1/3 rd of Members Lost!!

I have recently had an email from Rosie and it is shocking reading. When I printed the last magazine there were over 90 members, a big jump from the 75 or so members from the previous magazine. Whilst realising there will be some natural losses through, maybe, just moving on from Scamping, but we have now lost 1/3rd of our memebers because they have not paid their annual memebership!! And before you say it Elaine, we all know of the differences between Reg and Rick, it is well documented and we appreciate both sides of the story, but we have now lost Jerry Harris and his son, Martin and Nettie, Rollo and many many more of the members that we have seen in the past. To me, it is a very sad day to see the membership dwindle to so few.

It is sad to hear of such a drop in membership numbers and it makes you wonder why.

Maybe we (Rick) could give the recently lost members a quick call for a chat. It may motivate them into re-joining the club but if nothing else you'll find out why they've not renewed (lack of cash, sold scamp, etc...

If the SOC has lost it's appeal we need to know why and address the issue (if there is one).

On the positive, there are loads of Scamps surfacing on E-bay that I've never seen before. With new owners there is a massive opportunity to swell the club ranks. Is there a way to contact the buyers and invite them to join the SOC?

I'm also convinced the forum takes something away from the SOC. I'm not saying we should do anything to change the forum, it's a great introduction for prospective members to showcase the characters and knowledge in the SOC. What the SOC needs to offer is the next step, to give the Scamp enthusiast something they can't get on the forum, to make them want to join the club, to be a part of a fun and like minded group of people.

That's a real shame to hear. I'm guessing a lot of them will simply be oversights though, we all know how much chasing Nettie used to do in order to get the fees in every year.

As for Reg he's merely one member, him not renewing won't have effected the club membership levels (other than by one). As it is his monster Scamp is still patiently waiting for its next power phase. And who knows, maybe once he's Audi Turbo'd it and put it back on the road he may well rejoin the SOC.
Maybe others are thinking the same if their Scamps are also off the road at the mo?
Are the majority of losses ACTIVE long term members, or are they ones that rarely/never attend events, or the ones who just joined to participate in one certain event? Not that they're less important to the club, but they're not your core members.

I would be interested to know what possible 'other side of the story' there could be though? Reg was simply a paid up member of the SOC for around 15yrs, who was suddenly made to feel very unwelcome, for what is rumoured to be repeatedly winning the Best Off-Road Adapted trophy! Just motivate your other members to up their ante, and adapt their Scamps for off-roading more than his is, simples.
And then we heard that that award was actually ditched this year. Which was a real surprise, seeing as the club keeps pushing off-roading events....


Anyways that's all in the past. Take care all, see you at the Christmas party,
Elaine.

Perhaps the club needs to look at ways of making it easier for people to renew. Currently we get a slightly offish reminder letter saying your membership has lapsed and that's about it, it doesn't even say how much the subs are. The current letter could do with a tear off strip being added at bottom with space to fill in your name and address to send in with the cheque. Possibly worth including a pre-addressed envelope to make things even easier. All people have to do then is fill in their details, write a cheque, stuff the envelope and put a stamp on.

Could the email list for the magazine be used to send out an reminder a month before someone's membership finishes with a form attached that they can print out and post back?

Also what about allowing people to pay by annual Standing Order (I'm assuming the club has it's own bank account)? Most club's I'm a member off allow this as it costs nothing to set up, saves a lot of chasing and takes advantage of peoples natural inertia. All Rose would have to do is tick off the payments on a the bank statement and send a standard email/letter to confirm renewal.

Charlie

In the past i have actually e-mailed the seller with the SOC details, asking them to pass on the details to the buyer.
Wether it worked or not who knows.

Also what about allowing people to pay by annual Standing Order

I think one or two do pay by standing order, as all you need is the club account details and a trip to the bank and it's sorted, or, if you do online banking it should be even more simple.
I suppose we all have to move on and we lose some members by natural attrition, but we are in times of recession, and our losses will be greater, a great shame.

OSR wrote:Currently we get a slightly offish reminder letter saying your membership has lapsed and that's about it, it doesn't even say how much the subs are.

