When you announce your meet - too early?

[Roadgeek Adam]

I finally listened to the pertinent part of the video and am appalled at the unbridled arrogance of Roadwaywiz. To think that he can dictate who can plan a meet, who can organize a meet, how many meets can be organized, how far in advance they can be scheduled, that the forum should vote on who gets to hold meets, is the height of hubris. Who makes him the arbiter of such things? How's he going to enforce this on Facebook, on what's left of m.t.r, or anywhere else? This reeks of the "East Coast Hive Mind" mentality that we used to rip Calrog for criticizing. It sounds like he wants to turn meets into his own little clique.

The benefit of anyone can do it, as long as you can commit to it. If health issues happen, it's perfectly understandable and you've had several. I personally just announce like 6mo in advance, but I'm very easy to make meets with, cause it's just eat tour done. I announce on the forum and Facebook. Simple, done.

This is not a paid for community and stuff. It's just a hobby. Some take it way too far, some don't take it that seriously. This rant in the original video is unnecessary and a disrespect to a lot of people. Cliques are bound to happen because of regional residency. Some of us have made life long friends in this hobby and most are in the NE, because that's where I've lived outside of the 2 years in Illinois. (I consider you a friend, HB, even if we disagree politically.) 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Because of where I live, a lot of meets are a commitment to attend. I need to arrange the time off, I need money, I need to make sure my schedule allows for it. Putting it in my brain that this thing I might want to do helps me, because generally I can't just go to a meet like a lot of the centralized East Coasters have more ability to do so.

[Alps]

Because of where I live, a lot of meets are a commitment to attend. I need to arrange the time off, I need money, I need to make sure my schedule allows for it. Putting it in my brain that this thing I might want to do helps me, because generally I can't just go to a meet like a lot of the centralized East Coasters have more ability to do so.

And I like when the Midwest announces a meet far in advance so that I can try to put together plans to attend. I think I'm the highest attendee of Midwest meets from the East Coast, and in exchange you all have been so kind to attend mine.

[froggie]

Just listed through the video portion in question.  To boil it down, I think Roadwaywiz has lost track of how this is by and large a hobby and everyone has their own way of doing it, not to mention having their own amount of time (or lack thereof) to partake.

He's free to ignore those who suggest/propose meets but don't follow through.  But to push for the regimentation and restrictions in meet planning that he's suggesting is both in poor taste and also trying to impose structure on something that doesn't really need or call for it.  Nevermind who really gets to say that such-and-such person is "allowed" to plan a meet but someone else can't...

I'll go so far as to say this: it was apparent not just to me but to a handful of others that he wasn't happy I showed up at Cumberland unannounced.  To which I will bluntly say "sorry, not sorry."  I didn't announce my intention because it wasn't necessary plus it would have spoiled one of my reasons for attending (to surprise Laura).  Would it have been nice to know ahead of time?  Sure...but there's usually at least a little room at meets because someone invariably will say they're going but later cancel out.  Likewise, it's not a bad idea to plan on a couple extras anyway because you may have someone who decides at the last minute (or has a last minute change) that they *CAN* go to a given meet, and I'm not the only one to have done this.  And as I recall, Roadwaywiz gave me crap on this forum for suggesting such before the Cumberland meet.

[hbelkins]

^^^

Similarly, I was an unannounced attendee at the 2010 SWPA meet. I vaguely remember the circumstances of that Cumberland meet, and if the meet hostess wasn't upset about you "crashing" the meet, I don't know why anyone else should be upset.

There are some meets that I have been wary about attending because of past poor planning gaffes by the host, or lack of planning. Scrambling to find a restaurant because you didn't check to ensure that the chosen venue would actually be open for lunch, made me leery of attending future meets scheduled by that host.

I think some people have an inflated opinion of themselves and their worth -- or as they say around here, they've gotten too big for their britches.

I'm glad to see such a diverse group from varying backgrounds and geographical areas are in agreement about this.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm not the biggest fan necessarily regarding sit down meals or not starting early.  I put one in for the Bakersfield meet (granted the Highway 178 Bar & Grill was pretty great) after it was requested but the crowd was about 50/50 on it. 

The INO we met and ate at during the start of the Fresno meet is the model I'd like to replicate going forward in most cases.  We got our food fast and had about 45 minutes to get organized.   

