Several people over the last year have suggested that we have a program (orientation) at the National Rallies for "first-timers". First-timers in this sense, being those who are registered to attend a North American Heartland Owners Rally (aka - the National), where this will be their first time at a National Rally, but not necessarily their first Heartland rally.
So I throw this out there to all who have been to the National Rally. Thinking back to your first time at one of these:
- What was the most mysterious, going into your first event?
- What questions did you have going in, that was not answered online or in the rally packet?
- If there would have been an Orientation Meeting of some sort for first-timers, what items would you have liked to have seen covered in the meeting?
Below is what I'm thinking right now, but I really want to hear from others.
The upcoming 2015 North American Heartland Owners Rally in Goshen will officially start at 8 am on a Tuesday and will end after breakfast the following Sunday.
Traditionally, and planned for 2015, we'll have an All-Attendee Welcome/Dessert Reception Tuesday evening at 7 pm. We do a complete agenda walk-through that evening for everyone an we take questions. So, I'm thinking a First-Timer Orientation Meeting would be something we'd want to do "before' Tuesday evening. In fact, I'm thinking about having it at 8:30 am on Tuesday in a private meeting room with coffee and donuts. The meeting style would be relaxed/informal. All First-timers would be identified during the rally registration process and would be invited to this meeting. They'd be asked to bring their agendas and wear their club badges. Julie and I would run the meeting and we'd have a couple of seasoned Rally Veterans on-hand to help.
A quick bulleted list of agenda items might be:
- Welcome
- Introduction of speakers
- Suggestion to wear club badges* during the entire rally
- Go through the rally agenda
- Take questions
- Just generally give the First-timer a sense of what they can expect during the rally and give them ideas on how they can get the most benefit from their rally
* It has been suggested that First-timers be easily identifiable to others in some way. Most suggestions are similar. Some sort of badge hanger or ribbon. So I am thinking through that, but I like the idea. Not so much to be a target but really, to be an identifier so all the Rally Veterans can go out of their way to welcome the First-timers and ask if they have any questions or need any hello with anything. You know - putting the Heart in Heartland
Give me some feedback you National Rally Veteran!
Thanks!
Several people over the last year have suggested that we have a program (orientation) at the National Rallies for "first-timers". First-timers in this sense, being those who are registered to attend a North American Heartland Owners Rally (aka - the National), where this will be their first time at a National Rally, but not necessarily their first Heartland rally.
So I throw this out there to all who have been to the National Rally. Thinking back to your first time at one of these:
- What was the most mysterious, going into your first event?
- What questions did you have going in, that was not answered online or in the rally packet?
- If there would have been an Orientation Meeting of some sort for first-timers, what items would you have liked to have seen covered in the meeting?
Below is what I'm thinking right now, but I really want to hear from others.
The upcoming 2015 North American Heartland Owners Rally in Goshen will officially start at 8 am on a Tuesday and will end after breakfast the following Sunday.
Traditionally, and planned for 2015, we'll have an All-Attendee Welcome/Dessert Reception Tuesday evening at 7 pm. We do a complete agenda walk-through that evening for everyone an we take questions. So, I'm thinking a First-Timer Orientation Meeting would be something we'd want to do "before' Tuesday evening. In fact, I'm thinking about having it at 8:30 am on Tuesday in a private meeting room with coffee and donuts. The meeting style would be relaxed/informal. All First-timers would be identified during the rally registration process and would be invited to this meeting. They'd be asked to bring their agendas and wear their club badges. Julie and I would run the meeting and we'd have a couple of seasoned Rally Veterans on-hand to help.
A quick bulleted list of agenda items might be:
- Welcome
- Introduction of speakers
- Suggestion to wear club badges* during the entire rally
- Go through the rally agenda
- Take questions
- Just generally give the First-timer a sense of what they can expect during the rally and give them ideas on how they can get the most benefit from their rally
* It has been suggested that First-timers be easily identifiable to others in some way. Most suggestions are similar. Some sort of badge hanger or ribbon. So I am thinking through that, but I like the idea. Not so much to be a target but really, to be an identifier so all the Rally Veterans can go out of their way to welcome the First-timers and ask if they have any questions or need any hello with anything. You know - putting the Heart in Heartland
Give me some feedback you National Rally Veteran!
Thanks!
