Should the GLTDR Survive?

[mopars1]

I was wondering what the members think about this. Since the officers do not get any participation in the chat room on the chapter's website I thought I would post it here.



What do all you members want to do???

 

[IC Smoke]

Id like it to grow again but there doesent seem to be much of a "flame" in the group.



there needs to be some GLTDR sponsored events

I know Matt Joppie has already gotten a diesel weekend started! (not a member YET)



Ask the leaders of GLTDR if they want to keep doing it or not. If not pass the torch to another interested member... . ? Just an idea

Also the hitch covers, shirts and what not are a excellent idea but lets change it up some (new shirts/decals) I think of it like a vehicle dodge doesnt leave the rams all the same for X amount of years, so they change it to spice it up some... . well lets get some different shirts and/or decals. Maybe some flyiers, or other promotional items would help



The sunday "meetings" are dead... . ive been on and not seen too many others IF any. Also ive not gotten any member cards/passwords for the forums either.





Ian



PUMP UP GLTDR! Oo.

 

[DHRA]

I say we hand it over to the next generation, our time "growing up" in the diesel thing is over. It was fun and exciting getting together to install someone's injectors, box, or to check out a p pump on the stand. It was new to us, but that was 4 years ago. Now, there is a new generation of CTD fellas going through the same thing we did, and it is exciting for them. The constant lack of participation of the first generation of GLTDR members can keep us thinking that its dead. Allow one of the up and comings to take it over I say..... my . 02

 

[mjoppie]

i know i know ian, ive been busy but i do plan on sending in the form sometime soon to join. i think just like ian said there needs to be some good events to spark intrest in the gltdr. i also agree that there needs to be some new blood for some new ideas too. i personaly would like to see it survive and get bigger. were in diesel country, we should have a good system!!!



matt, soon to be member

 

[mopars1]

Ian, the forums are up and you can register there now. When you were in the chat room the "officers" were there. WE have been trying to get things going, but the area we cover is very large and it is hard to do. Our thoughts are to split the area up as in a MITDR and INTDR etc. We are going to have a meeting in April in Illinois to elect officers so look out for the time and place. There should be enough lead time to attend if interested.



The club leaders/officers have not lost the enthusiasm for the club. It is just too hard to get people together from such a large area.



We can also get this going in the club forums so we can say more as needed.



David

 

[mopars1]

At the meeting in April, we may talk about breaking apart the club to smaller areas. That is what myself and the original president and starter of the GLTDR have talked about. I have a dyno day set up in St. Louis, MO for next month on the 19th. Do you think you would drive from Michigan just to attend for a few hours? I think it would be hard for you. Do you see what I am talking about?



The original Thunder in Muncie at Daves Diesel was started by the members of the GLTDR who happen to still be members. The enthusiasm is there. It is just impossible to get every member together during the year.

 

[IC Smoke]

Dave I see what your saying about splitting, I think that would be a good idea also



Ian

 

[dodgerep]

Great Lakes TDR Organization

Gentleman of the Great Lakes Chapter. I am very interested in this particular topic. I live in Wisconsin, work 60 hours a week and while I would love to attend every event, the truth of the matter is it is very difficult between work, and car shows and local events. I am throwing this out for thought. I would be very interested in heading up a Wisconsin chapter. I currently run dodgerp.com and would have no problem incorporating a new site that was just for out TDR members and would welcome the challenge of keeping everyone abreast of what is happening in out region. I also work in sales for two Dodge Dealers in the area, and I am currently working on special discounts for TDR and Dodge owners.



I have spoken to Clear Channel Communications about some promotional opportunites and am currently working on an all Custom and Power Truck show with the AMVET.



Not to create discention in the ranks, but I would very much be interested in helping set up a Wisconsin Chapter. Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[mopars1]

I do think that having chapters in the single states would be a good idea. The states we are talking about are pretty large. It would be different if they were smaller in area. The Secretary of the GLTDR and myself live in the same state and we are four hours apart. That in itself is not a large amount of time, but setting something up for us to do as a club would mean someplace in the middle and that would be in an area we really don't know anything about.



This is not about discention in the club, it is about making things better and more realistic for the ones in a smaller area. Even though the split might happen, it doesn't mean that some members of other chapters cannot attend the events of other chapters. That happens quite often. We have made good friends doing this. It does not say that these friends are not friends anymore



That sounds real good dodgerep

 

[mjoppie]

i agree! i for one would like to see some smaller chapters of the gltdr. i would love to help someone like Ian, he is motivated to work for the better of the program. i am new at this but the spit sounds good for everyone, it gets people closer. i would love to see the gltdr grow to a good number but 5 people cant do it, ian and them need our help, lets go guys, make this happen!!!!!







matt

 

[willyslover]

thread hijack... .

It's like TDR site. . the old guys fade away

 

[dodgerep]

Proposal for New Chapter

Well Gentlemen,



It would seem we are all in agreement that having more localized chapters would not only be more sensible, but would also provide better organization for all of the chapter business.



If someone could please contact me with the information regarding bylaws and rules and regulations, I would greatly appreciate it. I am not self appointing myself, but would like to be cosidered for the job. I am also involved in developing the Wisconsin Chapter of the Viper Club of America, and I could easily see both positions coinciding together.



LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND MAKE IT HAPPEN FAST. There are only a few short weeks before we enter our spring weather and I would love to start establishing some things for us to do when the weather breaks and I can keep the salt off my truck for more than 45 minutes. :-laf



I can be contacted by email at -- email address removed --

 

[dodgerep]

What it all means

I remember being four years old and sitting in the back seat of my Dad Fairlane while he yelled at me and my sister to sit down, shut up and stop pinching each other or we were not going to take a vacation.

