I received this email this afternoon. We are not going to be able to attend the BMWMOA rally in Des Moines this year but I am sure some of you Beemer riders are. The letter below explains the needs at the rally. Paul Ruffell's contact info is below. If you can help contact Paul.
Hello Will.
My name is Paul Ruffell and I been given the task of recruiting volunteer’s for the MOA’s BMW Des Moines Rally. I am approaching you Will since you are listed as the contact for the United Sidecar Association and it is possible that many of your members may be attending the Des Moines Rally (July 12th - July 15th).
Since the rally will require approximately 1,500 volunteers, I am looking for help, hoping that the MOA Charter Clubs might be willing as clubs, to lend a hand.
I am hoping that some clubs, might be able to take over a complete shift for various committees. The Beer Garden, the 50/50 Charity, the MOA Gear Store, Security, Volunteers all require a good number of helpers per shift to keep the rally operating. If you have club shirts, or club hats that advertise your club, that would be an excellent way to promote your group.
Although some committees mentioned above require large numbers of volunteers, others often only need two or three people to complete a shift. Every volunteer assignment, no matter the numbers, is important to the success of MOA Rally.
The Rally also needs a group of volunteers committed in advance to helping, especially on the Thursday. I am hoping that some of your club members will be able to help.
I am asking you to share this request with your club members by forwarding this email and the attachment with our needs to your membership so that they might volunteer either as a group or as individuals, working a shift for one of our committees.
If you or your club are able to assist at the MOA’s Des Moines Rally, please contact the appropriate committee chair found on the attachment.
Thank you, Will.
Paul
Paul F. Ruffell
2018 Des Moines Volunteer Committee Chair
moa2018volunteers@gmail.com
2018volunteers@bmwmoa.org
Is their camping for volunteers?
rudyr - 6/9/2018 6:42 PM Is their camping for volunteers?
There is no extra compensation for volunteers. You pay the same as everybody else.
But the camping is included in the registration fee.
Please don't get me wrong. I have attended many MOA rallies and enjoyed most of them. We've volunteered in registration, the beer garden and several other tasks. I've even been a committee chair. These are HUGE rallies with thousands of attendees. If you want to volunteer for the experience, I'm confident that you will enjoy it. If you are volunteering because you think that you'll get something, like free camping, that others don't get, you'll be disappointed.
Go, volunteer, enjoy.
Please don't get me wrong. I have attended many MOA rallies and enjoyed most of them. We've volunteered in registration, the beer garden and several other tasks. I've even been a committee chair. These are HUGE rallies with thousands of attendees. If you want to volunteer for the experience, I'm confident that you will enjoy it. If you are volunteering because you think that you'll get something, like free camping, that others don't get, you'll be disappointed.
Go, volunteer, enjoy.
jw:
You ought to tell the MOA guys that we will help when they agree to post info about OUR Rallies in their magazine. They refused to do it this year - and I can't recall ever seeing a USCA rally in the MOA News
Grumble grumble grumble
Duncan
Just for background... The USCA is a bona fide charter club of the BMW MOA. One of the items that charter clubs get is a single display ad the the BMW MOA Owner's News each year. Insofar as I know they have never run a USCA rally ad.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't go to the rally and perhaps volunteer. You'll have fun. Of course if you want to go to a rally with hills and curves to ride, a rally where you can't see the horizon in all directions (except buildings) and a rally where you won't be lost in a crowd of THOUSANDS, go to the BMWRA rally a week later in Wellsboro, PA at the Tioga County Fairgrounds. Smaller (maybe 900 to 1,200 folks), friendlier and surrounded by lots of twisty roads with elevation changes including the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania". Not really all that grand but a beautiful and interesting ride. The canyon's real name is the Pine Creek Gorge. It has about 1,500 of elevation change and it's surrounded by TREES, not corn fields. But have fun in Des Moines.
Al & jw
Maybe whoever is going to represent USCA at the MOA Chartered Club meeting during their rally in Iowa can bring this up. We know where and when our 2019 rally will be - MOA should put it in the News.
Thanks,
Duncan
Duncan,
I'm not going and it's just a four hour drive from my house. No idea if Will is or not.
BTW, did you know that there's a place called "Duncan Tavern" just about 20 minutes from the RA rally? Sunday was karoake night, obviously our kind of place. To get there we have to pass, and I swear this is the name, "Upeedina Lamb". No, I don't know exactly how to pronounce it but I know what it looks like.
Hi Guy:
For the record the Monumental rally got a notice on the "When and Where" page but that wouldn't have have happened Had Harold not persisted.
And no - We are not going this year. We have done our road trip for this year and the bill came today. OUCH!! That would be my only complaint about this years rally. (Oh yes - there was the heat and humidity) But I feel the rally came off as smoothly as could be expected.
I do feel that the MOA should treat it's biggest chartered club with a little more respect than they do. Apparently we are only good for volunteers for their rally.
Will,
Just a data point, I suspect that Airheads is the biggest charter club but that's just a gut feeling, I have no data.
If they have over 1000 members I will concede.
Airheads just welcomed member 12,000.
Al: Looks like Duncan Tavern is near Duncan Township. PA also has Duncanville on one side of I-99, and Holidaysburg on the other - Down near Altoona. I stumbled upon them on a ride a few years back.
See you and TLMA next week.
d