Charlie

You got a reminder?! We didn't, well that just shows how much our membership was valued...

Mk3rob wrote:
In the past i have actually e-mailed the seller with the SOC details, asking them to pass on the details to the buyer.
Wether it worked or not who knows.

So have we, Rob.

Can I suggest that the details for setting up SO's are included in future renewal letters please? I would set one up if I had the details as it's easier all round.

how about sending the details for online payment wont be long before cheques are out of use

Its soapbox time - well when I was Pres no I won't go down that road, done it twice got the t-shirt beleive me its a thankless task sometimes - pleasing eveyone all the time is nigh impossible.

Subs are advertised on the SOC website (£13) which should be your 1st port of call and should be paid by the latest at the picnic (I have not renewed mine as I thought ex-pres's got honoury membership for their time and effort, but if that has changed I will pay up, did anyone take minutes at this years AGM?).

It was decided when I was last pres that memebers would be given one polite reminder to pay (after sending several reminders in the past which wasted club funds). In this digital age I tried to contact many members via email to again save club funds and also offering the option of Scampers in pdf to save on printing. If membership is dwindling (for whatever reason) events like the Picnic (which is already booked) will cost those that do attend much more on the day.

Standing order forms were available when Nette and I were in the hot seats and I beleive were passed on to Rick and Rosie.

You cannot make people join the SOC and airing your dirty washing on the forum does not portray us in a good light so I politely suggest that any gripes should be via the private messageing facility.

Club Presidents and officials come and go - Rick and Rosie need your support to ensure SOC carries on, a polite reply to the sub reminder letter would suffice.

On another note I have spent the last few days rewiring the garage with more lights so I can finally make a start putting Florence back together.

Martin & Nettie wrote:Subs are advertised on the SOC website (£13) which should be your 1st port of call

I did check the website but all it says is 'Membership £13 per year'. As many clubs and societies charge a different price for individual and family membership I wasn't sure if the £13 was for one person or a family hence my question a couple of weeks ago.

Martin & Nettie wrote:should be paid by the latest at the picnic

That's the first time I've been told when the membership year runs from as it is not stated on the website or in any of the letters I've had from the club. If people don't know when the membership year runs how can you expect them to know when to pay? If only one reminder letter is going to be sent (something I agree with btw) then all the relevant information needs to be easily accessible on the website i.e. £13 subs per year covers an individual or family, membership runs from August to August etc. It'd also be a good idea to post reminders on the website and here on the forum at the beginning of August.

I know membership secretary is a thankless job in any club but there are plenty of cheap, quick and easy ways to encourage members to renew on time that aren't being used. I don't think anyone's trying to have a pop at Rick and Rosie as it's a job most of us wouldn't take on. I, for one, have just been trying to give (hopefully constructive) ideas and suggestions to increase renewals. As the marketing saying goes 'it's much easier to keep a customer then find a new one' and none of us want to see the club dwindle away.

Take care,
Charlie

I think membership actually runs from April to April. I have always stretched mine out to run Newark to Newark (AGM) but the club has always given people a few months grace.

If one does not know the answer to a question ask - Rick and Rosie's contact details are on the SOC website.

The club's accounts should be available for the AGM which is now at Newark so the state of the club's finances can be known, in order for that to be achieved subs should be in by the Newark Kitcar Show but some members settle at the Picnic which is traditionally the last event of the year where the most members come together so a good time to collect late subs. The clubs accounts would then be published in last quarter Scampers.

I am no longer pres so all the above needs to be confirmed by Rick and Rosie - I am sure they are open to suggestions and ideas to make the club run smoothly.

I am not going say anymore on the subject its up to others to steer the ship.

Hopefully many of those "Lost" members have just forgotten to renew....

Get 'em on standing orders, then they're members for life .....or until they remember to cancel it !

Also, particpation levels fluctuate. We've had a "challenging" year, meaning that we've not been able to attend events as much as we would like.
I'm sure we're not alone.

