MOA Quarterly Meeting
January 21, 2017
The MOA quarterly meeting is a day and a half event. The January meeting is normally held in the southeast part of the United States. This year the meeting was held in Atlanta.
The general meeting, for all members, is usually the last meeting held and lasts about three hours. Prior to that meeting, the different boards and committees hold their meetings.
Approximately forty members were present and at least fifteen gave a presentation during the general meeting.
My observation of our leadership is that they are a hardworking group that really cares about the club. They were well prepared and I could feel their enthusiasm.
Moneywise the MOA is where it expected to be. Somewhere between not too bad and good.
Membership is down to 31,500 from 33,000 a year and a half ago. That was expected because of the downturn of motorcycle sales in USA.
To help in retaining members that allow their membership expire, the club contacts them to find out why. They have had about twenty members rejoin because of the contact.
One way they want to sell the membership is by promoting the value of the member discounts. There are 94 discounts now. We need members to use the discounts more so the companies know it is beneficial to partner with us.
You have to sign into the MOA website to see the discounts, but that will be changed so it will be easier for members to use them.
Registration for the National Rally and Weekend Getaways will start February 1.
There will be prize drawings for those that register for the National Rally. The earlier you register, the more drawings you will be in.
Most of the volunteer positions for the National Rally have been filled.
Weekend Getaway registration prices range from $89-$129. You receive two dinners, a t-shirt and a bag of goodies. There are also many door prizes. You will have to pay for your motel, cabin or camping.
The club made around $16,000 on all the Weekend Getaways. Some Getaways made money and some lost money. The money part is good, but the important part is connecting with members. Around 50% of attendees are first time participants in a club activity.
The nearby Getaways are Fontana (April 21st), Eureka Springs, Arkansas and Pine Mountain, Kentucky. There are some new locations, Arizona and Vermont, and a few dropped. Utah was dropped because the National is there.
I spoke to the MOA web person and he said his audience is mainly members that are “younger” than me. “Older” people just don’t use the site.
The MOA is revamping the website so it is easier to find the information you are looking for. One new feature will be the Anonymous Book on line. You will have sign in to see it.
There is also an effort to get more member stories in the Owner News. They are going to include more members in testing of new products. The plan is to ride with members in their local area to present articles about those trips instead of the normal Tail of the Dragon, Pike’s Peak, etc.
The Owner News is 65% content and 35% ads. The money the ads bring in cover almost 100% of the costs of it.
The club believes 100% of the members receive the magazines on time which is a feat in itself.
The event calendar will show events for a year in advance instead of slowing down in the winter months.
It was also discussed that there should be more communication between the leadership and the chartered clubs. This would make the members more informed and up to date of club matters.
The club wants to have more regional directors to communicate to the clubs and BMW dealerships. They are looking for someone to fill the void in the Carolinas and Virginias. This is a volunteer position.
The Paul B. Scholarships that pay $250 towards a member’s training granted $9000 in 2016. The scholarships are funded by member donations.
See you at our February meeting