Joining a fishing organization- why wouldnt you join??????

[End of the Line]

I was at the Western Lake Superior Trolling Assc.(WLSTA) meeting last night and a couple of interesting topics came up that we really couldn't come up with a good answer for so I thought I ask here for some comments. Please try keep this on topic. I realize not everyone that visits here is a Lake Superior fisherman, but I think most clubs/organizations are kinda run similarly so this may get a little more broad that just our organization.

Question 1: Why wouldn't you join a club especially if you use the resource (fish, lake, landing, deer, pheasant, ducks etc...) or like the idea of what the club is about?

Question 2: Why if you join and pay a membership fee for the year wouldn't you attend meetings and get involved.

The reason I ask the second question is that we have several members in the club/organization that have never attended one meeting or event that we've sponsored or run. If you are part of any clubs and you post here can you just say if you go to events and meetings and if so, why you attend? Thanks

[Esox_Magnum]

It's that way all over, our club has 120ish members but only about 10-12 ever come to meetings and get involved. Many others in the area arent members and show no interest in joining.

[reinhard1]

if you join a club and its local there is no reason why not to attend, at least most of the time as things do come up and you cant attend. but if y ou are interested in the cause and live at a distance one should at least give monetary support if not being able to attend. otherwise why join in the first place. good luck.

[Steve Foss]

Money = support. Personal involvement = time sacrifice.

I contribute to three hunting/fishing organizations ever year, and even though all three have some form of Ely/Iron Range gathering, I've never gone. Mostly I feel like I'm too busy to step in and donate personal time, so I donate with my checkbook.

[merkman]

Question 1: Why wouldn't you join a club especially if you use the resource (fish, lake, landing, deer, pheasant, ducks etc...) or like the idea of what the club is about?

[Northlander]

Because many are just as happy to let others do the work and not have to have any investment of time/energy.

In some cases politics both in past and now are a factor still.

Some dont like the direction a organization is going and feel like they cant change it.

There are tons of reasons but almost all outdoors clubs/organizations are this way.

[Surface Tension]

I support a PF chapter in the area I hunt pheasants in but because of distance don't get to meetings or projects.

I know that that money goes toward improving habitat and purchasing land period, there is no political hoppala going on other then that.

I deer hunt but am not a member of MDHA. I'm not crazy about a group that acts as a voice for all deer hunters and my take on deer management is not the same as theirs. Really I'm totally against any group that pushes what hunting should be for all. Quality deer management, or dictating what buck or doe one should shoot. If they were all about habitat and purchasing lands and left out the other baloney then I'd reconsider. Deer management should be left to the MN DNR and I'm tired of MDHA putting pressure on them.

You asked.

WLSTA, has a stigma of good lo boys club, that perception could be totally wrong. I've never been to a meeting but that is what has been said to me over and over by folks that have. WLSTA once had a web site that was a ghost town. It wasn't that no one visited, its that there was no info given out when someone asked and again reinforced that perception of a cliche between members. Lets face it, some Charter Captains have strong "personalities". Then there is the secrecy and down right distaste for the some newb on the water that gets in their way. In a nutshell not the most welcoming environment to recruit members into.

WLSTAs lack of getting their mission statement out is another reason for folks not joining.

Time is an issue in getting involved with meeting and projects. Its easier to give money of support and we do it all the time. There a a whole lot of clubs unique to ones activities they could join, but don't.

Personally right now, after community involvement there is no more time to commit to anything else.

[Northlander]

Luckily I can say the WLSTA has gotten way better in the last year or so. Some old blood is out and new has entered along with new ideas.

The jaws derby still could use some work and meetings could be advertised better by e-mail etc.

Over all it seems to be going in a much better direction though.

My only problem with making meetings, even though Im a member, is my work schedule. Im sure this happens with many folks.

[Greg Hyovalti]

I sent in a membership fee for the WLSTA but due to living in the cities it was hard for me to make it to any meetings. I was a member back when the DNR was increasing commercial netting along the north shore. I called someone on the committee (forgot his name) and ask what the organization was going to do to help limit commercial netting. His answer was he had friends that were commercial fisherman and that his hands were tied and wasn't going to do anything. That is all I needed to hear to loose me as a member.

[ItsaCrappieLife]

Great idea but I would visit the club before you join. My dad was a longtime member of the Swan Lake Conservation club. When I was about 18 he bought two tickets to a duck feed. He couldn't make it so I called up a friend and the two of us drove 45 minutes to the duck feed. Instead of welcoming us as possible future members they instead sent us home since neither of us had membersip cards. We both had tickets but I guess that wasn't good enough. Still leaves a bad taste and it happened many years ago.

[Down Deep]

You asked why I would not join an organization the promoted and participated in an outdoor activity I had an interest.

Q #1: I hate fund raising. I find nothing is more distasteful than walking up to my friends, co-coworks and casual acquaintances and ask then for a donation or worse yet buy a raffle ticket or an expensive ticket to a chicken dinner. I also spread my time out over a variety of interests from fishing to team sports to politics to action outdoor sports like snowmobiling to skiing, etc, and therefore don't find the need to belong to an organization specialized in one pursuit such as the LSTA.

Q #2. I'm one of people you refer to in this question. I do belong to several organizations and pay dues, but rarely attend meetings. Most of the reason I belong is that I want to support the organization's goals and receive their newsletters and magazines. I also make direct donations to support their causes if I believe in it. On occasion I will attend a meeting or banquet if the topic or program appeals to me.

One of the reasons I like to read and participate on FM is that it has such a broad and diverse subject matter and I can do it on my own terms.

[End of the Line]

I completely understand the last three posts. I too was a member of the WLSTA along time ago and got out because of one member. He is no longer there so I joined back up. Several other members & I think that this has given our group a chance to really gain some momentum now and maybe make up for some past possible wrongs and lost opportunities.

The distance is hard to overcome, as well. I am hoping that one day in the near distant future we will be able to have a live video or something of that sort open for members to view when its not feasible to make it.

Just so you know at our meetings we haven't kicked anyone out of a meeting yet for not being a member. But there's always a first time! I understand you have to test the water before you jump in.

Thanks for all the posts so far; great perspectives.

[Northlander]

If you fish Lake Superior I recomend you try a WLSTA meeting. We need help with ideas from young and old. Grab a friend or 2 and have a beer and burger and just listen or get as involved as you like. If its not for you then so be it.

Oh and we also have started a new walleye fishermans club. Last summer was our 1st catch photo release walleye contest ever on the St. Louis River and it went real good.

E-mail me if interested in more about that I dont want to hyjack this thread more than I have already.