Let's Get to Work!

And by "Work", I don't mean work. Let's get to Fun is more like it.

Winter sucks, plain and simple. After being in the OHV community this long, you know as soon as September roles around you're going to start feeling the pings of discontent coming on like a dark cloud on the horizon. Every winter it's the same: wheeling starts to taper off, forums start seeing more mis-communication, meetings start to lose attendance. Yup, it's like there's a book that outlines what's coming.
So, we're in the next chapter of that book and it's January, 2009. You've made it this far, so don't put the book down just yet!
Our Region held its quarterly meeting last Sunday, January 18th at EVB in Danbury CT. As those that were there know, and no doubt at least a few others, we've been hard at work trying to keep those winter doldrums from taking too much of a toll. Okay, not so much the doldrums, but just the fact that what is in the best interest of EC4WDA-NE Region isn't exactly what the parent Association thinks is best. As I said in our meeting (which was available to view via web-cam, btw!), I've decided to march into the wind and face the challenge of getting what we need rather than throw in the towel and give up. Yup, there's definately something wrong with EC4WDA, but I think it can be made better. I've said it often enough, but I do not like re-inventing the wheel over and over again. That's the easy way out. It seems harder at first, but it's much easier to start from scratch than it is to win over people and change an organization from the grass roots. That's why we see clubs rise and fall, split and split again.

Well, I went a little side tracked there. I'm typing as I think... ;)

Where were we? Ahhhh....

We've pushed the Association hard to get what we need to prosper. We have certainly met resistance, but with the exception of 3 clubs, the Region has pulled together to forge ahead. I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FROM ALL OF YOU! I won't give up this year and will work harder than ever for our needs. You know it's much more than recreation. You know the difference between us and "them" is that we're motivated by our recreation. "They're" motivated by a cause. We only want to pay to play for ourselves, but they pay to save for all.

Hey look, I'm back there again...

So this year we're at a cross-roads. Our Region will be working hard to get the our relationship with the Association on equal footing with the others. We're pushing to get more out of it, yet pressing also to get the Association into the mainstream. I, for one, am damn sick and tired of having "the second largest 4WD Association" or whatever, unknown throughout the U.S. except within its own membership. We want progress? We want a voice? We want to make a difference? It won't happen with our current atmosphere of apathy and ignorance.

In April I'll be attending the Association meeting. You know my agenda...OUR agenda. I'll be calling on the Association to help us, and in return we can help them. More so than they can even think of, unfortunately. Our Region meeting will follow within a week, and there we'll discuss the results of the Association meeting. We talked at the January meeting about the Region's future. April will be the first "test". Then, in November, we'll meet the second test during the Fall Association meeting. EC4WDA will be holding it's elections and we can be an aggressive Region that brings about the change we all want and need, or a submissive Region that fails to step up when our challenges are too great.

However, sometimes "the easy way out" may be the only way out. We're not so naive as to not plan for it also.

So wheel, volunteer, write, stay involved, and enjoy. Get involved when you can, support those that do, and if you hate "politics", let the politicos do it. We've all got a part to play in this.