They Are Killing Our Access

jeepndel

Land Use Dude
Location
N. CA
They Are Killing Our Access!
How Egos and Personalities Could Be Our Downfall

By Del Albright, BlueRibbon Ambassador
Is your club ticked off at a neighboring club? Are you drifting away from your club because of the behavior of a few folks? Do you find yourself attending fewer club/group meetings these days? Do you feel like your opinion does not count? Are you ready to just say to heck with it and walk away as a volunteer? Are you tired of the politics and clicks in your club? In other words, do egos and personalities ruin your recreation?

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In my travels around the country helping folks to get organized and keep trails open, I have seen too much of the above problems. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great clubs that are doing just fine. But I've seen my share of egos and personalities driving folks away from organized recreation. There are ways to fix that.

I am convinced that our future lies in folks joining and staying active in organized recreation. The more we band together and stay tuned into what's happening with our trails, the better our chances of having a sport in the future. The more we separate or alienate from each other – as in not joining groups -- the less chance we have of surviving as a recreational pursuit. We must be together at every opportunity.

This means that our local clubs/groups must be viable and effective. I am always reminded of the anti-access (radical environmental groups) slogan of “think globally; act locally.” They have got it figured out. They preach keeping the big picture in mind, while taking baby steps at the local level towards achieving the big picture. It works!

In large business corporations and management, there's a concept called the “Swiss Cheese” approach. Swiss cheese has a lot of holes in it to make the cheese what it is. When a manager is faced with a tremendously complex task, the Swiss cheese approach is to make one hole at a time until you have your block of cheese done. In other words, like a long hike in the back country, it's just one step at a time until you reach your destination.

This is where the local level involvement is so important. If we're all taking baby steps, punching holes in the big block of Swiss cheese, eventually we'll achieve the big global picture -- responsible access for all!

It starts with your local club or group. It starts with a few folks deciding to get past personalities and get something done for the greater good. It starts with a commitment to not let someone else control how you feel about your sport or your club. It starts with you making sure “they” don’t kill our access!

If you have personality issues in your club or group, I suggest that before you give up, you confront them head on. Let folks know how you feel and what you expect. Only then can a group or club decide if they want to make changes to accommodate your wishes. But to me, it is such a shame to see someone drop out of a group without letting people know the reason why. It's similar to telling a boss at work what's wrong from your perspective so the problem can be fixed. Many times bosses don't know what the employees know. So by letting someone know there's a problem, at least you give them a chance to fix it.

There's an old saying I use a lot: “A complaint is never legitimate until it's voiced to someone who can fix it.” If personalities are ruling your recreation, then I suggest you speak up and clear the air. Get to the “peace table” and talk it out. Go face to face and don’t try to solve in on the forums. Find solutions or compromises that all the parties can live with. But whatever you do, give it a shot before you give up.

When I help folks get past personality issues, I always remind them that we are not out to change who someone is, only how they behave in our group. If a certain behavior is alienating other club members, then we need to find a way to change that behavior. It can be done, but only through communications that are pretty open and honest.

In the leadership training I give folks, I drive home the point that we must let folks know our expectations -- those things that make us smile and enjoy our sport (or our job or anything else). The same holds true for a club or a volunteer committee. If you have expectations that are not being fulfilled, then let someone know. , By doing so you increase your chances of staying in the game and helping to punch holes in that big block of cheese.


Del
More articles on my website about landuse, personalities, clubs, and keeping our sports alive: http://www.delalbright.com/article_list.htm
 

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
Utah has a great club scene and while there might be some head butting in the past and perhaps some I don't know about... I think we all play really nicely. We've had 10+ clubs represented at service projects in the past (NPLD heyday in AFC for example) and still as of current 4-5 clubs meet regularly with the FS to discuss AFC projects. The U4WDA should have delegates from all clubs on their board or at a minimum invited to represent at their meetings. I realize it isn't always workable for every club but a handful stay in the loop. Simply put, clubs get stuff done in Utah!
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
No I see trail rides and jeep rides with 20+ vehicles as stupid. Having to wait while someone shows off and breaks something. Stupid. Might just be the clubs I've tried. And I don't go 4 wheeling so I can hang out with lots of people. I do it to go places where there aren't people.
 

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
No I see trail rides and jeep rides with 20+ vehicles as stupid. Having to wait while someone shows off and breaks something. Stupid. Might just be the clubs I've tried. And I don't go 4 wheeling so I can hang out with lots of people. I do it to go places where there aren't people.

Believe it or not, a club run doesn't have to be 20+ vehicles. I'd guess our average Wasatch Cruisers run is 10-15 and we move just fine. Many ExpeditionUtah events have vehicle caps to support just this, everyone enjoying the experience. A good trail leader will have a vibe of how many rigs a trail ride can support without being a traffic jam. The nice thing about clubs is folks quickly realize whether or not they meet the vibe of the club. Some guys love to show-off and break down, there are events catered to them (King of Whisks @ Constrictor last month) and others just enjoy spending time in the outdoors with like-minded and similar individuals. Choose a better club. :D

That said, I totally understands clubs are not for everyone, just as forums are not for others. It is what you make it and plenty of folks do rad trips and enjoy their adventures sans a club. The biggest benefit of a club imo is the opportunity be be active, relevant and on-task with land use projects... just isn't nearly as effective with a casual forum group and without some structure, there isn't often a pecking order to get things done.
 
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