Jan 9, 2025 Monthly Meeting, 8pm at EBI: A couple of important things to know

[AJAEbj42]

Hey Cruiserheads,

Looking forward to 2025! Our regular monthly meetings resume the 2nd Thursday of the month at 8pm at EBI, our usual location.

Keep an eye here on MUD as we will have some of our summer meetings at different locations (4WDABC show-n-shine, Cruiser Days, summer BBQ, etc).

We will NOT be having regular monthly raffles at our meetings until we have 20 members showing up to meetings. We will still have our famous raffles at our special events such as the summer BBQ and Christmas party. We really don't bring in enough funds at the monthly gathering to cover the cost of the prizes.

Member dues are still $20 and EVERYONE is due in January. Come to the meeting to pay cash or pay via e-transfer to robert@ajae.ca

 

[Greg_B]

I'm still away so wont be at the meeting. Ya'll have fun now ya hear.

And Happy New Year.

gb

 

[AJAEbj42]

Mike, I have that 25" TV if you are still interested. Franz, I have your raffle winnings.

 

[604mike]

Don't think I will be there tonight, sick kids. TV won't work for me rob, thanks though.

 

[Scalp]

Sorry I can't make it tonight due to health issues.
Waiting for knee surgery...

 

[Ol Yeller]

Sorry I can't make it tonight due to health issues.
Waiting for knee surgery...

Vibes Bill

 

[Ol Yeller]

Unfortunately I am not heading over, it’s been a bit of a crazy week.

 

[bj70_guy]

I sat at the gate for half an hour then went home. Was there a meeting?

 

[bj70_guy]

Sorry I can't make it tonight due to health issues.
Waiting for knee surgery...

That sucks Bill, good luck with it.

 

[Helomech]

Hi Guys, went to the shop, only saw Norm and chatted for a while until we figured that the meeting was probably annulled. Hope to see some of you later this year, take care. Hope the surgurey goes smoothly, Bill.

 

[Scalp]

That sucks Bill, good luck with it.

Thanks guys, the quack gives me the full story tomorrow of what he intends to do.

 

[AJAEbj42]

Hi Mike and Norm, Sorry, I didn't see your message until later; Steve and I were BS'ing in the shop.

Steve and I decided to cancel the monthly Thursday meetings in 2025 due to low turnout these past few months. We encourage members to host monthly events (food is always a good idea ) and we'll move to that format for this year.

See you soon!

 

[Scalp]

Hi Mike and Norm, Sorry, I didn't see your message until later; Steve and I were BS'ing in the shop.

Steve and I decided to cancel the monthly Thursday meetings in 2025 due to low turnout these past few months. We encourage members to host monthly events (food is always a good idea ) and we'll move to that format for this year.

See you soon!

Well, I guess this was coming, low attendance is bad for any club. We can't expect Rob to carry the club on his shoulders while
there is so little input from the majority of us. Rob and family put out bigtime to host the Christmas party and the attendance
was also not good, notwithstanding the Sea to Sky landslide.
It's up to the rest of us to come forward, attend meetings, and contribute more of
our energy to pull this club together. One thing to do is to keep Steve's phone number handy so we can ask him to open
the gate if we are locked out. Meanwhile, if we want to continue as a club, then we have to make it happen. Ask yourself
what if the Squamish crew arrived last night all that way only to find there was only four member attendance. Now is the
time to get it together, otherwise the club may be toast. Use it or lose it. Amen...

 

[cruiserpilot]

Hi Mike and Norm, Sorry, I didn't see your message until later; Steve and I were BS'ing in the shop.

Steve and I decided to cancel the monthly Thursday meetings in 2025 due to low turnout these past few months. We encourage members to host monthly events (food is always a good idea ) and we'll move to that format for this year.

See you soon!

Well, I guess this was coming, low attendance is bad for any club. We can't expect Rob to carry the club on his shoulders while
there is so little input from the majority of us. Rob and family put out bigtime to host the Christmas party and the attendance
was also not good, notwithstanding the Sea to Sky landslide.
It's up to the rest of us to come forward, attend meetings, and contribute more of
our energy to pull this club together. One thing to do is to keep Steve's phone number handy so we can ask him to open
the gate if we are locked out. Meanwhile, if we want to continue as a club, then we have to make it happen. Ask yourself
what if the Squamish crew arrived last night all that way only to find there was only four member attendance. Now is the
time to get it together, otherwise the club may be toast. Use it or lose it. Amen...

