Recommended 4wd clubs in Canberra ?

[Ezookiel]

I accidentally left a club in Canberra when I forgot to pay my fees on time, and found I'd have to pay the initial extra joining fees etc all over again. So after almost 4 years in the club, it looks like I won't be signing back up under those conditions.
But it's no real loss, as that club was phenomenally Clique-ey and not real accepting. And worst of all, my wife is hard to get to come along on trips as it is, and when only ONE woman in the entire club made any real effort to make my wife feel welcome, it makes it near impossible to get her onto more trips.
But now that I'll have a good working 4wd within the fortnight, I'm on the lookout for clubs in the ACT that make their members feel welcome.
What are people's recommendations?
Let's not make this a club bashing thread, or a why I don't join clubs thread. We've already got those threads.
I deliberately haven't named the club I've left, and aren't interested in more bad experience stories, I am just interested to see what clubs people are happy in.

Thanks in advance.

[sniper]

Im happy in the R.A.G. 4X4 club

come on up mate we aint that far away....a few hours drive only

[Vulcanised]

you are already in a club Trent and it has a few members in Can'tberra maybe it's time to get a few more down there involved and run your own club trips

[Ezookiel]

Funny you should mention that club, I've been proudly wearing the shirt at work all day.
I just might have to get this Canberra Chapter of that club a bit bigger, and more active, but in the meantime, the more clubs = the more potential trips - I have a lot of missed-4wheelin time to make up from while that mongrel POS was off-the-road, instead of off-road.

I had planned - until I stuffed up and forgot to renew - to remain a member in the cliquey club, and just join a few other clubs as well.

Oh well, things happen for a reason sometimes.
Pity in some ways, cause I made a fortune out of the cliquey club, so they'll be glad to see me go.
In those 3 years or so I won a $200 set of spotties, $20 torch, $30 LED Headtorch, Fire extinguisher, thermos mugs, sundry other small prizes, and A FOUR HUNDRED DOLLAR EIDERDOWN SLEEPING BAG (not me specifically, but a new member I bought along, who got given a ticket on the night they visited, but left early and I claimed their prize for them, and then they moved to Qld and never ended up joining anyway, but took the sleeping bag with them - it would have been too small for me anyway). All that for a grand total of about $155 or $190 in total membership fees while I was there.

[Ezookiel]

Where exactly is R.A.G ?
I'm in Sydney a lot anyway for family. And now my 4by will be working soon, so hopefully I'll also be in Lake Macquarie more often too - also family.

[Mowie]

I'm sorry to hear of what happend and I hope the club you speak of isn't the Southern Tablelands 4WD Club......

If what you speak of about lack of friendly women, inviting atmosphere and Cliquey then it has gone down hill in a big way from the Club I remember in the 80's-90's.



I'm long removed from anything to do with the club for a while now, but I would recomend if going form old memories That is of course if its not the one you just left

Also isn't the Brindabella Ranges 4WD Club down your way?

I can't remember which of those two clubs Chris Nash is a member of??

[Toecutta]

Chris is part of the Rangies and the southern tables I think.

Hard choice finding a club.

The club I am in is there purely for comps a bit like the rangies.

From what I can remember Glen @ the ACT All Terrain Club was good value.


http://actatc.org/index.shtml

I have never joined a social 4WD club for the exact reasons you have said you got out, too much bulls#@t and not enough driving.

[mattc]

I'm in the ACT Landrover club for a long time but haven't been to a meeting or trip for at least 5 years. They are big on long touring trips but also a few weekend ones and maintain a hut in the Snowies. A reasonably active trip calendar http://www.lrc.org.au/calendar/index1.htm They are one of three big ACT clubs that run the 4wd show.

I'm also in the ACTJeepTraction club. Somewhat small - a core group of active members who do a reasoanble amount of family touring trips and a somewhat regular evening drive on Tuesday nights during daylight savings period. Not into comps. Worthwhile dropping in to http://www.actjeeptraction.com/ and pinging the contact to see if they are going out next Tuesday...not sure where since a lot of the favorite Brindies tracks have been closed.

Despite the names neither club has a marque restriction.

[Ezookiel]

Thanks for those suggestions, I saw the Brindabella Ranges in action at the last 4wd spectacular, they seem to be pretty heavily into the modded vehicles, which isn't a bad thing, but probably out of my budget for my vehicle, and probably not as much interest to my wife, and I'm really after somewhere that will make my wife feel a little more welcomed than she has been, I'd like to help encourage her along on some more trips, and unfriendly other women doesn't help.

BTW It wasn't the S.T. club that I left, but I won't go eliminating which clubs it was and wasn't. I don't want people trying to work out which one it was through the process, cause I bear the club no ill-will at all, and would still be a member if I didn't have to pay the whole joining fee and other associated extra costs above the normal membership, all over again.
And it was my fault I didn't renew in time, not theirs (I put all my bills on the fridge and pay them from there, but since the club isn't "a bill" so to speak, it had nothing to put on the fridge and I simply forgot them)

[Ezookiel]

Despite the names neither club has a marque restriction.

LOL, I remember when I first looked for a club, I went to their website, and half their executive don't even drive the brand the club is named after. I thought that was pretty funny actually.

[time]

Gee mate, there were reminders in the Club Newsletters (noting that the deadline was 30 September else you cease to be a member) and you were sent reminder emails to pay up fees in May and August, short of knocking on your door and picking your pocket there isn't too much more the Club could have done for you.

As for being cliquey, there is an onus on you too to join in. Re your misses, I think I only ever saw her on one trip (to Tathra), seems to me that those people who were on that trip were a good friendly bunch, so I'm not sure what her/your problem really is.

In any case I assume you will now take the Club stickers off your truck.

Cheers

[Ezookiel]

I've already said the non-payment was my own fault, though it's irrelevant in reality.

I'm not interested in a club bashing argument, I'm interested in finding clubs that people recommend,
However, I feel I must answer one of your points here. The others I'll talk about in PM.

When someone is new on a trip, why is the onus on them to join in - they don't know anyone - shouldn't the club be the ones going to some effort to make the new member feel welcome? It's the club that's trying to sell itself, not my wife.
As a new person to the club, she would have had to approach quite a number of total strangers - damned hard for a shy person, the club however only had to approach one - her. Which is easier, approach one new person in your club and welcome them, or expect them to approach an entire club full of strangers?

(she also did about 5 trips, but when you step out of your comfort zone at hubby's request, and try to befriend people but get little or no return of the effort, you soon give up trying)

[rewd83]

I concur with Time's comments that the reminder emails were sent out prior to the due date. The email could have been used as a reminder bill on your fridge. Sad to hear you bagging out the ladies in the club, we are not cliquey at all and I have always been first to introduce myself to every new member. A wise man once said to me as I, myself was shy at large gatherings, "If you don't offer your hand and introduce yourself first to one new person, then you'll never get introduced to others!" It's a pity I've never met your wife and now it's your lost. Just my 2cents from a female member.