How To Get Club members To Support The Club

midwestbonsai

I have question for all of you that are members of a bonsai club or society or whatever.
How do you get the members to support the club, other than simply paying the yearly dues.

In my club we have around 50 members or so. Each meeting you are lucky to see more than 20, ussually alot less than that.
People are unwilling to take officer positions, because they "dont have the time". Our president has been so for over 5 years because no one will step up. He also does most of the demos because nobody else will do it. I think he works too hard, but with out him were would the club be. . .

They do not believe in having auctions, even though it would benifit the club with money and possibally new members. Because they say "I work too hard on all of my trees and I am bot going to "give" it to the club."

Raffels are another great way to raise funds for the club, but there it is again "who's going to supply the stuff for the raffle?"

Granted I am one of the youngest members of the club at 28.

Why is everyone so negative?!?

If any of you have been a member of a club like this, and have seen it turn around, what did you do?

-Paul

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Hi Paul, I've found there are a minority of negative loudmouths in any organization. These folks are quick to rain on the parade. Just go ahead and plan your events and given proper publicity and adequate notice, they'll succeed. Please let me know if there's anything you need in terms of banner ads or whatnot to help support this effort.

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dracothered

Hi,

I hate to say this but it isn't just Bonsai Clubs that this happens to. It seems that any type of club or group that gets together for regular meets always have the same people doing most of the work. I've seen this from Church groups to Club and even the Boy Scouts when I was in it all the way back in the late 70's early 80's.

Its a fact of life that if they can get away from having to commit to leadership roles they will. Sad fact most members just want to show up to the meetings and go home if they come at all.

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Corbin
Draco the Red

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Count me among those who wishes to get out alive.



Regards,

Matt

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midwestbonsai

Thanks for the support Matt.

Another problem is I am realivley new to the club 5years, granted there are some newer members but I will leave them out of it, and new to being an officer, club librarian. Just elected this Dec for 06. It was tought to get enough votes being I was the only one that has ran for the position in over 5 years. People are willing to listen to me, but they rarely "hear" me.

Any thoughts on how to spike the intrest of the group to a raffel or auction or something like that? I think i t could be a great thing for the club.
-Paul

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midwestbonsai

I agree Draco, I am a member of several clubs and societies not just in bonsai. And I see the same thing. I have officers positions in all of them.
I am always suggesting new ideas to the group with little success.
It is a shame that people dont want to take responsibility for the club.


My next thing is changing the club website, make it more informative.
-Paul

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I.B.

Our local bonsai club in Rocheser, New York (Bonsai Society of Upstate New York) is over 30 years old. We now have well over 100 members according to our treasurer and usually get 50-75 per meeting. Some of our member drive over one hour to attend meetings from Syracuse, Bufflo and Ithaca, New York.

Everyone helps, always. We have a large exhibition in May and we only have one 90 minute meeting to organize it. Everyone knows what to do, and we do it. We do not care who gets credit for the job, we all pitch in. No politics here.

A few years ago we had the opportunity to get bonsai artist Mr. Gondo from Japan for an unscheduled meeting. We asked the members if they wanted to learn from him and they all said yes. So I told them, we can charge $10 to get in for this special meeting, OR they must buy raffle tickets (1/$1, 7/$5 15/$20) to support this extra event. Well they did. We hosted Mr. Gondo and his assistant, paid their expenses and purchaesed the demo tree, and imported Satsuki azalea for abou $600. After paying all the expenses this great program cost the club $35.

On Tuesday evening we had our annual holiday party. I showed slides from Japan and the Ginkgo Show. Members brought in deserts to share, club provided punch/coffee. Afterwards we had a blind auction (people bring gifts, mostly bonsai related) wrapped and we auction them off for the club. I thanked the members for their gifts and told them that this auction is our largest money making event for the year. We actually make more money here than our spring show in May. So I told them we expect them to support the auction. we had great items. End result we saw some great bonsai in slides, had delicious deserts and fun with the auction AND we raised over $1,100 for our club. It was a snowy windy icy night, so distance members could not attend, we only had 50-60 people.

So I guess you must treat your members nice, give them good programs and ask them to support and work.

Bonsai is alive, well and growing in Upstate New York.

Bill

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William N. Valavanis

midwestbonsai

Mr. Valavanis,

I like the idea of a blind aution, that could be alot of fun.

What were the raffel ticket for, was the club also raffeling something at that meeting?

I think that this is also very important. I was at our officers meeting where we desided waht the schedule for 06 would be, many suggestions, and the majority of the answers were "well we just did that, like six years ago." Instead of sticks in pot it was sticks in the mud.lol

Currently I am trying to find a place for some wild collecting for a club trip, currently we only goto a nursery, the same one year after year.
Little luck so far, but with enough persitance anything can happen.
-paul

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I.B.

Paul,

The raffle tickets were for the imported demonstration satsuki azalea which Mr. Gondo worked on. We have one "lucky" member now.

Bill

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William N. Valavanis