Club - Why ?

[Bloues]

Hi,
Just thinking - why do we "sigh-on" to a club ?

I joined to learn more about 4x4'ing.......

[Harold]

I am a club member: but I am beginning to ask myself the same question?

It would seem that the emphasis is to make us all the same, regulation & control is the name of the game.

[ChrisF]

Not recommended to go off road alone - looking for likeminded people to do some overlanding.

NOT sure if I am too interested in the rest of the "club mentality"

[Harold]

Going off road alone?

Why need a club - one could find like minded people on the forum as it is.

In any case there is nothing said in the CLUB to cater for Overlanding.
We need to make a distinction between 'weekend' 4x4 trails and Overland travel that involves a much longer time frame into the hinterland of Africa.

I am not a 4x4 trail person - my choice is overland travel and I prefer to go-it-alone. Groups usually have fixed schedules & plans whereas I choose to be free to drift as and when I choose.

[Traveler]

Because it is cool.

[OOOOMS]

Club....good question?

My passion for Toyota's, in particular Hilux's. I am prob. x10 worse than a LR finatic - when it comes to Hilux's!!!

Why...another question?

Well, what can I say, we have met awsome, interesting folk, likeminded people, we would never have met

[Traveler]

On a bit more serious point.
People with a shared interest and passion. And through Clubs and Forums I have made great, lifelong friends without equal.

[truckin]

Ek hou ook nie van CLUBS nie, die naaste aan n club waar ek kom is hier saam met julle op die forum , Daars te veel reels en regilasies vir my, :boredom: ek verstaan hoekom dit daar is, maar dit werk nie vir my nie, ek en n groep vriende van verskuie ouderdom ry gereeld op ons jaarlikse overland trips saam, en van tyd tot tyd kom nuwe mense ook saam, hulle hou altans nie te lank nie, want ons groep ry al vir die afgelope 6 jaar saam, en so ken ons al mekaar se streke en late, ons het nie n lys reels nie net die "unspoken rules" van overland, (moenie die natuur opneuk nie, al wat jy in die bos los is die spore in die sand, ens)

[Thabogrobler]

I don't want to member of any club that would allow me as member!

[pietpetoors]

Remember before we formed the club we asked the members if we should do it or not.
I for one is also not a club person, I like the more informal type of life.

BUT we formed the club at the time for two reasons:
1. So that we could join the AAWDC, at the time you had to be a club to be able to join and we wanted to be part of them for this whole offroad training NOW thing.
2. The other reason was so that we can get radio licenses with ORRA which you could also only do if you are a member of AAWDC which you could only be if you are a member of a club.

There did come some good out of the club. Because of the club we had money to help charities, buy those tear drop banners and so on.

At one outing we even got a discount on the weekend's camping and 4x4'ing which we left in the club' account. Sometimes it helps to be a club to get discount.

[Traveler]

Remember before we formed the club we asked the members if we should do it or not.
I for one is also not a club person, I like the more informal type of life.

BUT we formed the club at the time for two reasons:
1. So that we could join the AAWDC, at the time you had to be a club to be able to join and we wanted to be part of them for this whole offroad training NOW thing.
2. The other reason was so that we can get radio licenses with ORRA which you could also only do if you are a member of AAWDC which you could only be if you are a member of a club.

There did come some good out of the club. Because of the club we had money to help charities, buy those tear drop banners and so on.

At one outing we even got a discount on the weekend's camping and 4x4'ing which we left in the club' account. Sometimes it helps to be a club to get discount.

Sometimes you tend to forget the little things.

[andrevt]

dis okay om met ouens te chat wat die selfde belangstelling het en ons ou volkie het maar daai ding van belonging aan iets

[JohanM]

I would like to support Pieter in this. We need to be "legal" and set an example if we wanna continue exploring the continent.

In any case there is nothing said in the CLUB to cater for Overlanding.
We need to make a distinction between 'weekend' 4x4 trails and Overland travel that involves a much longer time frame into the hinterland of Africa.

With regards to Harold's remark, I would like to propose that we as a club set up an bi annual longer distance trip for those that want to go on overlanding trips. Also I propose that we have quarterly weekend away trips as a club event to new places that is within reach of surrounding area's.

[andrevt]

johan
that sounds lekker we must defniatly do this we have a ops room specialy for planning these outings at a local pub here in sasolburg the next meeting is 20 aug 16h00 should you be interested to join us ..........we plan to visit angols in march 2011

[Mud Dog]

Just to add to what's already been said, here's a comment made in the club section under "Value added".

Mud Dog wrote:
That's good to hear Pieter.
Agreed Johan, and it all goes without saying, but it's till a bit of a 'catch 22' .... no deals without numbers, no numbers without deals. It is nonetheless something to work towards and in the interim we should perhaps take stock of the current benefits of belonging to the club as well as the reasons why it was started in the first place i.e. affiliation to the AAWDC to have a voice in the NOW initiative.

4x4 Access to eco sensitive areas is being restricted (beaches and next will be sections of game parks, estuaries etc. etc.) largely due to the antics of some 'loose cannons'. The authorities recognise that there will be more accountability and responsibility from the off-roader that is affiliated to an accredited club (which we now are). The NOW initiative is giving us (the club affiliated off road fraternity) a voice and the opportunity of being in part self regulatory and proving our worthiness of retaining less restricted access. Hennie can give more feedback on all this, but what I'm saying is let's not loose sight of the bigger picture and the benefits of club affiliation therein.