the confidence in Bob to handle it with the club's best interest at heart.

See you all at the Gathering
 
This thread seems to have evolved into 2 subjects. Here is my $0.02.

YT has always been open to all types of vehicles. The club, and hence, our events have always been open. If the club wants to change that, it would require a change in the bylaws. I think it would be very unfair to allow non-Toyota vehicle owners to join and then to exclude or limit them from a club event.

GCLC does not exclude non-Toyota vehicles but they do require membership in both GCLC and TLCA. This is because CMCC is a TLCA sponsored event.

By and large the vast majority of vehicles are Toyota 4x4's.

As to the raffle, the issue was having a vehicle specific prize and not informing anyone until the winner was chosen. The winner of the prize paid for their raffle ticket and won but was stripped of the prize because he did not own a 40. Unfortunately, the next "winner" was an organizer for that years FG and on the BOD.

There were several ways to deal with the problem. The original owner should have been awarded the prize to do with as he pleased. If we are going to have vehicle specific prizes, then inform people before they purchase tickets or better, have separate raffle tickets for those prizes. Just excluding BOD members from the raffle did not address, what I think was the main issue.

GCLC does not exclude BOD members from the raffle, however, event organizers exclude themselves from the raffle. This is to avoid any semblance of impropriety.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom