Advice needed on wooden boat club

[Chris Boers]

I am a member of a small club named the Atlanta Wooden Boat Association. While our club has a small number of dedicated members, we seem to be coasting into oblivion. Currently, we have bi-monthly meetings at a local restoration shop, which have not been well attended, and a few other events including a small display at the annual Atlanta Boat Show in January and an outing in September where we provide a picnic with boat rides for the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children.

We have considered a club project of building or restoring a boat as a group, with periodic workshops, but that has not been well received in the past. We are also considering holding our meetings at a local restaurant, which we hope will increase attendance.

We need to generate new interest in the club, and I am looking for suggestions for activities which have been well received in other clubs of this type. Our focus is mainly on the do-it-yourself builder and restorer.

Any ideas?

[mmd]

Pop in on the Small Wooden Boat Association of Nova Scotia's (SWBANS) website http://www.swbans.org/ & have a look around at what we do. We're not huge nor old, but we seem to be holding our own over the past ten years. If I were to postulate on reasons for our success, I'd have to refer to irreverence and high beer intake (We hold our Annual General Meeting at the Mug & Anchor Pub at the Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival, fer gawd's sakes!). ;) Other things to do are to keep fees low (ours is $25 per year, $35 per family), ingratiate yourselves to larger, more public boaty events (we run the small craft displays and small boat races at the Mahone Bay WB Festival), and encourage your membership to be like Mormons and preach the word of your religion to any and all. Saffron robes and flowers at airports may be a bit over the top, but you get the idea.

If you have any questions about SWBANS, e-mail our president, Anne Clarke. I'm sure you will find her both informative and pleasant - she is one of our best assets.

[Chris Boers]

Thanks, one of our members thinks beer will help, too.

[Victor]

Some groups just die a natural death, usually because of changing demographics. Either there aren't as many wooden boat enthusiasts in your area as there once were or those who have them aren't joiners. You might just depress yourself trying to expand the club. Why not just revert to being a bunch of guys who are into wooden boats? If I tried to start a club like that around here it would have a memberhsip of one.

[Hughman]

Clubs, or any kind of association depend on a common interest. When life happens to people, interests, or priorities, change.

This is not news to you, but it's a good place to start examining where one can go with a club.

Maybe you could use more information about what your group wants to do.

Shall we create survey questions on WBF for you? (caution, you might get more than you bargained for!) :D

[Chris Boers]

We were planning to send out a survey in the next few weeks. Some sample questions would be a help.

[alteran]

Ther must be some folks out at Lake Lanier with wood boats. Tried drumming up any interest out there?

Al.

[Jack Heinlen]

"There is no such thing as too much advertising."

PT Barnum

Have you thought about a weekend, parent child, boatbuilding project, such as a 'six hour canoe'?

I think things like that, which combine so many modern questions and issues: parents and children doing things together, actually building something in two days that you can put in the water and paddle around in, simple construction--actually achievable in a weekend by neophytes--without being stupid, working with a few cheap materials and ending up with a boat that can be used for years. Those are great, timeless, themes that many people, young and older, hunger for. All you need do is plan it well and advertise.

[ 08-08-2004, 10:46 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

[Art Read]

Do a little "search" through the archives here on the PSEBS. (Puget Sound Elbow Bending Society) A few things that I think has made our several "meetings" so sucessfull. (If they can seriously be described as such...) Absolutely no organisation. (Other than random posts here...) No dues, officers, newsletter, (other than the random, bleary eyed posts here...) or "official" sanction. Popular meeting venues. (Local waterfront pubs! ;) ) Lots of "impromptu" after hours field trips to nearby, notable and cool project sites. (Thanks Roger and Nicholas, et all!) Lots of "lies" and good cheer to go with all the "boat talk". Yet still a wonderful opportunity to meet like minded folks and trade useful information about this odd preoccupation of ours. And yes, lots of opportunities to make arrangements for more "productive" meetings to actually take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and experience present.

Bottom line, keep it casual, fun and worthwhile.

[Andreas Jordahl Rhude]

Combine forces with the local chapter of the Antique & CLassic Boat Society (www.acbs.og) if not already an affiliate. The International ACBS Antique & Classic Boat Show takes place at Lake Lanier in September. This is wood, fiberglass, aluminum, steel, etc..., not just wooden boats.

[Smacksman]

Restoring a yacht is enough turmoil for an individual - restoring a yacht with a committee must be a nightmare.

I'm on and off various committees and there's always only about 10% 'dooers' in any club so yours sounds about normal. Good luck.

[Norumbega Boatworks]

My two cents- you all might think about what your expectations were when you joined/created the club and try to meet them. No idea of your meeting structure etc. - but compelling speakers, group projects, things that bring people together to share and focus their enthusiasm are the key to enduring interest. And bringing membership into the processes of it all, as well, not just they being the recipients.

Best, Will