Purpose of the chapter?

I know, I know....we are gonna talk about it in Rev's room.....but I was just curious what everyone sees as the purpose for forming a Midwest chapter?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a chapter....I just don't see a point if we are not going to do anything different as a chapter than we do as a club.

So, let's hear your ideas.

IntrepidXJ said:

I know, I know....we are gonna talk about it in Rev's room.....but I was just curious what everyone sees as the purpose for forming a Midwest chapter?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a chapter....I just don't see a point if we are not going to do anything different as a chapter than we do as a club.

So, let's hear your ideas.

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Actually....NOW is the time. This is the PLACE. I am not sure we need a chapter...but i am willing to discuss it and hear other ideas. Are we gonna wheel more as a chapter? Or...does having a chapter simply mean more meetings and paperwork? I do not know, but i do agree it is worth investigating.

What I would like to get out of a chapter is more orginaized local events. Attica, RORP, Nicolet, Drummond Is. etc...

JMHO
Rev

Rev Den said:

What I would like to get out of a chapter is more orginaized local events. Attica, RORP, Nicolet, Drummond Is. etc...

JMHO
Rev

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Same here, and I would like to try to do some sort of charity runs, and maybe trail clean-ups (not at the badlands, that would ruin it's unique character)

I'll show you Drummond Island anytime you want, with or w/o a chapter. There's really not much up there, alot of trails, but a good time to be had.

why can't we do charity runs for as a whole? I have yet to see the benefits myself, can someone tell me what that'll be that we don't have the way it is now?

I'm not against, I just don't see what there is to benefit, unless we can have a tree fort in the burbs of Chi town. LOL

A lot of getting a ball rolling is organization. Getting together as a group helps to accomplish this. Having "Chapter" meetings lets everyone interested get together at a particular time to throw out ideas. The members then can vote (or whatever) on what works best to keep everyone active. Eventually, those activities that work best can be scheduled each year.

Another benefit is the exposure. The more active we as a group can be, the more we'll be seen by others who may be just getting interested in XJ's. This can really help keep this "sport" alive and give all of us more opportunities to enjoy it. A "side" to getting together more ; we'll all get to know each other which is much better than a bunch of key strokes.

I agree, too. it will help organize weekend trips besides Attica. I'd like to get further away from home!

Les

Have yall figured this out yet?

Well some of us don't belong to a club so a chapter is a nice way to meet some of you guys.

As for trips, I would definatly like to see more trips, Winterfest sounded like a blast but I simply can't risk getting stuck almost 500 miles away in Missouri due to my job.

Besides The Cliffs is there anywhere within a 200-300 mile radius that we could go? (aka a distancethat I can get a tow that doesn't cost $1000)

I know alot of you guys have some pretty serious rigs, but do you guys do any of the Jeep Jamboree / Camp Jeep things? I know there are like 3 or 4 of them in IN/WI/MI.

Just some thoughts from the rookie :laugh:

just a thought... ....maybe im crazy, but...

...getting together in a 'chapter event' sort of setting doesnt necessarily have to involve hardcore wheeling, right? or even wheeling at all. *gasp!*

I personally love the outdoors, and have had a hard time finding good places to go for a hike, or walk along a lake. Coming from Wyoming makes this even more painful for me. I NEED to get away from other people, away from roads, away from powerlines. Can we do that around here?

I will be heading to Devils Lake Wisconsin to do some rock climbing as the weather warms up... ...things like this could be an option for us to get to know one another and generally get out a bit.

I know, I know, we love our jeeps. But the reason I love mine is because of where it takes me. At least thats how it used to be, before I succombed to the concrete jungle.

You see, the thing is, my jeep was never just a toy or sport before I moved away from the wilderness. I started building it to take me into the woods with confidence for camping/fishing/adventures in general. And I plan for it to take me on a Great Northern Adventure someday, when the wallet is fat enough to let me go and go and go for a month or so...

These days, I feel like I am driving my jeep XX hours away to drive it some more at a closed off-road park? Off-road parks are a totally new concept to me (at least they were when I first moved here). I would love to do more of the kind of scenic wheeling that Randy showcases on http://www.myxj.net/ But more than that, I would just love to be reunited with the outdoors... ...I don't know much about the midwest forestlands and lakes, but I sure as hell want to learn.

Can you guys help me do this? Can we help eachother get out a bit?


...again, just a thought...

-andy

i think there are alot of good ideas. personally i think there should be a balance between wheeling trips and other activities everyone can do as a group. if people are really serious about all this the best thing would be to schedule a date and time where everyone can get together in person and start organizing things. my opinion might not count for much seeing as how i havent officially joined yet. but with the fact that im still healing from the reconstructive surgery i had on my foot in november, i havent been able to work. i just cant justify spending the money for dues until my foot heals and i can get back to work.

Theres a new get-together at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Bolingbrook, I think. Third Sunday of the month, except this month, on account of Winterfest. Just started recently, and I'm working at getting there in March.

And Andy,
There isn't really open scenic land like what Randy shows around here. That takes a good part of a week to do somewhere like that, and a having tow rig helps. Anything legal is going to be in a private park, like you've found out. It sucks.
I'd like to head up to Devils Lake and try rock climbing, maybe camp there for the weekend.
I also want to head to the Badlands park sometime this spring. I'd definately like to see more smaller wheeling trips.

kndrewa said:

Can we help eachother get out a bit?

