I would support a dues increase, we are going to need it.
I think we need to get the word out better that is for sure. One thing I would like to see is some more benefits as has been mentioned in the past. Sadly, I have looked at some price quotes for parts from some fine Mud board members that say they will give you 25% off for being a mudder, or being a TLCA member. Well I'm sorry, but every on-line Toyota parts vendor gives 25% off the list price. If you search around enough you will find a good price on a part. I just don't see that as any real benefit. Perhaps for the local private shops, yes we all need to support you guys, give us a deal when you can. A big corporate Toyota dealership though, I just can't be loyal to one or the other, cause I'm not really helping out that "guy", just his dealership, so I have a hard time being loyal to that. On the other hand if the big corporate places would really give us a break for being a very small piece of their customer base, great, I would select certain individuals to solely get parts from. I'd like to see 25% off the 25% off price, or even 10%, or a shipping break, something.
Also, I'm in a rural area, far from any clubs, or organized runs most the time, with the exception of Rising Sun, but Denver is still a 4-5 hour trip for me in a Cruiser. Plus, we all have our own busy lives. Something that might get me more interested in local and regional events is more reminders. I frequent Mud almost daily, a lot of us do, and praise Woody for letting the group use space on his board. But even in the trails, you get the club advertisments for upcoming events, you get some loose schedules every couple of issues, but it is not very loud if you get what I mean. Also the info in the trails is dated by a month or two when it reaches your door. Could a realtime flyer be inserted in the mag, with up to date info on events happening in the area or region. Something where a quick club run is coming up, come join us. I think that may help foster a little more participation. I know I look at the events, and think that looks fun, but they are listed out 6-8 months in advance, I don't know what I'm doing that far out, and yes I know they need early registration, but throw a flyer at me that says, hey sign up by the end of the month if you want to come to this great TLCA event, or the local club says that every Tuesday in XYZ area they hit a local run. Then I might look over at my calendar and say hey, I'm free in two weekends.
Yes I know all this info is out there, but for the casual wheeler, my life doesn't revolve around runs and wheeling, I fish, hunt, camp and have a family, but continued and more often reminders may get me off my butt. Plus if these are laying in waiting rooms, maybe a potential new member may be interested in the same way, like wow, I just got this FJCruiser, getting new tires put on today, and a local club is having a weekly run, I think I'll check it out.
Sarge mentions swag above, ya that would be cool, heck when you get a multi year membership, you only get one dash plaque, please send me the other two years of dash plaques, not just the year I renewed in. Those are the cool little things that keep people interested sometimes. Maybe an annual letter or another insert with real time discounts, and specials. These can be black and white, like the old news letters, cheap, but get the word out and get people to use their membership more.
And the lodging discount, cool idea, I have never seen a Red Roof Inn. Can we drum up some more national benefits like that???
I guess that I'm saying I love the trails, I'm proud of being in the TLCA, I wish I could participate more, or offer more, but I'm hundreds of miles from any other club members or TLCA businesses. But besides the magazine, and some of the acquaintances I've made through the years, I get very little additional benefit.
As for the TLCA website, I rarely visit, nothing new to see, I like to read the trails, so the one article I miss online doesn't always kill me, but maybe we need to blend it with Mud, or something, or have big hot links at the top of Mud and the blue room, and Tundra country or whatever those other Toyota sites are, get people hitting the link. Plus, I clicked on the benefits for individuals just now, hardly anything there, the magazine and a warm fuzzy feeling, you will make great friends, okay, give me a real time list of current benefits if I sign up today, or just remind me of what I have forgotten after being a member for all these years, maybe I missed the ad in trails.
Not ranting here, or upset, I applaud everyone that works for the group, but the decline in membership is very alarming to me. I now own 3 Land Cruisers and a T100 pickup, I love the vehicles, but that love alone doesn't always keep me in a club that I rarely get to play with.