penybontshed
Active Member
Exiled to sunny South Wales
Posts: 44
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Post by penybontshed on May 26, 2015 10:13:29 GMT
Morning all, as the membership in our club has reached a plateau , I wonder how you have (or have you?) gone about recruiting new members to your club? It would seem we rely on visitors to open days who show interest, or maybe word of mouth. I wonder though, have you advertised, or tried other methods?
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steam4ian
Elder Statesman
One good turn deserves another
Posts: 2,069
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Post by steam4ian on May 26, 2015 12:17:39 GMT
Relying on visitors to public days expressing interest and nominations by friends are how our club gains members. So far our member numbers are quite good even if the average age is rising somewhat. Out and out advertising may be unwise because you don't know who might want to join. Because we deal with minors both as riders and a few junior members, care is need with membership approval. People with a "reputation" from kindred clubs or know trouble makers don't get past the approval process; ultimately the whole membership votes. we have not yet formalised background checks and I hope it doesn't come to that.
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Post by steamcoal on May 26, 2015 12:26:03 GMT
Hi Ian.
If you serve good food and sticky buns that will increase the membership too! And you do.
Lovely club you have there at SASMEE, nice location and wish I could have stayed longer .
Hayden
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Post by Doug on May 26, 2015 13:38:51 GMT
Same here NWLSME tends to have a steady level of membership we dont advertise most new members either get in touch through our website or in person at the track on open days. lets be honest if you are into this hobby you will seek out your local club by virtue of needing somewhere to display/ run your model and get local help etc.
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Post by donashton on May 26, 2015 16:30:12 GMT
Interesting views, and from those who have thought about it and are concerned, but how come we almost take for granted that we want greater numbers? I recall many years ago, a worldwide club whose treasurer was seeking sanction at committee to write to ex-members to discover why they left after an average of two years. I pointed out that this obsession for new membership dragged in the half-hearted on a wing of enthusiasm, so at first subs renewal they said 'oh, well...'. But that didn't last to reach the two year renewal - simple as that. Do you seek half-hearted members? If so, why?
Don.
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penybontshed
Active Member
Exiled to sunny South Wales
Posts: 44
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Post by penybontshed on May 26, 2015 16:47:32 GMT
Hi there, not particularly interested in reaching the half hearted, and probably neither the zealot who brings all his mates and tries to take the club in a direction not desired by the majority. Just looking for a committed core (which we have) that could be a bit bigger.
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Post by alanstepney on May 26, 2015 18:10:33 GMT
I cant really comment on ME clubs as I am not a member of any at present, and when I was, was never involved with membership. (Although one club I belonged to always had a surfeit of members!)
But, the radio club I belong to did have a problem with declining membership and has overcome it. Members left because they moved to another area, lost interest in the hobby, had to go into a Home (we have a lot of aged members) or, sadly, died.
Now, each month we have a formal talk on some technical subject, plus informal "gossip" evenings. The former are popular and some members only attend on those evenings. Some members have volunteered to transport those who are unable to drive, to and from such events. (They may not be able to drive and may live in an old-peoples home, but, Oh Boy, some of them have masses of information to impart!)
We also attend various public events, where we try to endourage potential members to come along and see us.
We also arrange training sessions where we teach novices some of the basics etc. Some only come for the training, but a few become members.
The end result is that we lose 4 or 5 members each year, but gain 6 or 8.
A tie in with local schools can also help. The kids might be enthusiasts in the future, but their parents will hear about it NOW, and some may wish to find out more.
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SteveW
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,399
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Post by SteveW on May 26, 2015 19:43:10 GMT
One of our enterprising members approached the local shopping arcade for the re-use of an empty shop unit. Turns out the management were very happy for us to lock up some of our spare models with suitable signage for a month or so if only to provide a bit of local interest to folk.
So far the first benefit was a particularly good attendance at our first public running day.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 20:31:21 GMT
One of our enterprising members approached the local shopping arcade for the re-use of an empty shop unit. Turns out the management were very happy for us to lock up some of our spare models with suitable signage for a month or so if only to provide a bit of local interest to folk. So far the first benefit was a particularly good attendance at our first public running day. Our public libraries often have 'craft' and 'art' displays and I think they would be ok about showing some model engineering . Our art museum once had a 3 month display of scientific and engineering items - many working - and that was very well visited after people found out about it .
