Persuading Club Members

[Thistle]

I know a lot of clubs say that they expect all members to participate in work parties and in race officer / rescue rotas etc. My impression is that in practice these duties still fall to a relatively small core of active and community spirited members. Has anyone come across any good ways of persuading the more reluctant members to become involved?

 

[[70521]]

Don't, they won't have the skills or desire to do what they can't do and vote with their wallet.

 

[Poignard]

One club of which I am a member allows members who do not wish to undertake club duties, or who are unable to, to make a cash donation to club funds.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Unfortunately there is no ‘magic bullet’ I think all clubs have this problem.
If anyone has a solution it would be very interesting to hear.

 

[Goldie]

A club I used to belong to belong to expected members to take on one or more of a number of qualifying tasks - work party, race officer, safety boat, bar duty etc. - each year in order to qualify for a ‘discounted’ membership fee the following year. It seemed to work ok and as a Club Flag Officer at the time, I don’t recall many (if any) walking away.

 

[Stemar]

My club has work days and you can chose two. If you don't turn up, Words Will Be Had. Do it too often, and it's bye bye. There are exemptions for the older or disabled members and you have the option to buy your way out. Another club I looked at required bar duty a few times a year, with no exemptions. As I was recovering from open heart surgery and couldn't remain on my feet for long at a time, we gave that one a miss.

 

[Wansworth]

Why wouldn’t anybody not want to join in……isn’t that the whole ethos of a club

 

[The Q]

My club has the same semi voluntary system as in one duty is expected each year (that is the summer club) most but definitely not all, do duties..
I believe they have looked at different methods to force encourage more people but not adopted any.
For the last 5 years I've done every complete day of regatta week, but from this year since my own boat is in the water...Finally...
I'll do mornings only which covers the busiest time, when the rugrats are out.. Beginners 8 years old in oppies and toppers not allowed out for the second second series , when the keel boats come out to play, though I'll cover that one as well.

 

[Poignard]

Deleted

 

[Greenheart]

Why wouldn’t anybody not want to join in…isn’t that the whole ethos of a club?

Hmm. Judging by the number of boats which never go out at all, I think the notional keenness and conviviality of club-membership isn't enough to prevent the duty-rosta (and even the events it supports) from inducing a collective groan.

Admittedly mine's a dinghy club with racing as its dominant raison d'etre. That's unfortunate from my perspective because I have to do three race-duties per year, despite never benefiting from others doing theirs. It's my choice though - it's worth it to benefit from the club's 2m-high heavy steel fence.

Plus I hope can rely on being rescued if I have a calamity within a mile or so of the club, though my sailing is usually beyond that range. I daresay they'd bring a RIB out further, if one was already afloat when I made the call.

I always get my duties out of the way earlier in the year than I'm likely to want to sail my own boat. In May I did a couple of Monday-night race duties after work - a great help because that's two weekends not obstructed.

In answer to the OP (and relating it to my own club) I believe it would be perfectly fair to require the people who enjoy the most racing, to do a proportionate amount of race-support. I don't mind wielding a strimmer or pushing a barrow or mower round the boat-park even in midwinter, but launching and retrieving (and sitting in) a RIB means a later day or more of kit-rinsing and drying.

 

[Birdseye]

I know a lot of clubs say that they expect all members to participate in work parties and in race officer / rescue rotas etc. My impression is that in practice these duties still fall to a relatively small core of active and community spirited members. Has anyone come across any good ways of persuading the more reluctant members to become involved?

We have had two different strategies in my club. For a long period, the chap in charge of compound, launch, recovery and moorings was a hard case who simply refused to launch or recover you unless you had turned up for work parties such as cleaning the compound area, checking moorings etc. That worked until he died.

Currently we have work hours and a charge for contractor labour if you dont do the hours. Unfortunately, the admin arent hard nosed in enforcing it, so some just ignore the system.

OD duties are easy. The racers are scheduled for OD duties and compensated in the race series accordingly.

 

[LittleSister]

Its very much depends on the catchment for the club, among other things - how local are most of your members? Also the social culture of the club.

I was very active in one club - frequent safety boat, race officer, bar duties etc. (and eventually became Hon. Sec.), and there were others who lived almost next door who were more practical and keen DIYers, so a good complement of skills and people nearby. I lived not far away and had a relatively relaxed lifestyle at the time.

