A Message From The SFWDA President

McCracken said:
I disagree completely. If anything I see the SxS crowd as getting a much worse reputation than wheelers ever did. I've met assholes before and even been one. I've yet to find a bigger bunch than those that ride SxSs. They rip shit up, speed excessively, create spider trails, and blast bro country, which should be punishable in some form. IMO they give offroading a terrible name. Now if you're looking to drum up some dollars maybe you do reach out to them but I would put my energy into something for everyone.
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Ranveer Singh Cheer GIF
 
77GreenMachine said:
fighting years and years of a soiled name that most don’t trust and misuse of funds. So it would seem easier to form something completely different, as I mentioned in that other thread.
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Definitely... like in 2020 when all the ISPs started changing their names in attempts ditch the BAD rap received from lack of doing anything" positive"!... RoadRunner> TWC> Spectrum or CenturyLink> Lumen
 
@McCracken I've seen SFWD completely ignore questions about finances. My question is this... Aren't Non-Profit organizations required to provide public access to financials?
 
Reid said:
The uninformed public has the impression that SxS’s are less invasive on the environment. You’ll meet less resistance than when they Conjur the image of a 1980s stye f-100 on 44” boggers ripping through a mud hole when you say “off road”
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McCracken said:
I disagree completely. If anything I see the SxS crowd as getting a much worse reputation than wheelers ever did. I've met assholes before and even been one. I've yet to find a bigger bunch than those that ride SxSs. They rip shit up, speed excessively, create spider trails, and blast bro country, which should be punishable in some form. IMO they give offroading a terrible name. Now if you're looking to drum up some dollars maybe you do reach out to them but I would put my energy into something for everyone.
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@McCracken you are not the "uninformed public". The uninformed public still thinks you can buy a nice K5 blazer with 44" gumbo mudders for $1500, and SXS are for working around the farm.
 
McCracken said:
The reason I say the USFS is because for some (or at least it used to be this way) that's the only ground they have to wheel on plus being able to help keep it open keeps public lands open to the public. It also builds good PR and when the feds / state come knocking at other private parks they are much more willing to work with you than against you if you have a professional relationship built. Other than that, I completely agree. They're bad two faced and will use you until that a time when they feel you are no longer of use to them.

I'd say if you could get some buy in from the fam you may have a better shot at it. Hey kids load up we've got to go give a check to an offroad park and shoot a short video for our IG account. While we're there let's ride. You may also find that it starts slow so the majority of your time will be getting the paperwork together at the house. The big thing is transparency. It's a cool buzzword that politicians like to use but never put it into practice. That was a big gripe I had back in the day. Southern would not tell you where the money went and how it was being used. I was there when we started the online meetings. It may have been partly my idea. I just remember asking someone where the money went and was told that they would not discuss that on an open forum like online viewing. They claimed that the "other side" might be watching and find out what they were up to :rolleyes: sorry, ran off on a tangent but you get the point.

It sounds like you've got some support here so if it kicks off I'm sure it won't be too much burden if you can spread the load. Many hands make light work or something along those lines. Handsome face, out 😘
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They are still the same. There is a thread on Hardline, where multiple folks, some who are active memebers of Southern, have asked for budgets and how money was being spent. One of the top bogs even came on the site saying they were going to change things, but would never answer any questions.
 
McCracken said:
The reason I say the USFS is because for some (or at least it used to be this way) that's the only ground they have to wheel on plus being able to help keep it open keeps public lands open to the public. It also builds good PR and when the feds / state come knocking at other private parks they are much more willing to work with you than against you if you have a professional relationship built. Other than that, I completely agree. They're bad two faced and will use you until that a time when they feel you are no longer of use to them.
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I agree with this. As I share Phillip's sentiment that, in this area, it seems that govt run parks are out, in other states on the east coast, that isnt always the case. Even if most of your efforts are around private parks, forming good relationships with the USFS and other state ran organizations (Hatfield, TWRA, KY, etc) will be critical to trying to stay ahead of the fight. I could be wrong, but the relationships with the large vendors, and lobbyists and what not, will be beneficial as well.
 
ghost said:
@McCracken I've seen SFWD completely ignore questions about finances. My question is this... Aren't Non-Profit organizations required to provide public access to financials?
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I think you only have to if the .gov comes knocking. Otherwise, I don't see why a group would think that by withholding info you're promoting your organization.

"Hey man, give me some money and I'll do great things for you."

"Cool."

*6 months later*

"Hey, what did you guys do with my money?"

"None of your damn business. Give me more."
 
I do see the points made about keeping good repor with the .gov ran parks. Probably best for the image and encompassing all users to stay on a positive light.

SxS points made are good too. I think for public funding that’s a large percentage of folks that would consider supporting said entity. 80% of them are pecker heads with no respect for these parks, but there is some who hold most of are same values and do care. Perhaps some time spent promoting and educating them on the dangers of their actions would go far in the long run.
I’m all for cold snacks and ripping the throttle but for Pete’s sake take out your trash and respect the trails. It’s not too much to ask.

