Back Home, visiting Tomales Bay (Northern CA). Photo Credit: David Robshaw / Linda Laviano (BRN# 9602)
Members and Friends:
LaVerne and I are finally back home after an exciting 4-month, 10,000-mile journey across the country. It was a fantastic trip filled with Airstream adventures, reconnecting with friends, and making new memories. We visited Airstream-themed parks, US Army Corps of Engineers parks, and unique Harvest Hosts and joined a historical Vintage Airstream Club mini-caravan. The camaraderie at the rallies and the feedback from fellow members and club leaders were truly rewarding.
As we settle back in, our sights are set on the next adventure: the upcoming Washington Airstream Club “Salmon Rally” near Olympia, WA. The excitement of hitting the road again and the anticipation of new experiences with our Airstream family is already building. Stay tuned!
Topics for this issue:
- More fun events (National Events Rallies)
- The Planning and Anatomy of an International Rally
- Testing new automatic Mailchimp sync for Local Clubs and Regions
- Did You Know: Microsoft Office 365 [free] capabilities for Local Clubs and Regions
- The Club Business Side (update)
More Fun Events (National Events Rallies)
One of the strategic priorities (“Welcome and Retain Members”) from your International Board of Trustees (IBT) was to work with Local Clubs and Regions to create additional, innovative opportunities for our members to enjoy their Airstreams and our Club community. You’ll see an article on our National Event Rallies (airstreamclub.org/nationalevents) in this Blue Beret, but essentially, the goal of the NER team is to help produce and market rallies that are not as large as an International Rally and less localized attendance than a Region or Local Club Rally. Some great events (experiences) are coming.
The Planning and Anatomy of an International Rally
I often get asked, “How are our International Rallies (IR) planned and the locations selected? Who does it?”. In short, our Club has an “IR Planning Team” that is comprised of (4) ACI volunteers and (3) HQ staff members. Plus, 100+ additional ACI volunteers do the heavy lifting during the IR in almost every area. The IR Planning Team reports to the IBT. It is responsible for identifying, negotiating, and securing upcoming locations, with a mandate of looking and planning at least (5) years into the future. Other responsibilities include vendor solicitation and negotiation, entertainment, arrivals and parking, check-in, shuttle, etc.
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- “Table-Top” High-Level IR Schedule Planning (WY Rally2023)
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- Rally Arrival Team marking roughly 800 Airstream parking spots (Fryeburg, ME)
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- Rally Storage Container arriving in Rock Springs, WY
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- Property / Logistics Volunteer Team unloading Rally Storage Container (Rock Springs, Wyoming)
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- Example: Parking Planning for Rally2025 in York, PA
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- Rally Arrivals Area Setup (Wyoming, 2023)
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- Part of the Arrivals Team (Wyoming, 2023)
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- Check-in Area (Wyoming, 2023)
To achieve the goal of selecting a venue (5) years in advance, the IR Rally Planning Team conducts advance visits:
- 6+ years in advance: narrow down to a few potential sites that match the desired geographic rotation and expected attendee amenities.
- 5 years in advance: Initial visit by 2-3 people on the IR Planning Team.
- 4 years in advance: Approval by the IBT to enter into an agreement with a venue
- 3 years in advance: Follow-up visit by 2-3 IR Rally Planning Team people. Rough schedule, logo, and tagline created (ACI volunteer)
- 2 years in advance: Final planning visit by the entire IR Planning Team
- 1 year in advance: Additional information as needed
Upcoming International Rallies
- Rally2024 in Sedalia, Missouri. We expect to sell out with just over 1,400 Airstreams.
- Rally2025: York, PA (August 2025)
- Rally2026: Minot, ND (August 2026)
- Rally2027: Due to popular demand, “Back to Rock Springs,” WY (June 2027)
- Rally2028: Tentatively east of the Mississippi
Testing new automatic Mailchimp sync for Local Clubs and Regions
A key priority is to provide tools for Local Clubs and Regions that help them with time-consuming activities, especially when communicating with their members. One exciting project in development is the automation of MailChimp “audiences”. The solution is currently being tested by (3) Local Clubs and (1) Region. It allows a newsletter editor to select “Members” and “Affiliates” (or both) within Mailchimp, which pulls automatically from our membership database, ensuring accurate information with one click. Stay tuned!
Did You Know: Microsoft Office 365 [free] capabilities for Local Clubs and Regions
As of one year ago, all Local Clubs and Regions were offered free airstreamclub.org email addresses (and Office 365 accounts). With those accounts, Local Clubs and Regions have the opportunity to utilize (free):
- Official airstreamclub.org email address (one free per entity)
- Access to Microsoft Teams video conferencing (a free alternative to Zoom)
- Access to Microsoft “OneDrive” storage for Local Club/Region data. Similar to Google Drive, but free and tied to the official Local Club / Region entity.
Current Club Strategic Priorities
- Internal Communications
- External Communications
- Welcome and Retain Members
- Infrastructure (buildings and software)
- Training at all Levels
- IBT Financial Literacy and Sustainability
That’s it for now!
Looking forward to seeing you all down the road, and let me know if you have ideas for our Club.
Eric McHenry
International President / BRN 153 // Amateur Radio callsign AA6EM