One critique I have for myself is that I feel as though I have underestimated the desire some have to group up in cars.  I need to get better at planning at ways to loop back to a meet up point to accommodate this better. 

[cl94]

When meets get above 6-10 people, I definitely prefer something counter service, and most of those meets have gone very well. Some of these sit-down meals with 10-20 people go on for hours, and that can cause issues with the tour. Fresno, Bakersfield, Reno (if I do say so myself), Newburyport 2019, and Delaware 2017 stick out as examples of how counter service doesn't mean we can't have plenty of time to socialize. Newburyport was my model for Reno.

Re: carpooling, a lot of people like socializing in the car. Some meets have a bit of "musical chairs". I'm fine driving alone, but carpooling makes stops with tight parking easier to handle. Others may want to spend a few hours not driving if they had a long trip to/from the meet.

[Rothman]

I'm not the biggest fan necessarily regarding sit down meals or not starting early.  I put one in for the Bakersfield meet (granted the Highway 178 Bar & Grill was pretty great) after it was requested but the crowd was about 50/50 on it. 

The INO we met and ate at during the start of the Fresno meet is the model I'd like to replicate going forward in most cases.  We got our food fast and had about 45 minutes to get organized.   

One critique I have for myself is that I feel as though I have underestimated the desire some have to group up in cars.  I need to get better at planning at ways to loop back to a meet up point to accommodate this better. 

What's the rush?

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm not the biggest fan necessarily regarding sit down meals or not starting early.  I put one in for the Bakersfield meet (granted the Highway 178 Bar & Grill was pretty great) after it was requested but the crowd was about 50/50 on it. 

The INO we met and ate at during the start of the Fresno meet is the model I'd like to replicate going forward in most cases.  We got our food fast and had about 45 minutes to get organized.   

One critique I have for myself is that I feel as though I have underestimated the desire some have to group up in cars.  I need to get better at planning at ways to loop back to a meet up point to accommodate this better. 

What's the rush?

Specific to Bakersfield several really kick ass mountain roads.  We also had a monster winter storm heading our way and we needed to get below 3,000 feet in elevation or east of the Sierra Nevada range before 4 PM.

[froggie]

When meets get above 6-10 people, I definitely prefer something counter service, and most of those meets have gone very well. Some of these sit-down meals with 10-20 people go on for hours, and that can cause issues with the tour.

A certain SEPA meet suddenly comes to mind...

Re: carpooling, a lot of people like socializing in the car. Some meets have a bit of "musical chairs". I'm fine driving alone, but carpooling makes stops with tight parking easier to handle. Others may want to spend a few hours not driving if they had a long trip to/from the meet.

(emphasis mine)

Fully agree.  I've had good reason to incorporate such into my DC and Minneapolis meets.

[LilianaUwU]

For what it's worth, I need to have enough advance notice because I actively need to save money to even afford to go there. I'm still unsure on if I can make it to Winnipeg due to the uncertainties around it.

[jpi]

Here is my take on this, I have hosted over a half dozen meets in Tennessee and Pennsylvania and I always plan these out a year in advance, this way not only do my wife and I have time to put in to be off work and scouting but also for the meet attendees for thier planning. I have been throwing out hints of a spring 2026 road meet in the Harrisburg PA area and yes it is a done deal since there will be lots of construction on 83 by then to check out and also in nearby York. Later this spring is when I plan to start scouting both areas a little more in depth and will start a poll on here for dates in April 2026, then when the poll is done then I create the Facebook announcement which will be in the fall of this year.

Both Steph and I prefer far in advanced planning when it comes to things like this, we do the same things with our cross country trips (which the next one will be in July 2026) Also as most of you know my meets are structured "old school" with a sit down lunch, road meet tour and at the end the option for a dinner or do what ever you want and as always I am very open and flexible for anything that comes up and this includes unannounced visitors 

[Laura]

Similarly, I was an unannounced attendee at the 2010 SWPA meet. I vaguely remember the circumstances of that Cumberland meet, and if the meet hostess wasn't upset about you "crashing" the meet, I don't know why anyone else should be upset.

Mike and I were also unannounced attendees at the 2010 SWPA meet! We were new to meets and etiquette and decided to go at the last minute due to weather.

Froggie, I was very happy that you surprised me!! 

