Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

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POMMReg
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Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by POMMReg »

I've recently emailed TWO "Minor Club's" of late, only to be informed (basically) "you need to be a member for an answer to your enquiry".

Is it REALLY such a hardship for someone to spend 15mins answering a query - remembering it takes 5mins to email back to say NO - than take an extra 10mins to sort it?

Not all people can afford books & subscriptions to various worldwide Minor Club's. They should be ashamed when describing themselves as "enthusiasts"!

End of rant - normal service will resume after a bottle of Blue Nun & 10 Bounty bars...
Further investigations uncovered it was an inside job!!
ManyMinors
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by ManyMinors »

I guess that clubs are set up to serve their members - who pay subscriptions which pay the office expenses. Look at it another way: Why should members pay the subscriptions if the benefits are available to those who choose not to?

I'm just playing devil's advocate really but I wouldn't personally expect much help from any club or organization I'm not a member of. However enthusiastically run, a club cannot exist and function without income from members subscriptions can it?
Blaketon
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by Blaketon »

ManyMinors wrote:I guess that clubs are set up to serve their members - who pay subscriptions which pay the office expenses. Look at it another way: Why should members pay the subscriptions if the benefits are available to those who choose not to?

I'm just playing devil's advocate really but I wouldn't personally expect much help from any club or organization I'm not a member of. However enthusiastically run, a club cannot exist and function without income from members subscriptions can it?
I can see this point and would have made it, had it not already been made. However, there is an old saying about rules existing for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men and some enquiries may not be from users or time wasters; they might be from prospective members. As a matter of fact, before I bought a Minor, I wanted to know a few things like dimensions and towing capacities. This was in the early days of the Internet (So far as I was concerned) and so I contacted the MMOC. I am still awaiting a reply but I was able to get the information by other means and despite this apparent discourtesy, I later joined MMOC and found my car in Minor Matters.
myoldjalopy
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by myoldjalopy »

It does seem a bit mean, although this might depend on how much work might be involved - I don't know what your original question was. At the end of the day, some people are really helpful and generous with their time, others aren't........... :-?
TDV102
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by TDV102 »

In my experience there are some people who join clubs and societies and seek positions of authority so they can inflict their opinions on others. Busybodies is the usual term. Thankfully not here or the MMO site! Always found both to be friendly, open and helpful and long may that continue!
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Blaketon
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by Blaketon »

Funnily enough, I am a member of a preserved railway society, albeit not an active one. It was included as part of a footplate experience day and I have kept it going since......if ever time and circumstances permit, I wouldn't mind becoming more active (The instructor suggested I might like to become a driver). However last year there was a very acrimonious ousting of various officials, which was rather offputting. I know little of what when on or what was really behind it and proof of the pudding will be how the railway now goes forward. I know a bit about cycling clubs and you can tend to get the dominant male in those and sometimes they confuse confidence with ability :roll: . Then you get the breakaway groups, form their own clubs.

I've been in a few motoring clubs over the years and I'd put the MMOC as one of the best; certainly Minor Matters is the best magazine I get now, of any description (Nothing ever sounds as if Jeremy Clarkson wrote it :D ). Whether it is because it is model specific, I know not but the back up is better (I think the Bugatti Owners Club is similar but you need to be very well heeled to take advantage of that).
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geoberni
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by geoberni »

I think that it's down to the membership and the 'active' participants in the club, or other group, whatever it is.

Take forums for instance. Some can be populated with people who go out of their way to show how wonderful/knowledgeable/sanctimonious they are, while others are full of really helpful people.
I've asked some pretty basic questions around here but always received helpful responses; we have some members of this forum from overseas, some of which don't have English as their preferred language, but they always get good answers, even if the question is difficult to understand.
Taking the original point, some clubs could do with thinking about their image, do they appeal to prospective members but being helpful to outsiders, or are they run purely for the benefit of members? If you're too inward looking, any organisation tends to collapse in on itself.
A club that is not welcoming will simply die from dwindling membership.
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martin418
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by martin418 »

you should try one of the stationary engine forums !!! : , you can only join by telling them why you want join and what your specific engine interest are , i tried but no reply i guess i am not worthy !!!! :D :D
Shropshiremoggie
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by Shropshiremoggie »

I've only been a member for a few months but the superb advice and response from other members is excellent .
firedrake1942
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by firedrake1942 »

Martin148
you should try one of the stationary engine forums !!! : , you can only join by telling them why you want join and what your specific engine interest are , i tried but no reply i guess i am not worthy !!!! :D :D
That sort of club is clearly going nowhere!





Sorry could not resist!
SteveClem
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by SteveClem »

The Austin A30/35 club and forum are superb. Lovely people...and the cars are fun too! :D
POMMReg
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by POMMReg »

geoberni wrote:I think that it's down to the membership and the 'active' participants in the club, or other group, whatever it is.

