Renault Owner's Club - What's Going On?

[malcolm]

What's happening with the Renault Owner's club at the moment? I'm very confused. I received an email this morning that seemingly came from their forum (of course I shall reproduce it in full below this post).

I went straight to the ROC forum and wrote a couple of very politely written posts suggesting that if they were fed up with their own club then maybe their disaffected members might consider approaching the RCCC (en masse) to see if it might be possible to create a single UK Renault Club that covered all models, and might create a unified approach to the Renault Club thing. My feeling was it would save duplicated effots in organising fun things for Renault owners.

To me that made sense, but they deleted my posts. I'm bringing the argument here where all are free to register and post, and where no Renault related posts have ever been deleted.

Below is the email, and there is further interesting reading in the thread about "is the Renault Owner's club Defunct?" on http://s12.invisionfree.com/Renault_OC_Forum/index.php (you'll need to register to look).

So on to the email received at 08:46 this morning:

Dear Renault Owner,
We would like you to read and consider the following points with regards to being a member of a Renault Club.

Would you like to be a member that is included in clubs activities?

Would you like to be a member of a club that listens to its members?

Would you like to be a member of a club that contacts you with useful information?

Would you like to get helpful information for working on your car?

Would you like to belong to a club that is personally interested in you, your family and your car?

A number of Renault enthusiasts have noticed that there is a gap at present where not all the above points are covered. Most of the present clubs don’t seem to listen or in some cases contact their members even though they do some times issue a magazine. Then when it does arrive it only goes on about things which don’t help you very much, if at all.

So now you have a chance to join a strong and well-founded group of enthusiasts, who have the following aims: -

To promote friendly contact between members.

Allow members to address other members via a periodical (be it web based or printed).

Offer assistance to gain information on motoring problems.

To connect with all club members throughout the world.

To cover the Renault marque from the first car to the latest car.

If this idea appeals to you please reply to oldren@(censored).com and should there be enough support from those replies, we will then be in contact again as to how we will go forward. But first of all we need you to advise us of your thoughts.

So now’s the time for change to a better club.

I signed my posts as Clementine T. Cat (Amphibian Psycologist). You don't suppose that was the reason they were deleted?

 

[malcolm]

Of course if Clementine T.Cat (pumpkin arrangement specialist) and all my friends on the forum don't do all that stuff for you already then do say "cripes" in the suggestions section of this forum. Goodness knows why we need to pay membership these days now we have the internet.

 

[Bluebell]

Renault Owners' Club

Clementine, you've done quite well to register with that club as they don't want me at all.

This ROC email comes over as sounding from someone very pompous with a chip on his shoulder. I can't see that our R4 forum does not comply with all this chap's demands. Anyone is free to ask about anything, and anyone is welcome to chip in with their tuppence-worth if they want to. Most topics have been covered at some time by our resident experts and there are some very good step-by-step demonstrations of basic repairs.

The advantage of being a free club is that people can contribute when they want to but drop out of sight for a while when otherwise busy (looking forward to hearing from La Poste again when he gets a round tuit!). We are already bombarded with literature through the door and I don't think the idea of a magazine is of value. People in this club are genuinely interested in R4s and need no persuasion or gimmicks. We can all send PMs to one another and we have made friends with people in most parts of the world.

Well done Clementine!

 

[Steve Hennessey]

Malcom, I also received one but I have not sent a reply. Considering that they deleted your polite posts tells me that it's not even worth the effort of a reply - I just hate censorship of this kind as I can imagine that what you may have said would not be rude or defamatory. In this age of the internet and with forums such as this one, the way forward is friendly forums and informal meets rather than clubs with rigid inflexible rules and committees made up of people on power trips.
Saying that, I'm not much of a clubby person anyway and prefer to give my time freely on forums such as this one in my own free time and at my own convenience.

 

[malcolm]

Clementine, you've done quite well to register with that club as they don't want me at all.

That forum seems set up in an odd way - there is a message suggesting you need to respond to an email before you can post. In reality it seems you can post anyway. We could all go over there and make the place some fun for an evening. :eek:

The ROC seemed pretty crap with those power trips. What's really cool here is there are folk willing to spend time and effort just helping people out (so long as they provide their location ). And members can take a break whenever they want without any controvercy. Bluebell is even looking at organising a Renault 4 meeting for next summer which should be a lot of fun.

I like the forum way of doing things as there is no money involved and people are free to contribute or read as they like. I think one of my points in my very polite message might have concerned people being put under pressure to provide services to club members. No need for that sort of thing. People should do things only if they want to. Cool thing is people do want to.

 

[malcolm]

Seems everything in Renault world is resolved. I had another email today, and rather than print it in it's entirety I'll paraphrase:

Everyone bickers so much in the Renault Owners Club so we've decided the answer is for each member to make their own Renault club. With one member per club bickering between members will be a thing of the past. Each club will have it's own website where we can all use as many different fonts and colours as we like.

OK so I was imaginative with the paraphrasing, but a new additional Renault club that will help make the UK Renault club scene even more pointless can be found at renaultownersclubinternational.com

 

[selwonk]

Seems everything in Renault world is resolved. I had another email today, and rather than print it in it's entirety I'll paraphrase:
OK so I was imaginative with the paraphrasing, but a new additional Renault club that will help make the UK Renault club scene even more pointless can be found at renaultownersclubinternational.com

Clementine - you should be grateful they didn't come on and try to steal your members like they did at RF! :roll:

 

[gpovanman]

I don't use that forum, but if that is the sort of backbiting is going on there, it would be better just to stick around on here, IMHO.

 

[Chris Litchfield]

Oh dear. Car clubs can be so petty and political at times. You guys sound like you have the right idea. I have joined the forum today because I like what I have seen and you have made me laugh. I think the light hearted approach is best. I just need to get the car now....