approaching non members

   So how do you approach non members at your club?
be it randoms walking through the grounds perhaps walking a dog or cycling, or people having a look round in the club, or people chatting with friends that are current members.

whats your clubs policy?

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Oli Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 23 Mar 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1020	Post Options Post Reply Quote Oli Report Post Quote Reply Topic: approaching non members Posted: 17 Apr 13 at 6:25pm
	So how do you approach non members at your club? be it randoms walking through the grounds perhaps walking a dog or cycling, or people having a look round in the club, or people chatting with friends that are current members. whats your clubs policy?
	T-SHIRTS PRINTS

pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Apr 13 at 6:55pm
	Well if they get through the landmines then we unleash the hounds... If they defeat the hounds, then we've always got the Flying Fifteen fleet to send in... A bit like the Irish in Braveheart.

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6661	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Apr 13 at 7:16pm
	Its easy for us: being an "up in the air" London reservoir I point out the visible landmarks - Wembley stadium, Allie Palace wireless masts, Heathrow control tower and Sandown park race course, and comment how you'd never believe we were in the middle of suburbia because most of what you can see is trees. Then say: "may I sell you the sailing club membership or are you just here for the view"

alstorer Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 02 Aug 07 Location: Cambridge Online Status: Offline Posts: 2899	Post Options Post Reply Quote alstorer Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Apr 13 at 9:28pm
	At my old club, Loch Venachar, someone once enthusiastically thrust a membership form at RYA Scotland's development officer when she turned up to do an inspection of the teaching establishment. Some time later, she was assessing on my instructor course. After the assessment had finished, we were all sat around talking about retaining new sailors. The attitude of different clubs to new faces came up- Jane described Venachar as being "aggressively friendly", contrasting this with another club (which shall remain nameless) where she said she was always greeted with suspicion, distrust and a a general "what are you doing here" attitude from members who didn't know who she was. I think she said she deliberately didn't wear an RYA jacket just so that she could gauge what clubs are like to prospective new members, which is really quite a useful thing for the RYA to be doing. I'm currently a member at Grafham. There's always a lot of visitors, so it is a rather different situation.
	-_ Al

Daniel Holman Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 17 Nov 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 997	Post Options Post Reply Quote Daniel Holman Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Apr 13 at 9:30pm
	On sea clubs etc where the boats launch on a beach or foreshore, or general public rights of way are involved, isn't it a bit draconian to throw the book unless they are sailing / storing their boat or using the showers? I've always been a bit turned off places that are really territorial. I've had mates passing by the dinghy park on the beach see me, come say hi a few times and get talked to quite aggressively, which is a massive turnoff for me. Tbh it'd probably do a lot of clubs good to pick up passing bar trade. Possible licensing implications though I guess. Certainly a former club of mine was largely a sailing themed drinking den.

moomin Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 19 Jan 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 60	Post Options Post Reply Quote moomin Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Apr 13 at 9:33am
	Really interesting to walk into a club as a prospective member. Moving to a new area and doing a tour of a few nearby clubs over a few Sundays during the summer trying to work out which one to join. I have to say the vast majority were very friendly, but maybe I looked like a dinghy sailor, whatever that looks like! The only one I turned round and walked straight out of was when I was informed I didn't meet the dress code for the bar!
	Moomin

pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Apr 13 at 9:50am
	When I was looking for an alternative home with some RS100s racing, I was advised by RS that some of the Cotswolds clubs might well be getting a couple. I drove to South Cerney first as it was reportedly one of the larger lakes, the welcome was so good, rightly or wrongly, I didn't bother checking any of the rest out. I do miss the friendliness of that club, and the racing was nice and tight; but the 2 hour drive home at 30 mph on the Fosse Way on a Sunday afternoon was just too much and, no offence meant, but the windsurfing on such a confined stretch with trees and holes everywhere was just ultra-sh*t. Edited by pondmonkey - 18 Apr 13 at 9:51am

Mark Jardine Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Admin Group Joined: 12 Mar 04 Location: Milford-on-Sea, United King Online Status: Offline Posts: 1028	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mark Jardine Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Apr 13 at 10:09am
	That's why I like Keyhaven YC so much - a very friendly club. Yes it has a members only policy and guests have to be signed in, but if someone comes in to see what the club is like (or come for a sail while in the area) they are treated like a member. I have to say Broxbourne was an incredibly welcoming club when we were up there for the FOM last year.

Rupert Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rupert Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Apr 13 at 12:52pm
	You'd have found Whitefriars friendly too, PM, but only after you'd made it past the locked gate at the end of the drive... and before that, found the lane leading to the club in the 1st place... we are a well kept secret!
	Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

ex laser Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 25 Mar 09 Online Status: Offline Posts: 725	Post Options Post Reply Quote ex laser Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Apr 13 at 12:57pm
	always found whitefriars one of the most friendly clubs around.