Hosting an MICDC event

Don: Please make this a sticky!

This will be an in depth reference on hosting an MICDC event. These are not hard and fast rules but recommendations in order to aid the host by providing detailed information based on a proven metric. Some of the information will be specific to “spring” only events based on the timeframes necessary to complete certain things.

Six Months before the event:
If the host has not chosen a time and location, this would be the time to request information from the group. Historically, the spring event has worked well at the beginning of June. I recommend creating a thread at the beginning of January. Make sure to set a hard date on when recommendations should be submitted.

If you have chosen the group route, you should have a solid date locked on that fits with “most” peoples schedule. Please keep in mind that you cannot please everyone. A good date for the event should be based on feedback from the group.

Location selection:
The group should have been able to provide a decent list of suitable choices. It should now be up to the camp host to determine if these locations will be able to accommodate the needs of the group. The location should have a campground within close proximity of the selected lake. The camp needs to have electrical hook ups at a minimum. It is also nice to select a camp with a dump station and a restroom facility with shower access. The lake should have a boat launch able to facilitate the launching of boats that group members have. Rustic launches are not an option. Hard top launches with docks should be the standard.

Utilize the internet to investigate different locations. Most campgrounds have websites and all of them have telephone numbers. I always make it a habit to call the campground to ensure that they will be able to accommodate our needs. Although it is not necessary, it is always a good idea to try and select a campground with an available shelter. We should get in the habit of always renting a shelter if one is available to us.

Locking on the site location:
Once a site has been selected, I call the campground personally. I introduce myself as the camp host and explain the event we are going to have. Most of them are very interested to hear about crappie dot com and are enthusiastic to help in any way possible. Ask them if it would be possible to set aside a block of campsites in order to allow the group to be as close as possible. Most of them will set aside a number of sites for a specific duration. Some of them will provide a group confirmation number. Others will simply advise you to tell the campers to mention MICDC and they will fit them in the sites accordingly.

Finalizing the location:
At approximately the four month mark, I recommend submitting a thread entitled “20XX spring camp information”. In this thread you should provide the prospective dates of the camp, the location of the camp, the website information for the campground, the telephone number of the campground, and any specific information pertaining to reservations. Members will utilize this thread to post information about the sites they have reserved. Keep in mind that State campgrounds do not usually allow for group camping sites to be set aside. This thread is important so that everyone can post their locations and others can view the detailed campground maps and make site reservations according to other camper’s locations.

Event details:
It is up to the host to decide what they would like to accomplish at camp. Some camps have been designed around the group. If you are to host a group style camp, it would be a good idea to come up with some good fishing tournament prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. If you plan to have trophies, it would also be a good idea to start getting those things in order. Other members are always more than willing to help in producing these. Keep in mind that the friendly fishing events usually help offset other costs and keep MICDC running. It is a fun event but it does generate operating capital for future events. If a group style event is planned, I recommend having an additional “raffle” prize. This prize can be anything however the better the prize the more interest you will generate. You can start selling raffle tickets at liars club with the drawing to take place after the luncheon. This gives everyone with a ticket the chance to win the prize. This is another excellent way to generate money for the group or for charity. Please understand that not everyone has the same financial situations. In order to be fair, the best course of action would be to allow for the purchase of ONE ticket per person. This gives everyone an EQUAL opportunity to win the prize!

The host might also consider having a “charity” event. These events are usually designed around a local charity or a “specific” charity that we are trying to raise money for. If you would like to host one of these events, ensure that you get the plan to everyone as soon as possible. This will provide the members with enough time to collect the necessary things to ensure you get the most participation. Understand that doing the same things over and over again can become a burden or tax members. If a charity event was previously done, a grace period might be in order. I do not recommend doing charity events in back to back years. We can however generate funds in excess of our general fund that is used for charitable contributions.

T-Shirt sales

The sale of T-shirts has become one of the most consistent forms of generating operating capital for future events. These shirts allow the promotion of the crappie dot com community while providing a sense of pride for the person who wears the shirt. They have become big hits in recent years and people always look forward to new T-shirt designs. In the past few years, we have limited shirt sales to the spring ONLY event. This event usually has the most participation.

In February, I usually send a private message to “Slab”. In it I ask how much time he will need in order to produce the shirts. Usually he has needed a minimum of 30 days prior to the event in order to get the shirts made. I like to make it a habit to provide the order information to him approximately 45 days before the event.

