The Future of MTRC

[bknapp]

I've been debating saying anything for a while now but here I go.

I've been a member if MTRC since 2011 (I think) and I still remember my first meeting, it was in Smyrna at @palvyre 's house. There were maybe ten of us there, the club tested my water, I brought some frags, a blue polyp digi and Hollywood stunner chalice, both from Bart. I didn't know him, I didn't know anyone. Most of the people there are either no longer active or aren't members anymore. That year we had our annual "Dirty Santa" at Cheng's house in East Nashville, there had to be 50-60 people in his house, it was elbow to elbow. Needless to say things haven't been at that level in years.

That's a long enough trip down memory lane.

These last two years I've been a member of the BoD, and admittedly last year things weren't organized, there was no attention to detail, not much planning. I feel we still had some good meetings (acan fragging demo comes to mind.) But attendance and participation were low, and I feel that it fell on the BoD's shoulders for that. This year things have been totally different, the other BoD members (Nate @Volitans67 Ryan @schooleyosis , and Brad @Defective_Weeble ) and myself have put in countless hours planning meetings, putting together great raffle prizes have had the best communication I can remember. The meetings have been announced with plenty of warning, and through at least three mediums (r2r, FB, club newsletter) and the participation numbers are still disheartening. Now, I know life gets in the way, kids, work and other things get in the way.

I said all this to say that if people don't step up than the club may dissolve. I personally don't want that to happen. Things are looking bleak, I don't want to speak for the other BoD members but at this point I'm undecided if I will accept any BoD nominations for next year. Myself and the others are dedicated to making the 2016 swap the biggest and best yet but beyond that I'm unsure. I want this club to be the best it can be and I feel that the BoD did all we could do and, we did it for the members. I want to thank the members who have been dedicated and were at the meetings, I would also like to thank my fellow BoD members.

 

[CastAway]

Not in your club @bknapp, but am familiar of course. I just want to encourage you if I can. Please hang in there. I don't know very many, but it seems like a great group, lots of skills, lots to offer. I wish there wasn't two hours between Knoxville and Nashville.

 

[Zoaddicted]

Im kind of in the same position as you except our event turn outs are actually decent. But unfortunately hardly any new People want to step up and help out with BOD work. So my plans are to push hard next year and make my club events fun and rewarding enough to attract new members.

My advice for you is if you see potential in your club and enjoy reefing beyond browsing r2r all day long and staring at your tank by yourself, then you should continue the club.

If no one in your club is stepping up then you need new members. Market and advertise your club to attract new members.

The biggest advice ive ever gotten about running a club is from an Ex-BOD member.

Another helpful thing I do is look at what other clubs are doing for fun events. My club has coral grow out competitions, expert speakers, frag swaps, online contests, potlucks, etc.

Make fun events that you and other members can enjoy and youll be motiviated to set them up.

Keep it fun. This is why we do this hobby. This is why people join clubs.

 

[pickupman66]

Bk, I appreciate everything you have done, and all others who have been BOD. I would love to be able to but my location does not afford it. Driving an hour to a meeting at times is difficult with 2 boys and sports and all we have going on. I love this club and feel it will live on. But contests and such may help participation. I'll help and support the bod in any way I can.

 

[fishdoc11]

I very much appreciate everything you and the other BOD members are doing Brandon. I have no idea why the club isn't as active as it has been in the past but I know times change and people change. I haven't been in the hobby seriously for some time. I am just now starting to get back into it but like Lindsey with all the other things I have going on (running a business, kids, after school stuff etc...) I don't have much time to be very active in MTRC like I was years ago. I honestly don't see that changing until my kids are out of high school in another 7 or 8 years. I hate to see you guys getting discouraged but can't say that I blame you.

