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betsy_in_va
Guest
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 Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:42 pm Post subject: 1% Membership decline |
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Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing? |
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p c
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:31 pm Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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betsy_in_va wrote:
| Quote: | Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
|
Actually my club had an increase in membership, 40% (7 new members).
The peole who joined were not aware of the increase. :)
1% over a large pool is esentially zero. |
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Colin William
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:06 pm Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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betsy_in_va wrote:
| Quote: | Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
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I guess the question we should be asking is how much of a decline from
past trends is this? If we'd been seeing, say, 3% growth per year, then
a 1% decline is a turnaround of 4% from where we had been, which is a
pretty substantial hit. The overall impact hits us both in lost existent
members, lost dual members, and in potential members who simply decided
they couldn't afford it.
Colin |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:04 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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"betsy_in_va" <b7760@keogan.com> wrote in message
news:1156941763.124059.239190@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
|
I think my clubs are holding their own or making slight gains. On the other
side of the scale, I was a member of three clubs. One of them folded last
year, and I have not joined a replacement club. As far as I know, two
members of the club that folded joined another club. I suspect none of the
others did. I would imagine that something similar happens any time a club
folds.
Also, new clubs need 20 members to start. This requirement often results in
a few "dummy" members, who are paper members only, and who do not renew
their membership.
--
Joy Gaylord, ATM-S, CL
Simi Valley Toastmasters (Dist. 33)
Storytelling & Performing Arts Toastmasters (Dist. 52)
[Nova Toastmasters, RIP]
Southern California |
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blueberry
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:12 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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betsy_in_va wrote:
| Quote: | Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
|
I saw something in Wikipedia about decline. It is primarily in the
United States It seems like membership overall has increased because
of clubs in other continents. Just observing my own area I do see a
decline in members. I see less people participating in the speech
contests. Following is excerpt from site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toastmasters
Membership
As of 2006, there were more than 210,000 members in over 11,000 clubs
in every state of the United States and in approximately 90 other
countries. Membership in the US is declining steadily, but membership
internationally is increasing. Members of TI belong to local clubs
consisting of from six to more than 40 members, but membership around
20 members is typical |
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betsy_in_va
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:16 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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| Quote: | I see less people participating in the speech
contests.
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That's certainly true here. Even a few years ago it was easy to get 2-3
or more contestants for club contests. Now it's hard to get anyone.
Only one club in my area is even bothering to hold a contest this year,
everyone else is simply sending representatives to the area contest.
I hope this is just a temporary thing, I want there to be some other
competitors when I can finally get back into the contests... |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:39 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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"betsy_in_va" <b7760@keogan.com> wrote in message
news:1156958183.143242.260430@74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | I see less people participating in the speech
contests.
That's certainly true here. Even a few years ago it was easy to get 2-3
or more contestants for club contests. Now it's hard to get anyone.
Only one club in my area is even bothering to hold a contest this year,
everyone else is simply sending representatives to the area contest.
I hope this is just a temporary thing, I want there to be some other
competitors when I can finally get back into the contests...
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Contest competition seems to vary by District, and by club.
So far I have attended two club contests in District 33 this season. At one
club, where there are usually about 30 members at a meeting, there were four
contestants in Evaluation and five in Humorous. At the other, at which
attendance is usually 10-12, there were three contestants in Evaluation and
two in Humorous. My club will have its contest tomorrow evening. We have 7
or 8 people signed up for Humorous and 4 or 5 for Evaluation.
District 52 usually has a lower number of competitors. Last year at the
Area contests, two Areas had their contests at the same time. One Area had
two contestants each in International and Evaluation. The other had two in
International and one in Evaluation. OTOH, this season my club in District
52, which has a total membership of 10, had three contestants in both Table
Topics and Humorous.
