Some Thoughts

[Blue Angel]

Back in I think 1999, I moved to Baytown. We owned a nice blue YJ in bone stock configuration. I stopped at a convenience store one day and a fellow walked over and told me about a 4x4 club meeting on Saturday night. I decided to attend.

There I met Bruce Boyd, chapter president of TX4X4 Baytown and a bunch of other folks. even though my jeep was bone stock, I was made to feel at home. A few days later Bruce called me and wanted to stop by. He brought a camera and had me "flex" my jeep up on a dirt pile beside my driveway and he took pictures and posted them online back when we just had a mailing list. Made me feel special and one of the group....

A few weeks later I was invited to go on a wheeling trip in Hot Springs with the club members. This was back when there was no "Superlift Park". A guy named Richard was a local guide up there with access to all the right of ways and property. We caravanned up to Hot Springs and all stayed at the local hotel. In that parking lot, Bruce taught me about disconnecting the front sway bar and airing down. When we hit the trails, I learned all about how important momentum is when climbing hills. Man, I had an absolute blast!

Bruce and those guys worked hard to take care of new folks like me. They took time to explain stuff and offer tips and advice. We went on a couple more trips up there as well as the Llano River at Kingsland, Shiloh Ridge, some beach runs.....always the same group. When we lost Bruce, the Baytown Chapter kinda dwindled down.

I have seen a lot of turmoil in this club over the years. There has been a lot of really nasty things said.....where are those guys at now?

The club in those days were as strong as the individual chapter leaderships. Bruce Boyd was a leader that cared. We did things as a CHAPTER of TX4WD. We contributed to the organization but, it was a chapter activity. As a new wheeler, I learned how to wheel.....what spare parts to carry.....my capabilities as a driver and my rigs capabilities. We used to hold swap meets at Gulfgate Mall....all a bunch of fun.

Chapter leadership needs to get back to helping newbies learn how to enjoy their rigs. Chapter leadership needs to focus on their chapters and how to grow that chapter. Monthly meets and greets in a highly visible location....not sitting in some restaurant. Kids and wives should be involved. Chapter leadership should look at holding a swap meet. Chapter leadership should be organizing wheeling trips for their chapter to promote unity. Chapter leadership should be positive leaders or just step down and let someone else give it a shot.

If all the chapters can unify, the club as a whole can unify at some point.

I encourage and welcome discussion......

[Mudhog1977]

Not much to argue bout there , well said!

[05X4X4]

^^ agreed^^

I think even the most dedicated person in the club can do better, with that said if everyone put in just a little effort it really wouldn't take a lot to get back to what you remember. I wish we came I. At that time. I don't have any experience with other chapters as a whole, but I'm glad we're apart of the B/CS chapter do to the fact that 99% of the people are regulars that are knowledgable and willing to put the time in to help everyone.


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[EastTxRedneck]

I agree, I love the group of people that I wheel with. When Ifirst star ted with my explorer bone stock Todd, Eric, and Steve went out of there way to help teach me. I try to help the club and fellow wheelers in any way I can now to keep it going.

[JJ331]

We went to Texas Offroad Ranch with some Katy chapter members today. I didn't catch too many names, but Brian and everyone there was very helpful and friendly. This is the first time I've owned any 4x4 that wasn't bone stock. Everyone had a great time!

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Well said Jim!

[PondSkum]

I joined up only 2 short years after Jim. HE was one of the guys at that time that showed me a lot of stuff that my Jeep could do, even in stock form. It WAS pretty cool back in the day, but lots of stuff has changed. In the past few years, Chris (uppidycon) and I have brought in several new Jeepers to the family, and have taken them out and showed them the ropes just like Jim and all them did back then. We love wheeling with new people and I'm always trying to get new guys to join us and tear up their rigs too! LOL..

One thing that I think has hit this sport hard in particular is the economy. I used to do at least 3 or 4 good weekend wheeling trips per year, now I'm lucky if I get 2. This year I've only had 1, and don't known if I will get another good trip in before the end of the year. When we were over in Liberty County, we had a good core group for a while, then even they started dwindling down because people just couldn't afford to keep their rigs going anymore. After it ended up just being a few people meeting up for dinner is when we stopped doing it all together.

I would love to revive the Bay Area Chapter (or make a new chapter around these parts), but I don't have the time to commit to being the "leader" of it. And no one has jumped in and volunteered yet. Also, I know a LOT of people in this area that probably wouldn't join anyway, because of past issues. It's left a bad imprint on a lot of folks. Sucks that it happened, but it did.

We have worked hard to build this new forum, and promote it via Facebook and other methods. I've mentioned the site to several people I've met around town. But it just isn't the same as it used to be. I don't think it ever will.

[UstabeaRenegade]

I have been around longer than Jimmy, and think the first time we met was either at the beach (on one of our countless beach runs) or somewhere else. Time have definetly changed around here. I have lost a lot of good members either to life changing events, jobs being relocated, or just simply moving on. I have commited to my members as well as them to me to turn very hard to turn this around and gather more like-minded people. The competition around us is hurting things a tad as well as my own situation (not having a street legal jeep) but we are not letting that sway us in reviving our chapter.

[texasfrog]

I was out wheeling the San Jacinto river (everyone called it 242 at the time) and was sitting on the river bank when John Hodges,Derrick Spain and Tim Kyle found me. They ask me what I was doing out there,I told them I was stuck. They said they could pull me out and ask where my vehicle was,I pointed to the water. They all looked at me like I was crazy! "Yeah it down there" I said. without hesitation Derrick jump in the water and said "yeah there is a Samurai down here!" laughing. Tim through a strap to him and hooked it to his jeep and pulled it up out of the water and on the bank. I tried to get it started but it was hydro locked,I told them I did not live but a mile from there and they all offered to tow me home.I accepted and we were on our way cutting up over the events that happened.As we pulled it around to my shop area they all jumped out to look in my shop were my 2 tube buggy's were parked. It was then that John told me I was now a member of tx4x4....I said I would think about it but they all turned and said it was decided just then and I had no choice.LOL! anyway that was in the fall of '99 and since then I have remained friends with most all who I met through the club since that day. Back then as the club grew we helped each other build friendships through our mutual love of the sport. We help each other plan events and put in the time needed to make it happen.It was not about what kind of vehicle you had or how much money you could spend on your rig.It was about comradery. Today I see more wanting more out of the club than they are willing to put back into it. Putting on events,keeping the club interesting takes time to do and expecting a club leader or chapter lead to do it all is just waiting for failure.it's also selfish. Time is the most valued commodity we have as people.This club needs to be focused on bringing people together. People who have the same interest as you,off roading and 4x4's. Anyone with a 4 wheel drive can go to a OHV park or a dirt trail and go wheeling. You don't need a club for that. A club is about THE PEOPLE not the vehicle. once you get that strait and focused the club will grow with new members and old ones will return.

My advice:
Have a direction and focus on people.
Have meetings to make friends not use the time brag about yourself.
Have things to do as a group outside of just wheeling.
Have all members give their "time" to help plan things to do.
Be helpful to all new members of your group and don't trash them for not knowing everything.
Don't try to push other clubs to join your group,lead by making your group more interesting and fun.
Have things to do with your group that don't cost a lot or involve going out of town for the ones that can't.
(car/truck wash's,going to car shows,dinner nights,picnics, anything like this)

Stay thirsty my friends!

[Big4x4ride]

Mark, who was it that had the jeep "peepers" back in 2000 or so? He organized the poker run there at 242 back then. Was that Derrick?