Ccgb?

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

Joined with Chris at Stonor Park in July but no membership number or mags yet? :( Would like to join the forum but guess I need my membership number for this?

[dalhalvaig 0]

I joined about a year ago and they were really slow to respond. At the time they were doing a website revamp, which may have slowed things down a bit. Having been a member and had a look at the site, i'm afraid to say I'm not so convinced. I think next time I'll put my money where I spend my time...that's here. Sorry, not really what I want to say about the CCGB

[Jim 1]

It's no defence I know.. and I know we keep saying we'll crack this kind of thing.

 

Speaking from my own point of view, we're in a position where a lot of the club members struggle with time to commit to running the show, but (and I know this sounds ridiculous) no one wants to step up to take it on in any of our places. We hold elections at the AGM in April, and every position is up for the taking - but for the last few years at least, no one has volunteered other than the existing members. So we're in a situation where we try and carry on as we are, or large numbers of us just quit and the club becomes no more.

 

What are we supposed to do? I guess this shouldn't become an open debate as such but it's a subject that keeps coming up - and I am more guilty than anyone in the club of failing to deliver on my obligations as the editor of the Sprinter. I would personally welcome some informed opinions on exactly what the answer is because I honestly just don't know.

[VR6Pete 0]

I have same issues running VR6OC too, Jim.

 

To the point where I now do the memberships, online store and chairman... Struggle to find people who can commit at present.

Pete

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

I personally think that the CCGB is a 20th Century Club in a 21st Century age. It was started in a time where people communicated via newsletter, telephone or post and the internet has become king when it comes to clubs these days. The magazines are nice but massively inefficient when you think it could just be sent to paying members in a PDF format.

 

In an ideal world. A coming together of the CCGB and the Corrado Forum would be the future and would make the job of the people that run it a million times easier...but I appreciate the past may stop this happening. But you only need to look at sites like the MLR and Club Polo to see it could work.

[Portent 0]

It's no defence I know.. and I know we keep saying we'll crack this kind of thing.

 

Speaking from my own point of view, we're in a position where a lot of the club members struggle with time to commit to running the show, but (and I know this sounds ridiculous) no one wants to step up to take it on in any of our places. We hold elections at the AGM in April, and every position is up for the taking - but for the last few years at least, no one has volunteered other than the existing members. So we're in a situation where we try and carry on as we are, or large numbers of us just quit and the club becomes no more.

 

What are we supposed to do? I guess this shouldn't become an open debate as such but it's a subject that keeps coming up - and I am more guilty than anyone in the club of failing to deliver on my obligations as the editor of the Sprinter. I would personally welcome some informed opinions on exactly what the answer is because I honestly just don't know.

 

Personally I think a merger of CCGB and the Forum is the way forward but I understand that has been discussed before my time and it wasn't a realistic prospect in the past. so let's look at what each side does well:

 

Forum

Great community

Great forum

Great knowledge base

 

CCGB

Potential discounts on insurance (because being a car club member can lower premiums with some insurers)

Club stands at some events

Sprinter mag delivered to your door (in an internet age I still loved getting the mag through my door in the summer)

 

 

So they do offer different, but complimentary, things. I'm a member of both and am happy to keep paying my annual CCGB subscription for the reasons above. I also pay a small monthly sub to the forum as I also consider it more of a club than a forum. It does make sense to me for them to be merged. But I also appreciate that it's unlikely to happen as both 'sides' have put a lot of effort into it and I guess they wouldn't want to see it diluted. So, on the asumption that they won't merge then I still definitely want both to continue and they should concentrate on their strengths.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Portent

[G-Lad 0]

I'd love to see a Venn diagram showing members / participants of both Vs activities Vs strengths.

 

I don't know any of the history so my apologies if I'm treading on any toes in saying this (or indeed going over old ground), but: it would seem a huge mutual benefit if only the CCGB had a members-only part of the the-corrado.net Forum, to allow easy entry to exclusive CCGB content / activities / events diaries. People could then either "pay in and get extras for being a card carrying member" or if people prefer they could just live a free / donations-only / casual 21st century online existence and skip the mag, the insurance benefits, the dealer / motor factors discounts, and the national club-stand status bits, if they wish, while still getting the knowledge transfer and contact with, let's face it, the majority of the same people and more.

