The following statement explains the reasons for the Committee’s decision. The simple fact is that our Club, in common with most comparable others, is experiencing a fall in membership. Whether this is due to demographics, the finacial climate or otherwise, a distinction must be made between the services which attach to membership of the Club and those which are avaiable to those who, for whatever reason, are not prepared to join.
Regards,
Lewis
ACCESS TO THE WEB FORUM
The decision to make access to the web forum available to members only was made by the Committee at a meeting held on 25 February 2012. The decision was made after a great deal of discussion and detailed consideration of the traffic passing through the forum. The decision was primarily made with the purpose of protecting the Club’s intellectual property and goodwill.
The Committee believes that the services which the Club provides – including the services provided through the website – are special and that they represent excellent value for the modest annual subscription. It is essential to recognise just how special the services are and to protect them and their value to the membership. In a world increasingly reliant on communication via the internet, the web-based services supplied by the Club will become even more of an important part of the Club’s services than they are now. Consequently the Club cannot continue to permit a substantial part of its output to be provided free-of-charge at the risk of the decline in the substance of the Club that is likely to follow.
The decision is in line with the policies adopted by a number of similar members’ clubs; The Brough Superior Club, The Rudge Enthusiasts Club and The Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club, to name but three.
Subscribers to the forum who are not members have the opportunity to join for the remainder of the year and then receive all of the Club services until 31 December 2012 including continued access to the forum for the payment of a reduced subscription of £10. If the Annual Subscription represents good value, this concession is an outright bargain, representing little more than the administrative cost to the Club. We hope that access to the Spares Scheme, regular deliveries of the exceptional Yowl, the opportunity to attend at Abbotsholme and other club events as well as the access to the forum will convert those who accept to the Committee’s way of thinking.
We hope that the existing members (who will suffer no inconvenience) acknowledge that the decision will ensure that the Club’s resources are protected and help to ensure that the Club prospers and grows for the benefit of the members present and future.
