Directory of Members
Hi All,
first of all, I attended my first rally on Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was nice to be able to put faces to names, have a natter about machines and see some great examples of mowers on show. The compliments about my piece in the latest Grassbox were also very gratefully accepted!
During the AGM I suggested that the Club could save money on postage and printing by making the Directory of Members an on line resource with hard copy available on request to those Members who do not use the internet. This suggestion was very rapidly cut down by the Chair on the basis that he wouldn't want his information to be on line. I was suprised by this response and feel that I may have been misunderstood (those of you I spoke to on Sunday will know how croaky my voice was after an 8 hour stint doing a disco in a marquee the day before).
The information contained in the Directory is already on line and available to Members, and I would not dream of suggesting that it should be made fully public. It does, however, seem to me to be a touch of overkill, as well as unnecessary work and expense, to print and post this information in large quantities when the majority of Members can access it a the touch of a button. At a time when finances are short and the costs of paper, printing and postage are only going to escalate, removing this duplication should, I think, be given some serious consideration.
I hope this clarifies the point I was trying to make on Sunday,
Joe
Members Directory.
Hi,
Re the members directory, the copy that I receive turns up annually and is most welcome. I find that the book format is most useful for dipping into for quick reference and personally would like to see that continue, Certainly until such time as the the quality of internet services improves to the point where all members have access to a reliable internet service. Of the OLC members that I know not all are dedicated internet users indeed some areas of Kent are still internet black spots.
I have used the online directory succesfully but I still prefer the printed version for speed of access.
Re the annual rally I am glad the event was a success I was hoping to go this year but could not make it in the end so perhaps we could see a few pics of the proceedings.
Ray.
Directory of Members
Ray,
I completely agree that a printed version is preferable, but there is a but. The price of printing and posting the Directory is significant and ultimately the majority of us are able to download and print our own should we want a paper copy. As pointed out by someone else at the AGM, many clubs now send out their magazines only by electronic means. I am delighted that we have a proper paper magazine, but can see the need to move away from paper in some areas
An increase in membership fees was discussed at the AGM, and it seems inevitable that this will have to happen in the next couple of years as costs in all areas rise. Perhaps cutting down on printing and posting would help mitigate some of this increase, as well as being more environmentally friendly and would cut down on the workload undertaken by the committee.
I should also say that, as my first year of membership reaches an end, I have been astonished at the amount I have received for my subs; 4 copies of Grassbox in its excellent new format, access to nearly 50 back issues of Grassbox via the website, the Directory of Members, Public Liability Insurance, a bottle of beer & pint glass from the rally........ easily the best value for a tenner in the last year!
Once I've figured out how to put the pictures from my camera on to the computer I'll get a few of my shots from the rally on to the site although most of them are of the handles on Richard Jones' Lloyds Pennsylvania roller mower so I can build some for mine!
At this point I think I've really said all I have to say on this topic, so will stop now before I become even more tedious!
Joe
Directory of Members
Hello Joe,
Yes you are correct about keeping costs down especially if it helps to hold down membership fees.
Re the handles for your Pennsylvania roller mower were you able to get dimensions from Richards handle? If not I could measure the one that I have if it is the same as your machine.
Ray.
Directory of Members
Ray,
thanks for that.
Regarding the handles, Richard sent me a very good diagram including measurements a couple of months ago, it was just good to see the mower in the "flesh". Thanks for the offer though.
Joe
Directory of Members/Handles.
Hello,
That's ok then, all you need now is the wood and the time to make them!
Ray.
I think the Directory of
I think the Directory of Members is available on request, rather than being sent as default. Of course, if you are a registered member of the club it shouldn't be hard just to download the booklet from the site. The reason it is available as a hard copy is probably because many of the other members do not visit the site possibly because they may not have a computer to access it with.
It was my first time at the annual club rally last weekend too, very much enjoyed it, the auction was great too.