 

I would like to think there would be a good conversation rate, if people could easily upgrade or downgrade at will, on an annual-subs basis. I concede that there is a risk of the CCGB losing people if they think they can save a few quid and just be a free-forum member.

 

I guess there is the risk of "exclusive" club events being gazumped by keen but not official club members organising their own things, but with the CCGB struggling to get new blood willing to stand for official posts on the committee, perhaps this would at least help to revive the regional hosts as a concept.

 

I hold my hands up as being a lapsed CCGB member this year, having not had the C on the road while I'm selling my Golf and busy with work, but for the sake of a few quid a year I happily maintain membership of the official owners club - perhaps I'm a dying breed of 20th century people!

Edited November 28, 2011 by G-Lad

[KIPVW 0]

Hi All,

 

Membership set up is normallly dealt with within 28 days, we do however sometimes find that the membership packs never seem to get to their destinations which is very frustrating as the first we know about it is when it's posted up on here lol!

 

Neil I'll look into it and get you sorted ;)

 

I still feel the paper copy of the Sprinter Magazine is a very nice feature with so many online only clubs around now that litterally give you a number and nothing at all besides access to the website (etc) I know this is the case with a few other VW and Non VAG clubs from speaking to various folk over the years. A pdf format is also available to download several back issues on the club website too.

 

As said we or rather Eric, organise club stands at all major shows throughout the year in both the UK and overseas and ANYONE who is a member is allowed to go on the stands, there is no click within this club I can assure you, it's purely first come first serve :)

 

Not sure what to think of a merger with the CF but i'm not against it although it could turn into a logistical nightmare for those who do run both site/club.

 

I certainly dont give a damn about what happened in the past otherwise i wouldn't come on here, all the folk involved in that have long since moved on and if anything I now feel the relationship between both CF and CCGB are very complimentary to each other.

 

The Sprinter as ever is solely reliant on input/articles from it's members but when I spoke with Jim in November he had not recieved a single article since the last issue.

 

So come one lets get busy over the next few weeks and create something to go into the next or future issue, we can only print stuff if we have it in the first place.

 

We also have some freebie tax discs to go out with the next issue/newsletter so the sooner we have stuff to print the sooner they go out to you guys.

 

 

Some interesting points made though so keep them coming.

 

Regards, Kip :)

[Toohottotrot 10]

I could add a lot to this, but I will try to be brief.

I joined the CCGB earlier this year, I got nothing except a membership number and sticker. As Kip is aware I had to "badger" for my membership number, as after telling the insurance company they requested my number. I private messaged three times on the CCGB site and received no reply, tumble weed blows down the streets of that site!

 

As for no "clique" in the club, look at it from an outsiders point of view, the circle of chairs at the Malvern Festival was a classic example!

But having said this, and being a member of several forum/clubs (should that be "fora"?) It is not an idiosyncracy of the CCGB alone. The "bitching" on the Audi Turbo quattro forum persuaded me to sell the car, and never darken their forum again, and none of it was aimed at me! It was too depressing to continue reading.

 

The Scirocco world is just the same, only the "in crowd" get their car pics used for articles, even though other people have nicer cars!

As for the people that run CCGB, I understand that people's lives are busy but a little effort would be better than none? If I am being too harsh then I appologise in advance, but thats how it looks.

Eric (Tempest) seems to work hard organising events.......only to have almost no one turn up at some events!!!!!

Surely this is where the members play their part? Why own the car if you are always too busy to attend? People complained that the Malvern festival "wasn't what it used to be"! The answer is in the hands of the enthusiasts, turn up, make the effort, make it busy. Or just say "I'm not going anymore" and the event will die.

 

I have tried my best to take part this year, being newly back from Oz, I thought it would be a good way to meet like minded people and make some good friends. So I have brought the cars out only to find in some cases I was almost the only one there!!

I have a pic of our solitary mk1 rocco in front of the Coventry transport museum, besides Tempest only I turned up! It was a sunny day, a great day to show off the cars to the general public. Coventry, being in the centre of the country is surely not too far for most people?