--
Joy Gaylord, ATM-S, CL
Simi Valley Toastmasters (Dist. 33)
Storytelling & Performing Arts Toastmasters (Dist. 52)
Southern California |
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betsy_in_va
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:11 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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A person who reads this board but does not choose to post asked me to
pass on some info about last year:
In fact, our total membership grew by 1%, with 4.4% of that growth
coming from Districts outside North America. The 1% decrease was
actually in clubs assigned to Regions. We also had a total increase of
836 new clubs. (From President Dilip's report at the Open Board
Meeting on Aug. 23, 2006) |
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Regina Litman
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:13 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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betsy_in_va wrote:
| Quote: | Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
|
I can certainly relate to the 1% decline. Although my club didn't
decline and actually gained significantly, the reason I was not able to
attend my first International Convention as a member of a District that
had just finished a Distinguised year is that we fell short in just one
area - the "Per Caps" - and we fell short by fewer than 100.
(I don't quite understand how "Per Caps" works, but I think it has
something to do with club membership.)
--
Please note my correct email address:
rslitman [at-sign] infionline [dot] net |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:59 am Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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"Regina Litman" <rslitman@infi.net> wrote in message
news:44F61B92.2010105@infi.net...
| Quote: | betsy_in_va wrote:
Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
I can certainly relate to the 1% decline. Although my club didn't decline
and actually gained significantly, the reason I was not able to attend my
first International Convention as a member of a District that had just
finished a Distinguised year is that we fell short in just one area - the
"Per Caps" - and we fell short by fewer than 100.
(I don't quite understand how "Per Caps" works, but I think it has
something to do with club membership.)
--
Please note my correct email address:
rslitman [at-sign] infionline [dot] net
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Actually, it applies to sending in dues on time.
Joy |
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PlatformPrep
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:15 pm Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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I think it applies to both...but there is one sure way to determine
this!
How? Start a thread!
Joy wrote:
| Quote: | "Regina Litman" <rslitman@infi.net> wrote in message
news:44F61B92.2010105@infi.net...
betsy_in_va wrote:
Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
I can certainly relate to the 1% decline. Although my club didn't decline
and actually gained significantly, the reason I was not able to attend my
first International Convention as a member of a District that had just
finished a Distinguised year is that we fell short in just one area - the
"Per Caps" - and we fell short by fewer than 100.
(I don't quite understand how "Per Caps" works, but I think it has
something to do with club membership.)
--
Please note my correct email address:
rslitman [at-sign] infionline [dot] net
Actually, it applies to sending in dues on time.
Joy |
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Goddess
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:30 pm Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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Region 8 probably accounted for a lot of this 1% since Katrina affected
clubs in a district in that region. The District Governor did a great
job keeping that district going-I looked at their web site throughout
the year. My guess is that the clubs in that area will take a long time
to rebuild. |
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TracyT
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:51 pm Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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I'd never thought of something like that. I bet there was a huge loss
in that region.
Tracy Thomason - CTM
Goddess wrote:
| Quote: | Region 8 probably accounted for a lot of this 1% since Katrina affected
clubs in a district in that region. The District Governor did a great
job keeping that district going-I looked at their web site throughout
the year. My guess is that the clubs in that area will take a long time
to rebuild. |
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Gayle Oleksiak
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:44 pm Post subject: Re: 1% Membership decline |
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We didn't see any decrease in members. Quite the opposite, we inducted 10
new members. The dues increase didn't affect us at all.
We did lose 3 members to a new club, but we are the oldest club in our
community and have been a strong club for many years.
Gayle Oleksiak, DTM
Circle T Toastmasters
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
"betsy_in_va" <b7760@keogan.com> wrote in message
news:1156941763.124059.239190@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Like Colin, I was surprised to learn membership had declined 1% this
last year. I wonder how much of that reflects members who belong to
multiple clubs and had to cut back to just 1-2 clubs after the dues
increase?
Most of the members we lost were people with multiple clubs, or
long-time members who had been paying dues for years without attending,
and who used the dues increase as a reason to finally let go. I didn't
see an appreciable change in the number of new members who joined for a
short time and then quit. Are you guys seeing the same thing?
|
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