 

[bknapp]

Thanks for all the insight and words of encouragement. We've tried some of the things mentioned above, we've brought in guest speakers, had the cookouts, had amazing give aways. We've pushed the club with sinage at all the LFS have a strong following on Facebook. Its not the number of members or amount of cash in the bank that's the problem, its the lack of participation that makes it difficult. We can't make people participate, can't make them come to meetings. We've done our absolute best and changed the way the club presents itself, maybe one year pushing isn't long enough, I honestly don't know.

 

[fishdoc11]

Well if we have plenty of members and cash in the bank you guys are doing something right

Like someone asked me after I bought my business and I was complaining about something (don't remember what and not saying you are complaining) he said "Did you make pay roll this week?" I said "yes" then he said "well then you ain't doin' too bad"

 

[bknapp]

Having a lot of members and cash in the bank wasn't my goal, nor do I feel it was the rest of the BoDs. We're right at 100 members, if not over, but if we're only getting 10-15 (being generous) at each meeting what does that accomplish? Not to say having a large member base is a bad thing.

I'm not trying to sound defensive, if that's the tone I'm presenting I apologize.

I want this club to be great, I want people like Lindsey to say they love the club. I would also love for the meetings to have the 20-30 people attending each month, I would love for the MTRC page here on r2r to be as busy as it once was but, I don't know how else to improve it and I don't know why its not.

 

[JOKER]

I am one that also loves the club. I work a lot of weekends so I cant make that many meetings. I take off every year to help with swap and will continue to, but im hoping soon I will be able to make more meetings. You guys have done great, I think people just rely on FB and other media thinking it is better than the forum. They will come around in time. keep on keeping on brother!!!!

 

[DaveMorris]

We go through the same thing here in San Diego. We have had great speakers and we have had simple gatherings at a reefer's home and everything in between. Sometimes we have 10 people show up and sometimes we have 80 people show up. You just never know. Once you accept that, it does make it easier to deal with it. We have a ton of other things that people want to do that compete with our club activities so sometimes we are on the wrong side of those decisions when people are figuring out what to do with their precious time. You can always do what we did and get the biggest club meeting of all in your area.

See you all at MACNA 2016!

 

[Mike in CT]

Not in your club, but participation in the club I belong to is also down. I do not know if it's just the ebb and flow of the hobby ( no pun intended), or something else but we have had some events that had to be canceled because of lack of interest, or events that brought half the amount of people that it did the year before. These were highly publicized, well organized events and turnout just wasn't there.

 

[reefwiser]

Having been involved in my club since I started it in 1985. These are common problems in clubs. I took some time away from my club and let others run it after 15 years of dealing with meetings and LFS owners. When I came back to see how the club was doing I found the mess that the last BOD had created. With people hating each other and LFS owners feeling like the club was anti LFS. All the work I had done had been flush down the toilet. I am now having to rebuild the club again. Running a club is a hobby in itself. An the average hobbyists really doesn't get into the hobby at the same level as someone who is a club president or board member. Getting the average hobbyists to a meeting takes raffles and prizes. Getting turn out is always a struggle and one must accept that is the way it is. Enjoy the fellowship of those that do show up and don't sweat that 95 percent of the people don't get involved in the club. That is the way with every thing in the world most people do not get involved with the simple act of voting in elections. That is the way humans are they are very self centered.

 

[fishdoc11]

Having a lot of members and cash in the bank wasn't my goal, nor do I feel it was the rest of the BoDs. We're right at 100 members, if not over, but if we're only getting 10-15 (being generous) at each meeting what does that accomplish? Not to say having a large member base is a bad thing.

I'm not trying to sound defensive, if that's the tone I'm presenting I apologize.

I want this club to be great, I want people like Lindsey to say they love the club. I would also love for the meetings to have the 20-30 people attending each month, I would love for the MTRC page here on r2r to be as busy as it once was but, I don't know how else to improve it and I don't know why its not.

I don't know that there is any way that you can force attendance at meetings to increase. You are doing great things but you can't make people show up. Back in the early 2000's when the club was started we had 10 or 15 people show up to meetings and had maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of the paid members we have now and we had a great time! The fact that we have 100 members and that the swap is so successful is a great thing and shouldn't be overlooked IMO.

