Driver Training Manual
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 5:35 pm
Background:
Many, many years ago, a group of people, under the AAWDC developed a very nice Driver Training Manual.
This never saw the light of day.
However, thanks to Glyn Demmer, I have the DTM in it's (nearly) final version.
Background to the Background:
What is an AAWDC?: - In the USA, many years ago, the yanks (who are big on Unions, Clubs, Associations & Governing Bodies), set up an
Association of All Wheel Drive Clubs.
This was the governing body of all 4x4 Clubs.
From what I can piece together, the story goes something like this:
A group of guys who ran the 1st great clubs in SA like Land Rover (LROC), Toyota, Jeep etc. Flew to the US and asked if we could join.
This resulted in the establishment of a South African AAWDC which belonged to the US AAWDC.
Initially the AAWDC did great stuff, but it sort of lost it's way. In fact, the 4x4 Action Group was founded to resist the actions the AAWDC were trying to enforce.
But that is another story for another day.
One of the great things the AAWDC was working on was a Driver Training Manual.
History of the DTM:
Many large figures in 4x4'ing back then (7 to 10 years ago) under 4x4 Trainer, Alan Goodway, contributed to the Manual & it eventually was near completion.
However, the AAWDC Committee wanted to spend R90 000 printing & distributing the DTM.
This, they believed, would bring in some much needed funds.
When, at an AAWDC meeting, I asked how much money selling the book would make, I was told 'About R90 000'.
I objected as spending R90k to make R90k seemed silly.
Anyhoo, I did not attend the following AAWDC meeting, but let it be known that the DTM should be made into a PDF & given to the paid up members of the AAWDC for FREE.
Who were paid up members of the AAWDC? Back then, each Club had to submit an audited members list of it's members to the AAWDC
(the 4x4AG was the ONLY Club to do so - the rest just gave membership numbers).
Clubs then had to pay R5.00 per member, per annum, to the AAWDC.
This we, the 4x4AG, did, every year.
So when the suggestion that the DTM be given away as a PDF for free was rejected - I was not happy.
Epilogue:
The AAWDC collapsed in about 2016 or 2017 iirc.
The DTM was never seen again.
However, I have been in contact with Glyn Demmer over the years and he eventually dug up a near final version of the DTM for me.
With his permission (& because, as a member club, we helped fund it) I now have it to give to you, for free...
Many, many years ago, a group of people, under the AAWDC developed a very nice Driver Training Manual.
This never saw the light of day.
However, thanks to Glyn Demmer, I have the DTM in it's (nearly) final version.
Background to the Background:
What is an AAWDC?: - In the USA, many years ago, the yanks (who are big on Unions, Clubs, Associations & Governing Bodies), set up an
Association of All Wheel Drive Clubs.
This was the governing body of all 4x4 Clubs.
From what I can piece together, the story goes something like this:
A group of guys who ran the 1st great clubs in SA like Land Rover (LROC), Toyota, Jeep etc. Flew to the US and asked if we could join.
This resulted in the establishment of a South African AAWDC which belonged to the US AAWDC.
Initially the AAWDC did great stuff, but it sort of lost it's way. In fact, the 4x4 Action Group was founded to resist the actions the AAWDC were trying to enforce.
But that is another story for another day.
One of the great things the AAWDC was working on was a Driver Training Manual.
History of the DTM:
Many large figures in 4x4'ing back then (7 to 10 years ago) under 4x4 Trainer, Alan Goodway, contributed to the Manual & it eventually was near completion.
However, the AAWDC Committee wanted to spend R90 000 printing & distributing the DTM.
This, they believed, would bring in some much needed funds.
When, at an AAWDC meeting, I asked how much money selling the book would make, I was told 'About R90 000'.
I objected as spending R90k to make R90k seemed silly.
Anyhoo, I did not attend the following AAWDC meeting, but let it be known that the DTM should be made into a PDF & given to the paid up members of the AAWDC for FREE.
Who were paid up members of the AAWDC? Back then, each Club had to submit an audited members list of it's members to the AAWDC
(the 4x4AG was the ONLY Club to do so - the rest just gave membership numbers).
Clubs then had to pay R5.00 per member, per annum, to the AAWDC.
This we, the 4x4AG, did, every year.
So when the suggestion that the DTM be given away as a PDF for free was rejected - I was not happy.
Epilogue:
The AAWDC collapsed in about 2016 or 2017 iirc.
The DTM was never seen again.
However, I have been in contact with Glyn Demmer over the years and he eventually dug up a near final version of the DTM for me.
With his permission (& because, as a member club, we helped fund it) I now have it to give to you, for free...