If the event is being held on June 8th and I want to give Slab a 45 day working window, I know that the order needs to be to him by late April. I try and provide our MICDC members with 30 days to place their orders. On or around March 22nd, I will make a thread that mimics the below:

It is time for T-shirt sales for the spring 20XX event. Orders need to be completed by April 20th. Please provide your name and the size shirt you would like to order. The cost of the shirts will be $10.00 and will be payable at liar’s club.

WicklundRH (1) Men’s LG
Abby (1) Female youth SM
Janice (1) Female LG

Although Slab might not need all of the information, I have always found it a good idea to include whether they are male or female and if they are a youth. This gives Ed the ability to provide different color options, different themes, and the ability to size shirts accordingly.

When the timeframe is complete, I compile the list submitting ALL of the member’s names and sizes along with a final running total of the number of Male shirts and sizes, female shirts and sizes, and youth shirts and sizes. KEEP this information for liars club.

I submit the list to Slab along with any other needed information. Moving forward we WILL pay for all shirts up front. Get with the financial officer in order to pay for the shirts. Slab will have a set price per shirt and is usually half the cost of what we sell them for.

Official camp flyer

I like to produce an official camp thread at a minimum of sixty days before the scheduled event. I do this in both the Michigan section as well as the camp section within crappie dot com.

The official thread should contain the following:
1. Introduction
Example: This post is the official invitation for the MICDC (Michigan Crappie Dot Com) spring crappie camp to be held on (insert date). The location of this event will be held at (XYZ).
2. It is a good idea to produce a map of the area and paste it within the official message.
3. Provide the campground information including: Website, telephone number, address, and reservation information
4. List of events: Detail the list of events throughout the entire weekend starting with liars club on Friday evening, the fishing tournament rules and cost, raffle prize (if it is an option) and cost per ticket, and the time and location of the luncheon.
5. Include the location of the lake in proximity to the campground as well as the location of the boat launch.
6. Add any necessary obstacles or warning information provided by the campground (example: we do not have fire rings)
7. Provide a list and location of bait shops within the area.
8. It is a good idea to ask people to list “Who” will be coming. Also advise them that this is NOT the location to post what you will be bringing to the event. That will be done in a separate thread.

Potluck information:

Your final thread should consist of a list of short reminders (anything that could have been missed) as well as request for who will be bringing what to the potluck. This information is important so that we don’t end up with 10 of the same dishes.

It is a good idea to ask people to sign up to bring the following items:
Paper towels
Silverware
Paper plates
Trash bags
Serving trays (for fish)
Fryers
Frying Oil
Fillets
Shelter canopies (if needed)

Money for events:

It will be up to the host to request money needed for the event. The host should coordinate with the financial officer through the form of private messages or telephone conversation. Examples of things needed to purchase include but are not limited to: Fishing tournament prizes, tournament trophies, raffle items, procurement of shelters, t-shirt orders, and any other incidental items needed for the group. Examples of incidental items could include but are not limited to: pens, logbooks, nametags, markers, group banners, and raffle tickets. Receipts will be required with all purchases.

The financial officer will not make the decision for purchases. He/she will get a minimum of two confirmations from other contributing members.

Donations:
In years past, we have worked with a wide range of group sponsors in order to obtain products to be handed out to the group. Although this is not a necessary step that is needed, the host can choose to work with several of our local and national sponsors in order to obtain products. There are several of us who have made requests over the years so there is a base of knowledge to pull from.

Details:

Camps will always be a success regardless of how things appear to turn out. Not everything will go according to plan. The best that a host can do is to provide the most detailed information possible and then let things happen. The best laid plans are ones that are subject to change! Provide as much information as possible whenever you request ideas, provide information, or make a post regarding the event you are hosting. The more details you have about a location, the campground, and the surrounding area, the better informed your participants will be.

It is important to remember that we could have people attend that have never been to a camp. Providing as much detail as possible on events is the best way to ensure that everyone is informed. Don’t expect something from someone if you did not provide the information necessary. Good information might include: who, what, where, when, why, and how!

Lean on others that have hosted events. By now there should be a good working base of knowledge to ask questions and request information from. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance with certain portions of your plan. Many of the members are more than willing to help facilitate certain portions of your plan and help ease the burden of hosting.

Many thanks for writing this up Rich