IOP grew phenomenally in it’s first 2 years of existence, too fast, as a committee we were new to this, we were running around like headless chooks and we tripped over ourselves. The result was we failed our members miserably.

Last year Ash Nesbit called up all the old members and said we either shut shop or we pull our finger out and really try to make this work. One of the things we discussed as a new committee was “why come back to IOP?”

The member only races were our idea of giving back to our members and proving what we can do as a club, these races are free to our members and are basically our way of saying thank you for your show of faith in signing up and trusting us to get it right this time.

That said, the free races will continue only for the remainder of this season. IOP is picking up the cost of water safety, at a minimum of $300:00 per event for the shorter paddles. We are using the money IOP made in our glory days, so we are using our members money on our members. If it wasn’t for the water safety aspect, we would open these paddles to everyone.

From next season, we will have learnt a lot more, licked a few more wounds and will come back better, smarter and stronger.
From next season, the races will be open to all and there will be a fee for all to cover water safety.
From next season we will work hard to find sponsors for the races so that we can award prizes.

So we are roughing it out with our members this season, for them it’s free with hiccups this year, so if you want free, with no prizes, just bragging rights, join now, if not, we honestly look forward to welcoming you to our paddles next season as either a member or non-member.

I guess the IOP are trying to make sure that everyone doing one of their races or downwinds is covered under their insurance loopholes.
When I was Ski Captain at the local Surf Club I was advised by the Surf Sports contact at SLSWA to get everyone that joined us for our regular paddling sessions to become a member.
I think it was as much for their own protection as ours because if something did go horribly wrong then the club, myself and State Centre would all have been at risk of legal recourse.

We often think that a disclaimer would be enough in these instances but if someone has a good lawyer and they mean business the disclaimer isn't worth much to the organisers.

When you consider it we're willing to pay upwards of $30 to do one race such as the Bridge to Bridge where the bulk of us particularly us mid-packers don't stand a chance of winning a prize and we get little in the way of T-Shirts or hats (do we really want these material acknowledgements anyway).

As was mentioned today on Facebook, let's support the sport that we have so much passion for and do the whole series, don't pick and choose between the conditions of one race versus another, do them all and challenge your ability.

If I can do it with these lame wings of mine so can you.

Cheers
Mav

in another watersport, things such as three races then you must consider becoming a member. I guess it is to do with freeloading. Always great to have visitors and they should be encouraged, not penalised. Don't know about these "members only " races.

I'll kick this one off, with an interesting development.

I'm a member of a club that is keen for paddlers of other clubs (or 'come try' guests) to participate in our training, events and ... well just be part of our club. I guess we are lucky that our club is relatively new, and we are not inundated by people wanting to take advantage of us. We seem to enjoy a happy balance between club participation, and guest/invitational participation. We hope that people will come and see what we do, like what we do, and subsequently may join us or tell others about us.

I have also attended other clubs as a guest. Sometimes on my own, other times as a guest by invitation of an existing club member. This has allowed me to participate in alternative disciplines, meet experienced paddlers in other disciplines, and in general broaden my horizons as a paddler. I have appreciated such attendance, and also assumed that if I were to keep attending as a guest, I be obliged to join as a member.

I have seen events advertised as 'members only'. I don't understand this. Why would a club demand membership to participate? Perhaps such clubs have had issues with too many 'free loaders'. Perhaps there are insurance implications. Perhaps there is a minimum competency they are trying to enforce.

Have you come across this before as a participant or as an organiser? What are your thoughts?