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[croakle]

In my reasonably limited experience with all manner of different clubs I can say it is not just boat clubs but all clubs which can give a frosty reception.? I have found many small clubs have a well established clique and appear to be run entirely for the benefit of a core of members who monopolise the committee.? Other members are tolerated as a source of revenue to lease premises, etc.

Best wishes

Julian

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, here is an abridge version of a show report that I attended on Sunday last. this is from the www.paddleducks.co.uk forum .  I am a member of Edinburgh MBC although I live in Aberdeen, what does that say! The following should make a heartening read for anyone in the Ayr MBC

Show report:

A really nice pond is located in Newton Park, Seaforth Road, Ayr. The welcome was very warm and friendly with a well organised set up for the day with covered display areas and seating set up at the pond side and at other vantage points. There was a Radio "pound" for frequency control and a visitors book at the display tent which was manned throughout the day, a very professional approach and well executed. A gentle breeze crossed the pond at right angles to the general sailing area and masked just how hot the day was! I got severely sun burned on the right side of my body and had shadows of white on the left. Now I know how I got my Red Hamish name tag. There were many boats on the water over the three hours that I was there with many scratch built models of excellent finish and a good few kits without much duplication. I met and spoke many people during the afternoon and will surely see some of these people at other events throughout Scotland over the coming summer. 

My conclusion is that this is a good and friendly club which deserves to be supported if you are visiting the area and welcomes visitors with any interest.

Have a look at the diary page on www.edinburghmodelboatclub.org.uk and see what a visit to Scotland can offer you with a variety of events all over the country. You never know I might even see you there   

cheers

Jim

[Colin Bishop]

Has anybody considered that the comments which apply to clubs can also apply to Forums?! Not this one so far I'm glad to say.

[ron h]

Has anybody considered that the comments which apply to clubs can also apply to Forums?! Not this one so far I'm glad to say.

Clubs and web sites are what the people that participate make them, but you always get one in a bunch. ron h

[Stavros]

It is such a great shame that in htis strange world of our that there is a smalll element of snobs,and worse than them the narrow minded you cant join our gang so and so's.Yes I could not agree more with them about insurance BUT it is in their interest to educate YOU and other new members of the do's and don'ts.Attitudes like that should be severly repremanded by their so called club,can't be a good one wiht members like those you have had the misfortune to meet.You should name the lake and see what reaction we get on the forum,you can not be done for slander as long as you do not name a private individuale go on NAME THE LAKE.
As far as my experiences with model groups in this area is excellent I have only been at this hobby for 3mnths,I first met some boat owners from the Colwyn bay club at LLanfairfechan and wa sinvited to go along to their club nights etc,but the JEWEL in the Norht Wales boat community has got to be the lads and lasses of the GWYNEDD MODEL BOAT GROUP which I now belong to we are not a club but a group of like minded individuals who are boat mad.We meet every Sunday at LLanberis lake rain hail or snow,WE are not afriad of getting wet,we sail what ever the weather,the other members are the most helpfull group of individual who welcome new members to their boosomand boy oh boy does Margret keep us all in trim !!!!!So the moral is don't be put off by some so calle dclub members who think that it is their god damm right and only they can sail on a particular water,join a decent club and enjoy yourself there are plenty of clubs out there who WELCOME and don't alianate prospective new members

[DavieTait]

I have experiance in running a wargamming club and we go out of our way to encourage new members and make even more of an effort to encourage young teenagers ( indeed under 12's at my club don't pay anything at all , 12-16 is ?1 a meet and adults ?2 so pretty cheap ) and I cannot understand why some people think that the club is "closed shop". When the older members stop going the club will very quickly die off unless they have a coherant and sensible way of encouraging new members and helping them to develope their modelling skills ( with wargamming the "soldiers" are all 28mm high with a lot of detail on them and it takes skill to paint them to a high standard and we encourage everyone to do the best they can ).


I'll be joining the Tarlair MBC once I get my 1st R/C trawler ready for sea trials next year and I already know that they are a dedicated bunch of model makers indeed they're hosting the Scottish Federation Regatta on the 6th of August this year ( i'll be there health permitting and I will take plenty of photo's and let you all know how it goes ).

Davie( still got many many many YEARS building time worth of model hulls / kits lying around  )

[Roger in France]

My situation is somewhat different. I am an Englishman living in France. My French is far from fluent but I can manage most things well. I joined a club at Fontenay le Comte much helped by our local model shop prprietor Phillipe of "Au Petit Prince". They are a kind and fascinating bunch of French folk and we have great fun (much helped by special meals on fete days and club celebrations). I find some tech. talk in French a bit hard but I get there. Of course a different culture means a different way of conducting business and it all intrigues me. However, the most difficult bit is the Vendee patois, I seem to miss all the jokes!!! But perseverance sems to pay off. I also benefit from sailing rather "different" boats, usually with a Union Jack. I gave them Hell over the Waterloo celebrations and they took it well.

Roger in France.

