Indie Dork wants us to ask you about the Outdoor Adventure Social Club of Greater Charlottesville.
Besides the longest name ever, are any of you members? What do you think? Is it worth joining?
I know I decided not to join because it seemed rather pricey.
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Popularity: 17% [?]
Tagged as: adventure, Charlottesville, outdoor, Questions, social
Indeed, it is pricey. And that attracts a specific crowd.
On any given trip, you are more likely to hear a conversation about sipping wine in Italy than about hiking in Shenandoah.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just consider myself an outdoorsy person, but found I couldn’t relate much to anyone there. I’m curious to hear other opinions.
I thought the whole point of the great outdoors was to get away from society and being social. Do people really go hiking in hopes of meeting someone?
And yes that name is as vast as the great outdoors. You guys couldn’t come up with a clever acronym, eh? If I ever heard someone pronounce OASCGC, I would immediately apply the heimlich maneuver.
Perhaps we could rename this jumble to a shorter form-that way the shortened name will save them enough money on print and mailing cost that they can lower dues and more people can join.:
CHAOS club: Cville/albe outdoor social club Mascot included
OASIS: Outdoor Albe social including silliness
TOWEL: traveling outside with everybody, for lunch.
it’s the next big thing.
EUNICE: Enjoying Unspoiled Nature In Costumes Erratically
/likes TOWEL better.
CECIL: Charlottesvillians Enjoying Concealed Illicit Libations
no, wait - that’s us
SCOWLY: special cvillains outside wandering, loudly yelling.
JINX - Jealous Indigents Neighboring Xanar
ha
JINX: Jocular Inuits Nibbling Xanax
@7 - we were all SCOWLY Saturday night that’s fo sho
Getting SCOWLY could be the next crunk.
Jogging
Instinctively
Near
Xanadu
i heard it sucks
I like it. Through it, I’m doing activities I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do otherwise, or need someone to plan for me or teach me how to do. (Off-roading, wine and food pairing/tastings, rock climbing, rafting weekend, horseback riding.) I’ve mostly done non-outdoor, non-adventure activities so you have options. Since your question wasn’t taken that seriously for that long, which obviously ahppens here sometimes, I’d go to open hours or just sign up for a month and see what you think.
I do so loathe the term “activities” ever since the “Lanyard Incident” of 1981.
I do so loathe the term “activities” ever since the “Lanyard Incident” of 1981.
I had a debilitating macrame incident, about that time, myself.
I have three pieces of macaroni shrapnel lodged in my knee and thigh. I can tell when its gonna rain, cause they go all “al dente” on me.
@14, I heard the same thing.
Here’s my take:
Why would you actually PAY MONEY to join a club to do activities that are FREE? It makes no sense. I think you even have to pay for each activity, in addition to the regular club dues. I’m sure I’ll get flamed by some OASC Lover on here but the whole concept leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Also, aside from that, it seems to me like you’re also paying for friends. If you have to pay money and join a club in order to make friends that you can do outdoor things with, in Charlottesville of all places (there are a lot of outdoorsy people here, it’s not, for example, Fargo…not to hate on Fargo), that’s just sad, imo. It’s not that hard to meet people here that are into the outdoors.
Maybe I’m just a snob, but among the folks that I do outdoor things with, the consensus is that the OASC is lame. Aside from that, I wonder where all that money goes…Is there some dude that runs it and rakes in that cash or is it a company?
but the whole concept leaves a bad taste in my mouth
Actually that was the heimlich maneuver I performed while you were ranting.
If you have to pay money and join a club in order to make friends
cough cough fraternities cough.
@19: i know right? i also heard that once you’re in the club you’re not allowed to plan kayaking, hiking trips or whatever with other people who are not in the club. weeeird.
