I just saw another comment about getting younger people involved in clubs and snowmobiling activities. I joined 2 separate clubs around 10 years ago in Northern WI and both clubs were very similar in their setup/meetings/etc.
Trail clean-up:
Meet at 5AM on a weekday morning. After 2 hours of coffee, get to the trail around 7AM. I ask the trail-boss what he wants help with, I can handle a chainsaw and help cut/move brush. I was told to walk ahead of the side-by-side and kick rocks off the trail. After 3 hours of that they were ready for lunch. I don't even know if they got back on the trail, I left and stopped paying dues.
Club Meetings:
Weeknights 4:00PM sharp. I had to take off of work to attend a single meeting. The meetings were mostly empty and mostly retired locals complaining that they don't get any help. (we have 100 members, why are there only 7 people here?) I offered doing the meetings on a weekend, or later than 4PM as not everyone in the club is local. It was like I told them I ride an ATV on the trail when it's 35 degrees out. ABSOLUTELY NOT!! WE'VE ALWAYS MET UP AT 4PM!
Resolution:
I joined a more local club, help put up signs every year (most years the trails are used to put signs up and take them down due to lack of snow.) I help out at fundraising events cooking food, serving drinks, helping out in the sport that I love. I just wish I was able to help out in the areas where I ride. I talked to another club member who also joined a different Northern WI club with a very similar story. Meeting times were impossible, trail cleanup was an absolute joke.
I doubt anything will come of this post, but I just wanted to get the younger side of the story out to some of the club members with seniority.
Trail clean-up:
Meet at 5AM on a weekday morning. After 2 hours of coffee, get to the trail around 7AM. I ask the trail-boss what he wants help with, I can handle a chainsaw and help cut/move brush. I was told to walk ahead of the side-by-side and kick rocks off the trail. After 3 hours of that they were ready for lunch. I don't even know if they got back on the trail, I left and stopped paying dues.
Club Meetings:
Weeknights 4:00PM sharp. I had to take off of work to attend a single meeting. The meetings were mostly empty and mostly retired locals complaining that they don't get any help. (we have 100 members, why are there only 7 people here?) I offered doing the meetings on a weekend, or later than 4PM as not everyone in the club is local. It was like I told them I ride an ATV on the trail when it's 35 degrees out. ABSOLUTELY NOT!! WE'VE ALWAYS MET UP AT 4PM!
Resolution:
I joined a more local club, help put up signs every year (most years the trails are used to put signs up and take them down due to lack of snow.) I help out at fundraising events cooking food, serving drinks, helping out in the sport that I love. I just wish I was able to help out in the areas where I ride. I talked to another club member who also joined a different Northern WI club with a very similar story. Meeting times were impossible, trail cleanup was an absolute joke.
I doubt anything will come of this post, but I just wanted to get the younger side of the story out to some of the club members with seniority.
