Dragging a smallbore club into the 21st century...

[Tiff]

Sorry ipad on the blink...double post.

[Tiff]

Why don't you pay the £30 out of your own pocket?

I would, but I suspect the committee/old guard my take offense at best, if it goes live before officially sanctioned...

[HALODIN]

Why would you have to pay for it to be hosted before it's sanctioned by the committee?

[Tiff]

Why would you have to pay for it to be hosted before it's sanctioned by the committee?

Sorry it is all rather odd, I'll try explaining it further..

The committee agreed to have a website built 6+ months ago.
A relatively new member offered to and promptly built the website.
At the last couple of meetings the website being funded/going live has been discussed...

The hurdle is if it went live, people would therefore:

A. Know the club exisits,

B. The result being this could mean change for the club...like new members! And you must understand change is bad!

Thus it has remained offline and for either of us to publish it would be seen to be going against the committee.

It would be slightly ironic to be kicked out of the club for paying to host the clubs website, but I could see it happening!

[HALODIN]

OK so reading between the lines... It sounds like the committee like the site and have agreed it can be published, however it hasn't been published based on the cost. Is that right?

I wasn't suggesting going against the committee, that won't further your cause, but if their only excuse is cost, you can sort that yourself by offering to pay. The irony is if the site brings in just 1 new member all of your costs are covered anyway.

[Tiff]

and have agreed it can be published, however it hasn't been published based on the cost. Is that right?

Nope, it's the fact a website might well bring in new members; New members = change & change is bad!

Therefore in the committees eyes (as far as I can fathom) if the site isn't paid for, it doesn't have to go live and thus no change will occur, which is good!

The fact that the chap has spent many many hours building it is of course irrelevant in the whole thing...Since if he'd been an older member, he wouldn't of been so proactive in actually doing something to modernise the club.

This is why I'm actively sourcing new members to bring around change though simple numbers, since I cannot see it improving much before the demographic drastically alters in parts. There are not many clubs in the area, so I feel it would be wrong to simply stand back and let it collapse over the next few years - despite feeling like letting it at times!

[HALODIN]

I guess that's your perception of why they've falsely flagged the cost as an issue, but "officially" have they said the ONLY issue is cost? I can't imagine they've "officially" said new members and change would be bad... i.e. they're just using the cost as an excuse not to publish the site and therefore it won't introduce new members through it, because that would cause change.

Does your club publish committee minutes? If so... what exactly was said? If not why the hell not?

[Tiff]

I guess that's your perception of why they've falsely flagged the cost as an issue, but "officially" have they said the ONLY issue is cost? I can't imagine they've "officially" said new members and change would be bad... i.e. they're just using the cost as an excuse not to publish the site and therefore it won't introduce new members through it, because that would cause change.

Does your club publish committee minutes? If so... what exactly was said? If not why the hell not?

I've never come across any minutes being published before the night of a meeting (if at all) and non are displayed anywhere in the clubhouse etc.

Cost is currently the only issue publicly left to be resolve regarding the website, I've asked around & believe it is in fact nearer £70 a year - still covered by a few new members or adding £2 to everyones yearly subs...

As for new members, YES it is a public belief amongst a proportion of the committee that new members & change it brings is a bad thing. I'm a prime example of this 'bad change'. I joined the club 4 or 5 years ago, biting my tongue for all this time, but recently asked the committee to see the range safety certificate and range orders - which of course I was publicly reprimanded for by the older committee members for WAY overstepping the mark as a club member & rco...naturally I've yet to see a copy of either.

The main positive news (as mentioned previously) is an additional night for new members being introduced in January. This is being run by some newer members, so I'm very hopeful this will help transform the club in the months and years to come.

[HALODIN]

Personally I would get the committee to reconfirm that is the ONLY issue preventing the site from going live and make sure this is witnessed by other club members. I then suggest you pay for it yourself or present the committee with an envelope with cash in it. Respectfully and gently box them in to a corner where they can't say no.

[bigfathairybiker]

Would it be worth getting the local firearms authority to do a range visit?
They could quite rightly ask to see the certificates needed.

Mark