This is going to be unpopular

knary said:

The burning question: How will we ensure enough brats in Gillette?

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but brats are a WI specialty
think Cowboy cooking.....beans and bacon


during mojitos Pilot muttered something about
"#@*% boots on the &*$@ ground"

Hodag said:

but brats are a WI specialty
think Cowboy cooking.....beans and bacon


during mojitos Pilot muttered something about
"#@*% boots on the &*$@ ground"

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How about we change the tone of the thread to somthing that most have in common?
Gillette menu hopefuls

Brookie trout fried with onions in bacon grease! yum!

land oysters rolled in cornmeal and chili powder fried up in crisco! Yum!

Tortillas loaded with long stips of backstrap, green peppers and onions and loads of sour cream! yum

REAL tamales smothered with with tomitillo green chili

Is it time for Dinner?

any other menu suggestions?

redclfco said:

any other menu suggestions?

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washed down by copious amounts of cold cheap beer

Tom,

I also hope you stick around. We need people who can civilly point out the problems in the organization. Much has changed about the organization since I first joined, a great deal of change in the last few years but there is more that needs to happen.

Liability wavers ÔÇô I must have signed one it seems; however I was not consciously aware that I did. I know I have at other non BMW events so for me it was not a big deal.

Camping sucks ÔÇô In the week I spent at the rally I stayed at a hotel and camped. For this event I would agree camping sucked but for me all the other options sucked worse. The paying for it part takes us to the daily pass.

Daily Passes ÔÇô I would like to see them. The board would like to have some solution but have not come up with a solution whose benefits out weight the costs. If we donÔÇÖt keep asking the question while planning future rallies and events we will never come up with the solution.

M1ka said:

You bring up a different point. The argument so far has been on value. If I understand your underlying argument in the above quote you see the rally as a reqruitment tool.

Care to expand?

I am truely curious and not intending to bait.

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Hi, no problem. I've tried to pursuade many BMW officiandos to consider a day pass over the last 20 years. The answers against are always the same as posted here; value, security, logistics, etc. Other motorcycle events routinely have day passes, and I think it would be a great recruitment tool. Sure we all think 35 dollars (or 30 pre) is a deal. But we already know what's inside; friends, bikes, and stuff to buy! The day pass would get people interested in attending, and perhaps join! Logistics are no problem; no door prizes and a different color band.

BMW member since 1985, friend to many who are making the decisions not to have a day pass, and just trying to exand the club. We won't know if it would work or not unless we try it.

... but it's the people that make the club as great as it is.

p.s. Almost didn't go to the BMWRA National last month. 14 miles away, but 68 dollars each for my wife and I to spend a few hours (out of town Thur-Fri) didn't seem worth it. I was travelling on business and managed to get back a day early, so at the last second we were able to go. It was the best 136 dollars we've spent so far this year! There wasn't enough vacation for the MOA, but I'm sure we'd have enjoyed it as much as we have many other National over the years.

M1ka said:

Daily Passes ÔÇô I would like to see them. The board would like to have some solution but have not come up with a solution whose benefits out weight the costs. If we donÔÇÖt keep asking the question while planning future rallies and events we will never come up with the solution.

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how about a one night public bike show somewhere other than rally sight?
a taste of Gillette and bike show?

My join date is in the same time frame as yours. I would like to see us try a day pass too, just really afraid of loosing the feel it has now.

Thanks.

Hodag said:

how about a one night public bike show somewhere other than rally sight?
a taste of Gillette and bike show?

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Not a bad idea. Rent a park, food vendors and do the bike show judging and awards during it. Everyone goes and shows off their bikes.

1st rally

This was my first BMWMOA rally. Been riding a BMW and a member of the BMWMOA for 4 years. I have much experience with so called "Harley" type rallies down here in Texas. These usually are all weekend, and cost about as much as the BMW rally. But they just don't have the same feel as the BMW rally.

I think 35 dollars is cheap for either camping four days (only way to rally) or for entrance into the ground everyday for four days. I few hour poker run with a bunch of harley's will cost you 20 bucks a person. And what do you get? Not near as much as BMWMOA gave us.

Great job on the rally. I rode 1300 miles there, and 1300 mile home. I look forward to next years rally.

Camping out I met lots of nice friendly folks. The rally was well organized, lots of vendors, plenty of activities, hot showers, more then enough porta-potti's, cleaned twice a day.