 

As for no one submitting articles for the Sprinter mag, I had no idea that people could or even how to go about this? Lack of information? Maybe whoever is responsible for the articles should ask members if they have something worthy?

I put a few pics of my summer trip to the "med" with the Corrado and a few words on here, would it have made an article? It was only scratching the surface of our trip, lots more pics and video could have been shown. I got the impression no one was that interested?

 

To end on a high, I like this forum, people seem more than willing to share knowledge and help each other where they can. One unfortunate side effect of the modern world and the internet is that people no longer socialise face to face.

 

I said I would be brief, didn't happen did it? I have no answers, and probably write a load of cr*p too!

 

Mj ;)

[Jim 1]

Maybe whoever is responsible for the articles should ask members if they have something worthy?

 

I'm not sure what more I can do other than ask in the editors note at the front of every issue of The Sprinter, and every AGM! :(

[Toohottotrot 10]

I'm not sure what more I can do other than ask in the editors note at the front of every issue of The Sprinter, and every AGM! :(

 

Never seen an issue to read that though Jim.

 

Pehaps if someone writes something of interest on here they could be asked if they would like to write an article? I did see Kip do this once.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Toohottotrot

[Jim 1]

Never seen an issue to read that though Jim.

 

Ah I see.... :(

 

I think the committee really need to have a conversation.

[VR6 0]

I'm not sure what more I can do other than ask in the editors note at the front of every issue of The Sprinter, and every AGM! :(

 

Incentivise with something like free annual membership for 2 published articles? Or there must be a ton of merchandise you can reward people with?

 

I know it's not really the 'point' of the club but if there aren't willing volunteers, it sounds like you need to do something.

 

As above though, it sounds like there are some fairly fundamental basics that need to be sorted out first though.

[Jim 1]

If we simply cannot get people who a) have time to spare and b) want to fill the positions though, I'm not sure what we can do.

[Tempest 0]

a) have time to spare and b) want to fill the positions though, I'm not sure what we can do.

 

or c) can't be bothered to turn up to events for that matter.

 

Mind you, I am guilty as heck by not having turned up to our own National Day this year :(

 

We do have a nice one lined up for 2012, though :)

 

Personally I still believe, as has been demonstrated numerous times, that a club still has the clear advantage and clout to get noticed at national and international events, organise events, attend events. For me that is one of the key issues of owning a certain loved car, showing it to like-minded people and talking about those cars in real life (i.e. not just sitting in front of a keyboard like is increasingly become derigeur in modern times - virtual reality world with virtual reality cars :lol:).

 

So, guess I will just carry on organising events, if it's just so I can get out from behind the keyboard occasionally :lol:

 

Tempest

[KIPVW 0]

Hi Neil,

 

Looked into your status (Jude has) lol! and you joined at stonor in 2009, lapsed in 2010, and joined by internet banking in June 2011. Did you not recieve a new card after that?

 

Sprinter wise are probably all gone by the time you joined as we only produce a few more than what the actual membership base is so we dont get left with loads of excess issues. Admit that we are a little overdue another issue but without articles what can we do?

 

I constantly ask folk at shows but it seems to fall on ears deafer than my own lol!

 

Jim constantly asks in every issue for material but gets the same response :(

 

We obviously need to address some very important issues here so leave it with us but we really need articles more than anything so please if you have ANYTHING corrado related, trip/holiday related etc please let us have it so we can print it for all to see.

 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention and rest assure we will try or best to improve matters addressed here.

 

Regards, Kip

[_Meth 0]

I may aswell through my 2p in here, as its all for a good cause.

 

I signed up for the CCGB in what, 2010? As I thought that by doing so, I would be part of a club for the car I love, part of a community I was very excited about, and may also get some exciting benefits like detailed how-to guides, information that I couldnt get elsewhere, access to databases of registration info, something to track down my car or something, I dont realy know - but basically I was hoping to gain something more than what is available on this forum, as I was paying for it.

 

In reality, what I have actually acheived is 3/4 sprinter mags, a card that never leaves my wallet pocket, and a sticker. Now luckily, these mags are simply fantastic and more than make up for my annual membership, however without these - there doesnt appear to me, to be anything worth subscribing for. The forum is pretty much inactive, anything of use is posted on here. The gallery, for sale, group buys, etc are all on here - the regular meets and the place to arrange events appears to be on here, if you need information on how to do something... you check here.