Dave

I think membership actually runs from April to April

I thought so too, but my Standing Order (and presumably everyone else's) is paid on 1st August each year.

its up to others to steer the ship

Why did I read that on first sight as "steer the whip"?

The membership always used to be on the first bank holiday in May at Stonleigh kit car show,which was when the Agm always used to be, I don't know when it got changed to Newark,but it just seems to conincide with the Agm,so unless anyone tells me different it is the middle of June(I think). My reasons for starting this chain were not to pass accusations or point fingers it was mainly to remind people of our plight and to help get their membership back. I will endeavor to put our account details in the next mag so that people can set up a standing order,and a statement of our accounts if I can get hold of them, I will also send those 30 or so members a magazine, if the club does not object, to remind those people what they are missing (along with another plea for their cash!!).

Please Ms Secretary / Treasurer (Rosie) can we have a difinitive answer.

How much and when it is due by (last date).

hi all scamp members and non members.
where do i start..... all members will have 1 reminder for rejoining the club as if we keep sending reminders out then the club will end up with no funds to cover events that have a short fall. Renewal letters where not sent out to anyone that had already stated that they was not going to be members this year.
Sorry but there is no honourable membership to late presidents as the hole scamp club could end up not paying membership.
Now as for this forum it does not make very good reading for new or possible members. I completely agree with Martin and things should be sent by private message to prevent this forum being full of tittle tattle.
Any ideas of encouraging new or old members to rejoin would be gratefully appreciated. Please us email below.
Anybody wishing to have the soc bank details or a standing order form please email me at scamp.secretary@ntlworld.com

many thanks
Rose Thorpe

Hi guys,

Being the newby I dont want to gripe too much but while we're on the subject of Spamp club gripes, why are all the meets in the midlands? Are there no sxamps in the south (or indeed north) or are there just not enough of us to make it worthwhile?

Ok soapbox done :-)

[strike]

Mutstar wrote:Hi guys,

Being the newby I dont want to gripe too much but while we're on the subject of Spamp club gripes, why are all the meets in the midlands?

Are there no scamps in the south (or indeed north) or are there just not enough of us to make it worthwhile?

Ok soapbox done :-)

Hi Mutty,
They aren't, they're wherever the members (or indeed non-members) organise them. Now get on with arranging one!

Elaine.

Thank you Elaine! As we have 3 scamps in a 6 mile radius I figure we should be doing something! Although I did notice that Mk3 Rob posted about the Malvern sh
ow and he was the inly one to show up! I sadly was in my mini as the Scamp is still touch under the weather!

Mutstar wrote:Thank you Elaine! As we have 3 scamps in a 6 mile radius I figure we should be doing something! Although I did notice that Mk3 Rob posted about the Malvern show and he was the only one to show up! I sadly was in my mini as the Scamp is still touch under the weather!

Yes, defo try to arrange something.

I'm not sure why the Malvern Show wasn't better attended, but I'm guessing most folks were tied up at work/home...
We were in Devon last week, and my hubby's Scamp is a Peugeot based beasty, so it's not really an event that we'd have taken time off work to go to ourselves.

I'm sure if you ask nicely, somebody will post a list of dates that are usually booked up for the annual Scamp events, that way yours won't clash with anything else.

Elaine (& Reg).

Wezgit (Chris Westgate) is organising a do for the end of May BH continueing into the next week.

Being inc is a beer run to France

Watch the Diary page for more gen.

Chris also organises a run on the London to Brighton and a trip to Brooklands.

The club used to have one near Oxford but that pettered out due to low numbers and a bit of a problem with the field.
I think the Northerners get the bends if they go to far south

I also belong to the Funkey Monkey Mini Club out of Wootten Bassett and do some darn sarf inc Castle Coombe.

Hope to see you at an event sometime

In September, m'self & Barmy Brenda spent a pleasant week discovering the sights and GBG pubs of Northumberland, in the process finding one or two Scampworthy-looking "Unsuitable" roads. Being in the Flying Shed (Wagon R+) though, I chose not to explore them. A week's offroading up there might well be worth the journey - and for you Midlands folks it's 100 miles nearer! Do any of our number live up that way?