Club Update - Committee Meeting

[robert]

All

We had a committee meeting this afternoon, some good positive outcomes from the meeting which I will attempt to detail below.

• I have agreed (subject to nomination at Stoneleigh) to step up as chairman for the next year and then take a view on the position.
• The membership systems for club members and forum members will be intrinsically linked. Website information will be posted in the mag and vice versa.
• Membership information will flow both ways properly between the website and the club secretary through a single interface.
• Area reps will have access to the online membership system for updating, emailing etc through a secure interface.
• There will be no differentiation between the Website and the Club
• Online and Offline advertising (ie mag and forum) will be aligned to provide additional benefit to advertisers thereby pulling in more advertisers and increasing club revenue and exposure for advertisers.
• Area Rep section on the website to provide better gainshare for the reps and the club
• Combined Area Meets, supported by the club at events to promote the club and its associated links.
• Whats coming up this weekend section for adhoc trips if the weather is good
• Club Recommendations for weekends away both home and on the continent with discounted crossings and discounted accommodation.
• Twice yearly conference call with the area reps to gain updates from area reps and set out the plans for the coming year.
• Regalia will be placed on the site as soon as possible and included within the magazine.
• Area reps will have a copy of the regalia order forms to distribute to members.
• Genuine supplier discounts will be investigated and posted on the forum and within the mag for club members.
• Gain better linkage with the industry mags, which kit etc.
• Manufacturer Scheme to get members at the start of the build and retain them. AK are already providing this as a benefit to their owners and it is working exceptionally well.

I would also like to touch on the current misconception that the club is losing members, and the club doesn't have any funds and its all doom and gloom, read on for a bit of good news for a change.

Having been through the accounts and the membership numbers, the club is NOT running out of money and we have sufficient working capital to sustain at least 4 mags, funds to support combined regional events and a couple of other initiatives that we are currently looking into.

Yes, we did have a relatively lean year in 2008 however the mag and printing costs have been realigned. 2009 will be a year to consolidate the position we are in, ensure we retain the current members and work towards pulling in additional members however the priority needs to be retaining our current members.

With regard to membership numbers, a lot of different numbers have been bandied around. Historically, we had Jan to December membership, therefore we had an easy reckoner at the end of the year with regard to how many members we had. This resulted in a very peaky membership number, and increased work for Marion.

We change to a rolling 12 month membership, this eased the burden on Marion but it also skewed the membership numbers and it has taken up until now to even those peaks and troughs out. Membership has been and is relatively stable now and as a club we have no reason to be concerned given the current economic climate.

We are in a good sustainable position and if we build on that, we will be able to provide the benefits to our current membership base, and also increase our membership. Align this with the other initiatives we are undertaking for the members, through the forum, mag and with the area reps (although they don't know this yet), I am very positive about the coming year.

If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them.

[conrod]

Rob,

A very positive meeting - lots of ideas and enthusiasm, and I left feeling that we're in great shape for 2009. Now all we need is a dry and sunny summer ......

[RAM427Cobra]

Very well done, and good luck in your new role.

Alan

[jgfabs]

Originally Posted by robert

All

We had a committee meeting this afternoon, some good positive outcomes from the meeting which I will attempt to detail below.

• I have agreed (subject to nomination at Stoneleigh) to step up as chairman for the next year and then take a view on the position.
• The membership systems for club members and forum members will be intrinsically linked. Website information will be posted in the mag and vice versa.
• Membership information will flow both ways properly between the website and the club secretary through a single interface.
• Area reps will have access to the online membership system for updating, emailing etc through a secure interface.
• There will be no differentiation between the Website and the Club
• Online and Offline advertising (ie mag and forum) will be aligned to provide additional benefit to advertisers thereby pulling in more advertisers and increasing club revenue and exposure for advertisers.
• Area Rep section on the website to provide better gainshare for the reps and the club
• Combined Area Meets, supported by the club at events to promote the club and its associated links.
• Whats coming up this weekend section for adhoc trips if the weather is good
• Club Recommendations for weekends away both home and on the continent with discounted crossings and discounted accommodation.
• Twice yearly conference call with the area reps to gain updates from area reps and set out the plans for the coming year.
• Regalia will be placed on the site as soon as possible and included within the magazine.
• Area reps will have a copy of the regalia order forms to distribute to members.
• Genuine supplier discounts will be investigated and posted on the forum and within the mag for club members.
• Gain better linkage with the industry mags, which kit etc.
• Manufacturer Scheme to get members at the start of the build and retain them. AK are already providing this as a benefit to their owners and it is working exceptionally well.

I would also like to touch on the current misconception that the club is losing members, and the club doesn't have any funds and its all doom and gloom, read on for a bit of good news for a change.

Having been through the accounts and the membership numbers, the club is NOT running out of money and we have sufficient working capital to sustain at least 4 mags, funds to support combined regional events and a couple of other initiatives that we are currently looking into.

Yes, we did have a relatively lean year in 2008 however the mag and printing costs have been realigned. 2009 will be a year to consolidate the position we are in, ensure we retain the current members and work towards pulling in additional members however the priority needs to be retaining our current members.

With regard to membership numbers, a lot of different numbers have been bandied around. Historically, we had Jan to December membership, therefore we had an easy reckoner at the end of the year with regard to how many members we had. This resulted in a very peaky membership number, and increased work for Marion.

We change to a rolling 12 month membership, this eased the burden on Marion but it also skewed the membership numbers and it has taken up until now to even those peaks and troughs out. Membership has been and is relatively stable now and as a club we have no reason to be concerned given the current economic climate.

We are in a good sustainable position and if we build on that, we will be able to provide the benefits to our current membership base, and also increase our membership. Align this with the other initiatives we are undertaking for the members, through the forum, mag and with the area reps (although they don't know this yet), I am very positive about the coming year.

If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them.

Well done,and thankyou

[kenf]

Really good news. Sounds like excellent progress with taking-on the ideas of many members. Well done to all those on the committee.

Ken

[Miket]

Excellent news Robert.

Now, when are you going to find time to build another Cobra.

[slogger]

Cheers Rob.

Good news and congrats on your new role.

[383 stroker]

Sounds like a constructive meeting with a good result. Congratulations to Rob. Looks like a bright future is coming.

Maybe gormless Gordon could learn a thing or 2.


ps can you organise a bright warm summer as well?

[dolphinboy400]

looking good well done everyone involved

[BLOKE]

Rob, you do many day to day things for this club, and website, and many members publicly thank you.
However what you and the commitee have done here goes beyond that, if you can achieve what you have outlined it will be a massive step forward for this club, so I am saying to those people out there who continue to criticise what you all do, be positive get behind this commitee and help it, and if you havent rejoined, do it NOW, its the funds the club needs to achieve there objectives, and you will be helping to make this club one of the best.
Regards Frank Dowsett. BlOKE.