Poll: Member of a Fish Club?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

Are you a member of a fish club?

  • Yes - I'm a dues-paying member of one or more clubs

    Votes: 21 20.6%

  • No - I'm not a member of a fish club

    Votes: 81 79.4%
  • Total voters
    102
Gaining participation of younger folks has been a challenge for a lot of fish clubs.

I've found that it's a virtuous cycle: having a few younger people at meetings...brings more younger folks...and before you know it :headbang2

Is your experience limited to MAKC or do you have other experiences?

What would you recommend to MAKC or other clubs to bring in (and retain) younger folks?

Thanks,
Matt

mshill90;4687625; said:
MAKC- Mid Atlantic Koi Club

To be honest with you, it was a waste of money. I am 20 years old, my fiance is 28.

Apparently Koi clubs are for older people who don't know what "upgrade" means.

The youngest person, other than us, is I would say 50.. and that's probably shooting too low for age. It's depressing trying to tell someone they don't have enough of filtration for their pond, and because they've had that since 89' they still think it's adequate, although their koi are now a foot and a half long!

I will NEVER join another club unless I know it's not old people!
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I couldn't find one close by. 20 miles west of Daytona beach in Deland FL. Tried looking for a freshwater meeting and didn't see much for saltwater either. Seemed weird being that there are tons of fish shops around and so many used tanks on CL.
 
dogofwar;4689091; said:
Gaining participation of younger folks has been a challenge for a lot of fish clubs.

I've found that it's a virtuous cycle: having a few younger people at meetings...brings more younger folks...and before you know it :headbang2

Is your experience limited to MAKC or do you have other experiences?

What would you recommend to MAKC or other clubs to bring in (and retain) younger folks?

Thanks,
Matt
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I think actually holding a meeting where you talk about fish would be great for starters. The meeting I went to (3 hours away) was 3 hours long.. We did not once talk about Koi in any way shape of form.

People ate food, we had some "guest" speaker come in and talk about his stuff for cleaning ponds 'Strata International'- And the president announced that the 2010 Annual Koi show was canceled because they didn't have enough vendors to pay for the place they normally rent.

Everyone was upset, and I had actually contacted the PEt Place in Lancater PA here about hosting it there, and the club president didn't want to hear it. It was simply "No, it's canceled period."

People were rude, didn't take suggestions, and seriously, talk about boring.

I want to start a Club called CPKC (Central Pennsylvania Koi Club)- where we actually go look at ponds, fish farms, talk about the hobby... etc... have it be fun and interactive, not tea time and g-mas'.
 
I said no. I probably wont be rejoining my local club when my membership expires in a few weeks; however, I do recommend everyone try it. I've stayed away from a national club because of their stance (unofficial) on Hybryds. I only have one hybryd and in general I'm not that crazy about hybryds; but I see their attitude towards them like a community association telling me what color I can paint my house...not unless you are paying the mortgage! :D

buddha1200;4649837; said:
I agree to a point,most fish club members act like if they were in the club before you they are a better fish keeper and you are beneath them.Would like to join a club but i hate people that act like that and from past club visits(many different ones)most club members act that way(alot of members on here that have been here for a while act the same way,like if you ask a question their response is use the search function,or if you post a certain fish they have to trash your source or where they were collected)i for one just like keeping the fish i like to keep and i keep them very well so i dont need to be asked questions are belittled by people who feel they are the gods of fish keeping(we all started as newbies and we should remember that when responding to others) i think alot of members of clubs forget that,they didnt always start at the level of fish keeping they are at now.
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you'll get that where ever you go no matter what you are doing. Just be friends with the ones that aren't asses and ignore the ones that are.
AllFishAdrian;4650745; said:
I joined because I wanted to meet others who had the same obsession as me (also the reason i joined mfk). Its like a support group, but instead of breaking the habit they just enable it. I stay because of the people ive met, the speakers at the club, and knowing im not the only crazy fish keeper out there and there are far worse than me.
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I joined a local club for the same reasons, made some good friends and aquired some fish that I never would have been able to get without having them shipped in.

Moloch;4649709; said:
I don't have the tank space/accommodations to take advantage of the auctions, and I don't see much point past that. While I do enjoy talking about fish & my setup & whatnot....I can't imagine driving out to some club meeting just to do that. There's plenty of knowledge here & elsewhere on the web to be had, so I don't see much of a need there. And beyond that...what would be the point? I guess the networking would be nice for when you have some sort of crisis or are looking for something in particular; I'm ok without that.

Closest thing I have is a forum dedicated to my area.
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One of the best things for me is the speakers, plus having local people you can swap with and that understand you passion, show up with spare equipment when you have a disaster. It's like an MFK in person.
 
There is not one any where close enough to drive to. If we had one I am sure I would check it out.
 
No, funny as it sounds.. I spend 5 days a week with my arm in a tank at work, talking fish. I have 5 tanks of my own at home. knowledge is readily available here. the only reason I really would is for auctions ect, and to network. It's not that I wouldn't want too, but i get my "fish fix" that I need. I have considered joining a local one here with my father and my husband which Ones a novice.. and ones been out of the hobby for about 15-20yrs. It's always good to meet new people and learn new things. But i'm at a point in the hobby personally, I don't want to talk about breeding discus, or Angels, or Cichlids in general. Or Guppies, or Tetras.. ect ect.. I do that at my job almost daily. And "exotic FW" is few and far to run into. MFK fills that for me.
 
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