[dgolub]

Yeah, I also feel that there's no reason to restrict when people can hold meets.  Let's remember that road meet hosts aren't employees of any centralized organization.  We're all volunteers who do this because we want to be doing this.  Yes, it's good practice to try to avoid conflicts with other meets and arrange a time that works for as many attendees as possible.  But if we wind up having so many meets that some of them have to conflict, then I'd say that that's a good thing because it means that there are lots of opportunities for people to participate in the hobby when it works for them.  If someone's situation is such that they have to schedule something at the last minute, I'm still grateful to them for organizing even if I can't make it.

I'll also note that I've never been to a Laura meet that was anything short of awesome.  I certainly hope that other roadgeeks recognize this as well and that anyone deciding who gets to host would have given her the opportunity to contribute everything that she's contributed.  If not, it would have been a major loss to our community.

[jeffandnicole]

I half wonder if there is some sort of hidden agenda here by saying don't schedule a meet more than 6 months in advance...so others can swoop in and announce a meeting just over 6 months in advance so the date wouldn't already be taken, and others who eyed that date and were waiting would now have to find a new date.

[Rothman]

I half wonder if there is some sort of hidden agenda here by saying don't schedule a meet more than 6 months in advance...so others can swoop in and announce a meeting just over 6 months in advance so the date wouldn't already be taken, and others who eyed that date and were waiting would now have to find a new date.

I think SSO was correct in his assumptions that seemed to imply:

1) Wiz was probably annoyed that others announced meets far in advance before Wiz was ready to announce his own, thus restricting when he could schedule his, and thus raising the spectre of those who announce but then don't follow through

and

2) Wiz trying to establish some sort of weird leadership in the roadgeek community with him and those on the cast.  I mean, who reviews the ballots?  Therefore, such would help avoid another situation where people snatch up dates before he could schedule his own. 

I used the word "disappointing" very deliberately in my initial response here, since Wiz did seem to outright state that if other people besides him organize meets, you end up with meets of lesser quality.

All that said, it's evident he's standing alone in his comments and this is now more broohaha than it needs to be. 

So, let's just go have fun at the meets that are coming up...and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

[vdeane]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

[Rothman]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

I think this nonsense has happened before.  Some time ago, I asked our Admin director if there are any changes between preliminary and final schedules and she said they're rare.  And, if people in the grades ahead of mine had not already announced their retirements, I'd have considered not even taking this round. 

[hbelkins]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

You guys have to take tests for promotions? Kentucky has done away with entrance exams for initial hires. It's all done by resume and experience now.

[Rothman]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

You guys have to take tests for promotions? Kentucky has done away with entrance exams for initial hires. It's all done by resume and experience now.

That was a weird way of saying "nepotism."

[SSOWorld]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

You guys have to take tests for promotions? Kentucky has done away with entrance exams for initial hires. It's all done by resume and experience now.

There are companies that do job interviews to consider promotions.

[Brandon]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

You guys have to take tests for promotions? Kentucky has done away with entrance exams for initial hires. It's all done by resume and experience now.

That was a weird way of saying "nepotism."

Resume and experience is how we get jobs in the private sector.

[vdeane]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

You guys have to take tests for promotions? Kentucky has done away with entrance exams for initial hires. It's all done by resume and experience now.

NY has been moving more towards that with entry level positions, first with "exams" becoming training/experience profiles (which is not without problems) and now with NY HELPS waiving exam list requirements for many positions.  Promotional positions are still with traditional civil service test, however.

(personal opinion)

[Rothman]

and curse NY Civil Service for their lousy scheduling of promotion exams that prevent attendance at one of them thus far...

Honestly, it always makes me nervous when promotional exams come up for exactly that reason.  I was waiting with baited breath the last time they did the STA/ACPA exams before they were announced (at the time, I didn't know about the preliminary schedule link).

You guys have to take tests for promotions? Kentucky has done away with entrance exams for initial hires. It's all done by resume and experience now.

That was a weird way of saying "nepotism."

Resume and experience is how we get jobs in the private sector.

Dear heavens, nepotism is even more rampant in the private sector!

(Have you heard of Sanford and Son or any other company that ends with "and Sons"? )

[GaryV]

Resume and experience is how we get jobs in the private sector.

Experience being, "Here, do this project for us, which we won't pay you for. Maybe if we like it we'll hire you. Or maybe not. Either way, we got some free work done."