For those not on the Southern E-news list
A Message from the President
Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
In the first few days of my new role, it is clear we have many challenges as an association. First, we as a group of volunteers have spent many years building relationships, friends and growing our families around the many SFWDA activities. As I shared at our 1st Quarter Meeting in Tracy City, TN, we must respect our past but prepare to move forward with a positive commitment to nurture all 4x4 enthusiasts and stay true to our core mission values of “Conservation, Education, and Recreation.” As an association, we fought a very hard battle with our friends at the Blue Ribbon Coalition (http://www.sharetrails.org/) to save Upper Tellico OHV area. However, we loss this war to the USFS and the Federal Courts.
Now is our time to repurpose this association, our message and refocus our energies. Your association is in the process of shifting our thought processes and communications to reflect the following:
We are the Southern Four Drive Association, a non-profit organization of 4 wheel drive clubs and individual members in the southeastern United States. Our association is dedicated to promoting four wheel drive recreation on both public and private lands, off-road education, responsible land usage and OHV trail conservation. SFWDA proudly supports Tread Lightly, Blue Ribbon Coalition and the United Four Wheel Drive Association.
The primary strategy to create a “New” SFWDA is to reach all 4x4 enthusiasts and support both public and private lands. We need tools to achieve these goals and the first step is the creation and introduction of a new SFWDA logo. Your association is in the final steps of this project and will be introducing this to all of you soon. Second, we have beat to death the web page ineffectiveness and now we are in the final beta testing steps of a new www.sfwda.org. These will allow our member clubs and individual members to communicate more effectively and achieve our common goal…RIDE. We exist for one purpose and that is to share family moments with both our old friends and also our new friends. Each of us can be an ambassador of these values and breathe new life into SFWDA.
Another point of our forward looking strategy is to engage the many Facebook and virtual 4x4 enthusiasts and share our passion. Additionally we will look to create viable long term partnerships with private lands that many of use. We will continue our engagement in key public land use arenas such as the work being done by Carolina Trail Blazers at the Uwharrie National Forest OHV (TN), Georgia Bounty Runners at Beasley Knob (GA) and the Red River Gorge (KY). We need to share and link all groups to support such events 4 Wheeling for a Cure benefiting St. Jude’s Children Hospital, hosted by Rattlerock Club on April 12, 2014 at Windrock Park (TN). We need to look beyond our immediate worlds and reach for all 4x4 enthusiasts. Everyone is welcome in our “New” SFWDA.
As we move forward, our actions must reflect a change of attitudes. I ask each of you to share your passion for this 4 wheeling thing we love and touch every 4x4 enthusiasts we can in 2014. We can be true to our core values as we spread the wings of the “New” SFWDA and start down this path of open communications and repurposing of your association.
Upcoming Events
Uwharrie OHV Jamboree, April 5, 2014 UORTC, Troy, NC
https://www.facebook.com/UwharrieOhvJamboree
4 Wheeling for the Cure, April 12, 2014, Windrock Park, Oliver Springs, TN
http://overlysoffroad.com/
Mud 4 Blood, April 12, 2014, Georgia Bounty Runners, Smyrna, GA
http://www.gbr4wd.com/
SFWDA TrailFest, May 2-4, 2014 Adventure Offroad Park & Nature Park
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adventure-Offroad-Park-Nature-Center/153095141499864
Registration: http://sfwda.org/events/
15th Memorial Day Bash, May 24-27, 2014, Damn Locals, Tracy City, TN
https://damnlocals4x4.com/
SFWDA Summer Meet and Ride, June 14, 2014, Hosted by Georgia Bounty Runners,
Beasley Knob, Blairsville, GA
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recarea/?recid=10533
Look for the upcoming news on our events at Trails Training Center,
Sequatchie, TN and SFWDA Dixie Run, Golden Mountain Park, Sparta, TN.
Please join me on this journey. I welcome all your critical thoughts and ideas. Let’s build something that our children and grandchildren can enjoy in their lives.
