Membership Renewal

[G15 Roy]

Hi Paul have you not renewed your membership as you show as a guest and no longer a member?

[Ozmadman]

Hi Paul have you not renewed your membership as you show as a guest and no longer a member?

Hi Roy

I have sent you a PM

[Ozmadman]

Hi Paul have you not renewed your membership as you show as a guest and no longer a member?

Hi Roy

I have sent you a PM

As mentioned above, I pm'd Roy because I didn't really think it was right airing my personal views about the club on the open forum. He has suggested that I should have so here are my comments in reply to Roy's question. I stand by what I said and just think that to encourage younger members to the club we ( well, the club as I am not a member anymore) needs to bring it into the 21st century.

" That's correct Roy, for various reasons I have decided not to renew my membership. The main reason is that I am a forum member only, I don't go to the meetings as too far away and on two instances I did attend events (Ace Cafe event at Southend seafront and last years Rally) I didn't feel welcome at all and wandered around like Billy no mates. Hard to stay but that is how I felt and probably due to everyone being in their cliche because they attend meetings etc. And no-one knows me from Adam. The only downside I suppose is that the forum, which I enjoy commenting on, is linked to the club and you can't have one without the other. I have made a few forum friends since being on here and hope to keep in, digital, contact but paying to be part of a club which technically I cannot be part of isn't something I want to do anymore. Conversely, I am membership secretary of the Air Cooled RD club where the forum is actually free for anyone to join without joining the club, where I get paper magazines(quarterly) and a free calendar each year for a fee of £15. We have no meetings as such yet we are getting people pay to join the club everyday. To stop people benefitting and benefitting others by closing the forum off to non members is always something I have struggled with right from the start and in my opinion it does nothing to encourage interest in the marque and expecting someone to pay to join the club in effect just to use the forum just exacerbates the issue. Anyway, thanks for your concern and I hope I have given you an honest reply and maybe some food for thought for a future AGM "

All the best

Paul

Post modified by Moderator as it quoted a Private reply to a Private Message.

[SPRIDDLER]

Hi Paul.
I respect your views entirely and acknowledge that you have contributed a great deal of help on the Forums to owners of Lightweight machines. However, (takes deep breath) I see club membership very differently.

I haven't been able to ride my Matchless for 5 years and have had to make do with a modern bike, and yet I still enjoy and can afford 50p a week to be part of a circle of like-minded enthusiasts and contribute help where I'm able. Without wishing to come over all pious I don't see my membership as a case of 'What The Club Can Do For Me'.

Many, through choice or geography never attend sections or rallies nor use the website, neither do they use any or
all the services available through the club, but without membership subs these services would not, in the main, exist, nor would the club. I also view the subs as an expression of support and appreciation for the voluntary work undertaken by the committee and other members whose help is freely given online and at events.

With regard to access to the Forums, they are a small part (and not widely used) of the club's activity. I see them as a valuable add-on to the club in general for people to get technical or identification help, express views and generally swap a bit o' banter. A club bar in fact.

Part of the challenge facing the club today is due to a large section of the membership expecting and being accustomed to 'someone' making the commitment to give their time and get their hands dirty doing stuff, without any direct benefit to themselves, and always at their own, sometimes significant, expense.
I'm not directing my comments to you specifically but that's my perception of being part of a club.

(Maybe this should be a separate thread in light of the discussions on nominations for vacant positions?).

[Ozmadman]

Thanks Neville

Some salient pointers there and food for thought. I do agree that this should be moved to its own thread, as you say, in light of the committee posts up for grabs which no-one at the moment seems willing to occupy (maybe one of the mods/Commitee members can move it?? If I had stayed in the club then the requirement to attend certain meetings alone would have made the decision for me as I have no other transport. I also have a partner that detests bikes and everything to do with them so I barely get enough riding time let alone attending meetings and events, a factor touched on by RB in one of his comments. The RD club makes no such restrictions and I can function as membership secretary entirely on my PC....PS. It does seem a bit strange that all these resignation seem to have come at once?

[Janet]

.PS. It does seem a bit strange that all these resignation seem to have come at once?

Really? Why do you think that? Bearing in mind the president is elected for two years at a time, so any year that would otherwise have two standing down will increase to three if he decides it's time to go. The chairman has resigned for 2-3 years but stayed because no-one volunteered to take on the role. This years he's really going to go as I think he may lose some body parts if he doesn't. I don't know why the exhibitions officer has resigned but I'm sure he has good reasons. By all accounts he's done a good job while in post, one that he didn't leap up and down to get but only after consideration following no other takers at the 2014 AGM.

To me, it's more telling that each year committee members say they will stand again and always get re-elected.

[Stuoyb]

Janet, I think that more of us would stand down if there was a glimmer of hope that other members would be willing to help out.
In an organisation like this it is easy for for "everything to stay the same" but sadly the world progresses and so too must the club.
Fresh eyes, new ideas are constantly needed but don't seem to be coming forward therefore existing committee members tend to stay on out of a sense of loyalty/duty to keep the club going.
Can the same be said of the membership in general?