What do you get for being a member of "your local club"?

[BooneTOdd]

In the near future I hope to start up "the local club" in my area. Honestly, I'm not really looking forward to it, but it's time, and someone has to do it. [img]/msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] Since I'm the lucky one, I'd like to make sure I do what's best for everyone involved, the course, and future course's and member's to come.

Since I'm only aware of how a few other club's handle their business, I'd like to get some other feedback before I come to any conclusion on how I should start up, organize, and run ours (club).

I'm curious to know what some club's charge for membership and due's annually, and what benefit's member's receive in return? Is a tax ID # and bank account necessary? Doe's your club sell disc's? How is most of your club money spent? Other good club fundraising idea's (bagtags, disc sale's, weekly's, monthly's, acepool's, etc.)? Member responsiblities? Any other advice on forming a club would be super helpful, and truly appreciated!

Thanks!

[ck34]

How about checking out all of the PDGA documents pertaining to this? www.pdga.com/club_affiliate/club_affiliate.php

[BooneTOdd]

Thanks for the link, definitely a good resource for club information.

Although, it really doesn't tell you all the nitty gritty stuff I'd like to know from already established clubs and their member's.

I want to hear what really work's and what doesn't? What makes member's happy, and/or upset? Most importantly, Happy!

With the establishment of the club, I'm basically hoping to figure out who really cares and who really doesn't. Our course is very new (not even finished yet), and it's in a very small rural town with no other course's within 60 mile's roughly. So, promoting it and help hasn't been easy. You all know the story, we'd all rather play then get involved with the responsiblities. The good new's is that the course is drawing a lot of attention, and the response has been extremely positive!

[dave_marchant]

Free food is good. It makes people Happy.

Seriously.....if you can provide food (free if at all possible), it keeps people around a centralized location during lunch breaks. That seems to do wonders in building camaraderie. We’ve been doing that for a while now in various ways:
Between rounds of 2 round tournaments we hold
Work day followed by lunch followed by weekly singles. Free lunch and free entry into singles for all who worked 2+ hours
Annual party on a private course with free food and drinks

This costs some up-front money and takes effort by the cook (grilling works best), but it pays dividends in huge ways. Do not underestimate the camaraderie factor. If people are friends, and there is a nice positive vibe, people will want to keep coming back. And they will want to join their friends for workdays. Bigger numbers of folks will buy more merchandise at club events, and more players fees ($1-2) at club events.

[johnrock]

What makes members happy/upset?

TIME

Either start time for events, time for meetings, or volunteer time, time seems to be one of the biggest issues of our club. Most members are flexable (as long as work isn't affected), but there always seems to be one or two who want something different than what is agreed on. Try to be strict with the start time of your weekly/monthly events, because those that do show up and are ready on time will get bummed if things are always 30 - 45 minutes late. Hopefully the members of your group will understand that usually the schedule is set by the volunteer who is doing the work of organizing and running the events (provided that volunteer is trying to accomidate the most members as possible).

[circle_2]

Club buys a quantity of discs and members get a DISCount...
Members get $1 off of league dues...
End of year Club Championship Tourney = free to members.
Instill how a membership pays for itself through DISCounts..

[BooneTOdd]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nobodies mentioned how much your club charge's initial or annually? Do you get a club disc with that, etc.? What else?

Keep em coming, all good response's!

[veganray]

Marshall Street loves clubs!

[quickdisc]

Marshall Street loves clubs!