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Author Topic: How to ruin your club  (Read 1694 times)

W5OT

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How to ruin your club
« on: July 16, 2022, 08:39:11 AM »

I joined a local club a few years ago.  They had friday evening meetings that I was able to attend. (work out of state during the week).  They had 100+ members with regular meeting attendance of 50-80 people.  Multiple linked repeater locations, weekly sunday night net, massive Field Day participation, monthly field excursions, an annual swap meet, good prestige among the community and other local clubs...............

Then they start making changes.  First was the repeater committee deciding to convert their most popular and used repeater to Yeasu system fusion and unlinking it from their network.  This was a COMMITTEE decision, not a membership decision.  Now, over half of the membership is kicked off the weekly sunday night net. (I'm sure as heck NOT buying a special radio just to check in and say "no traffic" on a sunday night.)  Unlinking the repeater and disposing of Echolink now has alienated a good group of snowbirds that are (were) members also.  Then, the executive committee decided they want to build a nice big HF remote station for the club.  But it's expensive and they have a 5 year plan and need to raise the annual membership dues from $25/year to $125/year.  This is an EXECUTIVE committee decision, not a membership decision.  Well, crap hits the fan, special meetings are called, the whole situation just blows up, and the net result is that over half the clubs members just up and leave.  Some of the leaders of the Field Day ops and monthly excursions decide to splinter off and form their own club. 

Then..........COVID hits.  They go to ZOOM meetings only.  I for one am NOT buying a camera and microphone just to look at a bunch of people on my computer screen.  Memberships continues to decline.  I'm not sure where they are now.....but I've looked at their financial reports, and they ain't doing good boys and girls.

They have finally decided to return their primary repeater to analog because no one was using the Yeasu system fusion machine.  They abandoned the $125 increase in annual dues, and as of a few months ago, resumed in person monthly club meetings.  I decided to attend one just to see if I might be interested in returning.  SIGH.......it was a joke.  Sure, they had a nice ZOOM presentation about contesting, but the atmosphere was somber and just a shell of what it used to be.  A TOTAL of 15 people present and a couple people dialed in for the ZOOM presentation.

What put the nail in the coffin for me was when the ZOOM presenter asked if the club has participated in Field Day this year.  There was an "excuse" given that due to Covid, they ran out of time to find a location.  The real reason being that all the people that set up and participated in Field Day left the club and formed their own club and they couldn't scrape the people/equipment/location together to do it. 

So, the moral of the story boys and girls, if you don't want to run your club into the ground.......ASK your membership about any changes you are thinking about making first.  Just doing things by executive committee and pissing off your membership is NOT the way to keep a club successful. 
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WW5F

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2022, 09:37:19 AM »

Yup.  I'm by myself these days, too.  Dropped out of two clubs.  Last one before this covid thing became an issue.  One for pretty much the same reasons you listed, the other one because it's just a social "eatin" club.  (Both are now almost begging me to come back--pass, no thanks, don't need you, don't want you, thanks anyway.)
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AC2EU

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2022, 09:50:45 AM »

Wow, I had a very similar experience. Not so much about dues or specialized repeaters, but the "executive decisions" that were made and other critical ones deferred, also NOT securing a place for field day.

My club had a strong core membership turnout of 30 more or less who would show up to meetings.
The problems started when the president decided that he would run the club when he felt like or had absolutely nothing better to do. The meeting schedule was changed to HIS convenience without input from the members
There was virtually NO planning, thus no club activities.

As if that wasn't bad enough, then Covid hit. The zoom meetings were dreary and dismal. Then he decided to go "covid crazy" . We can't do this, we can't do that, all because of covid. BALONEY!!!!
I spoke up about finding a meeting venue and doing more, but was shot down by the president. There weren't enough people attending the Zoom meeting ( maybe 5!) to make any input or have a meaningful discussion.

To give an idea of the level of BS/paranoia ,the "in person meetings" were only reinstated last month!
There has been no club field day for 3 years including this year.

Another local club, in contrast, is still doing well. They reinstated meetings as soon as they could while also offering a Zoom "simulcast, which they tell me they are going to continue for the elderly hams.
They also had a well attended field day.- like covid never happened!

I guess the take away here is to not be afraid to speak up at meetings if things are going south.
In retrospect, I should have called some other member to find 'like minded" individuals and have them attend the meeting to have their voices heard.
Maybe the club would have survived...