The key is social media presence showing what’s happening. A short monthly video going over spread sheets of in my vision looks like this

“This month we took in $76,000. $1500 went to travel expenses, $3400 went to accounting expenses and we hired XYZ grading to fix the drainage and spread 230 tons of gravel at Gulches Off Road Park in South Carolina, which cost us $56,000 in total. Our current balance is XX and next week I’m meeting with 3 contractors for bids for building a new bath house and fixing the drive at ABC off road park in ________.
Do you want some improvements at an off road park near you? Have them contact us and apply for a grant, share this video and comment where you’d like us to help! Support the cause and tell your friends and let’s improve the off road community together for $5/month!”

Something like that with regular updates and complete transparency would spread like wildfire in the off road community.
 
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As I thought about this, I envisioned that this organization would kinda work similar to a Chamber of Commerce. You are basically the mediator between .gov, the parks, and their customers. You help navigate the legal issues (eventually), and you promote both venues and customers and companies. But maybe I am thinking wrong.

Also, maybe I am thinking about it wrong here too, but I would maybe try and get the venues and companies to buy in as well; not just the public. Yes, I know that is money out of a parks budget, but maybe it puts some skin in the game. And you incentivize them, like promoting your sponsors kind of thing. I could see it as a yearly fee, similar to a "yellow star" on here or pirate.

Lastly, maybe we can have a mod merge this conversation over to Ken's thread about starting this topic?
 
ghost said:
I would not want any association with SFWDA. I say leave Ken's separate. JMHO!
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Agreed!!. I meant, merge the conversation (posts) about starting another into Ken's. Not the whole thread. Basically, try to seperate potentially useful conversation away from SFWDA.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
As I thought about this, I envisioned that this organization would kinda work similar to a Chamber of Commerce. You are basically the mediator between .gov, the parks, and their customers. You help navigate the legal issues (eventually), and you promote both venues and customers and companies. But maybe I am thinking wrong.

Also, maybe I am thinking about it wrong here too, but I would maybe try and get the venues and companies to buy in as well; not just the public. Yes, I know that is money out of a parks budget, but maybe it puts some skin in the game. And you incentivize them, like promoting your sponsors kind of thing. I could see it as a yearly fee, similar to a "yellow star" on here or pirate.

Lastly, maybe we can have a mod merge this conversation over to Ken's thread about starting this topic
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Maybe participating parks could give discounts to members. (spit ballin')
 
Crunchy said:
Maybe participating parks could give discounts to members. (spit ballin')
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Something I’ve considered, but that takes money out of the hands of the very park’s we are trying to help.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I do see the points made about keeping good repor with the .gov ran parks. Probably best for the image and encompassing all users to stay on a positive light.

SxS points made are good too. I think for public funding that’s a large percentage of folks that would consider supporting said entity. 80% of them are pecker heads with no respect for these parks, but there is some who hold most of are same values and do care. Perhaps some time spent promoting and educating them on the dangers of their actions would go far in the long run.
I’m all for cold snacks and ripping the throttle but for Pete’s sake take out your trash and respect the trails. It’s not too much to ask.

The key is social media presence showing what’s happening. A short monthly video going over spread sheets of in my vision looks like this

“This month we took in $76,000. $1500 went to travel expenses, $3400 went to accounting expenses and we hired XYZ grading to fix the drainage and spread 230 tons of gravel at Gulches Off Road Park in South Carolina, which cost us $56,000 in total. Our current balance is XX and next week I’m meeting with 3 contractors for bids for building a new bath house and fixing the drive at ABC off road park in ________.
Do you want some improvements at an off road park near you? Have them contact us and apply for a grant, share this video and comment where you’d like us to help! Support the cause and tell your friends and let’s improve the off road community together for $5/month!”

Something like that with regular updates and complete transparency would spread like wildfire in the off road community.
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I love the idea of a short monthly video with what is happening.

I would absolutely set up a reoccurring payment from my bank for $5/month for something like this if it was making a difference in the 4WD community.
 
drkelly said:
I love the idea of a short monthly video with what is happening.

I would absolutely set up a reoccurring payment from my bank for $5/month for something like this if it was making a difference in the 4WD community.
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Yeah if it would fix the world, me too but $5 each ain't gonna do shit.
 
@77GreenMachine that gives me an idea. Shoot a promo video of an old guy with a beard walking around a red clay parking lot so it looks like Africa. He can walk by different rigs and pat them and say, "for only $5 a month, you can make a difference..."
 
McCracken said:
@77GreenMachine that gives me an idea. Shoot a promo video of an old guy with a beard walking around a red clay parking lot so it looks like Africa. He can walk by different rigs and pat them and say, "for only $5 a month, you can make a difference..."
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Neither of you are old enough to remember the OG

 
Crunchy said:
Maybe participating parks could give discounts to members. (spit ballin')
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Or maybe participating vendors can give 10% discount. Also, you could create a private FB group, where just the members can get there. You push that its a place where members can talk about upcoming ideas, or ask questions with other like minded folks, etc. This concept is making folks plenty of money in the homesteading world, and they arent offering much more than contact info, and some discounts.
 
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