Association Membership Proposals

Association Membership Proposals

Postby Chris Wicks » Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:19 pm

Dear Forum Users,
I have been a very happy owner of a Cape Cutter since 2006. I really enjoy being part of a community of Cape Cutter owners and enthusiasts. I have learned many useful things through this forum and have recently become part of the CC19 Association committee.

On that committee we hope to work together to improve our association. I live most of the time in Greece and that is where I sail my boat. I have never met another Cape Cutter owner and it is unlikely that I will get a chance to sail in company unless I can succeed in persuading someone to base another boat in my area. Despite this remoteness I genuinely feel part of an international family of owners and enthusiasts.

I have made some proposals to the committee in the past couple of days and I would like to share a couple of them here and invite feedback. I really don't mind whether you agree or disagree, it is opinions that are needed to allow informed decisions on the committee.

At the moment anyone can join this forum and benefit from it's content. It has helped many people learn about these boats and encouraged people to invest in them. This is a vital function of the forum and it is open and free to everyone.

I am putting forward the idea that this free access to the forum should be time limited to 12 months. This is plenty of time for anyone to delve into the deepest corners glean information and to ask questions.

At the end of 12 months I would like forum members to be asked whether they wish to curtail their forum membership or whether they would like to become full Cape Cutter Association members at a cost of £5 per year.

In short is access to the forum in itself worth an annual subscription of £5?

I think the advantage of this is that it would help those of us who wish to be part of the association to contribute to it. It will enable the CC19A to grow and by having paid up members allow us to function more as a club than just a free forum.

We have recently invite Mike Brooke to be our Honorary President, he has accepted and so we are starting to form ourselves into something more cohesive. My Cape Cutter gives me enormous pleasure and even though I have ever met another Cape Cutter owner I do feel part of a family. I would like that family to grow and I think using the forum as a first stage to encourage full association members is a logical first step.

Please give some feedback on what you think about this. It will help me and other committee members to reach some informed decisions.

Cheers

Chris Wicks
CC19 67 Kaliope
Chris Wicks
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 370
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:39 am
Location: Platanias, Pelion, Greece and Funtington, Chichester, West Sussex.

Postby Greybeard » Wed Nov 20, 2013 6:02 pm

I think that's an excellent proposal, Chris. 12 months access seems very generous. Perhaps that free access should be limited to just part of the forum - ie have a separate members area to include say, club business, the albums of modifications (which have entailed sometimes considerable work on the part of the poster), maybe even small ads/wanted ads etc.
If £5 is enough I'd me more than happy to pay that - given the information available it's a bargain.

Just a thought ;) Steve
Steve (Treasurer) East Yorkshire
Ex-CC19 Falcon - Hull number 39 - 2003 that is now berthed in South Australia
Greybeard
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:52 am
Location: East Yorkshire

Postby Chris Wicks » Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:25 am

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your response. Like you and many others I have benefitted a great deal from this forum. Some years ago a few of us paid a one off fee (£25) to finance the costs of the forum. It was well worth it and as Simon Head reported we have around £800 in the kitty. We now have the opportunity to become a club and even though we are widely spread geographically we can become a family of owners and enthusiasts.

We don't have many overheads but within the members area of the Forum the club can develop. When this happens I'm sure members will come up with ideas that may require some funding. So I think £5 will be an adequate starting point. Then we can see year by year what our needs are. I have also suggested that from the £5 membership we could donate £1 to a nominated charity which for now could be 'fight for sight' that was the purpose of Mike Brooke's voyage around Great Britain in his Cape Cutter a few years ago.

Cheers

Chris
Chris Wicks
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 370
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:39 am
Location: Platanias, Pelion, Greece and Funtington, Chichester, West Sussex.

Postby ColinMcD » Thu Nov 21, 2013 6:41 pm

Hello Chris -

May I add my voice to those who are both grateful for your initiative, and feel positive about your suggestions.

I am conscious that any viewpoint I have is pretty peripheral at this stage, as it's some months yet before I get my hands on my boat and thereby gain a 'qualified' opinion, but I like the limited fee - limited period idea.

Steve was wondering if a year was rather a generous time; I wonder - if there is a limit put on the time - whether new and prospective owners would find less than a year perhaps a little short? I am conjecturing that these people probably do / would use the forum long before they actually become owners?

Regards -
Colin McDougall
ColinMcD
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:26 pm

Postby erbster » Sat Nov 23, 2013 12:38 am

Hi Chris.

Thanks for catalysing things. I think yours is a sensible proposal. The forum is a valuable resource. It would be good if we could manage some kind of meeting on the water too.
Charles Erb
CC86 Aurora
travellingaurora.wordpress.com
erbster
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 712
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:57 pm
Location: Midlands

Postby remlapmj » Wed Nov 27, 2013 6:13 pm

I am pleased to endorse the proposal - an excellent idea, which won't deter anyone who is receiving the real value the forum gives. Thank you for the idea
remlapmj
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 1:14 pm

Postby ianrmaciver » Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:06 pm

I've had Minnie (CC 85) for 6 months , 3 months installing a chart plotter , VHF , extra battery ,lazy jacks , tent etc.. followed by launching at Suffolk Yacht Harbour , sailing to Wells next the Sea via Lowestoft ...and finally hauling out using a tow ball mounted electric winch.
Every step has been helped and informed by the advice and experience of those who contribute to the forum.
I will use the forum as long as it operates , and will happily pay for the privilege.
I do think the forum is a terrific "advertisement" for the Cape Cutter and would hate to think that anyone would be prevented from looking.....12 months seems like a long time , but some of us dream for years before diving in.
Personally I will be heading North from Norfolk in 2014 and it's unlikely I will reach Falmouth before 2015/16. Mylor is however a great sailing base in any weather , so good luck next year.
Several contributors have asked if articles on mods. and upgrades can be made available......Yes please!!

Ian ( CC 85 Minnie
ianrmaciver
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:52 pm

Postby Paul Turner » Wed Nov 27, 2013 10:33 pm

As a very new member who won't have a Cape Cutter 19 (CC125) for several months I'm happy to support the proposals put forward by Chris. I've already found the forum very useful and expect to be a regular user.

Paul
Paul Turner
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 4:17 pm
Location: Dorset, 6 miles from Weymouth and close to Ringstead Bay

membership proposals

Postby James Broadway » Thu Nov 28, 2013 12:42 pm

I do not have a problem with having a membership fee but I do wonder what the purpose of the fee is? Does the association have any expenses or will this simply be a fee that gets administered and then an account is created that steadily accrues funds with nothing to spend it on? This then create problems with what to do with the money either during the life time of the association and or when the association is wound up - if that ever occurs! Is there really any necessity to create a members only area? Surely if we are really enthusiasts we will be enthusiastic anyway and this is unlikely to make a real difference.

James
James Broadway
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:13 pm
Location: Holbrook, Suffolk, UK

Postby Runrig » Thu Nov 28, 2013 2:57 pm

I am a new forum member but hope to make use of it to learn about and contribute to our shared enjoyment of CCs.
My view is that forums are an excellent way to gather and share information. The World Wide Web is an amazing tool to entertain and inform. The essence of the web is that all that information is out there to be accessed by anyone and added too.
By creating a charge some people will opt not to engage and the forum would be poorer for that.
The amounts generated by a charge would be small and if funding is really required why not investigate ‘click through’ advertising where a % of any sale achieved by clicking through the site is paid by the advertisers. Boat insurance, chandlers, car insurance etc may be interested.
I am not techy but I am sure such funding streams do exist.
Paul
Runrig
CC19 Association Member
 
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2013 2:13 pm
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire

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