Koi Clubs and members

[Tom C]

It seems like more and more people I talk to have a hard time getting people to join koi clubs and show up to meetings. Is this do to the rat race we all live? Is it do to the koi clubs not doing enought to get people to come back?

Can we all suggest things that might get people more interested in joining koi clubs and showing up to meetings?

[jbolding]

I am a member of IKS (inland koi society), and I was regularly attending meeting until recently. I originally joined the club because it was the club that was based where I live. I have stopped attending them, and will probably not renew my membership as I found that the club was not fulfilling my needs (not to mention that I want to switch over to Nichirin from Koi USA). I did find that a few of the meeting peaked my interest, but most were simply meaningless for me. The meetings seemed mainly a place for a large number of like minded people to get together and eat, and I was probably a good 15 to 20 years younger than the average member. While that is not a bad thing I was looking for more in-depth information about all aspects of koi (husbandry, bloodlines, diagnosis and care, advances in construction, etc.). I am currently looking into joining either So Cal ZNA of OC ZNA in the hopes that they will be a group that better fulfills my needs.

[Surfhead]

I think as these message boards grow, then clubs can offer little that isn't already online. So the clubs become more of a social event. which is fine if you like the people on a personal level and you have the free time. But very few clubs have the funding to hold seminars and hire guest speakers at their meetings. If they did more of that and every meeting was an education, then I think more people would go. I love talking about koi and hanging out with people who like koi, but I want more then just that at the meetings.

I'm curious about the SoCal ZNA myself. Its $100 to join and if it's just another social club then I'll stay with my local club, but if they have useful info every meeting then the money and time is well spent.

[Bern]

I hear mention that Koi Clubs are in decline over here (UK) too, but I see little evidence of it. We have approx 60 clubs in the country and that number has been stable for 3 to 4 years now, although one or two clubs have occasionally folded only to be replaced by new ones.

There is no doubt that the Internet forums have usurped the place of one particular benefit of the koi club, i.e. knowledge. For many of the members discussion at the club is now focused on what has been published on the net as opposed to Q&A's amongst the members. But for the members without Internet access I doubt much has changed they can still get good info from other club members. Info published on Internet forums also finds its way into club newsletters, to my mind they now contain better and more up to date info than before.

But clubs must provide some activities for the members to share or go under. My club provides speakers for a minimum of 7 out of the 12 monthly meetings. We organise excursions to other clubs to see their members ponds as well as do the same in return for visiting clubs. Add the odd social function like Xmas party and that is pretty much par for the course for most clobs. In addition we have a yearly Open Show which provides a great way for members to work together, pick up some skills and enjoy a koi fest. My club also organises the "Koi-Trek" an exchange visit with the National Koi Society of Holland where we visit them for the weekend of their Koi Show and they return the weekend after to visit ours.

My club will be celebrating its 25th Birthday next year as well as its 20th Anniversary show. Already two Yanks of some standing have booked to come and see what the fuss is about, so has a South African and we are expecting a Japanese delegation too. So I guess we are doing something right.

If you want to see what we are all about www.koi-clubs.com/SouthEast

rgds BERN

[koiczar]

Thanks for starting this thread. I've printed out all the responses so far and will be taking to our club's (Santa Clara Valley Koi Club) meeting this Friday night. We, the members of the Board of Directors, have been trying to figure out why there has been such a decline of members showing up at monthly meetings and the lack of support for various club functions (koi shows, pond tours, etc). These replies will help give us some food for thought about the direction the club is heading.

Mike

[mrbradleybradley]

Hi

There is no "paint-by-numbers" formula for what makes a good club, besides friendliness. I am nodding my head on some of these responses. Each club is different. People go for different reasons. If you want some social time, then some clubs will be more like that than others. If you are after more in-depth stuff, you will find these are around too. I belong to the KSA (Sydney, Australia) and find that there are considerable differences between branches and I enjoy those differences.

I also go because of what I can give, not just for what I can take away. Koi keeping is a two way street. One for learning and one for passing on experiences.

I do find that there are also those that do not attend every meeting, but will come along to events, shows and pond tours.

BB

KSA member
www.ksa.com

Austrlaian Koi Forum
www.koi.allday.at

[Tom C]

What would make you want to go to koi club meetings?

