[kalee20]

As per my earlier post, British Vintage Wireless Society does have shortcomings as a name, but it would be exceedingly difficult to actually improve upon! So as it ain't actually broke...

As for Royal Wootton Bassett (which I have attended) and Harpenden (which I haven't), they probably do appeal to the minority, those who want to buy and those who want to sell. But they are both successful, attendance is about the right amount for the venue, if they were better attended there would be a problem to fix! I am not aware of a downward trend as yet.

In any club or society, the membership gets the committee it deserves. And as far as the Bulletin goes, the articles in it are what Alex has been sent! They are written BY members FOR members, with Alex doing the superlative job of formatting them, maybe holding a couple back if not enough space, and turning out a good publication. Yes, more TV articles would be nice, as long as somebody else writes them!

It's interesting that Radio Wrangler rides. I do too, I bred my current horse, I was the first person to sit on his back (which is an awesome experience), and I am secretary of a Riding Club of 130 members; I know all about committee life, internal politics, the sleeping membership, the active membership. Earlier this month I was up at Lincoln Showground with a few of our members, both junior and senior, who qualified for the British Riding Clubs National Championships (sadly I didn't). If I had not been writing for a dressage judge I would have taken a trip to you-know-where, The Strait near the cathedral. This weekend it's organising a Team Chase over cross-country fences.

While agreeing with RW that horse riding is here to stay, individual clubs and societies aren't! They go in cycles. And that's just like the BVWS. One of the difficulties is getting adequate engagement with the 'silent sleeping membership.' Some come out of the woodwork at AGM's, quite a lot don't. Experience shows that broadly, what happens falls into the following four scenarios:

* People don't voice an opinion at the AGM, the later moan that things didn't go the way they wanted.

* People come up with excellent suggestions, meaning that so-and-so would be good to do, as long as somebody else does the work. Often they do, and knowledge and experience is gained.

* People come up with good suggestions, which add no work for the Committee, in fact may even save time, naturally these tend to be taken on board!

* People say that improvements are needed, focus of activities needs to change - then offer themselves as part of the solution to make it happen. These usually find themselves appointed to the Committee with open arms!

So - the BVWS auctions don't appeal to everyone? True! They are successful enough to work though, so don't stop that! Have a newbie introduction day? Great idea, would you like to organise it?

Myself, I belong to the BVWS, I'm a comparatively silent sleeping member, I do occasionally have a letter in the Bulletin, I have no issue with the way the Committee works, I'm just grateful that they do! I have no intention of not renewing, and if I come across people with the same interests I will point them towards the BVWS and to this Forum!