Thanks for that sweet maneuver, byo…I needed that. I am also consistent in my hate, hate, hate…Frats are at the top of my list, but I also went to a small liberal arts college so we didn’t have them anyway. But I still don’t get the whole Frat concept…you know, “humiliate me in public and beat me up, then we can be friends for life!!!”
nannies, if that is true that IS really weird. Actually, it sounds a little cult-like.
@22: have some more haterade with me, it’s really good today
@21 Seriously? Can someone answer as to whether that’s really the case? Cult-ish, indeed. “We’re your family, now. Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha. Now drink your Kool-Aid.”
@23, ::sips haterade:: Delicious!!!
“humiliate me in public and beat me up, then we can be friends for life!!!”
There are a couple psychology studies that prove the more humiliating, difficult, or painful something is to accomplish the more people convince themselves that it’s something they really want and it’s worth it. The brain’s way of justifying going through hell is to make the end result that much more desirable. It’s a major function of boot camp as well.
/Was a social psychology major. Convinced everyone is crazy.
I only joined for the one month trial membership, and now, since I found it not to my liking, I can no longer go outside.
/misses the sun.
“humiliate me in public and beat me up, then we can be friends for life!!!”
I don’t remember you from the pub crawl!
@21 yeah i think that’s true, but they are like the special forces of recreational afternoon day hikers. you have to be able to make a bear trap out of a cantaloupe, and rig up a GPS out of some trail mix and a packet of crystal lite. you are not qualified.
@26, I hear you. I was a Psychology major and I know what you mean. It also justifies future hazing…you know, the whole, “I had to go through hell to get into this (insert bullsh!t institution here) and, by god, you’re going to have to go through it too!!!”
So focked up…
@27, I can reintroduce you to the sun if you like
@21, @24
The HooK interviewed both Matt and I regarding the contract back in November of ‘06.
http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2006/11/30/NEWS-OASC-f.rtf.aspx
It’s awkward for me to comment on this any further, so I’m not really going to as I don’t feel it’s fair for me to pass judgment, but OASC certainly has it’s defenders — one of my friends is a member, but I’ve never myself joined or met Matt.
@24 et al.: The first rule about Outdoor Adventure Social Club is you don’t talk about Outdoor Adventure Social Club.
it seems to me like you’re also paying for friends
ummm… ahhh… well…
Non compete for a club?!
Why would you actually PAY MONEY to join a club to do activities that are FREE?
For six months! For six months I’ve paid to be part of that shoplifting club. Well no more!
Wait isn’t this true of all social clubs? Wine Guild, cvssc, OASC, etc etc?
@36
Not for the CVSSC. The only form you agree to is waiving your right to sue the shit out of me if you break your ankle and don’t have health insurance, and us being able to use photographs for promotional purposes. Our waiver form is viewable online here: http://www.cvillessc.org/waiverform.php
In the Hook’s article comments, I stated a couple times how we encourage our members to be social, have team practices, scrimmages, etc. I believe that spreads the word of the organization and I’m all for it — over 90% of our players say they heard about the league by word of mouth, so I would never want to do anything to stifle it.
Whoa. That contract is…wow. I can understand the idea that as a member, you shouldn’t start culling the email contact list for spammy fun, however well-intentioned, even if you believe the members might have an interest. I can also understand the idea that if you join, they’d want you to agree to not start a competing organization while you’re a member. What I don’t get is this language from the linked article:
“From time to time, members may also organize their own social events,” reads the contract, “but never any activity involving physical exertion other than walking (hiking not permitted).” Also verboten: activities that involve an “overnight stay.”
Are you kidding?
I had never seen that article. Interesting because the dude sounds defensive…
From the Hook:
As for the non-compete clause, Rosefsky says that’s just the way it has to be.
“I put this club together,” he says. “It took me six months of 100 hours a week, busting myself for no reward. I have not paid myself back yet for the money I invested to get this going.”
And it’s not just his own investment he worries about. Rosefsky’s work has created such intense loyalty among members that several wrote to the Hook to express support for the club and disdain for anyone who would criticize the contract.
