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View Full Version : Basic barriers to acquiring club/CFC members



Kevin Pacey
05-14-2009, 01:31 PM
Chess can be played for free almost anywhere (millions may play for enjoyment say once a week). This is unlike golf of curling, for example. Tennis can be played for free at public courts, but at least some people may join tennis clubs so there is no risk of waiting to play at a public court. Nowadays chess can be played on the internet for free or at lower cost than at clubs (also taking travel time and costs into consideration).

So, even though these days anyone can search on the internet for chess in Canada, or their home town, which makes advertising less necessary, most citizens have no motivation to join a club or the CFC, certainly without being prompted (e.g. something spectacular like a Canadian or world chess event/person happens to be in the news) - it may be critical that CFC/club advertising/websites make a strong pitch why someone off the street should consider joining or playing in tournaments (perhaps also trying to describe what these are like).

Many citizens, especially adults, may be reluctant to join a club or the CFC because they believe there are no lessons available to them in their area (whether this is true or not - better advertising may be necessary). Here in Ottawa the RA club at one time received 3-4 calls a month from adults who might join if they could receive lessons. However even if, as of this year, a club such as the RA actually addresses this barrier, another barrier seems to come up. People who receive lessons may become discouraged because they feel they are not improving fast enough. This may be true of people who even do for a while join a club such as the RA, or join the CFC.

Most of the barriers I have mentioned would seem to always be there. Hence clubs or the CFC simply have to carry on, but should always try to apply a full court press to swell the ranks of new members as much as possible, with lessons being offered and advertising initiatives using strong pitches. Then as a spin-off effect these acquired members may have more of their peers to play against while they are improving, or lingering at a lower skill level. There will always be a high annual membership drop out rate for the CFC, and at the lower skill levels of club members or students.

Kerry Liles
05-14-2009, 04:29 PM
...
...
Most of the barriers I have mentioned would seem to always be there. Hence clubs or the CFC simply have to carry on, but should always try to apply a full court press to swell the ranks of new members as much as possible, with lessons being offered and advertising initiatives using strong pitches. Then as a spin-off effect these acquired members may have more of their peers to play against while they are improving, or lingering at a lower skill level. There will always be a high annual membership drop out rate for the CFC, and at the lower skill levels of club members or students.

In my experience (at least with people who ask for information about the Burlington CC) I often have to try to convince prospective members (or visitors!!) that there are definitely people at the club who are NOT "masters"... There is this perception sometimes that the club members are so much stronger than someone who is looking for offhand games or generally anyone who is likely unaware of the rating system. I know some people who are inadvertently intimidated by players who insist on playing an offhand game with a clock (what is a chess clock??! OMG) and in other ways making it seem much more daunting than necessary...

I am not sure how best to deal with that in general; I have always tried to impress on potential visitors/members that we are (mostly) casual players of all strengths from patzer to pretty strong A class or even higher some days. Of course, when Tomas Krnan was around the club we could boast of having an IM too!!

Even though we do our best to just be a friendly, unintimidating place to play offhand games, active games, impromptu speed games/roundrobins etc, it is still possible that some weaker players think they are not up to it and only drop by once or twice and decide it is "too serious" (I sure find that hard to believe - maybe they read these forums or the USCF postings from down south and decide that chess is in the crapper)

Kerry Liles
05-14-2009, 04:46 PM
I forgot to mention...

Selling newcomers on a CFC membership has been MUCH harder since the demise of the printed magazine. I just cannot identify anything that is worth $43 (for Ontario). At least in the past, one could point to the magazine... pointing to the webzine does not currently have anywhere near the same impact.

When you roll into the mix the $3 or more rating fee (and the unanswerable question of why is there a rating fee) you find you are really going up a steep incline.

Some folks pony up the $43 to be "part of the experience" etc. but I find a lot of people (not just new potential members) questioning the value.

Egidijus Zeromskis
05-15-2009, 01:21 AM
why is there a ...fee

Just thoughts: what are chances for the CFC to prosper after discarding all kind of fees and living from donations (including sponsors)? As the CFC is a charitable organization, $43 + $3*tournaments# + more might come back as a tax-deduction, etc. Probably this was analyzed/discussed somewhere somewhen :confused:

Kevin Pacey
05-15-2009, 12:36 PM
In my experience (at least with people who ask for information about the Burlington CC) I often have to try to convince prospective members (or visitors!!) that there are definitely people at the club who are NOT "masters"... There is this perception sometimes that the club members are so much stronger than someone who is looking for offhand games or generally anyone who is likely unaware of the rating system. I know some people who are inadvertently intimidated by players who insist on playing an offhand game with a clock (what is a chess clock??! OMG) and in other ways making it seem much more daunting than necessary...

I am not sure how best to deal with that in general; I have always tried to impress on potential visitors/members that we are (mostly) casual players of all strengths from patzer to pretty strong A class or even higher some days. Of course, when Tomas Krnan was around the club we could boast of having an IM too!!

