CTC AGM Chester Saturday 25 April 2009

[Philip Benstead]

Dear All


Is anybody out there going to CTC AGM?

Are you interested in the way the CTC is going?

[Karen Sutton]

Hello Philip. I'm going. Look forward to seeing you there.

[manybikes]

Phil or Karen
Perhaps when there you could persue the so called full report on the membership enquiry? The magazine report suggests all is well but the forum definitely indicates otherwise.

[Karen Sutton]

Phil or Karen
Perhaps when there you could pursue the so called full report on the membership enquiry? The magazine report suggests all is well but the forum definitely indicates otherwise.

I know from our regional Councillor that the Membership Services review is ongoing, despite any reports in the magazine. I will be accompanying him as an observer at the next Council meeting on 4th April, however it is unclear from the agenda whether this will be discussed. I will endeavour to find out. If there is no feedback from the Council meeting I am sure it will be raised by one of us at the AGM.

[Jimmy The Hand]

Phil or Karen
Perhaps when there you could persue the so called full report on the membership enquiry? The magazine report suggests all is well but the forum definitely indicates otherwise.

Don't forget that the Forum is a very, very, very small part of the membership, and while a dozen or so, on here, have issues for the vast majority everything seems to work well.

That's not to say those issues are unimportant but it would make it appear that all was, and is, well with the club.

[thirdcrank]

I think I can see the flutter of ostrich tail feathers.

I'm sure it's correct to say that the forum membership only forms a small part of the CTC membership as a whole and probably also true to say that CTC members are only a small part of the forum membership, although that is only my guess.

I do think it's fair to say that most businesses - particularly those that survive - recognise that the people who go to the trouble to raise concerns represent the tip of a significant iceberg. For every customer who raises their concerns - and I do know there are some professional complainers - a lot more simply go elsewhere. The position of the CTC is, of course, different in that it has a virtual monopoly of its market and this may protect it a bit from normal market forces. (For example, in 2009 how many other national organisations do not offer membership renewal on-line? I benefit from several discounts from organisations who value the economies and reliability of internet transactions. This is a simple issue of business practice and nothing to do with BOFs who have spent too long sitting on a B17.)

The underlying message that anybody who speaks out of turn is just displaying disloyalty is both unfair and short-sighted. IMO.

[Jimmy The Hand]

The underlying message that anybody who speaks out of turn is just displaying disloyalty is both unfair and short-sighted. IMO.

Can you please show where I said, or hinted at, manybikes speaking out of turn or being disloyal?

Don't forget that the Forum is a very, very, very small part of the membership, and while a dozen or so, on here, have issues for the vast majority everything seems to work well.

That's not to say those issues are unimportant but it would make it appear that all was, and is, well with the club.

I will concede that there are to many 'very' in my original post 7000 forum member is around 10% of CTC membership and is a significant number, or it would be if a) all 7000 had membership problems and b) if, as you say, they were all CTC members.

This is a simple issue of business practice and nothing to do with BOFs who have spent too long sitting on a B17.)

Well there are 6 BOF's seats up for election this year shall we see you applying & working from within to remedy these issues or are you one of the

...and I do know there are some professional complainers -...

you mention?

[thirdcrank]

The line - if you could do better put up for election or shut up is really rather desperate. (As in, is the only acceptable means of expressing any sort of concern to seek election to the CTC Council?) Although I probably come across as a very grumpy old git on here, I'm very slow to complain where I have the option of moving on. In my experience, a majority of people are the same, which is the point I was trying to get across.

Perhaps the most useful info would be how many members fail to renew. I've no idea what the figure is. A low number would tend to indicate all was well. A high number might indicate problems. The fact that the membership continues to rise does not in itself show what the turnover of old v new members is.

[Karen Sutton]

There now seems to be two threads running on the membership services review. My latest response on the other thread is copied below:

I asked David Robinson (our National Councillor and Chair of Council) about this yesterday (29th March). He has confirmed that as required by Simon Legg's motion at the 2008 AGM, (seconded by Charlotte Barnes and subsequently passed), a full review has been carried out and there will be a report to the 2009 AGM. It is not listed on the agenda but David has confirmed that the report will be presented at the AGM.

The other thread can be seen here:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19678&start=45

[Simon L6]

All the evidence is that the membership system is still rubbish, and that if the final version of the Simmonds report ever sees the light of day I'll be astonished. The interest shown by those councillors tasked to investigate this is variable - some are quite concerned and others are content to let sleeping dogs lie.

Membership isn't 70,000 or anything like. If you look at the number paying the full subs it's under 30,000, and I would not be at all surprised to find that it is in decline.

[thirdcrank]

Simon L6

Before you start talking like that, I should expect you to stand for a seat as a member of the CTC Council.....er what's that? ..... You already have done?... Why are you talking like that then? ...... You take your responsibilities seriously? .........(whoops) ...Look out, there's water sloshing over the gunwales...You shouldn't be standing like that, sit down!.....

(With apologies to Bob Newhart.)

[Simon L6]

Simon L6

Before you start talking like that, I should expect you to stand for a seat as a member of the CTC Council.....er what's that? ..... You already have done?... Why are you talking like that then? ...... You take your responsibilities seriously? .........(whoops) ...Look out, there's water sloshing over the gunwales...You shouldn't be standing like that, sit down!.....

(With apologies to Bob Newhart.)

very good!

It's darn difficult to get members, but fantastically easy to lose them. When I found out that the person that introduced me to the CTC had, for the first time since 1984, not renewed because Arvato had made it so darn difficult my patience finally snapped.

There's rumours coming out of the camp that membership has slipped. I've no doubt that we'll be told that the credit crunch is to blame, but I don't recall being told that the credit boom was responsible for the rise in membership.

[thirdcrank]

It's darn difficult to get members, but fantastically easy to lose them.

It will not be appropriate for me to comment on CTC issues after 2359 hrs tonight.

[Simon L6]

It's darn difficult to get members, but fantastically easy to lose them.

It will not be appropriate for me to comment on CTC issues after 2359 hrs tonight.

that's bad news. I'm truly sorry.

[Jimmy The Hand]

Membership isn't 70,000 or anything like. If you look at the number paying the full subs it's under 30,000, and I would not be at all surprised to find that it is in decline.

Sorry Simon, but it doesn't matter whether you pay full subs, part subs or are a life member. There maybe only 30k paying full subs all that means is there are 29,804 individual members (P3 of the Annual Report says there were 59,804 individual members as at 30 Sept 08) who pay reduced membership fees but, they are all full members of CTC!