[White Ensign]

Like said before, some unkind chaps push Newcomers out of the hobby. Not the way to catch some new bllod to the hobby. When I was so disappointed about the behaviour of some of the fellows of my club, I flicked through the net to find some like-minded modelers. I found the homepage of the SWA and got in touch with them. This is now 7 years ago and I met them personally at various locations (even over the difference, be cause I am living in the southwest of Germany) and I have to submit that it always was a pleasure.
Thoughas a result I have to say: Don`t give up! You will find a place to go! And don`t let yourself annoy from some grumpy pedants!

J?rg

[MCAT]

Well  I must say that im deeply shocked at the amount of posts on this subject.
as new to Boat Modeling only two years now. I whent to my local lake to see about sailing there,
at the time I choose, only one chap there testing a submersible he had made. I was shown all the
workings and what it was made of. that One meeting whith a chap who could be bothered,
lead to me joining the club. It took a while to get to talk to everyone but you get there in the end.
we now have a Notice board on show when we sail giving details on the club and how to join
no new Members no club.  no Model shops.  Maybe naming the water might make a commitee
member deal with the problem . ???

I sail at Black Park and enjoy my sailing there thanks to a group of people who have time for you
should you be in the Heathrow / Slough Area pop in we are there Thur's afternoon  and Sunday
Morning  Be warned Thur's is old Farts day  at  59 Im to  young.    MOST of all dont give up look at this Forum so many Helpful people.

[gary r uk]

Mick
As your Chairman i now in front of all these witnesses promote you to press secretary.
Old farts day, well he's right after you me at 45 we are the youngest.Anyway like Mick says stick your boat in the car and come and join us for a sail,don't bother looking at the weather forecast as it will be nice and sunny at Black Park but issing down at Staines 6 miles away.
cheers
gary rowe
BPMBC

[MCAT]

WHOoooops  thats me out of Thur's afternoons.  Blimey  Gary  didnot reliase you were so young
Must be junior membership for you.

[Daryl]

This is of no help but the world of model railways is the same. There are several local clubs around Gloucester one is a very small group who's open days are interesting and they allways are resady to talk to the public about their layouts. One local club excuse the pun has a club layout which you need to go on a 'trainign coursse' before you can run anything on it. also if they have say a GWR 1930's night and you turn up with a BR intercity then forget running it not allowed . One thing I have noticed is at most exhibitions I know you have to concentrate on the layout but some exhibitors seem to regard the public as a nusance. One lot I saw recently had a requirement for the operators of the club layout to wear white gloves so they can't contaminate the rolling stock!

Odd lot model people can be, like all walks of life you get the odd bad apple and it tars the rest of the group with the same brush.

A friend of mine went to a local model flying club and had to sit quite a few tests before he could fly his aircraft. My friend is ex-RAF and used to fly the 12 inches to the foot scale arcraft.

Still in my slit trench
Daryl

[Pointy]

I don't know the name of the club that was at the lake and if I did know I would be inclined not to name it. Thanks to this forum I have an understanding about why insurance is important and realise-well hope that maybe I was just unlucky? with who I spoke to. Never my intention to upset anyone or point fingers, after all there may be people at that club who were not there and are in fact very nice so I don't want to seem like a "slanderer".

Just want to enjoy my hobby with everyone else but like everything in life I suppose there will always be someone who will want to spoil it for you. I will not go to that lake again nor will I try to bother joining any club, just hope I won't get into trouble in a public park. Think I will try taking something small to a local pond before risking the boat I've been building there and see what happens.

[Shipmate60]

Just remember Pointy, we are a cross section of society, therefore we will have good, bad, indifferent and downright rude.
I have been a member of clubs in the South of England and West Coast of Scotland, some I got on with some I didnt, and yes in BOTH locations.
It can be "Horses for courses" and some clube do change, just persevere, find a club that suits you and become a member.
It is well worth the probs finding the right club for you.

Bob

[dennisw100]

I'm not a member of a club (only just started building my first boat) had a couple of non controlled pod yachts when i was little and a battery operated Billings White star, could never afford the RC kit though so it was bend the rudder where i wanted it and walk round to meet it.

I think the trouble with all special interest clubs, RC stuff, real cars, boats, sailing, golf whatever is you always get some idiot who thinks he knows everything but knows sod all, then others who do know everything but treat it like a state secret but worst of all you always find someone who takes it all far too seriously.

My dad once came across someone who had hand made a J class yacht from scratch and based it on a particular real craft down to the last detail, however instead of putting the name of the real boat on it he named it after his grand-daughter. Someone then came along and gave him a bollocking for giving it such a 'stupid name', as it should have had the real boats name on it. The guy had spent years making the thing and took offence to his grand-daughters name being called stupid, so a punch up started.

[RC John]

Does anyone actually know how many clubs are out there and to whom they are affilliated?  ???
Is there a complete register of clubs anywhere? ???

There are not many listed in the MPBA yearbook.

[ron h]

Does anyone actually know how many clubs are out there and to whom they are affilliated?? ???
Is there a complete register of clubs anywhere? ???

There are not many listed in the MPBA yearbook.

