The last few weeks we have been working on downsizing and decluttering. As a part of that process, I have been posting stuff we want to purge on Facebook Marketplace. Let me tell you, if there ever was a magnet for Karens, Online marketplaces are it! Sheesh, I've never dealt with so many self-important uptight people in my life! (Ma'am, the chair is $10 because it IS used!)
Dave B

I spent 20 years as an adult instructor in the Sea Cadet Corps, I joined to give something back to society, give the young folk a leg up and do something useful in my spare time. I didn't shout at the kids, I made learning interesting and fun and had a good relationship with the cadets in my charge. Now, a huge however, Organisations like the SCC attract Karen's and Kens like flies round cow pats, I'm convinced these people join so they can strutt about in a uniform and shout at people who can't really shout back, some made the kids life a misery to the point where they left. Others would do everything possible to avoid summer camps, courses, supervising the cadets on drill weekends or boat house training. They were, however at the front of the que when there were VIPs involved or Officers from Head quarters, yes, they were always available if there was a chance of some brown nosing with "managment". Doesn't matter what walk of life we are in there will always be a Karen!

Roy,
"Some of the Karens are blokes!" Over here we usually refer to them as "Kens".
Lew

Our hobby has become the realm of the elderly with very few younger people interested and most of those want ready to run speed machines.

LewZ
We count two active model yacht clubs in Antwerp. One is located in a park and counts about 20 members if which max 10 are active every sunday. We have a pond especially made for us in concrete- 1m deep. We count 250 members but divided in 3 divisions trains-lorries - boats
From march to october we have twice a month a regatta one for electric boats and one for steam driven. My main concern us to attract youngsters and that seem to be a worlwide problem except in Germany. If you do have ideas please sent them to me please
Regards
Herman

I believe here in the USA there are a few larger, well organized clubs, but the proportion to western European population they are much fewer.

It is strange for us here in Florida where the weather is virtually year round, it is decent for model boating. No ice! Our "club" is small (5-8 most meets). Clubs are few and far inbetween, maybe 80 miles apart at best. Florida is the third largest state in the USA with about 24 million people.

I appreciate all the advice but unfortunately I don't forsee much growth in membership considering the decline in hobby shops over the years using that as a measuring tool.

Lew

Hi all, as far as Karens go I was senior Tournament Director at a Bridge club and we had a most unpleasant woman on the committee. I even had to give her an official club warning as to her play and disregard for a new member, (never saw him again). To this day I do not know what she contributed to the club but a rather weak Chair-lady allowed her opinions. In the end I left the committee it was not worth the aggro.

I have dealt with members of committees I have been on who have taken too much upon themselves. Resolution in the manner that suited the occasion, sometimes a quiet word and sometimes a confrontation.

There are some who expect to have their views accepted without question, a red flag to me. Another Bridge club confrontation by an absolutely rude member, an Instructor at a Polytechnique. I saw him with the Chairman to rule on his complaint when that was done he literally turned his back on me to talk with the chairman.

The same man was suspected to be cheating at Bridge, and it was brought to my attention for solution. It took me a couple of days to work out, which I did by moving some tables around. I think he then knew why I had done it and left soon after.

Some of the Karens are blokes!
Roy

Hi Hermank I have been organizing our own club exhibition under the title "Models that Move" for about 2 decades. See us on You tube.
It needs lots of club members which represent most of our active members. We could not do it on our own and all the local clubs are invited, all for free I might add.

We too have the missing generation from 10 years old upwards, same old problem social media. We do advertise with the daughter of our chairman in charge, and she does that as her job so very professional.

I suggest at your next exhibition that you have a feedback sheet or do it on smart phones. What was good and what was bad. What they liked etc. We did this some years ago and the result was interesting.
It seems what we would consider a good model was regarded like seeing it in a museum and they did not relate to it as something they could do.

They all liked simple things they could participate in and also members working on a model and demonstrating and talking to visitors.
You have to be interactive. Nearly everything you make can be bought ready to run. Attracting new members has to include operators of purchased models, it is then when they are involved they see the possibilities.

We are expecting 2000 + visitors, mainly from the local area to entertain young ones with free train rides sailing model boats making chuck gliders and operating Meccano models. Lots of bright colours etc. We are rock bottom for entry at £8 for the day, so a family of 4 costs £20 and catering at low prices

We fill a local secondary school which has 5 classrooms, a large gym, the restaurant and main hall plus an annex equal to 2 classrooms and a very wide corridor also the quadrangle of the school and the playing field.

I think we are the only local club with the money to fund this as we have also to hire tables as well as using the ones in the school. I can give you some financial info on a P.M. if you want.

I look at the project as divided into delegated areas, I do not micro manage but try to put on an exhibition that I would like to have attended when I was 12 years old.

Virtually all the old and large commercial exhibitions have gone now, Model railway ones are still popular and if that is so in Belgium they might be happy to have you put on your own alternate hobby. When you look at the popularity of model railways you can see that everything is purchased, these days not much need for electrical knowledge needed.

Our experience is such that 99% of the students of the school we hire are unaware of our exhibition. The young generation coming up are amazingly ignorant of anything apart from their social media presence.

Hope this helps and well done with being willing to take on club work as only 10% of members ever contribute to running a club.
Roy

Lew Z
our club the"royal model yacht club antwerp" exists this year a 120 years. We belong to the 4 th oldest model yacht clubs in Europe. Our past president has been leading the club for 40 years.
But it is voluntary and no one wants to do it.I have taken over the presidency 2 years ago and try to put much more effort into it. We participate with our 3 divisions( trains electric and steamdriven) lorries, and boats( steam and electrical) at a model exhibition last year and we got so much intrest that we were asked to participate again in 2026. To celebrate our 120 th aniversary we organise an exhibition in a castle just outside Antwerp. My main concern is how to attract youngsters? we are not a TIK TOK generation but i always wonder are there no youngsters who are fed up with it and want to be creative with their hands. If people do have ideas about this PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Regarding this exhibition we are going to invite students who are learning for a woodworking, plumbing carrier. So i m curious what the reaction will be. I will keep you posted on this

Everyone seems happy. The down side is we don't have any organized activities like regattas, just meets twice a month. Lew