Take forums for instance. Some can be populated with people who go out of their way to show how wonderful/knowledgeable/sanctimonious they are, while others are full of really helpful people.
I've asked some pretty basic questions around here but always received helpful responses; we have some members of this forum from overseas, some of which don't have English as their preferred language, but they always get good answers, even if the question is difficult to understand.
Taking the original point, some clubs could do with thinking about their image, do they appeal to prospective members but being helpful to outsiders, or are they run purely for the benefit of members? If you're too inward looking, any organisation tends to collapse in on itself.
A club that is not welcoming will simply die from dwindling membership.
My viewpoint exactly!

Club "official" at Gaydon a few years ago, was given the number of a chap owning mailvan rear doors (not a Minor), I knew a chap who wanted a set, but rather than simply passing me the number, the guy restoring the van had to join the Club, the doors turned out to be the wrong ones....so £30 down the drain, AND no doors!!

Terrible Public Relations!!

Anyway, my woes are to do with finding these 700 voided LCV chassis numbers, you'd think these enthusiasts' Club's would be quite helpful on this - poss. one of the most important snippets of Minor LCV information to be uncovered thus far - why can't we all work together, both the NZ & RH are being unco-operative.

I'm happy to dish out info where needed, I don't expect someone to pay £30 for my knowledge, it's a hobby to me, when it ceases to become an enjoyable hobby, it's time to find something else.

A part of it is "experts" being proved wrong, and rather than admit it, they'll do their utmost to ensure it won't happen again by doing their level best to hinder further research.

It's FACTS that are important, don't have to be bosom buddies or owt.
Last edited by POMMReg on Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Further investigations uncovered it was an inside job!!
ManyMinors
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by ManyMinors »

POMMReg wrote:
I don't expect someone to pay £30 for my knowledge, it's a hobby to me,
That's the difference though isn't it. The club Head Office which you contacted, will be staffed by somebody who's job it is to serve club members whos subscriptions pay that persons salary.......If that person is busy all day simply doing what they are paid to do, they might well not have the spare time to deal with enquiries from those who have chosen not to be members?
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geoberni
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by geoberni »

ManyMinors wrote:
POMMReg wrote:
I don't expect someone to pay £30 for my knowledge, it's a hobby to me,
That's the difference though isn't it. The club Head Office which you contacted, will be staffed by somebody who's job it is to serve club members whos subscriptions pay that persons salary.......If that person is busy all day simply doing what they are paid to do, they might well not have the spare time to deal with enquiries from those who have chosen not to be members?
But a Club head office are also the outward facing side of the club, so should also have a clear public relations focus, to encourage new membership and get/maintain a good image; no different from any business, large or small, if you don't have a good reputation, you loose your customers.
Nothing wrong with organising the club so that someone can answer simple queries, even if it's to pass the enquiry to a volunteer who will get around to it in their own time.
It's all down to image. What if a reporter from a local paper or radio station have an enquiry, do they also tell them to 'Poke Off, unless you're going to join'...? Public Relations is important.

As POMMReg said:
Club "official" at Gaydon a few years ago, was given the number of a chap owning mailvan rear doors (not a Minor), I knew a chap who wanted a set, but rather than simply passing me the number, the guy restoring the van had to join the Club, the doors turned out to be the wrong ones....so £30 down the drain, AND no doors!!

Terrible Public Relations!!
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firedrake1942
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by firedrake1942 »

Nothing wrong with organising the club so that someone can answer simple queries, even if it's to pass the enquiry to a volunteer who will get around to it in their own time.
That is one hell of an aspiration for the MMOC! Do you think we will ever see it ?
ManyMinors
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by ManyMinors »

firedrake1942 wrote:
Nothing wrong with organising the club so that someone can answer simple queries, even if it's to pass the enquiry to a volunteer who will get around to it in their own time.
That is one hell of an aspiration for the MMOC! Do you think we will ever see it ?
Quite possibly not! But, do you think Chris's enquiry was "a simply query"??
firedrake1942
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by firedrake1942 »

I cannot say I just judge by my experience of promised contact and failure to return calls and mails from both the Führerbunker and The Politburo. Others, it would appear have similar experiences.
SteveClem
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by SteveClem »

I've always found them to be very helpful, to be honest. But I've never asked for much.
POMMReg
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by POMMReg »

IF the "void's" were done by "100s" - I made the mistake in thinking AP would of rectified BEFORE 1971/302806 - the available "blocks" are as follows;

1970
286750-286899 (150)
288250-288399 (150)
289000-289099 (100)
293400-293499 (100)
1971
312500-312599 (100)
314500-312599 (100)
322000-322099 (100)

NZ CKD started at 321400, however I don't have any entries between 321500-321699 (200).

Left with 1k chassis numbers, with 300 to debunk.

NZ are a nil pois, and another register cannot assist inferring that they "don't have the time", odd coming from an "Historian"!

Cannot progress with production figures covering 1970-1972 until this saga is resolved, pointless me listing chassis numbers if they were never used.
Last edited by POMMReg on Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Further investigations uncovered it was an inside job!!
firedrake1942
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Re: Why are some Club's SO stuffy?

Post by firedrake1942 »

Could the MMOC not make a formal request on your behalf to the other organisations? It is to everyone's benefit to have a full grasp of the full history of the car in all its aspects.
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