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Post by suctionhose on May 27, 2015 13:27:42 GMT
I have been promoting moves in our club to become more proactive at recruitment.
The membership has been stable for donkeys' years but advancing years of those members poses the question of continuance in the next generation.
We have done isolated advertising without immediate affect - as expected - however a few good prospects have applied for memberships recently.
We would like to meet people willing to contribute and tend to be less enthusiastic about prospective non contributors. The club is what you make of it after all.
We have not identified a river of gold yet but would like it known that Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society will welcome any interested persons and recommend making yourself known at the grounds any Saturday.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 15:02:21 GMT
I have been promoting moves in our club to become more proactive at recruitment. The membership has been stable for donkeys' years but advancing years of those members poses the question of continuance in the next generation. We have done isolated advertising without immediate affect - as expected - however a few good prospects have applied for memberships recently. We would like to meet people willing to contribute and tend to be less enthusiastic about prospective non contributors. The club is what you make of it after all. We have not identified a river of gold yet but would like it known that Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society will welcome any interested persons and recommend making yourself known at the grounds any Saturday. It would be interesting to find out in more detail what club membership actually amounts to . If I (for example) turned up at your/any club what would I atually be told in early discussions about benefits of joining and what would be expected of me in return ?
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Post by joanlluch on May 28, 2015 6:37:50 GMT
Getting new people joining a club is workable with a significant rate of success, this is achievable provided joining fees are not exaggerated. The problem is whether those members will ever become active members.
Just a couple of days ago I have been asked to take the role as the President of my club (ASAFEGI). The current guy is 72 years old and he is searching for a substitute. The offer honors me and I acknowledge that I am the best available candidate, but I do not really want to do it because I hate administrative day to day operations or even representative roles.
The club is growing and it is taking members from other clubs in the area which are having worse days, but It is pretty obvious that this hobby continues in a steady decline since years ago. We just need to look at our average ages. For example, the vast majority of active members in the club are over 60 y.o. As they become older I doubt others will follow.
The strong appeal of new technologies and computer games makes very difficult to spark any interest in model engineering to the current generation. In my opinion this is already a lost war.
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Post by suctionhose on May 28, 2015 7:54:21 GMT
Hello Michael, Given your proximity to Sydney and the unvetted audience awaiting my response I do so cautiously!
Boiler Inspections, Insurance, Facilities etc.; the usual benefits. However, if that was your only reason for joining a club you might find it a hollow experience.
To quote John F Kennedy “Ask not what your Country can do for you…”
What is hard to quantify and very much an individual experience is that clubs are people: friends, mentors, understudies, helpers, helpees, custodians of vast knowledge and champions of unique and obscure subjects. We all experience phases of life and work when the fit is not right. When it is right, life is really good! You can only really be fulfilled by participating in something alongside people whose company you enjoy.
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Post by steamcoal on May 28, 2015 8:14:55 GMT
What does a prospective member actually seek in joining a MES?
Is it a hobby friendship with other like minded persons or just a venue, be it pond or track?
I would rather get together with a few totally enthusiastic modellers and have a good days running than have the hords turn up. If your going to the track you want to make the most of it and not muck around. If the weathers good the day goes fast enough in the winter season without messing about.
Our committee hails the party line…the more parties the more potential members….but are we really after members or memberships ( fees? ). Money should not matter, its the modelling that important.
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penybontshed
Active Member
Exiled to sunny South Wales
Posts: 44
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Post by penybontshed on May 28, 2015 9:45:06 GMT
Hmm, we seem to be getting to a discussion about the actual benefits of membership, and at times (like open days when its a struggle to get someone to watch your loco while you have a toilet break) its worth recalling what they are. For me, yes its like minded people, support help and encouragement when things get difficult and also access to not only facilities but also skills that I do not (currently) possess. Also lets not forget FUN! Its just the pursuit of funds and meeting the needs of visitors can dilute that right down at times.
