19 replies to this topic

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

I've been very active over the last year with my local club; I was appointed with a position as operations chair; finding cool/educational activities and a couple public events, night out at a AAA baseball game, spiking bottles of Bud with hops for a flavor panel, a off flavor tasting at a local brewery and hooked up with a local distillery for a bunch of 10 gallon bourbon barrels for those who wanted them (totally snagged one). 

 

humbled by the fact that the club wants me to lead them for 2019, and a little intimidating because a lot of the member's our ad least 15 years my senior.    

 

going to try to get the club to head to NHC this year in RI. Has anyone else been a President of a brew club? any thoughts, advice, or ideas? 

 

 

[Big Nake]

Congrats.  I have never been in a "club" although I know a lot of local brewers and hang with them occasionally.  We had a local online forum and we called ourselves "a club" but we never really assembled as a club... we would just meet at a local brewpub and drink.    I hope it goes smoothly for you and don't be intimidated... show 'em why you're president.  

 

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

Congrats.  I have never been in a "club" although I know a lot of local brewers and hang with them occasionally.  We had a local online forum and we called ourselves "a club" but we never really assembled as a club... we would just meet at a local brewpub and drink.    I hope it goes smoothly for you and don't be intimidated... show 'em why you're president.  

 

Thanks, man!  We have a huge FB page, but more hang out online then IRL.  A couple years back, the club was on the skids on collapsing; this will be the club's 31st year of existence. before attending meetings, some brewer's I've talked to described some of the meetings as a "drunken free for all". over the past couple years, we've added more discipline to the meetings; styles of the month, inner club competitions; just to give folks more of a reason to show up to a meeting and get a buzz on. attendance as been on the upswing for the last year, so that's a plus.   

[realbeerguy]

Lead by example, don't try to do it all by yourself.  Delegate and get people involved.  Sometimes you need to Voluntold people.  Otherwise most will sit on their hands and wait for someone else to volunteer.  Keep up the tech talks and group activities.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Good luck! I was president of mine for 2 years. Tough to get people to volunteer for stuff sometimes. Don't get burnt out and remember it's supposed to be fun!

[Dave McG]

Congrats. I have never been in a "club" although I know a lot of local brewers and hang with them occasionally. We had a local online forum and we called ourselves "a club" but we never really assembled as a club... we would just meet at a local brewpub and drink. I hope it goes smoothly for you and don't be intimidated... show 'em why you're president.

I don't brew often enough to enter comps anymore, but I have always used MABCAB as my club on entry forms. I need to see how Dime & Jayflap are doing these days.

[jayb151]

I don't brew often enough to enter comps anymore, but I have always used MABCAB as my club on entry forms. I need to see how Dime & Jayflap are doing these days.

Yea, That board is super dead nowadays.

[Area Man]

Congrats! I have been the VP for our club for a couple years now. I've turned down the opportunity to be president, just because I don't feel I have the requisite time and energy to dedicate to it. We're losing some key members soon, and membership is waning. 

 

 Looks like out current prez will likely have to leave in August, so odds are I will have to take over for a least a few months. I'll give it my best, but it's younger guys with flexible schedules to tend to do well. I like being involved and we have a great bunch of folks, but I really just want to brew and have fun.

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

Just had the first meeting of the year; had 16 show up in my tiny house. we shared some beers, had some pulled pork. went over the plans for the year; doing a hop flavor panel next month; going to do a cream ale for the following month: doing to do two batches- once with treated water, the other with just carbon filtered water, a present for a tasting, and a inner club comp for April. 

 

for the big brew day in may, going to hook up with a local brewery for a wort share. later in the year consists of a tour of a malt company in state, a hang out at a college football game, and a day to head out to the local, and very authentic Oktoberfest, also a off flavor panel.  

 

People seemed to be pumped up about the agenda. find it rewarding that people are stoked about what i laid out; now, just got to deliver.

 

Have a good group of support in the club to see this come to fruition. feeling good for 2019.  

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

thought I'd give an update, a year later- got elected to a 2nd term- apparently, the club likes what i do. For 2019, we had 3 inner-club completions, a baseball parking lot tailgating event (because no one wanted to spring out for a AAA baseball game tickets-but it was fun to hang out and share beer), a hop tasting panel, 8 of us made it out to HomebrewCon in RI,  for fundraisers, ordered long sleeve shirts and hoodies, and picked up a 50# bucket of PBW for pennies on the the dollar from the LHBS ( $5/lb is a rate that can't be beat!), and a local meetup of 7 area homebrew clubs, to start a regional alliance with fellow homebrewers. 

 

as far as 2020, another flavor tasting panel (not 'off-flavor's', but 'on-flavors'- a tasting for examples of intended flavors, mostly centered on barrel and sour beer notes. also, with the regional clubs, start a barrel program with a 55g barrel, between a handful of clubs, Lambic style beer in a wine barrel.  

[zymot]

What a coincidence, immediately before wandering into this thread, I was checking out what homebrew clubs were in my area.

I was a member of a homebrew club before, on the east coast. A good president really makes a difference. Looks like you are one of the good ones.

Congratulations on getting re-elected.

[denny]

Congratulations and condolences!

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

What a coincidence, immediately before wandering into this thread, I was checking out what homebrew clubs were in my area.

I was a member of a homebrew club before, on the east coast. A good president really makes a difference. Looks like you are one of the good ones.

Congratulations on getting re-elected.

Thanks, man. Alot of the clubs around here (mainly Philly Area and NJ) are organized as all get out- 501©7 tax status, have big public events including big brew/learn to brew day- that's a essentially a block party. Guess it helps they have a lot of retired accounts in their mix. We are low key by comparison.

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

Congratulations and condolences!

Thanks for the condolences, Denny. It gets hectic for time to time organizing and planning things, running meetings, etc. Will say that this position helps me keep things fresh with brewing knowledge;from other brewers, podcasts and print, help troubleshoot problems, explore new methods,etc. My public speaking skills has improved as well. So, bonus.

Edited by LeftyMPfrmDE, 09 December 2019 - 01:07 AM.

[Genesee Ted]

I was president of my club for a year. Our bylaws only allow for a single year term in a row. They wanted me to stay but rules are rules. It was a lot of work tho so I was happy not to push for a rules change. We had 130 or so members at the time so it was a pretty big organization and undertaking. I guess I don’t really have any advice on how to do well at it other than having a good board and staying organized, motivated, and creative. It’s an important role in any club so kudos for stepping up and doing great things for your club!

[Stout_fan]

So one year after election, is membership up or down?

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

So one year after election, is membership up or down?

membership is up, but what i have noticed is more turn out and club involvement. think that is a positive sign.  

Edited by LeftyMPfrmDE, 20 December 2019 - 01:57 PM.

[djinkc]

I was elected as the first president of the local club here in '83.  Didn't show up for another meeting for about 20 years.  That worked out well.

[Stout_fan]

membership is up, but what i have noticed is more turn out and club involvement. think that is a positive sign.  

Yup, they like you.. They REALLY like you.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Gotta keep things fresh. I had a big spike in membership when I was president and by the end of 2 or 2.5 years, whatever it was, I was burned out and so was the club on my ideas. Top that with some really annoying people and I pretty much gave up.