Being on the island I've always been so jealous of Coastal Cruisers Club with your scheduled and attended meetings.
Seems like such amazing comradery with some of the most epic beautiful trips published up in the Chilcotin and beyond.
In my eyes you all were a standard to be attained. I think aged trucks and relationships are hard to keep going without
enthusiasm. There are no 'quiet' evening times to commute across town to meetings.
The club is a group of people, not a person. Just an observation from here, I've enjoyed the summer event when I've
been able to make it.

 

[Ol Yeller]

Myself and in fact my whole family growing up were very involved the 510 club of BC, but even after a peak of well over several hundred members (and my mom mailing newsletters out to several countries over seas) that club ceased to exist after a move to on-line content. As mentioned the aging vehicles and general busy-ness of life had a huge impact.

We had monthly meetings at a members house with a 50/50 draw to cover expenses for the host, it was a fantastic way to move around the Fraser Valley and meet like minded gear heads.

Mind you if you needed a part or had a technical question you were very motivated to attend…that WAS the information superhighway back then.

So when I joined the local club here I was very happily surprised it was like old times, get together a few times a year (more as I could schedule) and BS with like minded folks. This club much like the Datsun group highlights that while the vehicles are the common bond it’s the MEMBERS that make the club special.

 

[kim]

This makes me sad and I will start by outing myself for not attending meetings regularly the last couple of years.

This is a great club and we need to figure out how to get back to pre covid attendance.

 

[bladedog]

Re-post from Member Page...

Well, for us it's a heck of a trip to Coquitlam from Squamish, and especially in the winter when it's dark early and feels really late by the time we get home. That said, things are changing a bit for us (no, we're not getting jeeps!), so attending meetings will get easier and more likely. I like Mike's idea of changing locations, and tying this in with a day run, or perhaps a bbq, even a garage-day to help a cruiserhead fix/maintain/revive their beast would be a great way to get our crew together.

 

[bladedog]

I think that the other problem we face is that for a number of years now, Land Cruisers have become/been unaffordable, especially for the next/younger generations that we hope will follow in our tire-tracks. Anything reasonably priced typically requires an unreasonable amount of $$$ to make and keep it trail worthy. Perhaps it's time to open the club up to the other Toyota 4wd enthusiasts in our locale? Think 4Runner, Tacoma, T100, Lexus, etc... (edit) oh yes, forgot those FJC types as well (I know we've got some of them already!)

 

[AJAEbj42]

Hi Franz,

We are 4WD sluts, we take just about anything, really, LOL. Members just need to be enthusiasts, not owners and we always welcome any Toyota with a transfer case to our events.

COVID really changed our society and especially the younger generation who live a lot of their life through a 3X5 screen and paying $20 dues and attending a monthly meeting is really foreign to them. So, I don't mind moving more to a digital format for communications and having less meetings but more meet-ups where we can socialize over smokies and dirt.

I think our members prefer that as well, look at the good turnout at Mamquam last year as well. Zero effort to organize but a great turnout.

So, we'll continue to host as many events as we can because as we saw in Gary's run, getting 15 trucks out to an event that only three people responded to being 'interested' is a phenomenon we can anticipate and frankly enjoy.

Food is always a great attractor, and the club always covers the food costs for events, so if any member wants to host a smokie run anywhere, just e-mail me your receipts and I'll reimburse you. Let's try to have a meet-up every month!

Post up events on MUD, so we direct everyone here, so they can see what are club is all about and get to know us before coming out to an event.

Here's to a great 2025 with a the BEST 4WD club!

 

[sailor]

I have not attended a meeting in at least a year, Mea maxima culpa, just lazy and always something in the way. In fact I just put my rig up for sale after only driving it 2000 km last year. If it sells I suspect I will continue even if I no longer have a 'Cruiser however...