Successful Canoe Club?

[Einar]

If you have enjoyed belonging to a "successful" canoe club what qualities made it work for you?
If you have belonged to an "unsuccessful" canoe club what qualities discouraged you?

(The only given in my question is that clubs are usually marketed to beginning and intermediate canoeists, stronger paddlers put their own runs together outside a club for obvious reasons)

[milkman]

This answer will seem obvious, but it's the people that make a club successful. If you have a group of people in the club who really love paddling and sharing the experience with others by organzing trips, the club succeeds. Our club's success is based on a core group of people who step up and organize trips every weekend. In fact, certain trip organizers get known for the kind of trips they do and how they do them and develop a following. Take those people away and it would be hard to fill their shoes. The good thing is that since whitewater canoeists are such a minority, they tend to want to stick together. This helps ensure the cohesiveness of the group.

One mistake we've avoided is making our forum and newsletter public. This means you have to be a member to receive regular trip postings, etc. We allow guests to join us on individual trips, but they'll only find out about the trips through members. If these guests like going out with the club, they usually join to be able to receive notices on trips and trip changes.

[Todhunter]

My experience is that successful clubs focus on paddling and are loosely organized, so I guess they aren't really clubs, but "groups" of paddlers. Unsuccessful clubs focus on officers, ranking, newsletters, rules, meetings, agendas, etc.

[TNbound]

This spring I've had the pleasure of boating a bit with the Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society. As far as I know, this is the only real paddling club we have in Maine and it includes most of the open boaters in the state. Like Milkman said, it is the people that make a club successful. With PPCS, the group is split usually about 50-50 between OC and kayaks, and everyone is content with a relaxed pace to allow for LOTS of surfing. For me, boating with a group like this can sometimes be more fun than chasing the hardcore creek boaters (all in kayaks) down something steep and hairy.*


It also seems clubs (PPCS included) tend to attract open boaters, probably due to what Milkman said about us being a relative minority on the rivers. Talking about different OCs while on the river is more fun than being heckled about my "broken paddle" or the big hole in the top of my boat. But, to be fair, I do make fun of them for wearing skirts sometimes....



*NOT intended to discount the kayakers I paddle hard stuff with. Those guys are all awesome boaters, good folks, and there isn't another gang I would rather run stuff on the end of my comfort zone with.

[Smurfwarrior]

I've been the president of the club out here in Utah for a couple years and its not easy to have the club be seen as successful by both members and people who are simply anti-club. We're a public club, meaning we do things out in the open and welcome anyone on our trips as long as they are willing to sign the waiver and pay the $5 ACA insurance fee. Having an active calendar of events seems to be the most important quality that people look for, and comment on. We have a core group of about 30, and 100 or so come and go then pop back up at times. I'm the only active member who's an open boater BTW, although lots have shown interest and are wanting to try it this year.

I think the key in being successful, is to have the club membership define what 'successful' is. Is the club focused on growth, beginner education/development, servicing a hardcore group of paddlers or as simply a 'holder of trips'. Milkman's crew seems to have it worked out well.

[ezwater]

"First, kill all the lawyers." That way you might be able to avoid signing waivers for each club trip.

[DougB]

Our little club is was once known as the 6 pack slayers. I've always attributed that to our continued success as nothing else bonds like beer. Other than that small numbers, with an emphasis on unorganization.

[FullGnarlzOC]

It's all about safety. You cannot be safe enough in a club environment on and off the river. I'm a board member of the DCC (Dillsburg Canoe Club)...and we pride ourselves on being the safest club in PA. A lot of other clubs try, with their safety courses, kayaking lessons ect... But the DCC is beyond formal club boundaries, we work outside the realm of club boating reality and reality itself.

To get into the DCC

1) you have to first exhibit a clear understanding of whitewater safety

2) Run the treacherous 4ft drop that is known to locals as 'Letort Falls'...and run it backwards. Keep in mind - Only those who have been there with their boats have ran it.


We have spent many club meetings discussing what is the purpose of the DCC, ect...
- 10 meetings later, we have come to the conclusion that the main goal of the DCC is to help make the river the safest place to be.

Look for our flag at a river near you - (Eagle, holding a throw rope in its talon)



and remember - Keep it safe, Keep it gnarly.