Thank you,
Ray Stanley
President
Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
ray.stanley@sfwda.org
A Message from the President
Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
In the first few days of my new role, it is clear we have many challenges as an association. First, we as a group of volunteers have spent many years building relationships, friends and growing our families around the many SFWDA activities. As I shared at our 1st Quarter Meeting in Tracy City, TN, we must respect our past but prepare to move forward with a positive commitment to nurture all 4x4 enthusiasts and stay true to our core mission values of “Conservation, Education, and Recreation.” As an association, we fought a very hard battle with our friends at the Blue Ribbon Coalition (http://www.sharetrails.org/) to save Upper Tellico OHV area. However, we loss this war to the USFS and the Federal Courts.
Now is our time to repurpose this association, our message and refocus our energies. Your association is in the process of shifting our thought processes and communications to reflect the following:
We are the Southern Four Drive Association, a non-profit organization of 4 wheel drive clubs and individual members in the southeastern United States. Our association is dedicated to promoting four wheel drive recreation on both public and private lands, off-road education, responsible land usage and OHV trail conservation. SFWDA proudly supports Tread Lightly, Blue Ribbon Coalition and the United Four Wheel Drive Association.
The primary strategy to create a “New” SFWDA is to reach all 4x4 enthusiasts and support both public and private lands. We need tools to achieve these goals and the first step is the creation and introduction of a new SFWDA logo. Your association is in the final steps of this project and will be introducing this to all of you soon. Second, we have beat to death the web page ineffectiveness and now we are in the final beta testing steps of a new www.sfwda.org. These will allow our member clubs and individual members to communicate more effectively and achieve our common goal…RIDE. We exist for one purpose and that is to share family moments with both our old friends and also our new friends. Each of us can be an ambassador of these values and breathe new life into SFWDA.
Another point of our forward looking strategy is to engage the many Facebook and virtual 4x4 enthusiasts and share our passion. Additionally we will look to create viable long term partnerships with private lands that many of use. We will continue our engagement in key public land use arenas such as the work being done by Carolina Trail Blazers at the Uwharrie National Forest OHV (TN), Georgia Bounty Runners at Beasley Knob (GA) and the Red River Gorge (KY). We need to share and link all groups to support such events 4 Wheeling for a Cure benefiting St. Jude’s Children Hospital, hosted by Rattlerock Club on April 12, 2014 at Windrock Park (TN). We need to look beyond our immediate worlds and reach for all 4x4 enthusiasts. Everyone is welcome in our “New” SFWDA.
As we move forward, our actions must reflect a change of attitudes. I ask each of you to share your passion for this 4 wheeling thing we love and touch every 4x4 enthusiasts we can in 2014. We can be true to our core values as we spread the wings of the “New” SFWDA and start down this path of open communications and repurposing of your association.
Upcoming Events
Uwharrie OHV Jamboree, April 5, 2014 UORTC, Troy, NC
https://www.facebook.com/UwharrieOhvJamboree
4 Wheeling for the Cure, April 12, 2014, Windrock Park, Oliver Springs, TN
http://overlysoffroad.com/
Mud 4 Blood, April 12, 2014, Georgia Bounty Runners, Smyrna, GA
http://www.gbr4wd.com/
SFWDA TrailFest, May 2-4, 2014 Adventure Offroad Park & Nature Park
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adventure-Offroad-Park-Nature-Center/153095141499864
Registration: http://sfwda.org/events/
15th Memorial Day Bash, May 24-27, 2014, Damn Locals, Tracy City, TN
https://damnlocals4x4.com/
SFWDA Summer Meet and Ride, June 14, 2014, Hosted by Georgia Bounty Runners,
Beasley Knob, Blairsville, GA
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recarea/?recid=10533
Look for the upcoming news on our events at Trails Training Center,
Sequatchie, TN and SFWDA Dixie Run, Golden Mountain Park, Sparta, TN.
Please join me on this journey. I welcome all your critical thoughts and ideas. Let’s build something that our children and grandchildren can enjoy in their lives.
Thank you,
Ray Stanley
President
Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
ray.stanley@sfwda.org