End Hook excerpt.
Begin Robot Voice:
“Must defend club. Must hate anyone who questions contract. Critical thinking not allowed. It says so in contract. Contract good. No contract bad. Club member good. No club member bad.”
BWAHHAHHAAHAAA!!!!
I know I’ve sipped some haterade today (thanks nannies!), but this is just ridiculous, imo. I’ll leave it alone for now, but it sounds like this guy (Darden MBA) has a pretty savvy business plan. I’m going to leave it alone for obvious reasons, but it definitely is weird, weird, weird.
Time for me to get ready for Gregory Isaacs in Richmond anyway…
And why is the contract written in German? Freaky.
nice linky poo chad. hahaha they really are crazy. we’re not just drinking haterade.
icenine, i’m gonna leave the rest of this pitcher in your fridge, mmkay?
hey guys, i’m a member and remember hearing that the club changed its agreement thing in response to the article — it took the constructive criticism and made changes for the better. we are free to find poeple in the club to do outdoor activities with and there’s a forum on the club bulletin board to help people find that.
some love the club, some (as a few said above) don’t. it’s not for everyone, but it does make a lot of people really happy, both peopel who like social activites and hard-core outdoorsy folks who like and participate in only rock climbing, strenuous hikes, kayaking … it also attracts people who generally have a positive outlook in daily life. you can continue to bash it not having tried it and if that makes you happy, good for you. i know from having talked to many peeps in the club that it has brought a lot of physical challenge, outdoor exercise and happiness into their lives.
thanks for the hook link, chad. i think ive made up my mind.
Maybe we should join the club and then plan an event outside of the club to create the world’s most ridiculous lawsuit?
We will fully document the story. And if you get sued, we will refund your membership fee..
Thor: you’re missing the forest for the trees. Obviously you should follow their lead and set up a non-compete clause as a pre-requisite for commenting. NO COMMENTING ON ANY OTHER WEBLOGS EVER.
waldo would be v. disappointed
Is there an insidious reason #42 misspells people?
it also attracts people who generally have a positive outlook in daily life
psshaw!
fuckin hippies
WTF, 50 hatin’ comments on the Outdoor Adventure and Social Club. Meethinks you ppl. are jealous. What is this, the Indoor Adventure and Social Club (typetypetype)?
I know people who like it. I’ve never been there, but then again I’m here. And obviously I would just ignore any “contract” with them I signed. Ever heard of unenforceable? You can’t sign away your social rights. I don’t think they could even kick you out for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenforceable_contract
(you must read this link! assuming it does not change… the example is “priceless”).
Anyway blahblah look at the web page of the “teachers”. You probably know some of them! Outside! They even play Parcheesi. Isn’t this the board where people pay to go on a pub crawl and meet people? harharharbwwaawwaa!
to #38 and all — i checked and that paragraph is no longer in the agreement — they listened and took it out, i also found this web page: https://www.outdoorsocial.com/agreements/quotes_memberagreement.htm
Stanley, I agree.
NO MORE VISITING ANY OTHER SITES ON THE INTERNET OTHER THAN CVILLAIN!
i have to use microsoft powerpoint for work. can i still visit that?
In response to all the people bashing a contract they’ve never read and a club they’ve never been in, and instead are taking the word of an invisible stranger in a box on their desks -
The contract says nothing about you not organizing your own events, even life-threatening ones, OUTSIDE the club. You can even use the club directory to call up your friends IN the club, and organize your overnight sky-diving trip forthwith. You simply can’t use one particular part of the club’s electronic system for creating such an announcement. Matt is simply trying to avoid liability (as is necessary in this exceedingly litigious society) by not having untrained, incompetent people leading other incompetent people into the woods to get hurt, then sue. Any activities you engage in according to normal, sanctioned club channels, will have either limited potential hazards, or someone specifically trained to help deal with those that may arise.