I was in heaven. I just need to buy a trailer to haul more camping gear next year.

Karl

M1ka said:

Not a bad idea. Rent a park, food vendors and do the bike show judging and awards during it. Everyone goes and shows off their bikes.

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how was it done at trenton?

Hodag said:

how was it done at trenton?

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I think the British won. No wait the was the Revolutionary War, no BMW's

M1ka said:

I think the British won. No wait the was the Revolutionary War, no BMW's

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special section for BSA's and triumph's?

seriously bring out the local bikers to say hi and give us cool road suggestions?? Maybe thursday night? then they show up and don't mind paying $35 to see everything else??

Hodag said:

how about a one night public bike show somewhere other than rally sight?
a taste of Gillette and bike show?

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Thinking outside of the box. This would bypass the rally ground concerns altogether. I like it.

By passes the daily pass issue, gives people a chance to get off site with a purpose and gets people involved in the community.

For all the things we can come up with that are wrong or reasons that it wouldn't work lets work on it. This has real potential!!

I have seen a lot of change in the past 20 years with the MOA. The rally attendence has been on the upswing. The rally planning comittee has improved on making accomadations for all in attendence.
No matter how well the MOA throws a rally, someone is going to complain. It is like that all over. Some people enjoy complaining.
I even took it upon myself to tell a rider to leave the rally because he complained about special traetment for commitee chairs and section volunteers. I had stated that he could go to the main pavillion and submit his name to the volunteer booth and get in early. He stated that he rode to the rally and that was good enough. I then asked him in a nice way to leave the rally and not come back.
Along with Sue and Brian, there are numerous people behind the scenes to make an BMWMOA International Rally the success that they are. It is far from a cake walk when working a rally. I guess if someone is not happy then I suggest that you volunteer as a commitee chair or volunteer and work for a section. Even better, if you are not happy then attend the meeting at the rally and state your complaint to the board of directors. Better yet, why don't you run for a board position or MOA president.
Personally, I am glad that there are no day passes at a national rally. That helps keep the riff-raff away. It well worth the money to be camped out with my extended family (the MOA Membership).

Take Care and Ride Safe
Pat Carol

patcarol said:

...... Personally, I am glad that there are no day passes at a national rally. That helps keep the riff-raff away. It .....

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Can't argue with logic like that.

Well S__t

My wife and I had a great time and traveled over two thousand miles surounding the rally. I've been to Americade, HD National Rallies, Goldwing rallies and the MOA rallies. Not all rallies are alike but the relaxed atmospher of the MOA is wonderful. Do we have enough vendors? I think not but we are not Goldwingers or Chrome nuts like the HD crowd. It is what it is and we love it.

I feel sorry for you if you can't find a way to enjoy yourself with such great people.

FWIW, the BMW CCA (Car Club of America) instituted day passes for it's annual Oktoberfest (= annual rally) a few years ago with substantial success. The folks who could and wanted to come for the duration were not discouraged and it allowed a substantial number of members to attend who otherwise could not have attended. It motivated people and expanded the opportunity to those who may have had some doubts about their interest level or just couldn't otherwise be a part of the national event. It actually generated new participation on a full-event basis in following years based on their exposure via the day passes. Concerns about revenue dilution were ill-founded and the net revenue was actually increased as well as volume at vendors and exposure to the sponsors. In short ... a most definite win-win scenario. Likely it has more positive impact at event locations near larger population centers since the likelihood of significant numbers being attracted from, say, Rocksprings, WY is minimal.

My two cents is that anything that increases membership participation/attendance and increases event revenue can hardly be looked at as detrimental to the club or the event.

I have never been to a rally of any kind. I got back to riding last year after a 20+ year layoff and joined the MOA. I don't belong to my local club. To be honest, I really like my solo riding with my wife on the pillion. As soon as I heard the 2008 Rally was going to be someplace close (relatively speaking), I began making plans to attend. Everything I have read in this thread regarding the trust and honesty factors (leaving your gear in your tent and key in your bike) make me feel real good about "camping" on site. What I am hearing about hotel room rates is making me seriously go out and buy a tent, ground sheet and appropriate sleeping bag(s). Everything I have read about the self policing of the camping area is giving me the confidence to do something I have never done before.

See you all in Wyoming.

Curious: How many potential day passes do we think will be sold in the desolate region of NE Wyoming?