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Post by suctionhose on May 28, 2015 11:38:29 GMT
The relationship a club has with the public is more complex than it first appears. There is the income to survive element but more than that there is ones place in the community. If operating on public land the community might and probably should expect more than just a handful of people as beneficiaries. The land may easily be redeployed for a purpose that better reflects community interests and then the club is without a site.
There is the critical mass required to negotiate with authorities. Having a recognised place in the community is a stronger position than just defending ones own interests. Running on a privately owned track with a bunch of mates is a great thing. 4am winter runs. Late nighters. All memorable times. But only a lucky few get to play that way and the owner of the property has to be quite generous with time and money for it to happen at all.
In terms of successful recruitment, taking a moment to look deep at what the Glue is that keeps a club together is a vital first step. I'm sure it varies from club to club just as the nature of people does with the inevitable tendency for like minded people to gravitate together. Having talked through these things fairly frequently in recent years, I am almost surprised to find the Glue has less to do with the models themselves than it does the way in which people use the medium of models to enjoy each other's company.
Understanding the particular flavour of Glue, the core strength, the reason why people want to be there is a vital part of estimating where new people might be found and encouraged to join in. Maintaining the balance of chores vs fun is no different to any other aspect of life. There is no fun without work and either without the other becomes a pretty bland formula I would think.
My personal attitude to recruitment is that there is no magic formula. Just let it be known that new members are welcome and keep it natural. If people stay its because they want to. If they don't... well that's probably for the best!
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penybontshed
Active Member
Exiled to sunny South Wales
Posts: 44
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Post by penybontshed on May 28, 2015 12:02:42 GMT
Wise words indeed
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Post by joanlluch on May 28, 2015 14:43:18 GMT
Hi Suctionhose, you nailed it.
In our case, the land where the track is installed is owned and maintained by the municipality. (grass cutting, tree pruning, irrigation, urban furnishing, and so on). We also have a small museum and a pretty big landscape model for HO trains, which are installed in the old rail station of the village. The station building remains unused (closed to general people) because all train tickets are currently delivered by electronic machines in the platforms. We also use the station building for all the club activities, and the place effectively acts as our headquarters.
The property of the rail station building belongs to the national railways company, which rents it to us at a reasonable price. That's both advantageous and dangerous because at any time the company may decide to demolish it for whatever reason, or put it in use again, or simply to apply a renting fee that the club could not afford.
This is why it is so important having a recognised place in the community and keep the stronger possible position, which also involves being present in other activities of the community. This helps us to continue being funded by the municipality, and to expect eventual help from them if at any time the station building is headed to a different use by the railway company. It is also very important that members understand why keeping a role in the community is necessary, and members are asked to keep that in mind at all times when new members come in, or when people from the community comes to visit us, or ask questions.
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Post by steamcoal on May 28, 2015 20:49:32 GMT
Our small club is on rented ground ( council owned and $100 rent) but we have no obligations to haul public. Considering the size of our town we are very lucky to have a good facility like we do and should be thankful.
I fully endorse the writings of suctionhose as well, well put.
I guess I should be thankful we have any sort of model club in our town.
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steam4ian
Elder Statesman
One good turn deserves another
Posts: 2,069
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Post by steam4ian on May 28, 2015 23:44:06 GMT
Joan and Suction Hose have made great point about use of community land and having a community profile. Don't under estimate the power of a photo of miserable kids bannering an article in the local press or TV with the headline "Council forcing popular train park to close"
It came in handy for us when the rail line adjacent our property was being lowered into a tunnel to pass under the main freight track. Part of the proposal had a drainage diversion ditch dug right through our ground. By some fluke I just happened to see the drawing beside the printer in an office I was visiting. A bit of internal and external politicking happened and the drain was not built.
Our public profile meant that in spite of the underpass being cut right at our boundary fence we actually gained a few centimetres (critical on a tight site). We had an electrical and signals engineer from the railways looking at the effect of induced currents in the our track running parallel to the electrified main line and their effect on our signalling system. For putting up with temporary inconvenience during construction we got a number of tangible benefits.
Suction Hose made another good point, keep the members you've got and keep their enthusiasm. We introduced points scheme which offsets participation against the membership fee. I was surprised it was so well accepted by the members at the meeting. It has been successful in not only getting greater participation but also in members rediscovering the benefits of participating in club activities.
Regards Ian
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