Who did not attend because of the heat?

[tommcgee]

Overwhelmingly, their responses were to keep the rally in these last two weeks of July. Yes - these two groups are enormously important to the draw of a rally and actually making the rally happen.

Did they get a choice beyond June and July?

[SUE]

Did they get a choice beyond June and July?

See post number 54.

[DBCasey]

One can always put on little more clothing but you can't walk around naked/ride naked to prevent heat stroke. !

Tell that to the guy I saw at Sedalia riding around town on his GS clad only in a pair of shorts. No shoes, no shirt, no nothing!

I get the fact that the Rally dates probably won't change. And I get it that the size of the Rally limits where the Rally can be held. My hope is that the Rally Committee will take a good look at holding future Rallies at locations that are historically cooler. So what if we go to the same places once every 3 years?

While in Sedalia, I looked up the weather in Stowe, Vermont. 75 degrees in the day and upper 50's at night. How nice would that be? Just an example of the weather Rally goers could look forward to if the Rallies were held at places in the upper latitudes or altitudes. Again, if that limits the locations, big deal. I'd rather visit the same site once every 3rd year if I knew that the weather would be favorable. Revisiting favored rides, restaurants, and attractions would be nice.

Look at the biggest motorcycle rallies in the nation, Sturgis and Americade are both held in the same place year after year. Granted, a totally different crowd, but theres no denying the attendance. Why not consider something similar for the MOA? Move the Rally to one spot in each of the 4 zones and leave it there.

I get it that you can't predict the weather a year out, and PA was historically cooler, but as a survivor of Bloomsburg and Sedalia, I didn't get to take any rides at either rally due to the heat. I was able to fill my days with seminars and cruising the vendors, but I'd really like to ride around once at the Rally without and be able to enjoy the ride without sweating through my riding jacket and fighting heat exhaustion. (Unless I ride around like the nearly-naked GS guy)!

I will say that the Missouri Fairgounds was a great site. I appreciated all the vendors and seminars being indoors in the A/C.

[tommcgee]

See post number 54.

I give up. When 42% of survey respondents have never been to a rally, why not? You asked about regional events and why not.

[40427]

Thanks Sue, I appreciate that you responded to my questions about vendors.

Says a lot about how the board reads and pays attention to the members

[MANICMECHANIC]

After reading this same old thing year after year about how somebody doesn't like something about the Rally, be it location, or time of year or whatever, I'm reminded of the rule in deer camp concerning cooking - the person who complains about the food is now the new cook. So far I've seen over the years people who do nothing but gripe, but have not offered to help other than to offer' "if I had MY way' suggestions. Well, have it your way, organize a rally, at a location of your choosing and a time of your choosing. Make sure the weather will be perfect for everybody, the roads all great, the scheduling coincides with that of all the attendees, etc. Make it happen. I'm waiting. Nobody is stopping you.

In the meantime, I'll just go on enjoying the efforts that have already proven to be successful, and go to the rallies, both local and national, that I can and choose to attend. And I'll continue to VOLUNTEER as I can. Maybe things won't be perfect, but at least we'll have fun in the trying.

[JDOCKERY132445]

After reading this same old thing year after year about how somebody doesn't like something about the Rally, be it location, or time of year or whatever, I'm reminded of the rule in deer camp concerning cooking - the person who complains about the food is now the new cook. So far I've seen over the years people who do nothing but gripe, but have not offered to help other than to offer' "if I had MY way' suggestions. Well, have it your way, organize a rally, at a location of your choosing and a time of your choosing. Make sure the weather will be perfect for everybody, the roads all great, the scheduling coincides with that of all the attendees, etc. Make it happen. I'm waiting. Nobody is stopping you.

In the meantime, I'll just go on enjoying the efforts that have already proven to be successful, and go to the rallies, both local and national, that I can and choose to attend. And I'll continue to VOLUNTEER as I can. Maybe things won't be perfect, but at least we'll have fun in the trying.

I agree. Here is a challenge for everyone; find a rally site.

Believe me, it is not easy. For those of you suggesting specific locations; what would the venue be?

Are there 3000 motel/hotel rooms available?
Are there air conditioned [if needed] facilities for vendors and seminars?
How about RV camping?
Tent spaces?
Shade?
Good riding areas around and to the venue?
CAN WE SELL OUR BEER?

I have been looking for rally sites in the Southeast and GA law prohibits the BMWMOA from selling beer. If any of you good ole boys from GA know a way around this, let me know.


The rest of you; please post your suggested venues and I can assure you that someone will check it out.

[40427]

I can no longer drink beer

But I wonder , why is it so important that the club be allowed to sell their own

Is it a special micro beer produced by the MOA on their own label

[JDOCKERY132445]

I can no longer drink beer

But I wonder , why is it so important that the club be allowed to sell their own

Is it a special micro beer produced by the MOA on their own label

It is the profit from the beer sales which fund a number of club needs.