Even though we do our best to just be a friendly, unintimidating place to play offhand games, active games, impromptu speed games/roundrobins etc, it is still possible that some weaker players think they are not up to it and only drop by once or twice and decide it is "too serious" (I sure find that hard to believe - maybe they read these forums or the USCF postings from down south and decide that chess is in the crapper)

Hi Kerry

The goal of my post was to highlight the most basic barriers, to show the need for advertising for, besides the CFC, clubs, and doing it with a good pitch. Perhaps if there is enough space in an ad one might simply include "Come to improve your chess and learn how to use a chess clock" or something like that, to soften the shock and awe aspect newbies might have concerning clocks. I think you are always going to lose some prospective newbies rather quickly, but trying to bring them in en masse will allow you to acquire more than if you did not advertise all-out.

Things also depend on what kind of a club you have. If it is a social club there may not be rated or slow games nor even clocks used. Perhaps there ought to be nothing but social clubs, as Tom O'Donnell advocates (he thinks they would somehow be a gateway to serious chess), but sooner or later the reality of serious weekend tournaments needs to be introduced, and there may be no seamless way to do this - newbies just have to take the plunge.

The RA club in Ottawa acquires many junior members these days (25% of membership), fed by teachers such as Tom or kids having went through the CMA system. Btw kids sometimes are less afraid to try new things than adults.

Kevin Pacey
05-15-2009, 01:24 PM
I forgot to mention...

Selling newcomers on a CFC membership has been MUCH harder since the demise of the printed magazine. I just cannot identify anything that is worth $43 (for Ontario). At least in the past, one could point to the magazine... pointing to the webzine does not currently have anywhere near the same impact.

When you roll into the mix the $3 or more rating fee (and the unanswerable question of why is there a rating fee) you find you are really going up a steep incline.

Some folks pony up the $43 to be "part of the experience" etc. but I find a lot of people (not just new potential members) questioning the value.

Yes, the cost of a CFC membership (and certainly the rating fee, which CMA does much cheaper for its customers) may excessively exceed its value these days. I can only say why I still pay, in spite of the fact I don't want to support an organization that has been run like the CFC, or the OCA for that matter, on top of the possible value question:

1) I'm addicted to rated tournament chess (ideally with prizes/FIDE rated), and anyway I've already invested in books etc.;
2) I wish to support my club, which is well run, but it requires CFC membership to play in most club events (which fits in with my addiction);
3) I wish to support the generally well run Eastern Ontario Chess Association (which may have little to do with the OCA in future unless it shapes up);
4) The RA club has a bar & grill right in the same building, which is more than half the reason why I still play, and Ottawa EOCA weekend events are also held at the RA;
5) I'm not much attracted to internet chess nor playing against computers;
6) I still hope there's room for improvement to my game/ratings and the remote chance someday I may gain a FIDE title.

Any sales pitch in advertising for the CFC might seek to emphasize all the thrills and chills (or whatever) provided by rated tournament chess, and make comparisons to the cost of other activities. A membership fee is still relatively cheap, if you use it to play in more than one or two events, in spite of the fact it is overpriced in my estimation. However the CFC apparently can ill afford to lower it, nor the rating fee, nor provide more/better/quality services, as usual for years now. Perhaps it should simply let FIDE provide ratings and stop offering CFC ratings. Get rid of other things it shouldn't (or can't afford to) be doing, at least at the moment, such as attempting to provide a [quality] webzine.

Jason Lohner
05-18-2009, 11:36 PM
For those that think that cost is not a factor consider this....

About 2 months ago I participated in an event with approximately 16-18 'club level' players. This was a non cfc rated event. Of these people only 3 of us participated in the Keres open this weekend. All of these people were enthusiastic players but Cost was the major factor. This year there was only 11 people in the U1600 section. The under 1600 is where the vast majority of club players would play and this represents the largest area of growth for the CFC. It is too bad that the CFC is doing nothing to attract these people other than putting hurdles in place for them to try out CFC events.

Eric Van Dusen
05-19-2009, 09:16 AM
This thread is quite interesting.

As we all know the current amount of membership does not support a full-scale magazine. To get a magazine even on a bi-monthly basis would require a substantial increase in annual memberships that have been rejected on a regular basis by the governors.

One compromise I can think of is an electronic newsletter. I am a member of the Ottawa Science Fiction Society, a not-for-profit corporation. This organization has around hundred members and a monthly electronic newsletter is published and distributed where a few members receive a hard copy. In addition, Jean Hebert publishes a free newsletter that he does himself.

While a magazine at the present time is beyond our means, a newsletter at least would give current members and respective members an actual physical object that they receive from the CFC.

Cheers, Eric Van Dusen
Ottawa RA Club Executive
CFC and OCA Governor