As we reach the end of another eventful year, I can report that we welcomed 69 new members, and lost 66 members during 2010. Therefore we have seen a small reduction in overall membership levels for the year. We now stand at:-
· 159 full members, and
· 9 masters
In addition we have 42 registered officials, and 5 non-executive and honorary members.
This level of membership churn is slightly higher than we have seen in previous years at approximately 30% of the total membership (historically, we have seen c. 25% churn). I believe that this is partly due to the economic conditions we are faced with at present. However, it is not alarming, as we continue to welcome new members to join us.
The following charts show how our membership (swimming members only) and our waiting list shape up. As you will see, swimming is still a female-dominated sport at our level, though it is encouraging that we have a healthy mix of boys and girls in the queue.
It has been a challenging year for membership. In order to bring new members in, we first have to assess them. Finding the pool time and teaching staff to assist with this has been difficult, as our teachers are already very busy. However, we still have a number of potential new members on the waiting list, and we are aiming to assess them early in 2011. We have noticed that our new members are quite often introduced to us through existing members, either through family or friendship connections. This is an excellent way to keep the club ‘stocked’ with new members, and I would encourage everybody to continue this where they can. It propagates the club’s ethos of community and fully embraces the first of our core values...
BASC is a friendly and enjoyable club to be part of
As you will know, during 2010 we had to address our funding requirements for the future, and I am sure that you are aware of the club decision that was taken in this respect. I would like to thank you all for your support during this difficult period, and for endorsing the decision to adjust fees to ensure the future sustainability of the club. It does now mean that we are able to look forward with confidence as we reach the final year of our three-year plan, and look to devise an appropriate plan for the next three years. On this subject, I would welcome any thoughts and feedback on how the club operates, what you would like to see from the club, and pointers for the future. Remember that the committee works for you and your family, and we do need to receive your input. If anybody would like to take a hands-on role in devising the next plan, please talk to any committee member as we always welcome offers of help.
On a personal note, I am just starting my sixth year as membership secretary, meaning that my position is due for re-election at next year’s AGM. While I will continue in this role as long as necessary, I do believe that it is in the best interest of the club that new people with fresh ideas periodically come forward to take the club forward. If anybody is interested in assisting with the membership duties, please do come and talk to me. I will be happy to let you know what it entails. It is an opportunity to be at the heart of the club and is ultimately a very rewarding experience.
My usual penultimate paragraph concerns fees, and this year it is no different! We changed the fee structure this year, and we now give the opportunity for swim fees to be paid in monthly installments by standing order. I hope that this is a useful tool to spread the payments for you. It has however, thrown up a slight administrative overhead when it comes to reconciling them on the bank statement. We have to do this in order to record who has paid, how much, and when. I would personally like to thank Judith Charman (our treasurer) who has put in the hard hours in organising this and making sure that we have accurate records. We still have a small number of people who do not pay their membership and/or swim fees by the due date. Please remember that I do not enjoy having to chase late payments any more than you like receiving emails asking for them. There is of course a foolproof way to avoid this situation...
It just remains for me to welcome you back to the New Year at Bushey. Once again, I wish you a very successful year, and happy swimming!
Jon Wood
Membership Secretary, Bushey Amateur Swimming Club