Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Top concept Matt,

Short answer, deffinitely. There is a hell of a lot of work in administering something like this...... someone? would need to be 'employed'

[two+four Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close two+four]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

I am all for it.

Neil

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

Would you need to be a club member to access the forum? I'm already a financial 4wd club member and probably wouldn't pay/join another.

[photoprado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close photoprado]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

Good idea.

What sort of cost would be involved?

I notice that 'real' 4wd clubs have sanctioned or qualified trip leaders, probably from an insurance requirement. Would this be required in a financial PP, and would it effect the spontaneous and friendly nature of PP outings?

Michael

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

I'm all for it :wink: Matt for president :!: ... Matt for president :!:

Would you need to be a club member to access the forum? I'm already a financial 4wd club member and probably wouldn't pay/join another.

I think it would be in our best interest to maintain a free forum as it in itself is a good way to attract members and gives people a chance to get to know members before they commit financially. It could have basic features for free users and "premium" features for paying users (trader ads, bigger avatars, able to post pictures for example).

Mick

[lc120_man Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lc120_man]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

As I am already a member of local 4wd club I won't joining another one. Don't forget that you be up for heaps of fees from 4wd association/etc
around $20-30 per year for member, then you have to have the club comity and monthly meetings and do all that time in your spare time as
it is not paid work. Plus how are you planning to run a meetings/trips if some members in one part of Oz and other members at the other...

While I understand your concerns about public liability - I believe there should be another way tackling this instead of organizing the club...

I would be happy to pay a fee to go GTG which would pay for the efforts/time of people organizing it, but getting another lot
of rules to follow - sorry we got to many of this stuff already... And one of the reasons I left last 4wd club I was in...

Just my 2 cents

Cheers,

Stan

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

This was the problem I ran into when organising the 2009 GTG, basically the up shot of it all was that no insurance company was interested in us because in the insurance world we do not exist, we are a non entity and as such we are very hard to insure. After speaking with TCIS in Adelaide they put forward that we should become an entity but not necessarily a full blown club in order to gain insurance coverage.

The problem with the PP trips currently is that if someone on one of those trips accidently starts a major bushfire through their own negligence, ie not putting out a campfire properly or throwing a lit cig butt out a window, then it could come back onto the forum.

Currently to get Public Liability insurance for the annual GTG event it costs as much as getting insurance for a whole year for an entity that would cover all outings not just the GTG. Really it is a no brainer in that sense to become incorporated and have the insurance to cover us. This years GTG was very nearly cancelled at the last minute due to insurance issues, the only reason it went ahead was that I was able to speak directly with the rangers in charge of the areas we were going to and I was able to get a waiver from them to allow us into the NPs as a group.

I am all for making PP some form of incorporated entity and even though I am a financial member of my local 4WD club I would gladly become a financial member of a PradoPoint "Club" in order to keep this place going. The forum itself would still be free but to join in on tag along trips and attend the annual GTG would require a financial commitment to help offset the cost of insurance and outgoings.

[jcas24 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close jcas24]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

Would you need to be a club member to access the forum? I'm already a financial 4wd club member and probably wouldn't pay/join another.

I didn't say that.

Trips..... only needed.

It was a question. I have the same opinion as D4D & Stan on this one.

[GH4wd Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close GH4wd]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

Matt,

Although I’ve only been a PP member for a short period of time, I couldn’t agree more with your proposal, especially for those people who are not currently in a recognized 4wd club. Actually the thought of forming a club occurred to me on our last day trip, & as you stated, insurance & access to National Parks & State Forests are certainly valid concerns these days, the Spanish Steps in Newnes State Forest immediately comes to mind.

Yesterday I had a conversation with one of the rangers from National Parks Central Coast office. We discussed access to some of the tracks in Yengo & Dharug National Parks which are gated off. Although it’s possible to obtain the key ( after registering & paying the fee!) to the Womerah Range track, (not sure if this is possible with other tracks) I couldn’t help but wonder if as a registered club, we could gain favour with NP through clean up & maintenance days, & possibly gain further access to other areas. Let’s face it, these guys are responsible for managing these areas & yes, we have to pay them to participate in their Discovery program tagalongs & self guided tours but they hold all the aces. I see forming a club & working with NP & State Forests as a good thing which I know a number of clubs already do. As some members may know through the clubs they’re already in, groups such as the Colong Foundation & National Parks Association are very powerful people & it seems to me that their agenda is to permanently ban all vehicles from Parks & Forests. As a matter of fact, that statement was said to me by a NP ranger only a couple of years ago!

I know from previous experience that as a club or association, you have power. Individuals mean virtually nothing to the authorities.

Looking forward to joining the Pradopoint 4wd Club (or Prado Owners Club?).

Cheers,

Glenn

[ozwapet2 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close ozwapet2]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

I too am already a member of a "conventional" 4WD Club ( not a Toyota one ) but would not be averse to paying a little extra to be in a "proper" Pradopoint Club.
I would actually feel more comfortable paticipating in a PP trip if there was the insurance cover, as with the other Club I belong to. ( I might even be willing to run a couple of trips ).
Because Trip Leaders would also be covered, it would result more people putting their hands up, more trips and a greater variety.
You could also run fundraisers such as raffles. ( up to a certain limit ) and participate in events such as the Wandin 4WD Show.
I don't see a problem having Committee Meetings etc via the internet ( using NetMeeting or similar or just have a seperate unseen section of the forum )
They must be a way that the site could keep a "public" area which is more limited in the amount of features and information it offers.
However being an incorporated body does bring a lot of requirements and responsiblities ( yearly financial accounts, reports, election, constitution etc ). It would need a bit of time devoted by quite a few. There would also need to be an "arrangement" of some sort with the owner the domain name and the site.

[wengnuts Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close wengnuts]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

Matt, you've my support. Although I'm a financial member of two other 4wd clubs, I'm more than happy add a third for the sake of PP.

[Yota Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Yota]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

Im im for sure
Many advantages, all listed above.

[PradoBoy72 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PradoBoy72]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

So one concept to limit the number of times somebody pays maybe something like the following

Yes you need to be a member of the Prado 4WD club becuase of its affiliation and association to the national 4WD group to go on trips.

If you are a financial member of another club that has the same affiliations therefore covered by the same rules and agreements be given reciprocal rights for the time of a planned trip.

Has anybody checked to see what coverage insurance etc has in this regard.

Therefore it enables many participants but drives the national association and sanctioned trips a little wider in audience???

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

My Prado usually costs me about $220 to fill it up and I do that twice a month. So $20 or $30 in registration fees, that provide me with an blanket insurance policy, is chicken feed.

Don't get me wrong I think it's a good idea however have you looked into all the costs? I know the FWDV fees that come out of our club fees are about $50 per person, plus insurance you'd be looking at $80-100/year per person. Your PL insurance would also only cover members, 'visitors' would still need to sign a waiver.

[mudboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mudboy]

Re: Pradopoint forum 4WD Club membership ?

I think it is a good idea, as you need to be covered from an insurance point of view, I am the club secretary for the On all 4's Club in sydney and while there is some formalities to take care of, but from a committee point of view it does not have to take a lot of time up. It depends on how active the club wants to be.

If you need help in setting the club up I will be able to assist and use some of the structure and forms that I allready have. The association will also be able to assist.

If you only want to cover for trips etc, club meeting would be at a minimum but all trips would have to be published to be covered on the insurance and you will need club liability insurance, committee insurance and for the GTG seperate insurance (I would even suggest look at CCDA as it cover a lot more than just liability.

Regards,

David