Keeping a club alive

[s vernon]

How many clubs die or have their ups and downs over the years due to people who need to have someone else fix their boat? Many times they expect an all encompassing (forever?) warranty from the person who sold them the used boat. Other times hopefully the club has one person who is very talented, meticulous and willing to take on the never ending maintenance task for several owners. If he leaves, the club can have a big problem. Or the person who is willing to do the job is not so talented and meticulous. Bingo

You can end up with a lot of inactive skippers/boats.

Not every club is like the one in Massachusetts with a man who has a workshop and with good fellowship and teaching/working together on a regular basis. And even something like that is not forever. Answers?

[Capt. Flak]

Scott, It is not just having a fix-it-man in a club that helps keep it going. You have to have a cheerleader or promoter or motivator who keeps folks coming back to the pond. Successful clubs always have a good promoter, whether it be for one class or all the classes in the club. There is a guy or gal who is always there to motivate. When that person leaves for whatever reason, there needs to be another person to step up or the club will suffer. I have seen it all across the country and it is cyclical. A club that was going very strong will lose their promoter and over time, attendance drops until nobody is sailing anymore. Or they have moved to another class boat that has its own promoter.

The Seattle group was the leader of the pack for many years in the EC12 class, but over time they moved away from the 12 to the IOMs and other boats. St Petersburg had a large EC12 fleet, but now they are down to just one guy still sailing it and he has to travel to do it. The 12s are still there in St Pete, but most of them are on the shelf and the club is sailing other classes. It is no fun to sail alone.

I can name a dozen more clubs that have seen changes like this and all of them are usually due to the one promoter not being there anymore.

Clubs need to be aware of the importance of that leader and make sure they are motivated themselves to keep doing what they do. If they do not give back or take him or her for granted, they will likely grow tired and everyone will lose.

So support your club leader/s, give back when you can and step up if needed. No club or class can survive forever with just one promoter or one fix-it-man.

[greerdr]

Well said Joe.
We in Fl have seen what he said so succinctly.
How do we as a group make it better?
I think we mentor another "Cheerleader".
In our club past commadore is responsible for trophies;keeps them involved for 2 more years.
But Scott has hit on a very important point about the builder/expert.
If we want our sport to prosper we need more.

[Chuck Luscomb]

Clubs need to be aware of the importance of that leader and make sure they are motivated themselves to keep doing what they do. If they do not give back or take him or her for granted, they will likely grow tired and everyone will lose.

Thank you Joe for saying that.