 

[pickupman66]

If I'm reading this correctly from what some of the other board members that have chimed in on this thread have said it is not in Middle Tennessee Reef Club problem in general it is something that everybody is seen. Don't beat yourself up over it the big events we have a massive attendance, better than some of the major cities close to us. For that we should all be proud as Middle Tennessee members. Personally well I'm not able to attend meetings I do like having meetings at people's homes to get to see their tank and what they're doing. The most exciting part about this hobby for me is seeing how other people accomplish the same things that I accomplished. It is the club's diverse knowledge of the reefing aspects that I think makes it great.

By the way I know what is a drive for most everyone in the club but I am more than willing to host a meeting at our house until we sell it. But I don't think many people would drive an hour to see my small 66 gallon tank

 

[samba_dad]

Are you guys accepting members from North Alabama? If so, I would join. Nashville is about 2 hrs away for me and worth the drive to me. Can you send me the link to join?

 

[JOKER]

mtrc.org

 

[nitrox36]

There is a lot of things plaguing clubs recently. Lack of participation is big, in some instances it is because of bad apples that slip there way in. But stand fast, because like all bad apples they will rot and wither away. Another is just business in people's lives. Like myself I am running 2 business a full time career and 2 kids and family. Sometimes I just can't break free of life to get to the meetings. Hang in there your club is like the TN standard the rest of us go by. So keep your head up this cloud will pass and yes its just not your club. Happy reefing

 

[novajohn01]

I appreciate everything you and fellow BOD members have done for the club,sorry i havent been to the last 2 meetings opening my own shop has been hectic,but if there is anything I can do to help the club I'm willing to do,hang in there bro,we all can make it better jus wait an see

 

[roadrashpaul]

My 2 cents. Take it for what its worth. I know I ruffled some feathers last time I posted about the club.....

You guys MUST get the LFS involved. They are the front lines of the hobby. James (7 Seas) is probably the most involved but you have to get Chris and Sean on board also. They should be telling people about the club when someone comes in and buys things, especially anyone new. They need to be hosting meetings. They don't have to give stuff away, just open the store and get people in there.

We also have to get this forum going again. It is DEAD!!! I am on another forum and they do different picture post depending on the day. Monday is "Macro Monday" and Friday is "FTS Friday". We need new content. Maybe it has all moved to FB and I don't know it as I don't FB. That is fine I guess but when I first joined there were lots of new post and stuff to read.

Where did the old standby guys go? Chris, Kevan, Bill, Jay, etc??? These were the pillars of the group when I first started and they have disappeared. They were very knowledgeable and willing to help. They don't post here ever. The unfortunate reality of this hobby is a lot of people are going to come full force into it and be out within 2 years. It's not instant gratification unless you spend a FORTUNE and then one mistake and you could nuke it all. People are going to come and go and the club will fluctuate with that. Hell, I have had my days when I looked at the tank and thought I should just sell everything and move on. The main pillars of the club should always be there though. Not saying that Ryan or Brandon or any of the BOD are not doing a FANTASTIC job but you need those old salty dudes hanging around.

Lots more floating around in my head but don't have time to post right now. May pick this up again later.

 

[McAllyn]

FWIW, I moved to Denver.... and don't have a tank up yet. (That hurts too, going from 5 tanks to none.) I do check in here from time to time, but try to stay out of the convos, since I'm not around, but I did meet up with a bunch of folks at MACNA in DC and hope to see all of them in San Diego next year. Dishan and I are hoping to make it back for a visit soon, and it'd be sweet if it was on a meeting weekend.

Nonetheless, I know you guys are doing a great job, and I've seen a bunch of things that I would have loved to be involved with. Just keep moving forward, people will come and go, and you'll always have the people who aren't very involved, but you will also have those that come out of no where and pick up a lot of slack right off the bat.