WA1UIL

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2022, 09:56:24 AM »

Sadly this holds true for a lot of different organizations. Things are running just fine and a select group who thinks they know what's better for everyone else steps in. I seen this first hand in a local radio club as well as a sportsman's club. I belong to neither now.  Its happening in quite famous national organizations currently too.  Its just sad.
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WY4J

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2022, 09:58:39 AM »

Another way I would think can contribute to a death of a club is arrogance. I moved to NC from Florida and attempted to join a local ham radio club in Statesville, NC which is about 12 miles sway from my QTH. Emailed them 3 times and never received a a reply back from anyone there. I erroneously assumed that every club would be more than happy to sign up new members but guess that I was wrong when I tried joining this outfit.
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W6BP

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2022, 10:37:37 AM »

Well, I was in agreement until you mentioned the transition to Zoom meetings due to COVID. Our local club did the Zoom thing and it worked out just fine. It wasn't reasonable to ask people to gather indoors during a pandemic (still isn't, according to the local case numbers here).
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AF5CC

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2022, 11:47:41 AM »

If things are working well, LEAVE THEM ALONE, instead of feeling like you always need to be changing something.

73 John AF5CC
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KF4HR

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2022, 12:30:46 PM »

Like it or not, the trend now-a-days seems to be the minority speaks for (and controls), the majority.  Many prefer democratic type decisions (especially given the high dues you mentioned). 

If you enjoy the club environment consider there are several options: run for a committee position, or finding a new club, start your own club.  GL
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NO9E

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2022, 04:51:15 PM »

Quote
But it's expensive and they have a 5 year plan and need to raise the annual membership dues from $25/year to $125/year.

They made bad decisions from perspective of a person where $125 dues are high. For a club aiming at a better repeater and a remote HF station.

You cannot please everybody.

I visited a PI4CC club in the Netherlands. See
https://www.pi4cc.nl
Their contributions must be in the thousands per year. They have fun.

Ignacy NO9E
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W6SWO

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2022, 07:48:12 PM »

Yup. There are a few clubs in my area, but some don't do anything except a lunchtime get together of the old regulars, so very few folks of working age can participate.  Club websites haven't been updated in over a year.  And we wonder why ham radio interest is flagging.
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K6CRC

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2022, 08:06:39 PM »

I have never been in a Ham club, but decided to visit the general meetings of two local ones.

First one, a bit far from home, was well attended. People saw I was new, and introduced themselves. Meeting was quick business, a short tech presentation, then social hour, coffee etc.  We were invited to an after meeting at a local Pizza parlor. Nice people, well run club. But, a bit far for me.

Second one, much closer to home. I showed up at Field Day as a possible member. Emailed them in advance asking if I could help. No response. When I showed up, I offered to spell an op.  Some slob said, 'sure, take the 6M USB station while I take a piss. Band's dead anyway'.  Nice intro there.

I hung around for a hour or so, chatting with two other men who had come with their teen sons. There had been an article in a local paper about Field Day, and the men thought the kids would be interested. No one even talked to them, no one offered to have them make contacts.

Soon, club ops said it was time to tear down.  I asked what I could do to help, on guy said 'Roll up coax' So I started. About a minute later, he start screaming at me that I wasn't rolling it correctly. Just about the same time, another guy backed his truck into the portable tower, knocking it down. More screaming ensued.

I just walked away.  And no doubt the hobby of Ham Radio did not have it's finest day of impressing the public.



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K7LZR

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2022, 09:13:26 PM »

Our local ham club is a shell of its former self. Its been on life support for years. Sad.
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VK3LU

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #12 on: July 17, 2022, 01:19:55 AM »

Beware the tyranny of a minority.  >:(

Nev
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KD2HCU

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2022, 07:32:21 AM »

I joined a local club a few years ago.  We have many members on the roster who never show up (which is probably true of many organizations), but we also have some members who are very active.  The dues haven't changed from the $30 that its been since I joined.  We have repeaters for vhf, 220 and uhf (even though I never hear anyone on 220.  Our monthly meetings are held in a beautiful new location preceded by our board meetings.  We work well with other local clubs and have members who are members of several clubs.  Covid actually expanded our membership, possibly due to the Covid net we ran each week and coordinated with another club who ran a covid net on a different night. There are no ego problems and decisions are always discussed.
Every month we have a VE session and get at least 5 new applicants to take the test.  I am fortunate to be in an area where there are many clubs and repeaters, and the hams all get along well.  If the dues were to be raised to $125.00, no matter how good the club is I would regretfully have to leave it.  That price raise could buy me a new radio every year.
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K6ES

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Re: How to ruin your club
« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2022, 08:50:07 AM »

A lot of clubs are nothing more than ROMEO'S. Retired Old Men Eating Out.
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