Hampton Roads Club Mini

Admittedly, I don't check this website frequently .. part of that being that I have so little time for MINI events this year that I just don't want to be tempted by something I can't participate in!

But it SCARED me when I saw that homepage "warning"! As I've mentioned to MaacoDale in the past -- from the Triangle it takes me 1.5 hours to get to the starting point for the majority of the Tar Heel drives, Hampton Roads is not *that* much further! Although I do not participate as frequently as I would like, I don't want to see anything happen to this club!

Obviously I am not good at following directions since Stinker motioned to end this subject, and here I am adding my $.02 worth -- rebel that I am :-)

Here's some random thoughts .. may or may not be duplicitous of ideas posted by others, but just consider those that are, I've "seconded" (or "third-ed" the suggestion!)

First of all, as a 2 year member of Tar Heel, I've got a little familiarity with the forum there. For a club approximating 1000 members, check out the posters -- primarily the same dozen to 20 people on a regular basis. That's great, they are active and it's a great core of support that keeps the club going .. I have heard some members say that in times past there would be a whole day without a single new post so they started posting random stuff just to keep the threads fresh. So don't feel like the degree of involvement with this club should be much different ..

We get a lot of new members, but only a couple who will show up as new at any given event. Some people come out for the first time and love it, others decide it's not for them and that's their one and only sighting ..

I would say the following:

1) We have a lot of "repeat" (annual) events. This allows for a little less energy expended on creating new, interesting events. Keep that consistent. If there was success for the Fall Colors run, repeat. Spring Fling, repeat. Not only does it require less energy to organize the next year, but the consistency of repeated events generates interest in both first timers as well as repeaters. Everyone likes to try new things and go new places, but there is something to be said for tried and true, too ..

2) Regarding the idea of "affordability" - both time and $$ - quite a few of the overnight Tar Heel events incorporate *both* .. take the Blue Ridge Parkway tour. Yes, it's a multi-day event and many people do commit to using vacation time and many discretionary dollars towards it. BUT .. the route is posted and quite a few people join up for just a day, just a section of the drive, or even just for lunch (ie in Roanoke, VA) .. you can't please all the people all the time, but if you have a multi-day event that co-ordinates at stop over points that people can easily return home from if they do not want to do successive days, or people can just show up and join up with for a meal, that can appease the day-only troops as well as the let's goooooo groups. (Personally if I'd be able to join an HRMINI drive it would not be a consideration for a day-only drive .. and if others from DC or Tar Heel were considering the same, I would think the greater appeal would be for a multi-day drive; hard to justify a 3 hour drive for a 2 hour lunch get-together, if you know what I mean)

3) The "rule" with events with Tar Heel is that anyone can organize and everyone should. The "work" of it should not always fall on the same person. Delegate the organization of an event if needed. One person organizes the routes, another finds the dining options (to accommodate expected numbers) another for any overnight accommodations. Not feeling like I'd be too good at such a thing, the comment was made: Make plans as you would for your family. What time and date are you going, what is the destination, where will you be staying. Then post and invite MINI friends to join in. That way you are organizing something you would be doing on your own. I made plans to take my nephews to see Christmas lights and eat at a downhome cooking dive last Christmas. Posted to THMMC forum. No one else showed. Didn't matter, my plan was to enjoy time with my nephews and that's what we did ..

4) Dale has been *great* about cross-posting HRMINI club events to the Tar Heel forum. But even Tar Heel events get buried in new posts inside of hours (unfortunately often with "birthday" and "new club member greetings" posts -- something that had been suppressed on the prior version of the website but has crept back in) so don't count on the forums as the primary means of announcing an event. MASS EMAIL to members. Yes, you'll have some members who protest they don't want the mass emails sent to them ... if there is a way to remove them from the auto-generated list, accommodate. If not, teach 'em where their DELETE key is on their keyboard. For every grumble about "spam" emails, there is at least 1 or 2 members who would not otherwise have known about an upcoming event for not checking the forum recently ...

5) Keep showing up at the events of the other clubs -- you'll meet people that are within "distance" that you can make friends with who will want to spend more time getting together, and when there are some "annual" events with a draw, you can talk them up and get others excited ... and then word of mouth takes over. (I believe the BRP drive is also posted to NAM as a "national" event ... could one of HRMINI multi-day events not qualify for the same exposure? .. especially after a successful inaugural run like Fall Colors?

6) Lastly -- who says "bigger is better?" What advantage is there to have 40 or 50 members show up versus a dozen? 40 or 50 is that much harder to co-ordinate -- driving, dining, overnights -- there are definitely some challenges. So in the event that (only) a dozen members show up for any given drive, enjoy the less complicated aspect to that. Plus you can tell stories and spread rumours that all the others who did not attend will wonder what they missed and will show up next time ..

Ciao .. til we cross paths again ..