To join or not to join

[TexasYJ]

I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself, My name is James Clark, many of you have met me, most at least pretend to like me. I am an avid wheeler, slightly addicted to jeeping, and perhaps even more addicted to being outdoors. I spend alot of time in front of the computer and read quite a few forums, it is intriguing to me the numbers of people that are involved with posting in these forums. I have taken notice that our numbers are increasing, and more and more there are new people being introduced to our sport. I have talked to a great many people about their affiliations in the sport and I am slightly alarmed at the number of people that do not belong to any club or organization that supports land use issues. Many of you come here, you read the forums, you post to your peers, and you make arrangements to meet up with each other to go wheeling. I would like to invite you to join a local off road club. I do not care if it is Southern High Rollers, FWD-FWD, Jeeps of North Texas, Las Cruces 4x4, or even the Binders of Oklahoma. Whatever is close, or whatever club is of interest to you. It is important!!!!! Many of these Clubs support campaigns that allow you to continue to wheel in that hometown favorite spot, many support larger organizations such as SWFWDA, UFWDA, and the Blue Ribbon Coalition. It is only through unity that we will succeed over the opposition, and without that unity we will fail. Don't be one of those that heads off to wheel with their buddies only to find that the federal land is closed to you because you failed to act before it was too late. We can Win, but only if we are unified, and actively taking a stand. The thirty bucks it might cost you to join a club that supports one of these organizations wont set you back much, but collectively will elevate our issues into the national spotlight, and our voices will be heard.

James Clark
President SWFWDA
president@swfwda.org

Feel free to email me anytime

[Big Elmer]

Well said, I can't agree more....

[landusepbb]

Hi James, didn't know you were on PBB.

[RustyNailJustin]

Many people have the best intentions of joining a club but its like a lot of things in life they get put on the back burner and never get done. So take your best intentions and act on them. Quit just talking about it and do it.

[TexasYJ]

Brad, Yeah I have been reading these forums for quite awhile, my mere 52 posts have taken me over a year to accumulate though.

[DRM]

Great post!

For those of you in the SouthEast, feel free to check out www.sfwda.org and find a member club in your area. Doing so will help keep land open for all to use, and keep you informed of how YOU can help!

[fj40john]

I agree...as a member of SHR and TMTC.

[YellowSub1962]

108 views and the only 6 posts come from the people who are already active in keeping the trails open and/or educating the masses


Great post James, I just hope you're not just "preaching to the choir" here, and that your word are not falling on deaf ears....


I'll throw out something I've noticed in a positive light....more and more "newbies" are taking part in active disscussions in the L/U section in the past 6 or so months.... I'd like to see more regulars/veterans involved, but maybe it's true you can't teach an old dog new tricks

NOW is the time people, the Pro-Access groups are winning more and more legal battles, and as the public becomes becomes more aware of these winnings, they are starting to see the light and realize the Anti-Access folks are not in it for the environment... join something whether it be a club, a state organization, a national organization, or any/all of the above and more...


and yes I was on a cliche` trip in this post

[Chister]

Well, james... Let me say that I am PISSED that my club did not renew the swfwda membership this year... They seem to be upset that they were told (before I became a member) that sw could not help us out in our landuse issues because SW was using all of its resources to fight landuse battles in the sierras or something like that.

Well.. as soon as some $$ rolls in this spring, I am joining SW Myself....

[TexasBlake]

I'm gonna talk to my club about joining SW, probably will be hard though since we are a small free club, and some people don't like giving money.

[Chrisjeep7]

if i could find a club with people my own age and level...i cant roll my jeep and not be out any thing or spend 500 at the drop of the hat like most people in the clubs i have looked into...

[TexasYJ]

Hey Chris, that is the great thing about many clubs, You do not HAVE to have big bucks. Most of the clubs I have wheeled with as well as te ones that I am a member of, will never leave you stranded on the trail. Rolling might make a jeep unstreetable, but normally only til you get another windshield frame. Rollovers are not the norm though. Things like broken axles are easily fixed trail side, and you get spares for around a hundred bucks.
What kind of Jeep do you have? I do not have my roster with me but there are several clubs in your area that are members of SWFWDA.

go to swfwda.org and look at the member clubs link

[YellowSub1962]

[Chister]

Originally posted by YellowSub1962

Pete Da Man!

[Blame Canada]

Originally posted by Chrisjeep7
if i could find a club with people my own age and level...i cant roll my jeep and not be out any thing or spend 500 at the drop of the hat like most people in the clubs i have looked into...

Chris, In my opinion, that's probably just not the case.

I don't know why, but this SEEMS to be the image EVERY CLUB gets. It's usually because a few guys have some nice rigs, and EVERYBODY assumes that they PAID someone else to do the work. This just isn't so, as you'll soon find out.

I joined a club a while back with this same stereo type, and they were just like me. Did their own shit, and when it was stuff over their head, called a club member for help. That's what clubs are for, and everybody gets involved for this this same reason.

Don't be afraid to approach local clubs, and don't assume everybody else's rigs sprang up over night. It just wasn't so, and they don't have more money than you, just different priorities, and more time accumulating equipment and modicifation.

You can get there too, in time.

My $0.02