How many clubs do you all belong to?
How far do you drive for your club?
not sure how to phrase this without sounding selfish: but I'm not used to being a part of a club without somehow contributing / being useful. Does anyone just join for "selfish" reasons? like just to have fun, meet other people that you can learn from, have access to dark sites, etc? like not to be a deadbeat or anything, but not sure how I'd feel about putting massive effort into growing the club at this point in my life (maybe in the future). or do you all join clubs with intentions to do outreach, etc?
tyty
I'm a dues paying member. and quite active in my main club, the Riverside Astronomical Society in Riverside, California. It meets monthly about 40 minutes away from my home. (In Southern California, distances are measured in minutes.) The club's dark site is about 80 minutes away in the desert. I have an observatory there, and a flat concrete pad there assigned to me (both of which I pay an annual fee for).
I am a life-time honorary member of another local club (40 minutes away). Honorary means I do not pay membership dues for it. And I have full rights as other members do. They honored me because I am the speaker they call on when their regularly scheduled speaker gets sick. I have full rights in the club. And there is a member who will buy me dinner any time I choose to show up for any pre-meeting dinner. (And if I am the guest speaker, I take advantage of that. Otherwise I pay for my own meal.)
I am also on the mailing list for another very large club because I do their "What's Up" presentation a couple of times a year.
Finally, I am an active part of The Astro Imaging Channel, which meets every Sunday night and puts on a YouTube show for Imagers.
In addition, as a guest speaker, I have been to lots of meetings of other clubs, etc.
There are certainly people who join for what you are calling "selfish" reasons. We have one of the nicest dark sky areas you can imagine. Many people come to the monthly star parties, set up, eat at the free star-be-cue on Saturday night (without bringing a pot-luck contribution!), skip dropping a ten or twenty into the kitty on the shelf in the kitchen, observe all night, and are gone the next morning. There are some who come to the meetings, watch the speakers, eat the goodies at halftime, ask a few questions, and go home (not even buying any tickets to the door prizes!). They are welcome at the star parties and meetings.
It is funny, while we are cleaning up after a star party, and there are people just standing around talking, and don't realize that two or three people are emptying the waste baskets, sweeping the floor, doing the dishes, etc. I do not know how they can stand there without lending a hand. There are people who walk by the dozen or so of us wielding rakes, pitchforks, and such while we load weeds into the truck to go off to the dump. I mean, lend a hand!!!!! Even if you have physical limitations, you can be the photographer, or write the article for the newsletter, or go buy the pizza (club pays for it) and coordinate the whole project, telling people where to dump the weeds! Even if you are under doctor's orders not to exert yourself, you can be part of it.
I have been informed that we are out of toilet paper in one of the bathrooms. I ask----"did you look under the sink?" And they look at me like----"was that their job?"
Most people do participate to some extent or another when they realize something is happening, though.
I am an over-volunteer person. The problem with everybody knowing that I can and will take care of whatever is that sometimes people don't turn to their own resources. I have adopted a policy of NOT participating in preparation for the star-be-cue on Saturday evening of star parties. Not that I cannot help, or that I do not know what to do. (In fact I watch the whole process and may make suggestions or even step in when things are not getting done.) I really want other people to do it all on their own motivation. I just refuse to help (unless it really is not getting done----something that happens very rarely). My lack of participation at that time is based on the idea that there are dozens of other people present who can cook hamburgers, set out the salads, and fill the ice chest with soda pop. Here is a chance for me to stay out of it and let others do the work.
When somebody asks me to head up a project or handle something, I always try to help them recruit somebody else. That is the way we get new leaders. (But I often wind up behind the scenes with whomever does take up the task.)
Oh well.....so much about me.
My feeling is that if you are the person who likes to volunteer, do so. If you are not, don't. Yes, you are riding along for free----something I like to think is not in the spirit of the club. But if you do refrain from participation beyond what you want, you will have other kindred spirits in the club also refraining as you do.
My last points are about your "but not sure how I'd feel about putting massive effort into growing the club at this point in my life (maybe in the future). or do you all join clubs with intentions to do outreach, etc?"
Yes, every club has a ton of people who do not do outreach. Or pretty much anything, come to think about it.
And there is a big difference between "taking a broom to the clubhouse at the observing site" and "putting a massive effort into growing the club."
I am not of the opinion that "growing the club" is a worthy purpose for a club. Providing a good atmosphere, camaraderie, and perhaps adventures and facilities is certainly something we should strive for. And if all that happens, you may well get growth. But working for growth should not be a main purpose (in my mind).
Alex