Thats because they have gone down hill over the last 10 years , not as many clubs want to be affiliated with them, ask all the clubs in the North West.

[Marks Model Bits]

i must say i have not had many bad experiences with snobbery in any model boat clubs i have belonged to, but i have had alot of sarcastic comments at classic car shows.  i own a 67 mustang (a really nice car but not perfect, model boats, wife and 4 kids to support!!!!!) so called experts taking great delight in telling me the body panels don't line up, i have used the wrong type of screw/ bolt etc. i usually politley tell these "experts" to go forth and multiply!!!! however the south wales american car club i belong to are all happy to help in any way with any problem you might have and don't critisize your car no matter if it might be 90% rust and filler!!!! and are all enthusiastic about their cars and getting very drunk at weekend rallies ( i'm looking forward to the next 72 hour "xxxxx" up and hangover)so do what you want to do and ya boo sucks to the rest of them.mark

[Daryl]

Most clubs in the south west of England are members of SWAMBC. As for the rest of the country I have never come across any diffinitive listing or anything that comes close.

I agree the MPBA does seem to have fallen in a lot of peoples eyes over the last few years.

Daryl

[RC John]

MPBA is not the point, it is the only published list of which I know.
The club to which I belong is 74 flyers (queing up to waiting to flying) and me at the lakeside just running tank after tank through - so my insurance is BMFA.
My club is not listed except as a flying club!!!!!
John

[Jonty]

Roger's comment is interesting. I lived in France for five years, and had exactly the same experience as he at the events I attended in Mayenne and Sarthe. Very approachable despite the language barrier.

Jonty

[Daryl]

Most years a chap from France comes over to the Weymouth boat show, he brings along to exceptionaly fine ferries which has to be seen to be beleived. He is all to wilkling to explain to anyone how he built them and how the cargo ramp opens and you can see the illuminated lorries inside. He is a very nice chap and even when busy concentration is allways willing to pass the time of day.

Daryl

[modboat]

Hi Pointy
With reference to your experience I also had got the impression from certain modellers not only from the boating ferternity but mainly aircraft that untill i had mainy years of experience and sucked up to a lot of people I was not welcome to sail my boat and if I did it would be shipwrecked due to being pulled apart verbaly.
For this reason I tended to enjoy building boats and not sailing.
However about four years ago I attended the Boston Model Boat Club open day in Lincolnshire. I was made to feel like royality and was asked to attend on a Sunday and bring my boat along to see if i liked them. This completly changed my direction and I joined up.
This was a marvelous club and all worked well together with the main objective of getting new members. I was asked to contribute with maintenance and even built a new sign, not a financial contibution but a welcome and worthwhile one.
Unfortunatly work took over and I just do not have the time to attend, and i miss it very much. I will not forget all the chaps at Boston Club who made me feel so welcome and I am sure and hope that there are more clubs out there, they just need to be found and maybe they should make themselves known to you if they want to survive i a very competitive world.
Modboat

[OneBladeMissing]

Between around 1973 and 1983 I was involved with three model boat clubs. Joining them was not a problem and the people were mostly ok. At two of them I reckon somebody had their fingers in the till. At the first one I terminated my membership because some of the people involved were complete a---holes!
One problem I've encountered is that there are always people who like laying down the law and sticking their oar in. You never see them with a transmitter in their hand, or even with a boat of any description. I wondered why some of them even bothered being in the club. I reckon they fall roughly into two camps. People who are in jobs where they dish out orders and like to carry that over into their leisure time, and those with crummy jobs when being in charge of a boat club gives them an authority they can't achieve elsewhere.
I did read a post on the Model Boats forum once where someone said he didn't fancy joining a club because some of the people seemed very childish in their attitudes. I know exactly what he was getting at.
It's not just boating where some peoples' attitudes get up your nose. My late brother and his colleagues at a flying club were invited to fly at another clubs' field (Pontefract). They couldn't get a flight in all day. Members of the host club slipped the frequency pegs into their pockets instead of putting them back on the board, or slyly handed them to their mates behind their backs.
There are places all over the country where electric boats, especially scale ones, can be operated without too much trouble. Fortunately the maggot-drowners haven't gotten all of them! Running IC engines I think it's advisable to join a club. At least arrangements will have been made with local authorities, etc. to run such boats.
On the question of clubs claiming park lakes, etc. as their own. Usually anyone can operate boats, but the club will probably have permission to host regattas, pitch tents, fence-off a compound for that purpose. If someone tells you "this is our water" don't let them bully you.

[Charlie]

I used to be a member of the Tunbridge Wells Model Boat Club a few years ago until the arrival of a couple of kids put paid to my model boating. Not so long ago i had taken the kids for a trip to Dunorlan Park on a Sunday morning which is when the club meet at the lake. There were a few of the 'old boys' there sailing. Then one chap who was obviously not a member of the club turned up with his new boat that he had just completed, but he was completely blanked by the club members. It was quite embarrasing to watch really. After telling the club members what he thought of their attitude he stormed off very unhappy. Suffice to say that i won't be rejoining the club.