At other times I've been member of a club, mainly for a mooring or whatever, lived over an hour's drive away, never used the bar or engaged in racing or socials, had a very demanding job and other claims on my time, so never volunteered for duties (not 'compulsory' in that instance).

I feel I've overall 'pulled my weight' having contributed what I can, when I can. (Not least, having moved home a lot, I think I must win a prize for having paid joining fees to the highest number of clubs, and contributed to 'levelling up' by having them all scattered about the country!)

I don't really have any suggestions for encouraging people to get involved, apart from make it fun to do so, and recognise that not everyone will necessarily find the clubs dominant social 'tone', however friendly, comfortable and engaging.

 

[Poignard]

Years ago I used to be a member of Hardway Sailing Club, Gosport.

Club rules allowed members to be excused duty on payment of (I think) £40.

I seem to remember that there were two duty calls a year.

At the time I lived about 75 miles away, and I was working full time.

It made perfect sense to me to cough up £80/year, which I could earn in an hour, rather than lose two day's work and have to drive 300 miles.

 

[Greenheart]

I think the same offer was made at my club more recently, but more like £75 per duty.

So to avoid three duties, I'd have paid as much as the year's renewal fee. A bit like paying once to renew membership, then as much a second time in order to avoid the place.

I did the duties.

 

[Stemar]

Years ago I used to be a member of Hardway Sailing Club, Gosport.

Club rules allowed members to be excused duty on payment of (I think) £40.

I seem to remember that there were two duty calls a year.

At the time I lived about 75 miles away, and I was working full time.

It made perfect sense to me to cough up £80/year, which I could earn in an hour, rather than lose two day's work and have to drive 300 miles.

It also makes perfect sense for the club. Those who can, do. Those who can't, support financially. Generally the work days appear well attended, though with H&S these days, much of it is pretty harmless stuff like painting. Anything requiring real skill or dangerous tools seems to get done by the commodore and a small number of others.

 

[Greenheart]

A few years back I energetically swung some kind of hefty iron digging tool - a mattock, I think it's called - and dug about fifteen feet of ditch to link some deep gravel-filled trenches that would help keep the boat park from becoming a quagmire.

It saved the club the need to get a mechanical digger and I rather enjoyed the exercise. I never grudge that kind of work-party.

I object much more to race-support duties. The club doesn't recognise that a small proportion of the membership doesn't ever race, so it oughtn't to be obliged to support that activity.

 

[Stemar]

I rarely raced, but I was always happy to do safety patrol boat (it seems we aren't allowed to call it that any more, never understood why) A nice day out on the water, and permission to exceed the speed limit. I never did check if we were allowed to to, but figured that if a dinghy had capsized, and may be in difficulty, forgiveness was more useful than permission which may have to be refused. It's great fun to blat about in a fairly powerful RIB, for a while, though I couldn't imaging owning one

 

[Greenheart]

I couldn't imagine owning one because I find it such a yawn. ?

 

[Praxinoscope]

I rarely raced, but I was always happy to do safety patrol boat (it seems we aren't allowed to call it that any more, never understood why) A nice day out on the water, and permission to exceed the speed limit. I never did check if we were allowed to to, but figured that if a dinghy had capsized, and may be in difficulty, forgiveness was more useful than permission which may have to be refused. It's great fun to blat about in a fairly powerful RIB, for a while, though I couldn't imaging owning one

Not allowed to call it ‘Safety Boat’? Does that mean my RYA Safety Boat Certificate is no longer valid, and I have to get it changed to Patrol Boat Certificate?

 

[The Q]

our regulations state you can only exceed the speed limit (4mph locally 6mph further down river) during an actual rescue.

When I was on shift work and had plenty of time off, I'd do the occasional work party, I've not done it for the last 20 years because I haven't the time with working Monday to Friday, however from next year and retired...

All our safety boats have "Rescue" on the sides, it's some clubs have panicked and removed "Rescue " for the word "Safety". They are worried if you fail to rescue they might get sued.. Though over the years I've rescued more tourists than competitors.. Fun trying to move a broken down 40ft Hire cruiser off the middle of the course in a cross wind with a little dory..