What a load of cods!! Time was and will always be a problem; even for retired folks I am told. It is how we prioritise the use of our time that changes, which brings us back to the same old question, how we make gliding more attractive to potential members.
Advertising companies make billions of dollars every year doing just that. Look at how much money and effort the AFL and NRL are currently putting into their season opening promotions. Now check the last GFA financial report and tell me how much the GFA invested in promoting the sport outside the sport itself. The public visibility of gliding is almost non existent. When was the last time you saw a TV doco on gliding, and when was the last time you saw a TV doco on parachuting, ballooning, hang gliding, base jumping etc. Personally I see them regularly, and get frustrated that gliding is not get the exposure. Just think of the exposure gliding would get if we could get Macca on a Sunday Morning broadcasting from a gliding site. I have tried to discuss this with some of our GFA representatives and they don't seem interested - they certainly do not reply to e-mails on the subject. Nick is right "Gliding is Cool" and can also be high tech. I have already said our club does not seem to have any problem recruiting a good cross section of younger and older members. During this last cross country season one of our younger members made a great 5 minute movie on the camp, this will be available on our web site soon. If you want a copy e-mail me, but if you do not like big downloads don't, it is over 5MB Our club is sick of waiting for the GFA or whoever to do something, and we have several strategies in place to increase local exposure. We have set up our web site so that anyone targeting aviation and or tourism in our region on the internet will see our site. We are members of the local Chamber of Commerce, we have brochures in the local tourist information centres, and we are a visiting stop on the local out of town tourist drive. These activates are primarily targeting the Joy Flight market, and yes we do have an AOC. Joy Flights do not = new members, but they are great exposure and cash flow generators, reducing the costs you have to pass on to members. Visitors are treated like guests, pre booked joy flights are encouraged fly earlier in the day, and drop ins sometimes they have to wait. We are part also part of a local B&B package where for $200 a head the visitor flies, dines and overnights in the region. This discussion is an evergreen, and the problem is not unique to gliding. In view of the lack of official leadership or guidance on the topic, I recommend that each club decides if they want to promote locally, I have heard of clubs who do not, and if they do develop a local strategy. There will be the knockers both internally and externally, so what just go for it. SDF -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Christopher H Thorpe Sent: Sunday, 27 March 2005 1:42 AM To: 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.' Subject: RE: [Aus-soaring] mining past glider pilots I agree with Ian. When I started gliding at 20 years of age, time was the problem, not cost or older club members. In fact, my experience was that the older club members were most encouraging. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Newton Sent: Thursday, 24 March 2005 6:00 PM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] mining past glider pilots Patching wrote: > I've said it before and I'll say it again... The big factor in not > retaining people in our sport is TIME not COST or OFITTH. No, Ian, that isn't true at all. People will think nothing of spending an entire winter day playing footy, or an entire summer day playing cricket (followed up by socializing in the bar). I simply refuse to believe that people will balk at spending exactly the same time committment gliding (particularly when it's followed up by socializing in the bar). If someone has an active lifestyle, spending time on recreation goes hand-in-hand with having recreational persuits in the first place. Our problem isn't that people don't have time, our problem is that people don't want to spend their recreational time in the presence of facially-hirsute old farts who treat them like idiots. These people seriously undercut the good efforts that other members try to put in place to make newcomers feel welcome. It only needs one antisocial arsehole to make someone think, "I'm supposed to be having a good time, but here I am on my day off getting told-off by someone I don't even know. I wouldn't let my best friend talk to me like that, so why am I putting up with this complete stranger treating me like crap?" Anyone subjected to that kind of treatment is going to spend their next weekend rockclimbing, playing cricket, washing the car, or doing any of the other countless billions of activities it's possible to do without being insulted by geriatric old farts. - mark -------------------------------------------------------------------- I tried an internal modem, [EMAIL PROTECTED] but it hurt when I walked. Mark Newton ----- Voice: +61-4-1620-2223 ------------- Fax: +61-8-82231777 ----- _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
