A new club for Geist and European van owners

Robert and Karen · Member

GEIRO (Geist & European imported RV Owners Club Inc) is born!

The previous Geist Owners Group that consisted of approximately 55 members decided at the 2013 Yamba gathering to elect a Steering Committee to help form a new Incorporated Club run by members.

The inaugural GEIRO Club Gathering was held at Swan Hill from 11-18 March and at the inaugural AGM a new committee was elected.

The club is open to owners of Geists and European vans with an annual fee of $96.

Annual gatherings with more frequent state gatherings are held in order for fellow travellers with similar vans to meet up.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the website link is http://www.geiro.org.au/ At the moment it is a work in progress as we move it across from the Geist site. But it will be properly up and running soon.

For more details and membership applications please contact Karen Webb - karen@sampimon.net

We would love to hear from you!
Karen and Robert

Vic41 · Guru

GEIRO (Geist & European imported RV Owners Club Inc) is born!

The previous Geist Owners Group that consisted of approximately 55 members decided at the 2013 Yamba gathering to elect a Steering Committee to help form a new Incorporated Club run by members.

The inaugural GEIRO Club Gathering was held at Swan Hill from 11-18 March and at the inaugural AGM a new committee was elected.

The club is open to owners of Geists and European vans with an annual fee of $96.

Annual gatherings with more frequent state gatherings are held in order for fellow travellers with similar vans to meet up.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the website link is http://www.geiro.org.au/ At the moment it is a work in progress as we move it across from the Geist site. But it will be properly up and running soon.

For more details and membership applications please contact Karen Webb - karen@sampimon.net

We would love to hear from you!
Karen and Robert

Robert and Karen · Member

Thanks Guru,

The fees were decided by the members at the AGM last week. It is possible they may change at some time in the future but for now $96.00 it is :)
I've been asked why $96.00 and the reason is very simple, it is easily divisible by 12 to allow for pro rata memberships :)

Cheers

karen :)

Landfall · Guru

Robert and Karen wrote:
Thanks Guru,

The fees were decided by the members at the AGM last week. It is possible they may change at some time in the future but for now $96.00 it is :)
I've been asked why $96.00 and the reason is very simple, it is easily divisible by 12 to allow for pro rata memberships :)

Cheers

karen :)

So is $24, $36 and any other number in the twelve times table???????

Ken

-- Edited by Landfall on Monday 24th of March 2014 06:38:29 PM

Robert and Karen · Member

Ken the figure wanted by most members at the AGM was $100.00, we settled on $96.00. The committee did detailed calculations of the costs associated with running our club and arrived at a figure of approx. $80. First year set up costs will will always be higher due to some one-off costs and the uncertainty of the number of members. Future years membership costs will be adjusted accordingly.

Karen :)

PS: I have always enjoyed your support of the Geist vans through the forums :)

hako · Guru

Just for info, the Avan Club is $20 per year plus a $10 joining fee.

Robert and Karen · Member

Is that an official Avan club Denis? Or a club started and run by the owners?

Cheers

karen :)

Vic41 · Guru

hako wrote:
Just for info, the Avan Club is $20 per year plus a $10 joining fee.

Great club to be in too Hako as you know, we were members for 7 years, best club we have ever been in. All work done by volunteer committee members.

Also for info, CMCA are $60.50 for first year then $44 per year thereafter (and other longer options) and includes 12 monthly magazines.

https://www.cmca.net.au/members/member-registration

Vic41 · Guru

Robert and Karen wrote:
Is that an official Avan club Denis? Or a club started and run by the owners?

Cheers

karen :)

It is an Australia wide club formed and run by A shaped camper trailer Avan owners and set up by the members many years ago supported at the time of initial set up by Avan Australia, it is run by volunteer office holders, there are no paid positions the same as most other clubs, there were no Avan caravans when it was formed, see here;

http://www.avanclubaust.org.au/489/About-Us/

There is however an Avan club in NSW for all types of Avan's, see;

http://www.sccavanners.com/

I must say that your Geist Club is the most expensive one I have seen, and can only assume like the previous Geist Club that someone is being paid to run the Club, otherwise why are the costs so high and way above other Club fees? confuse

In my past experience with caravan clubs it is better to join a generic caravan and RV club (one that accepts all brands and types of RV) rather than a specific brand/type club, that way if you change your caravan/RV for another brand/type you can remain in the club you are in and not have to leave the club. There are a number like that if you search for both state and national clubs.

I at one time or another was a member of specific and generic clubs, mostly because my wife enjoyed the social aspect, but these days belong to none.

Good luck with your new club, I think it was wise to include other Euro vans, however if you want your membership to grow you will need to review and lower your membership fees IMHO.

Many clubs run and hold raffles at their club rallies and meetings to help bolster their operating funds.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Friday 28th of March 2014 08:25:28 AM

Robert and Karen · Member

Thanks for the info Vic41,

I posted a reply this morning but my internet was playing up so it didn't go through.

The new club is run by the owners so no one is being paid to run it. The old club was run that way but new times are ahead for us now :)

Lots of our members are also involved in other caravan clubs around the country, so we wanted somewhere to discuss and socialise with our specific types of caravan, hence the club was born.

The club is only 2 weeks old, so in its very infant stages. As we grow I'm sure things will change as we go along.

We have a good strong committee with representatives from most of the states to help us along that road.

We do raise funds at our gatherings but have always donated that to a charity of some kind on the clubs behalf. This year we raised over $1000 which we donated to the Swan Hill Dialysis Centre :)

Cheers

karen :)

Vic41 · Guru

Robert and Karen wrote:

Snip.....We do raise funds at our gatherings but have always donated that to a charity of some kind on the clubs behalf. This year we raised over $1000 which we donated to the Swan Hill Dialysis Centre :)

Thanks for the feedback Karen, that is a very good cause, as a kidney donor to a kidney recipient (my stepdaughter - 2002 and she is doing well) who was on dialysis for five years I applaud your club for doing that it is an excellent choice. aww

Some clubs choose The Flying Doctor Service as some have had to use them during their travels, another good charity. smile

Good luck with the new Club, as said earlier opening to other Euro vans was a good idea and should boost membership numbers. smile

Robert and Karen · Member

Thats great to hear she is doing well.
One of our members used the service whilst we were there for our Geiro fest. (he is on the very long waiting list for a donor) Sadly not enough donors in Australia. Something we should all consider and discuss with family members.
The flying doctors is a good choice is a good idea, The caravan park at Eigthy mile beach collects all year for them. (They have had to call them quite a few times I believe)

Karen :)

Vic41 · Guru

Thanks Karen,

Transplant Australia is also a very worthy organisation that supports organ and tissue recipients and donors, see;

https://www.transplant.org.au/

A lot of information on their link about organ transplantation and the transplant games.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 30th of March 2014 01:54:41 AM