[40427]

I'm good with that

[1074]

Also consider the thought that having a Beer Garden keeps us on site, possibly preventing a bunch of DWIs.

[wanderer]

The reason we, the MOA, work so hard to control the beer sales is a long standing safety philosophy. We control the beer, we control the price, we sell as cheap as is reasonable to discourage our members from drinking off site and riding their bike under the influence. It really is that simple. Some members don't imbibe, some members bring adult beverages on site from local stores (pre rally we inform restaurants and liquor stores we are coming and suggest they stock up and staff up.) We have modified site contracts in the past to allow our members to bring liquor onto the site as it was contractually forbidden. The "control the beer" decision isn't about those who don't drink, it's about providing a venue for those who do. If we change that policy we are putting our members on the streets on their bikes.

I really grow weary of the annual discussions of "Why is beer so important" If many posters would stop and think of the responsibility Rally Chairs and other key volunteers feel for the overall safety of attendees, I believe these annual reviews would mitigate. If you think I'm making this up do a search, it comes up every year, by those not directly involved, and it's answered ever year by those of us who, some having been rally chairs, have gone to the hospital immediately after leaving the rally to check on the welfare of members who have been in accidents going to, during, or leaving our rallies. Many of us take member safety very seriously.

As far as the main thrust of this thread, weather, I'd really like to see some of the posters move beyond the hypothetical "ideal site, with ideal predictible weather, at the ideal time of year."
Start a thread, name the venue that fits our many needs, pick a date, I will then post the weather extremes for the site, or why the specific site will not work. Keyboard generalizations are easy, suggesting we could somehow reach some magicial consensus is easy. Fact is, it's actually very few of our 34,000 members commenting and we seldom reach consensus as a whole on anything beyond theory. Conspiricy theories abound but I ask you to ask yourself why your BoD would not choose this magical site with magical weather that would make ALL of our members happy and have an attendence of 34,000 if it existed and someone would point it out to us? Hummmmm?

If we had been in Sedalia when we were in Bloomsburg and Bloomsburg when we were in
Sedalia this thread wouldn't exist .....maybe.


Stan Herman
MOA Director (appointed, not enough people ran to fill the seats)
MOA Ambassador (my first committee Chairmanship involved a toilet plunger I used over 100 times)
National Rally Co-Chair Redmond
Co-inventor of the free water and sprinklers program in Bloomsburg
2012 Logistics Chair RA National Rally Copper Mt. Co.

Ya'all jump in there are plenty of volunteer positions available!

[Newstar]

Well done, Stan!

You'll never please everyone and I've yet to find the person who can control the weather. But I'd like to say THANK YOU for all that you and the board members, rally chairs, and volunteers do!

For all those who feel they have a better idea or can do a better job, I'd like to suggest that you get more involved. Run for office. Volunteer in a key rally position. I'm sure your ideas will be heard and perhaps acted upon. I don't mean this to sound snarky but there are quite a few arm chair quarterbacks who have ideas but forget that this is a club largely run by volunteers.

[vetbmwrider]

I have been sitting on the fence not weighing. I first want to say I did not attend, because of the heat and I already logged in many of miles before this date and I was just tired of riding in 100+ days in the by the time this rally came around. Knowing Chuck, Julie, and Bob they went over board to make everyone visit to the MOA rally special. The problem lies within the MOA BOD. They are the ones that approve the rally sites, set the rally philosophy about the beer garden, approve the rally chair and set the dates, Etc.... Now what I am hearing is allot of complaints and the MOA BOD not listen because they held a rally south of Interstate 70 and was 95+ degree days. The MOA BOD is probably listening, I hope. The problem is if you want change, then we need to get rid of the MOA BOD members that we have now, and elect new members that will bring changes that are needed to this organization. Now if we do not elect new faces to the MOA BOD do not expect any major changes and expect the same thing year to year and all you can do is blame yourself for not being more involved and no changes.:

[widebmw]

I have been sitting on the fence not weighing. I first want to say I did not attend, because of the heat and I already logged in many of miles before this date and I was just tired of riding in 100+ days in the by the time this rally came around. Knowing Chuck, Julie, and Bob they went over board to make everyone visit to the MOA rally special. The problem lies within the MOA BOD. They are the ones that approve the rally sites, set the rally philosophy about the beer garden, approve the rally chair and set the dates, Etc.... Now what I am hearing is allot of complaints and the MOA BOD not listen because they held a rally south of Interstate 70 and was 95+ degree days. The MOA BOD is probably listening, I hope. The problem is if you want change, then we need to get rid of the MOA BOD members that we have now, and elect new members that will bring changes that are needed to this organization. Now if we do not elect new faces to the MOA BOD do not expect any major changes and expect the same thing year to year and all you can do is blame yourself for not being more involved and no changes.:

Remember the last BMWMOA Election, 2 (TWO) positions were not filled becauce no one ran for them.