:-{} :-{}

For many of us, we have very early memories of cars and things that happened in them. Our first real make out session, first dates, first time mom or dad let you drive to the mail box or the corner store to get milk.

Oo.

That is why I go into selling Dodges. After years of Cowboy work, and small checks, I figured I knew a thing or two about trucks, and I sure loved them. Nothing more exciting then sitting up high in a cab of a big powerful Diesel, or behind the wheel of a HEMI driven muscle machine. Oo.



That is what i would like to bring to the Wisconsin Chapter. The enthusiasm and excitement of what being a gear head is all about. You don't have to be a mechanical genius, just love cars and all that implies.



Lets not only think of ourselves, but I am sure most of us have kids that really need some Father and son time, or daughter time. Let's get them involved with other good people that do things with there kids. So many parents cant find time to do things with there kids, so lets set a standard there. Family Fun and Dodge Diesels. Not to mention it might do our wives and girlfriends some good to have someone that can realate to what it is like to love a man that loves his truck as much if not more than he does his partner.

 

[bgilbert]

Another hijack: Guys I'm all for Dodge Cummins, diesel events, get togethers, meetings, cookouts and repair days, but when I've spent time on the GLTDR site, I just felt like it was too small, but mainly, why would I want to spend more money on a membership when I'm already a proud TDR member?? Sorry I didn't get it.

 

[dodgerep]

What Membership means to us now

Gentlemen,



I would propose that running a Wisconsin Chapter of the TDR would not require any membership fees. We are already paying members of TDR. I am willing to absorb the base cost of running the chapter, and if we have events we would like to do that required any excessive revenues, we can do like other clubs do and raist the money. Not to mention, it might do us some good to maybe get involved in some things as a group.



I am open for suggestions, and of course I want to here what others have to say. I am all ready to make a move as soon as I know we have support from the members. Oo. Oo. Oo. Oo. Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[IC Smoke]

Matt- thanks for the props! you too are a very motivated TDR/GLTDR memvber!!! When It warms up I plan on having another meet/greet and Ill get some grilles around and we can have a cook out/wrenching/dyno (?) gathering and not a freezing fest!! ahhah I would be up for some authority of a Michigan chapter but the GLTDR forfathers need to let everyone know

whats going to happen.



Ian

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

The goal from the very beginning of the GLTDR was to be a regional chapter that would have a website to facilitate communication and the operation of the chapter. The $10 dues would give the club enough money to operate the website and also give it some funds to do things like print up banners to have at events, have t-shirts available, etc. The plan was to have a couple large events each year for everyone in the region to get together (which is pretty much covered with TiM and Scheids these days) and then have smaller events on a regular basis all over the place for local get togethers. All of those events were to be organized by anyone in the club - simply say your gonna have one and let people know when to show up. We tried having events coordinators in each state to facilitate having events because people weren't doing anything. Originally before the TDR had a chat room we had a chat that had people in it nearly every night. We had regular business meetings in the chat room on a monthly basis on sunday nights and had regularly scheduled chats every sunday and wednesday night. The sunday night meeting still happens but doesn't get much participation. The idea was that the business of the club could all happen online so that when we got together we could have fun.



There were almost no rules/regulations at all. You had to own or have on order a Dodge/Cummins truck and pay your dues. Anyone that joined after July 1 had a membership through the following year (up to a year and a half). Any major expenditures had to be approved by a majority vote at a business meeting (the sunday night chat). Majority ruled on everything.



I (and other) would LOVE to see someone with energy step up to the plate and make it fly again. There's a structure in place that would take the vast majority of the work out of it. The website is there, there's money in the bank to run the club, there's a nice full color club banner, and there's still a number of members out there that I'm sure would participate. When I stepped down from the presidency it was because life had gotten in the way of my being able to devote the amount of time I had been. I was also a little burnt out after working hard for a couple of years on it. I also thought it would be good for the club to have some fresh energy/ideas to come in and take over - unforetunately none of those things happened.



My recommendation to anyone that wants to do something (PLEASE DO) would be to go the GLTDR chat room on sunday nights (8:00 pm eastern I think!?) and start talking it up - believe me it will be welcome. Get in touch with mopars1 or Dennis Dolocheck and have them send out a notification email to the member list that your going to be in there and try to get things flying. The meeting that David is talking about in here would be a great place to really get it flying but starting the dialog online would be good. Originally we formed the entire club through online meetings.



It kills me to see the GLTDR dying .

 

[mjoppie]

bring on the steaks!!! it was 40* last week im ready for a cookout Oo. i think that these little get togathers would help the gltdr, opens peoples eyes that were still alive. its kinda a neat system, the big events bring them in and the little ones keep them intrested. i dont see the dues as a bad deal either, for the price of 2 packs if cigs you can be a part of a good group. i cant wait until my little boy is old enough to be intrested in this stuff so he can come to these things. i definitly think young blood is what this needs but it still needs the wisdom of the older generation. well enough blah blah for now :-laf









matt

 

[Philip]

The time is 9:00 PM eastern. When day light savings time kicks in it will be 8:00 PM.



You guy's haven't seen me at meetings because I have to be on the road to work by 5:00 AM every weekday morning. I get home around 6:00 PM most days. So the 9:00 PM meetings are to late for me.



I did host a cookout/repair day in Oct. of 2004. I attend most get togethers that are within a 3 hours drive.



So if anyone does anything close. I will most likely be there.

 

[Partyat33]

We have definetly missed you at the chats, Philp. Been pretty boring actually. There were a few weeks there where we had 6 or more people. Then it died out again.