-andy

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I too am a big outdoor enthusiast, I enjoy hiking and mountian biking as much as wheelin' with the trusty XJ.

A few of us organized the Buffalo Wild Wings meets and it's been great meeting you guys.

It seems the midwest chapter is a tight knit group, kinda feels like a club most of the time. :laugh:

I think maybe a sticky post for legal OHV trails and Off Road Parks in the midwest could help those of us looking for a more scenic than technical trails and vice versa.

And maybe the same for the local meet and greets.

I recently bought my XJ and also found these forums to be very helpful. I would like to do meet and greets but it doesn't seem like any of them are even close to me. Same with the wheeling parks, everything is so far away which kind of sucks because you always have the "what if" factor. I know of about 6-10 people in my area alone with XJ's so I think this summer I want to arrange a meet and greet closer to my neck of the woods.

I have thought about giving that camp jeep a shot because I have heard the place they are having it in MI is supposed to be really nice. I am up for camping, mtn biking, or just shooting the shit around a fire. We could arrange something like that? Possibly once a year we could also arrange a Midwest meeting for something like this?

I guess all I am looking for is meeting new Jeep people that could also help you out in need and vice versa, learning about my Jeep, and most of all having a good time!

Well, lets see.....with the MWC Chapter
last year I went to Winterfest
I went to Meatfest in at Gils
I went to Lesslimiteds for Brewfest
I went to SeanR for a summer picnic.
two weeks ago went to a meet and greet in Madison

and, I think I messed a few events like Toys for Tots
You guys gotta watch the board and go to these things.

btw, when is REVapalooza?

...BOB

BOB said:

btw, when is REVapalooza?

...BOB

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Why does this statement worry me? lol

BOB said:

You guys gotta watch the board and go to these things.

...BOB

Click to expand...

I haven't been around long enough to get to most of those events, I just got my jeep and now it is lifted. Plus the closest meet to me was Madision which is still 2 hours away. I probably would have done it though, if my jeep would have been done.

I watch the boards. I am not really complaining because bitching doesn't do anything, I have to take the initiative to organize something closer to myself.

I was planning to go to WF.
my junk broke. got it fixed.
so, I am headed to the badlands.
I got a green heep with a cargo rack and hi-lift.

...BOB

BOB said:

btw, when is REVapalooza?

...BOB

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Bob, I don't think they would let 95% of us into Rev's neighborhood.

I almost never seem to make anything, I seem to always be either in an airport or on an airplane, when the stuff goes on(or in some random city where there is a Redneck Racing track). But at least some of my blood,sweat and tears is wheeling plastered to the bottom of Sean's junk.

Why are these 3 year old threads resurfacing?

klennop said:

Plus the closest meet to me was Madision which is still 2 hours away.

Click to expand...

How far are ya from Kenosha?

Home of the new MWC "Sub-Chapter"

kndrewa said:

I personally love the outdoors, and have had a hard time finding good places to go for a hike, or walk along a lake. Coming from Wyoming makes this even more painful for me. I NEED to get away from other people, away from roads, away from powerlines. Can we do that around here?

I will be heading to Devils Lake Wisconsin to do some rock climbing as the weather warms up... ...things like this could be an option for us to get to know one another and generally get out a bit.

I know, I know, we love our jeeps. But the reason I love mine is because of where it takes me. At least thats how it used to be, before I succombed to the concrete jungle.

You see, the thing is, my jeep was never just a toy or sport before I moved away from the wilderness. I started building it to take me into the woods with confidence for camping/fishing/adventures in general. And I plan for it to take me on a Great Northern Adventure someday, when the wallet is fat enough to let me go and go and go for a month or so...

These days, I feel like I am driving my jeep XX hours away to drive it some more at a closed off-road park? Off-road parks are a totally new concept to me (at least they were when I first moved here). I would love to do more of the kind of scenic wheeling that Randy showcases on http://www.myxj.net/ But more than that, I would just love to be reunited with the outdoors... ...I don't know much about the midwest forestlands and lakes, but I sure as hell want to learn.

Can you guys help me do this? Can we help eachother get out a bit?


...again, just a thought...

-andy

Click to expand...

A word about the places on myxj.net. Not all those places are in the midwest. Those that are are either Off-Road parks or A County/ State/ National Forest.

You can't get too far from people, roads or powerlines around here, and you sure can't get away from people if you take them with you The Midwest is fairly populated, with the least of the population being way up north. Devils Lake State Park I have heard is a good time, but it is fairly populated in the summer as are all the State Parks in WI.

You decry having to drive hours to an Off-Road park. Sure it's a pisser, but how does that differ from driving hours to, for example, Devils Lake? We all have out own form of recreation. Enjoy what you can, ignore the humans, take home a memory you can embrace.

You don't have to do a great adventure to do outdoors. Do a day trip or a weekend trip to a State Park closer to home. There is also a whole lake next to you with lots of coastline with historic sights up the wazoo. Relax and enjoy.

If you want company, just plan a trip and post up here. I bet you would get a taker or two.