Though you have no way of verifying this, I am a leader in the OASC, and I’m one of the club’s and Matt’s biggest informed critics. The club has its ups and downs, but having been with the club for a year and a half now, I’d say more ups than downs. And for the record, considering all angles, you’re not paying some MBA gobs of money to sit in a room and laugh at your expense. You’re paying for a hell of a lot of work, time, spent money, and benefits. If you’re curious about those benefits, check out the website or talk with someone IN the club. And when there is a fee for an adventure, the leader almost never makes a dime. I actually pay for most of the activities that I lead myself in some form or other.
And to risk running WAY past the attention span of most of those reading, if you go to a bar and drop $30 on drinks, engage in some meaningless small-talk with a stranger that will hopefully still look good if you see them later, have you not just paid for a conversation? Not even a friend! That $30 could buy you a month to try out the club, and the 80-90 activities that are scouted, planned, and organized by someone else. If your time’s not worth anything, I can understand how you might be put off by paying for someone else’s time. If you make even minimum wage, trust that over five hours of someone’s time goes into planning each month’s events.
Before you criticize, know your subject.
Peace.
Website
http://www.outdoorsocial.com
Public Schedule
http://www.outdoorsocial.com/calendar/mar2008.htm
Look Closely, welcome to the party. Help yourself to some GORP and iodine water. The latrine is around back 100 yards from the river and is marked by the blue spruce tree.
Before you criticize, know your subject.
New here?
Just kidding, thanks for the input.
“And to risk running WAY past the attention span of most of those reading, if you go to a bar and drop $30 on drinks, engage in some meaningless small-talk with a stranger that will hopefully still look good if you see them later, have you not just paid for a conversation? Not even a friend!”
i’ll give you that. we need more $2 pitchers in this town.
P.S. It’s not like anyone was doing anything other than using The Hook’s reporting job to critique something that does sound ridiculous.
Thanks for setting us straight and giving us the lowdown. That’s the whole point of this site, if you couldn’t gather it yourself.
Anyway, I think if you did a better job gently showing people how much fun members have instead of trying to justify $30 dollars = this amount of fun x time spent (or fun on your own), you may get more people interested.
/just a thought
So Matt…are you Look Closely or lubtheclub or both?
What’s more Outdoor, Social, and Club than a Pillow Fight! Come to the downtown mall this Saturday at 2pm for a big pillow fight. Cuz it’s International Pillow Fight Day. It’ll be by the 2nd St crossing. What better way to cure your hangover than to have a bunch of friends and/or random people hitting you in the head with soft fluffy pillows? It’ll be like you’re back in bed.
@54: When I drop $30 on drinks and engage in meaningless small talk, that $30 was for the drinks, not the small-talk. The small-talk is a bonus that comes along with drinking in a public environment. That being said, I have no problem paying to belong to any sort of group, be it a fraternity or a book club, as long as I feel I am getting my money’s worth. Obviously we were ill informed about the benefits your club provides to its members. Thanks for helping set us straight.
@55: Thanks! But I purify my water using a UV light pen. Iodine tastes like scat.
@56: My pleasure. And yes, I’m new here.
@57: Damn right!
@58: Yeah, the Hook and C’ville’s other publications have a tendency like any other news medium to sensationalize. I understand that there was some very questionable language in the contract originally, and having never seen it in its original form, I can’t comment on it. I can, however, comment on current contractual structure and current member benefits. Yes, the club may seem pricey, but if you actually take advantage of what the club offers, it balances out for ~230 people in town.
@59: No, I’m not Matt! I can’t speak for luvtheclub, but it doesn’t sound like Matt.
@60: DUDE!!!
@61: Word. I was speaking somewhat hypothetically/rhetorically, but my point is that $30 doesn’t go very far at a bar, no matter what your motivations are for going to the bar.
And @49: Whoa! Someone got his heart broken by a lovely girl with dreds, didn’t he?
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