I see that Chapter Leaders are to be elected offline -

But in large states where a single meeting is not convenient for everyone, then what?

Suppose there were several local meets, and each produced a candidate, then what?

OR - if there were one meet, and that area produced a leader, would that necessarily be all right with everyone?

I'm looking at this not for the sake of rocking any boats, but because some of the bigger geographical areas seem to present "In Person Meeting" difficulties that are very real and costly.

How does someone go about managing (to everyones satisfaction) real world meetings for a group that covers thousands of square miles?

I can see having local sub-chapters, regional reps, and a group council as possible ways to go about it. I don't see a definite, for certain, no complaints from anywhere, solution.

It bugs me... How to get that many people spread out that far into real-world contact without blowing wads of cash (as a group) to DO it.

Unless of course we float a "Voting Forum" on a seperate hosted message board (There are still some free message board hosts out there, I think)

Then again - a poll listing each areas candidate could fly. The idea, I take it, is to avoid bogging down the server here with too much traffic of a non-ford truck essential nature.

And online full-chapter meetings and voting would surely bring any server portal to a crawl, with all the members at FTE.

These have been my thoughts and impressions, when I really began thinking about what it might take to connect one end of TN to the other in person.

Has anyone got any suggestions?


~Wolf

 

The High Plains Chapter did their elections in the chapter forum. Since we cover so many states, there was NO way to get a group as large as ours together...and continues to be so. IMHO I think that interested parties in the larger states could get together and make nominations and an election in two threads in their state chapter if necessary. One thread to solicit nominations and then the other with a poll vor the vote. I think this has been done by some other chapters also. The smaller states, especially back east, have travel distances much less than we do out here, so it's totally feasable for those interested to get together. IMHO, Montana itself could stand to have the state broken into 4 areas with 1 main elected leader and three section leaders to be effective. This is something that each large state can actually do, should they desire. It just takes a bit more coordination and planning. As the chapter thing grows, and it will over time, other possibilities will come to light and be feasable for change as a whole.

 

Chapters can elect people ON-LINE no problem.

It is suggested that ALL other offices be elected in person.

We've been doing okay for quite a while now, doing it the way I do.

 

We in our chapter also elected the leader in an on-line poll which seemed to work out well since Kansas too is fairly spread out. Since then we have used area coordinators to organize and promote events and meeting in their prospective geographic areas. This allows there to be a point person so to speak with each group and thus they do not feel left out or disorganized. By growing the interest and participation on a local area you in turn build the chapter as a whole. Yes, you will find it practically impossible to get everyone together on a regular basis, but you can still maintain the integrity by keeping the local groups going. As these local groups expand and grow there will be the inclination of others to go and check out the different areas and meet those people so now you start having crossover members attending other events. The area coordinators can meet with the leader and bring with them the question, desires, or problems of their area thus you have now organized the whole chapter without the need of any group or individual member having to spend the bucks to drive across the state for a meeting. Take this formula and throw in a major event or two that will be worth the time and have the attraction to draw your statewide attendance.

 

Well - if that issue can be resolved in a simple way like that, then the "GRASS ROOTS" nature of getting in with Truckin' people in the real world becomes fairly simple.

It boils down to simply this:

~ Git out there and make friends...

Thats how I see it

~Wolf

 

It strikes me that polls can be useful - but there are going to be discussions that call for a lot of thread use at times (thus: server use)

But hopefully it won't be major, and it also seemed to me that discussions and decisions made that way would be available for review by all.

I wonder though, at the idea of individual counties having their own thread within the state chapters - in Tennessee there are about 94 counties. And these each should have a voice of their own (for meetings, get togethers, and swapmeets - bar-b-ques, all sorts of things....)

Can we expand like that, and not overwhelm the server?

Food for thought...


~Wolf

 

Hey Greywolf...instead of breaking it down by counties, what if you had Tennessee broken down by regions. This way you can have a few counties in each region, thus cutting back on the number of threads needed. I've been talking to a few people about getting the North Carolina chapter up and running, and that was something we talked about so that it would make it easier for everyone to attend and have a voice at the off-line meetings (regionals hold meetingsa, and their director brings their ideas and concerns to the state meetings, etc.).

 

I have been suggesting regional groups since the start.

 

I think it makes sense. Hopefully, once we can get everything up and going in the North Carolina chapter, everyone will feel the same way.