[MikeM]

If the goal is numbers, then broadening the topic to include watergardening, turtles, goldfish, etc. will help, but it may just chase away the kichi. When the focus is kept on koi, there is the challenge of presenting programs that are not too technical for the majority, while not boring the more experienced. And, no doubt, in the U.S. anyway, the typical two-career couple putting in 50 and 60 hour work weeks have little time for much more than some quiet time by the pond ... which is why they built it in the first place.

What every club needs is a handful of folks who enjoy the tasks of maintaining an organization ... newsletters, collecting dues, drafting folks to host meetings,etc., etc., ... and is a lot easier if some of them do not have regular jobs.And, it really does not matter too much if they are kichi. The sane ones sometimes keep their perspective.

For myself, I just like being around my local "koi friends", hearing what they've done, what they plan to do ... and seeing how their koi have grown. Even when I'm rushed trying to squeeze everything that needs to be done into a weekend, the meeting gets some priority.

What will draw folks?... programs with lots of photos of koi and ponds.

[aquitori]

Maybe the fact that clubs are not taking advantage of the internet a bit more. I think the trick to getting more of the generation x's and dot-comer's, is making the clubs more high tech...more web based is the key....

[Nancy M.]

Quote: Originally Posted by jbolding I am a member of IKS (inland koi society), and I was regularly attending meeting until recently. I originally joined the club because it was the club that was based where I live. I have stopped attending them, and will probably not renew my membership as I found that the club was not fulfilling my needs (not to mention that I want to switch over to Nichirin from Koi USA). I did find that a few of the meeting peaked my interest, but most were simply meaningless for me. The meetings seemed mainly a place for a large number of like minded people to get together and eat, and I was probably a good 15 to 20 years younger than the average member. While that is not a bad thing I was looking for more in-depth information about all aspects of koi (husbandry, bloodlines, diagnosis and care, advances in construction, etc.). I am currently looking into joining either So Cal ZNA of OC ZNA in the hopes that they will be a group that better fulfills my needs.

Unfortunately, most clubs membership age of people is over 35 and usually closer to the 40 to 60+ range. Until the last 10 years the majority of koi clubs, members were professional people of higher income brackets. Doctors lawyers etc.. Now things have changed more middle and lower class's have joined the koi hobby. And with these changes of people of different backgrounds and races. The clubs need to change there way of thinking and of educating members. My husband and I are the founders of the Koi Kichi Club here in So Calif. Our memberships consist of mostly middle class people of various races and ages. We have tried several different approaches to get members active in the club. We have had guest speakers such as, Burt ballou, who showed members how to use a scope and scrape the fish. Spike cover, who is an expert on water quality. Tom Holder, owner of koi care kennel speak on parasite treatments. Doug Dahl, spoke on Judging standards etc.. different manufactures of pond products. Our club attendance is 25% to 35% of its membership, and that is at a good meeting. We have offered incentives such as movie passes, gift certificates, outings for the club etc.. We have run out of ideas to get members to take advantage of all the club has to offer. Our members show up when they have a fish or pond emergency. Or if they go to one of the local dealers to get there 10% discount. We have members that I have never even meet before. I have spoken to most of the local clubs in So calif, and they all have the same problem, with getting members to come and be active. In our area a 40 mile radius there are 7 koi clubs. I truly believe there are just to many clubs. We need to consolidate some of them. That is why ZNA Orange County, may be folding lack of participation. Clubs can only offer so much information in some areas, If clubs focused on breeders and bloodlines the members that only care about there pond grade fish, would not come. They couldn't care less what bloodline there $12 koi is from. It is very hard for clubs to offer everything that interest all people. Clubs have to focus on the level of education that the majority of there members are at. If you go in there talking about bakki showers and Momataro most of your members would say what the hell is that!! and who give a shit. I think that you will have a hard time finding a club, that every meeting will be of interest to you. I have heard so many of the same lectures at our club meetings and other clubs that I could resite them to you from most of the speakers that clubs have. But I will continue to hear them as long as our members need to be taught. And if you want Nichirin Magazine, you can order straight from Japan, with ZNA membership. It cost 9,000 yen per year if I remember correctly. which is about $82 US dollars at the current exchange rate.