I'm the president of DFWMAS, and our club has a large membership base. We charge annual dues of $15, and have monthly meetings. We used to meet in various LFS around the metroplex, but our groups became too large to effectively reach everyone in the room. We now use a meeting room at a furniture store in the center of the metroplex, and have approximately 120 attending.
The meetings consist of a powerpoint presentation or video presentation, and topics that help new hobbyists as well as those more experienced. Refreshments are provided to all. We conclude our meeting with a raffle, and the money raised in ticket sales help fund future events.
Once a year, we have our Next Wave conference which is an all day affair. We fly in four speakers that day and have a catered meal at lunchtime, and wrap up with a raffle. Last year, 175 people attended the conference. Our next one is this January.
Twice a year we have a frag swap, and I'd estimate about 200 hobbyists show up to buy/sell/trade frags and even used equipment with others, whether they are DFWMAS members or not.
About three times a year, we organize Tank Tours. A few members in a specific area of the metroplex agree upon a specific date and then the entire club is invited to attend. We drive around in carpool fashion to visit approximately 6 homes that day, seeing various tanks and how they are set up. We just had one today, and it was a blast. I saw 8 tanks today. Whew!
Every December we have a Winter Social. This is a catered event, with door prizes. A presentation is made first, either by a visiting speaker or perhaps by a vendor (Roger from Tunze, for example). We charge a small fee to cover costs of the food and rental space.
Recently our newsletter was revived. We have a new relationship with LFS that want to be sponsors: Now they can have a banner on our site for free in exchange for their promoting our club in their stores.
We have bylaws, Board of Directors meetings, a club Librarian that checks in & out the publications we've amassed, and more. A current project in the works is a Frag Co-op or banking system, furthering our goals to encourage coral propagation and preservation. We have an annual meeting where we have elections for BOD positions, and present the financial statement for the year.
We had a Coral Propagation Workshop some time back, and it is time to have another one this spring.
We try to create perks for club members, which seems to entice people to join DFWMAS. This includes discounts at some LFS, access to Member's Only forums, a gallery for members to upload and share images, extra raffle tickets for free, discounts to some events, and the Winter Social is for members only. Some of us give new members a free frag to get them started, etc...
We work together as a group as much as possible. We still deal with friction as people all have different points of view, but for the most part we have a great bunch of people. Many have stepped up to help where needed, which continues to help the club grow and move forward.
Because of that growth, we are able to do things otherwise out of reach of smaller clubs. We donated funds toward the MARSH salt study, and now have a scholarship program for those wanting to pursue their education in marine biology. We constantly look for ways to improve the hobby, and work together in cases of emergencies. Several members have donated equipment to the Tank Rescue Team, while others have gone out of their way to help when a tank was in trouble. We've helped those that weren't even members, and the panicked recipients were so moved that they decided to join.
Our club is over 10 years old, but without the positive thinking hardworking members, it wouldn't be where it is today.
If you are trying to start up a club, the first thing you need to do is get the word out. Ask your LFS if you can put up a flyer. Try to maintain good relations with the stores, so they'll want to be of help. The more people we get in the hobby, the more long-term customers they'll have, right?
As the group grows, encourage them to bring frags to the meetings to donate to the raffle. Sell raffle tickets at affordable prices ($1 a ticket), and whatever funds you bring in, use it to gain more members. Use it to pay for paper / ink to print your own flyers. Ask members what they do for a living, to see if they can help get things done cheaply or free.
When you have a larger group, consider getting a small PA system so that everyone in attendance can hear and avoid the need to shout. Have topics planned in advance, and let others know what the meetings will cover. Introduce yourselves to others, letting them know you are forming a club. Invite guests to introduce themselves and tell you about their tanks. Buy "My Name Is..." sticky name badges for every meeting. $5 will get you 100 stickers, and help you remember each other's names. I recommend they put their real name as well as their online username.
It seems like everyone has some internet experience. Set up a website and a forum for club members to communicate with. ReefCentral.com will provide a free forum for those clubs that need somewhere to start if you can't afford to pay for one. FYI, for $100 a year, several hosting companies will provide you with webspace, setup your new domain name, and include free forum software that is quite easy to install. Find a couple of savvy people in your group to enhance the site.
Delegate when you can, but definitely set up a hierarchy that people know to report to. Someone needs to hold the reigns, and makes decisions for the group for a set period of time. Our BOD has 9 members on it, and the 9 convene to discuss club needs and decide upon various matters. The entire club then lives with those decisions, at least until it needs to be readdressed.
Above all else, try to keep the club fun and enjoyable. It is a huge asset to your community / area, but it shouldn't be a full-time job nor something so frustrating that you just want to quit. Try to work together, but accept that sometimes things will have to wait until a later time rather than force your ways upon the group.
How you communicate with others will have a huge effect upon how things work out. Diplomacy is key, but sometimes you have to take a stance too. This is tricky, and believe me there are ramifications no matter what you choose to do. If people believe you're being sincere, that goes a long way.
I think I'll stop here, and get some rest. If you have further questions, let me know.
Wow, Marc thanks for all of the great information. You touched on several ideas that I had not thought of. I have been talking to one of the new LFS in town about using their shop as the meeting location. I think at this point I just need to sit down and pencil out some sort of plan and an agenda. One thing you did not mention is if the DFWMAS is registered under some sort of national association or as non-profit?
Our club has a 501 c7 status, which means we are incorporated as a not-for-profit club. This is usually good enough for clubs, without all the legalese and tax issues that non-profit organizations have to deal with.
I was just rereading the title of this thread, and thought of some specific topics:
New Products - reviewed and explained
Lighting - taking the mystery out of the equation
Plumbing - discussion of gluing, clamping, and bulkheads
Feeding - what's good; what's not.
Coral care - discuss a specific animal
Fish - how to identify a healthy specimen and quarantine
Quarantine - how to do it on a budget
Fragging - what is it, and how it's done
Photography - how to take great pictures
Sumps - what are the benefits
Timers & controllers - what's the big deal
Tools and tricks - handy items that make life easier
Saltwater 101 - how to start a tank from scratch
Pests - what are they and how do you remove them
Moving - how to move a tank successfully
Thanks for the list and the link. I want to see how the first meeting went before I get to focused on a direction of discussion. I am not sure if there will a even mix of novice to expert or some thing else. I figured I better know my audience before I start gabbing away. I am hoping to spread the responsibilty around too so maybe there will a volunteer speaker with a topic idea.
I didn't read this whole thread...because it's FREAKIN' grande! So forgive me if I am repeating someone else. Arizona has an amazing club called "FRAG" (Friends Reef Aquarium Group). We have monthly meetings at a local restaurant that lets us use the back room. We often have guest speakers if someone is in town, or demonstrations on making food, using acrylic, or something else useful. But at every meeting there is one thing that brings the crowds, the Frag Swap!
The restaurant sets up tables, and people bring coolers full of frags and trade and sell them for very cheap! It's a great way for newer people to get good deals and for the experienced guys to get the rare frags spread around town.
I think the key to a good club, is to have consistancy. Same place, same time everytime. You could also do some door prizes for free frags. I know this club often gets the local fish stores to donate something small...a frag or some fish/ coral food. Something like that.
I think the key to a good club, is to have consistancy. Same place, same time everytime.
We've actually found it to be quite opposite. It may just be "regional" since New England and the Boston Reefers are soo large, but, we've had to shake up the location to make it easier for people to attend. Western MA folks were upset that we met too close to Boston. New Hampshire folks were upset too.. so now we move around.
Originally Posted by Reptoreef
8 <hee hee>
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