Club Membership

[Jez Morton]

Just a thought re the hog roast the people i see there are mostly members plus wags, offspring and friends. if we stop family and friends joining in then i am sure people will have to miss it and eat with the family. i am not saying its right that a member could potentially feed their wife and 3 kids for one membership fee. i think its the people that turn up that make the shows what they are and i would hope if i brought a passenger with me they could join in.

[Guest MarkB]

Just a thought re the hog roast the people i see there are mostly members plus wags, offspring and friends. if we stop family and friends joining in then i am sure people will have to miss it and eat with the family. i am not saying its right that a member could potentially feed their wife and 3 kids for one membership fee. i think its the people that turn up that make the shows what they are and i would hope if i brought a passenger with me they could join in.

 

Hence both me and my missus are paid up members... not that my boys will eat a pig roast... but just incase.

[Guest boggybogstar]

Clearly there's a risk of me being contentious here, but I want to give a view from an 'ex' member....

 

First of all lets face it, most of the people on here have got a 'toy' sitting in their garage worth upwards of a couple of grand, so is £15 really the sticking point? – I don't really think so. If you reduced it to a fiver would you get more members? – I don't really think so!

 

This club does exactly what it says on the tin, its a wealthof information to help people out, god knows how I would've completed my buildwithout the helpful people on here.

 

So why haven't I rejoined after 3 membership years?

 

Well for me personally although the site still gives me excellent reading material it doesn't fuel my needs as far as kitcars are concerned, I'm a driver, theres nothing better as far as Im concerned meeting agroup of other people early on a Sunday morning and blatting to a cafe – this club tends to just 'meet at the venue' (in most cases not all) which isn't me and why I threw myself into another club (I almost said that S word then but refrained!!)

 

Maybe others who cant get to the hog roast and free beer think that if they pay their just subsidising the others?, others might be able to negotiate with insurance companies the same premium you would get if you were a member on here (as I have!)

 

Its a difficult one, and that other club (starting with an S) is having similar problems with contribution within the forums and trying different tricks to get new active members.

 

I would say though, hide forums at your own peril, yes the 'for sale' one (was their really that much of interest on there like on Locostbuilders?), but shut others out of mainstream topics and it could create a bad reputation, maybe even a cliqueness with other clubs (and non members).

 

Dont get me wrong, I would (and do) recommend this forum to people, for me it's not the price – its what the club offers, now before Im shot down in flames Im sure I do speak for lots of other people

Edited August 19, 2011 by Tony B

[fry61]

Agree with some of what you say Tony; but the things you consider "broke" don't get fixed by leaving the workshop.

[philshelton]

Just a thought re the hog roast the people i see there are mostly members plus wags, offspring and friends. if we stop family and friends joining in then i am sure people will have to miss it and eat with the family. i am not saying its right that a member could potentially feed their wife and 3 kids for one membership fee. i think its the people that turn up that make the shows what they are and i would hope if i brought a passenger with me they could join in.

He or She would be your guest and as a full club member your membership card would get food for you both, the same with Families. Tea and Coffee should be free / donation. As regards those that dont get to the shows its a shame that you are missing out on food and beer but a bigger shave that you miss out on the atmosphere and general banter that goes on, for me the shows are the heigh light of the year.

[Guest ethanicus]

Are we not getting a bit tied up on the hog roast and drinks.  What I would personally like is more local events like track days, pub get togethers and car shows.  Not just the token kit car show.  

 

Why don't you just charge on a per person basis on the day for food and drinks.

 

Why don't you increase the annual fee,    remove the cost to run the site, magazine and other running costs.  Then spread the rest of the budget across the area secs to arrange various events across all regions, so everybody will benefit from the "club", not just the web site.  I'm sure most will be happy to pay for the additional events that are out of fee budget.

 

I may be wrong, but to grow the forum to cover members wider than the midlands community, a bit of reworking may be needed.  This is a owners club, not just a internet forum.

 

The kit car market place is changing, GBS are selling into Westfield and Caterham customers.  I'm all up for a increase in fee, but only if more is done on the south.  

 

Maybe save costs in some areas like a PDF magazine instead of printed. 

 

This is a great site, but I think we are at risk of loosing new members to more generic kit web sites as GBS grow and target other markets Inc Europe.

 

This is not a dig, just feel we need to catch with other clubs, forums and the Market place.

 

Happy to help Owlman in the south where needed.

 

Cheers,

Jon

[Guest ethanicus]

Sorry just to add. Maybe a 3 tier membership.

 

FOC = limited web access

£15 = full web access

£X = full web plus events etc...

[Guest Kennedy48]

Sorry just to add. Maybe a 3 tier membership.

 

FOC = limited web access

£15 = full web access

£X = full web plus events etc...

 

but is £15 alot of money just to access some Internet content. That will make others go other places when googles free.

 

Iv only just got my car on the road in the last 2 weeks and I don't know much about local meets in north east. (Newcastle upon tyne area) but from the ones I see there arnt many. I'm a member but like I said before and others are saying too. Everything is happening too far from me

[chris n]

I'm all up for a increase in fee, but only if more is done on the south.  

