President’s Corner – September 2024

Fellow Members,

Whew. It’s been a busy and enjoyable summer; LaVerne and I hope you’ve had the opportunity to spend both quality and quantity time in your Airstream.  Sure, it’s only September, but many of you will be thinking about travel to our 67^th International Rally in Sedalia, MO, going to Region Rallies, Club events, traveling with friends and family.  Or just relaxing. For us, August held two fun events – the Washington Airstream Club “Salmon Rally” near Olympia, WA and friend/family camping near our home with two other Airstream families.

Trivia: “How many ACI events are hosted each year…?” I get asked this quite a bit as I describe one of the many benefits of being in our Club (access to turn-key, organized events).  Turns out the answer is “roughly 800 events per year”.  755 to be precise for the calendar year 2024, spread across the USA, Canada and Europe.

Topics for this issue:

• NEW: Boondocking event filter now available
• NEW: National Event Rally: Wine Quest 2025!
• NEW: Club marketing and outreach material now available
• Did You Know: Microsoft Office 365 [free] capabilities for Local Clubs and Regions
• Getting Ready for our 67^th International Rally in Sedalia, MO
• The Club Business Side (Membership dues increase)

NEW: Boondocking Filter:

Recognizing the increasing interest in boondocking (camping without hookups), plus the creation of our new Boondockers Intra-Club, we’ve introduced a “Boondocking Filter” in our listing of events:

National Event Rally Highlight: Wine Quest 2025

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.

Wine Quest 2025 is for everyone who appreciates wine. We’ll all be expanding our knowledge of wines from the exciting and beautiful California wine producing regions in Lodi and Paso Robles that consist of 18 American Viticultural Areas. Enjoy Springtime with fewer crowds, cooler weather and bud break!  This 7-night National Event Rally provides participants two full-days in Lodi and three full-days in Paso Robles to explore these special viticultural locations. You’ll have opportunities to link-up with other “Wine ‘Streamers” and set your own pace visiting local wineries to experience the vintages, sights, and culture of these magnificent areas. Each evening at our RV Resorts you’ll have the option to join our rally get-together to celebrate and discuss our daily finds and adventures.

NEW: Club marketing and outreach material now available

One element of our Strategic Priorities is to do a better job introducing Airstream Dealers, and their new customers, to our Club.

• While we know some Local Clubs and/or Regions do a great job getting our Club material to the dealerships (and restocking), we will be augmenting this with a new set of material and automatically stocking the dealerships from our HQ staff.
• This will ensure the most updated material is available and reduce the requirement for our Clubs to manage the process.
• Members and Clubs are also encouraged to order additional material directly from HQ, free at: airstreamclub.org/ACIcollateral.

Club Display at Airstream Adventures in Fairfield, CA

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. 1TB capacity.

Getting Ready for our 67^th International Rally in Sedalia, MO

Getting excited? It’s less than one month before arrivals begin.  Some notes:

• Lots of information has been published at: airstreamclub.org/rally2024
• Be sure to review the FAQs about the Rally: airstreamclub.org/rally2024/faqs
• Personal Golf Cart rentals are available for attendees who are interested in an option other than the Rally Shuttle, e-bikes.This has turned into one of our most popular offerings since it was introduced last year in Wyoming.  As of late August, roughly 180 attendees had rented personal golf carts (!): airstreamclub.org/rally2024/golf-cart-bicycle-rentals
• Display your Big Red Numbers (BRNs): Whether it’s on your Airstream, on a piece of cardboard or plexiglass, please have your BRNs on display as you enter the International Rally Arrivals Area.  This is essential for the Arrivals team to quickly locate your arrival packet, keeping the flow of Airstream moving.  For context, on our busiest day, we park close to 500 Airstream in a 10 hour period (roughly 1 per minute).  Having your BRN displayed early saves the Arrivals team from a) walking to your vehicle, b) asking what your BRN is, c) walking back to the area with the arrival packets and d) walking back to your Airstream.  Thanks in advance, from the Arrivals Team!

Installing new BRNs for a Member

Membership Dues Increase

In response to rising costs, our International Board of Trustees has voted to increase the annual International dues from $75 to $99. This decision comes after careful consideration of the financial pressures we face. Despite previous increases in 1994, 2005, 2010, and 2021, these adjustments have not been sufficient to keep up with inflation. We are not alone in facing dues or price increases; we all encounter them in various aspects of our lives. From groceries to utilities and entertainment, prices have steadily risen due to inflation and other economic factors pre and post the COVID pandemic. Understanding this broader context can help us appreciate the necessity of these adjustments.

Catching up with Inflation (since 2009)

I have been asked many times: “Why so much of an increase when current inflation is sitting and/or projected to be in the 2% range going forward…?” Simply put, we have NOT adequately responded to inflation-influenced cost increases since 2009, putting our club in the deficit for at least 15 years.  Due to this, we find ourselves needing to recover from the deficits over the last 10-15 years.

The chart below shows our ACTUAL Annual International Membership dues (red), compared to dues adjusted for inflation (green).  This graph points out:

• Our dues increase in 1994 and 2009 were sufficient to keep track with inflation.
• Our dues increase in 2005 was insufficient to cover the impact of inflation that existed between 1994 and 2005.
• Our dues increase in 2021 also was insufficient to cover the impact of inflation that existed between 2009 and 2021.
• The impact of the COVID pandemic and subsequent recovery had an unexpected impact on inflation, seen starting in 2020 through today (albeit slowing down in late 2024.

Ok, but how are my membership dues used?

Your annual dues cover a wide range of essential items and services that are crucial for the smooth functioning of our Club. These include banking fees, software, labor costs, printing, and postage. Additionally, the dues fund the production and distribution of the Blue Beret magazine, new member packets, and provide support for membership and local clubs. By ensuring our dues are aligned with current costs, we can continue providing the quality services and support our Club members rely on. We understand that any increase can be challenging, but this change is necessary to meet our financial needs and sustain our Club’s growth and development.

Current Club Strategic Priorities

• Internal Communications
• External Communications
• Welcome and Retain Members
• Infrastructure (buildings and software)
• Training at all Levels
• Financial Literacy and Sustainability for IBT Members

Upcoming International Rallies

• Rally2024 in Sedalia, Missouri
• Rally2025: York, PA (August 23-28, 2025)
• Rally2026: Minot, ND (August 22-27, 2026)
• Rally2027: Due to popular demand, “Back to Rock Springs,” WY (June 2027)
• Rally2028: Tentatively east of the Mississippi

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

emchenry@airstreamclub.org