 

I think in reality the only way to make the CCGB a better community and to increase its members is to integrate it with this forum. Most forums have nothing to do with owners clubs as there are normally lots of forums for each car. However in the UK there is ONE Corrado owners club, and ONE Corrado forum. The moderators of each site know each other and have done for a long time. I see no reason why the two could not merge together and add an extra section to the forum for paid up members. Technically its easy to sort out, logistically for users its perfect as everything is on one website, and the CCGB can advertise the fact that they exist very easily when they are on the same forum!

 

Anyway, thats my take on things. I think my membership has lapsed actually, so if someone from the CCGB could confirm this then I am happy to pay up again as you guys need supporting for the effort you put in, however I honestly cannot remember my login for the website as I havent visited for almost a year I reckon.

 

Oh - and I assume there is an email address on the CCGB website to send article submissions to? I am in the process of writing 2/3 right now with a few jobs I have done to mine recently that may be of interest.

 

Hope this hasnt been too negative, and can be read in the positive critique it is intended...

 

Cheers,

Meth.

[scarlet_vr6 0]

I'll have a go at putting my thoughts into words too...

 

I joined this forum in 2006 and the CCGB a year or so later I think. I admit that I seldom log in to the CCGB forum, as this is busier (and the fact that this thread is here is significant), but I certainly value my membership. Firstly, I love receiving issues of Sprinter. Whilst I enjoy the flexibility and convenience of our online world, I prefer the printed format for something like this. The issues I have collected (including some from well before I could afford to own a C) now live in a large storage box along with a couple of other bits and pieces I have collected and from time to time I like to browse through them - something which I'd be unlikely to do if they were just pdfs for example.

 

Being eligible to put my car on stands at shows is another big plus. I admit I seldom do these days, and this seems to be increasing as the bodywork gets worse :( , but I like that the option is still there. The track day and AGM are other yearly events organised by the CCGB which I love attending. The track day is a particular favourite (see avatar!) and I've learnt a lot from the 2 occasions I've attended and only missed this year's because I was in France.

 

As already mentioned, I also receive a discount on my insurance premium - that is never going to be sniffed at!

 

Finally, I like the simple fact that I am a member of the official owners' club. For me, this reinforces that it isn't just about owning a particular car :D

 

Having said all that, I wouldn't want to miss out on this forum either. Despite a recent and long absence from all things Corrado (except using it as a daily again), I have always felt welcome on this forum and through it have made some fantastic friends, learnt a huge amount (and still know next to nothing!) and been to some brilliant meets. I really appreciate the market place here (how would we afford ownership if everything had to come from the stealers?) and I also like looking back over my member's thread and seeing the progress I have made.

 

In conclusion (and has also already been said), I think they complement each other beautifully. If there was a way to unite them, then I'd be a supporter. I do like the idea of a members only area, but I would understand if those in charge wouldn't want this.

 

So, onto the current issues with CCGB... one reason I haven't volunteered in the past (and this is pretty selfish, but honest), is that I don't want to be stuck in the job. If I discovered I couldn't put the time and effort in that I would want, then I would want to be able to step down knowing that someone else would happily take it on, otherwise I'd feel obliged to remain. However, I would happily do some stuff (maybe something like admin work at renewal time?), as a sort of assistant to whoever is in that role, just to help out. I would be sad to see the CCGB fold because individuals don't have enough time, so perhaps duties could be shared? As for articles for Sprinter, I haven't written anything because I can't think of anything interesting enough!!

[Supercharged 2]

[KIPVW 0]

No your comments are welcomed Meth,

 

I say the Sprinter mags are a nice bonus to the membership but over all that and everything else I think it's the national/international events organised at VW shows that go a long way to being well worth the membership cost of £10.

 

Members can get a prime parking spot slap bang in the middle of the show ground whatever condition you car is in, there really are no standards! :) this obviously takes coordination with more than just one person and is i'm sure often overlook as to just how much work goes into putting a club stand together but that's not that I or any other committee member will complain about as it's the events where we make friends and friendships that for me personally have and will last years.