 

 

There are loads of events and meets that go on in the south throughout the year. Just need member to join in with them.

[Longboarder]

I couldn't make Newark this year and some non-entitled person ate my portion of pork. I'm shocked. It should have been thrown away. I paid for that. I also made the error of taking some beer with me to Stoneleigh and drinking that rather than the barrel. I even contribute when I have a cuppa at the shows. Am I due a refund? I talk to and am happy to offer help to people all the time without checking they are paid up members.

I understood, but I may be wrong, that Mat runs the Rhocar site (with a contribution from the club) mostly out of his own pocket and in his own time. It's not the clubs site. In fairness perhaps Mat should start invoicing the club for hosting, programming, maintenance, upgrades and his time. However this might lead to the membership fee being doubled or more so maybe we shouldn't go there. Freeloaders? Rhocar itself? Surely not.

Perhaps we could arrange a refund to non show going members. Limited help for non-members on the forum in future. Check if the OP is a member before answering. Three answers only and then they have to join the club. Perhaps we should make a small payment to members giving helpful answers on the forum. Fines for people talking rubbish.(Not a bad idea actually!) Perhaps we should have lower fees for members who live in the less active club areas? Lower fees for non internet users? Sliding scale for extra charges for people who ask a lot of questions?

Is this all about the 15 quid? I feel I get that back in one show, the mags, the forum and the friendships.

Is it about the freeloaders? Yes they're a pain but I don't feel the need to behave like a tw*t to make them go away or pay up.

The long term community user non members? Irritating but down to their consciences as far as I'm concerned.

The not-yet-member community users? They may become members if the club is attractive enough.

The unrestricted generous nature of the club and community is part of it's attraction and success. But yes, the more successful it is the more it will have hangers on and freeloaders.

The future is inclusion, not exclusion or fussing about getting your full 15 quids worth. That would be going back to the bad old days.

If it aint broke don't fix it.

And to the person who scoffed my crackling at Newark. Choose from 1. I genuinely hope you enjoyed it and might become a member in future. or 2. I hope you broke a tooth and it choked you.

 

Nigel

[Guest sandy77uk]

I only joined recently and that was because I'm near the end of my build and felt i should give alittle back for the help I've recieved

 

I'm not interested in going to shows, the idea of standing round chatting about them in a field rather than driving them doesn't massively appeal to me, I know it does to others and thats their bag, its just not mine

 

Now my bag is more days out, be it a fun run to the coast or along B roads with others in my area with the occasional track day that sort of thing, now that does appeal to me

 

I appreciate how tough it can be to organise these sorts of things, but then, maybes a new section to the forum dedicated to the areas, so i can very quickly go into the east mids (I think thats where I am) and see if my area secetary is rounding people up for a blast on a sunday morning

[Guest gdc]

so for once nigel may have made the best reply so far ,love you nige ,.

for me and my feelings . make them pay for the knowledge that is whithin this clubs database .

its been built up over many years , its our knowledge , we have earnt it . we have made the mistakes to end up with the right answers .

we have spent the time and the money to come up with the right answers .

dont give it away .

become a member and we will give the answers . £15 for the answers ?

i met a guy at the ace cafe on sat , he couldnt work out why his starter would not work .

when we asked , he was trying to use the origonal zetec starter in its origonal position .

we explained how to make it all work , after the laughter calmed down .he has spent months trying to sort it out .

come on guys this info is and always has been worth money . or members .

lets get it sorted .

pig eating is for members only . cos we paid for it .

lets not give it away .

 

graham inmyho

i have to add that just in case .

as a foot note i have always thought that the info in this forum should be restricted to members only .

and the value of a £15 membership wow you work it out .

[philshelton]

To those that say nothing is happening in MY area Well I only have one answer get of you arse and make something happen Area Secs lose interest and run out of ideas when they have sat in a car park waiting for some one who might turn up only to find no one does Inactive areas are just in active members thats nothing to do with the club as a whole. Sorry guys but thats the way I see it if you want things to happen make sure you turn up that may me rain or shine because the guy thats organized it has to.

[Guest gdc]

phill why did you change the agenda ?

 

i have been an area sec and i too know the chill of the wait for mermbers to poss turn up .

i thought this was about the web site and the pig eating thing .

graham

[Guest ethanicus]

Hi Chaps,

 

Just to confirm, I wasn’t knocking the club or area secs as I appreciate the hard work that goes in to arranging meets etc..

However the point I was making is that I am happy to pay more for additional events in the south, other than the good pub car park meetings. :-)

Re the website, you will always need to give a bit away to drive new visitors/members. Maybe even a 30 day trial then the site access becomes chargeable.

 

If the local area sec doesn’t mind others arranging events them I’m happy to crack on arrange a few?

Anyway.... who’s up for a blast down the A24 to the coast once my plates arrive.

 

Cheers,

Jon