 

If I was fed up of dong the work wthin the club then i would not be here now typing this :) it makes me more determind to see the club improve and i'm sure that goes for the rest of the committee.

 

The CCGB website was never intended to compete with the traffic and excellent banter of the members on the Corrado Forum, it was purely designed to be a site/tool primarily for show/event information, show conversation and a little bit of photo posting ETC so i'd never expect it to be as busy as it is on here.

 

I think club membership is more like being a part of something and a feeling of belonging to something if you know what i mean. as with any club you have to put in to get out, i know that sounds like a cliche but it's so very true. I myself was in the club for 5 years before asking to be on a club stand due to being so shy and I cant believe how nervous I was at the time lol! silly really.

 

All clubs are about people and friendships not what you get for your membership fee, this is in no way having a dig at anyone by the way! but i guess we all want to see a little something for our money and rightly so.

 

I'm also in a cycling club and have been for 23 years with the same club, membership is £20 per year and i get absoloutly NOTHING for it. But my friendships within it are completely priceless.

 

I would happily give my corrados away if it meant not loosing those friendships both in the Cycling & Corrado Scene :)

 

All comments are welcome to me/us whatever they are about, how can we learn and improve without making mistakes.

 

Thanks!

 

Kip

[Portent 0]

Personally I think the membership cost is worth it. It's worth it for the slight insurance discount alone. It's worth it for the Sprinter mags alone. It's certainly worth it to park on a club stand. I did that once this year (GTI Inters) and as it was my first year of Corrado ownership I did feel a bit nervous but at the end of the day it means you get to park with other Corrado owners in the middle of the show. In fact I actually joined CCGB a year before I bought my car for those reasons.

 

In my previous post I offered some of my time to help. Then I edited it out again because I doubt I could offer the kind of time needed. But I'd really hate to see CCGB decline. It definitely helps the marque to have a central club organising meets. So while my time would be limited, I'd also be happy to offer some assistance in general admin etc.

 

A question - is the membership process very manually intensive? Couldn't it be semi-automated where you sign-up, pay online with Paypal, then receive an automated email with your renewal/membership number? Then once a quarter (or even once a year) the stickers etc could be sent out. At least that way people can join at any time, they get notified of their membership number almost immediately, and don't have to wonder what's happening. I also think that greater use of email may help; e.g. emailing members asking for Sprinter articles, or emailing them to advise of upcoming events and club stands. I'm not a web developer unfortunately but my background is in IT so it just seems obvious to me that greater use of technology may help here. But please keep Sprinter a real magazine :)

[bristolbaron 10]

So difficult to write about this without fear of saying the wrong thing.

 

One of the main benefits of CCGB membership has already been stated as clubstands.

 

The CCGB already use CF for advertising their clubstands. When non CCGB members ask to join the stands being advertised on their forum they're told they have to pay to join. CF receive no payment for clubstand advertising or referrals from joining CF members.. it seems very one sided.

 

Personally I feel any clubstands being offered on CF should be available to CF members free of charge. If these members then decide they want to join the CCGB on the day that could then be an option.

 

The CCGB would also benefit from trying to 'buy into' the forum if possible. The costs incurred from it's own forum could go straight to a members sub forum here if theirs was closed.

 

There could be locked CCGB areas for classifieds, CCGB merchandise, clubstands, sprinter submissions.

 

The main issue when these threads have come up in the past is that Andi has always wanted CF to remain separate. However, with Kip at the helm, It would be great if the two of them could get together for discussions.

[Jim 1]

I don't think folks should be afraid to say "the wrong thing" - I think we all accept there are things that need fixing and the more feedback we can get on what people think is right and wrong with the club, then I think it will help us to give people what they want.

[bristolbaron 10]

jim - more a case of i know the people behind the scenes of both work bloody hard, and me storming in with my size tens saying everything needs to change wont help! I have to write and rewrite before i come up with something constructive!

 

defo think its the right time for a merger though!

[scarlet_vr6 0]

^^^ agree with above, and I too was editing as I typed, because I know I'm not always the most tactful person and I don't want those who I know work extremely hard thinking that their work isn't appreciated! :)