 Poster: A snowHead
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Those members who have felt unhappy with the Club will have their chance to feed back with the Questionnaire out with this month's Ski and Board.
It includes things like what more do you want from the internet site, the reps, insurance, events - and whether you would like to see the AGM on a weekday.
[Edit] Actually, reading the questionnaire, it looks like it is available for use by non-members, too. So if you want to let the Club know what you think of it, I guess the questionairre may be tucked in all copies of the Feb/March 2005 Ski and Board - if it's around in the shops. [/Edit]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Questionnairre now avaliable to all here, on downloadable pdf format. There you go. You really can make comments that will be read by the Club administration. You might win a pair of goggles as well.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Read it but won't fill it in. Bit too nosey for me. "What company do you work for?" and "Do you change credit cards to make use of the 0% finance?" Bit personal if you ask me 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And you won't even need a stamp - it's freepost. But it's 8 pages long so will take some time to complete properly.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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This is the last time I refer to it as the Ski Club of Great Britain, from now on it's The Ski Company of Great Britain! That PDF is a standard business tool. It's time both they and we admitted as much. It'll be interesting to see what type of accounts they file in Bloomsbury Street, it'll be worth the fee.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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maggi, I've already commented on the "What company do you work for " thing to the club. I couldn't see the need for it. Don't think they'll throw away your questionairre away if you leave that blank, though - or the credit card one if that bugs you.
Masque, bit tough if the Club is complained about for not seeking wide opinion on what skiers think about it, then knocked if it does? Members can already dwonload the 2004 accounts here- 1 Mb Pdf.
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Nick Zotov, Sorry Nick, I'm not knocking the 'club', I’m just struggling to find anything fundamental that its members can’t purchase at a similar or better rate elsewhere. So, does the club exist to benefit its members or does its membership exist to benefit the club? Most of the services the club offer contribute to club income as does leasing its name and intellectual assets to other commercial organisations. That’s on top of membership fees. That’s a sh*t load of money, how’s it used?
Before I download that accounts pdf can you assure me that non-members have free legal access to them. I’m more than aware that the club is sensitive to non-member participation and if it’s accounts show ‘interesting’ information, how will they feel about its public dissemination/discusion?
I just feel that the club's become, for whatever reason, just a business. It's about time that we all recognised this and accept or reject it on commercial grounds alone. All the faux camaraderie is just shiny pr BS and the ‘members’ may just be cash cows for that business to be inefficient.
With the commercial activities the club’s indulging in, why are the members still paying fees? Anyone heard of dividends or profit?
There’s nothing wrong with profit . . . it’s how and where it’s spent that’s important.
And as we all know, businesses are very good at shafting the smaller shareholders. It’ll be nice if this didn’t happen.
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Speaking as a member, but strictly in an unofficial and personal capacity in terms of - not - representing the Club, I have no problem in prospective members looking at the Club's accounts. Commenting on them in public is something we need to discuss, and it's the Club's right to withhold its accounts and discussion of its accounts.
The Club has, for some years, provided free memberships and voting rights to journalists - something that has never been explained but certainly begs questions. These journalists therefore enjoy the privilege of - for instance - receiving the accounts. I'm personally very unhappy about elitism granted to fellow scribblers. In common with a number of ski journalists I pay the membership fee and would prefer that anyone enjoying voting rights pays their dues, unless the Club has granted life membership for services of distinction etc.
The Club defines its mission as 'the spokesbody for British skiers'. With that self-defined status its affairs can arguably be in the public skiers' domain, though its 'answerability' to non-members is obviously a matter of discussion. The Club is not a conventional private members' organisation and I do share your concern, Masque, which is held by quite a number of skiers now. They might prefer to join a Club which is not overtly a private company.
The Club must, of course, operate exclusively in its members' interests and I'd support any means by which things are defined more tightly - with the Club's affairs transparent to its members. We are here to sustain an old Club, founded on clear and logical principles. Those principles, established by a bunch of highly intelligent Edwardian skiers, remain true and sustainable. They are also relevant to the modern age!
As I say, the views above are only personal.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Mon 10-01-05 15:54; edited 3 times in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Before I download that accounts pdf can you assure me that non-members have free legal access to them
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Masque, Non-Members cannot download the accounts, as Nick said.
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kuwait_ian, The club's accounts have to be filed with Companies House and are publicly accessible with a fee. When I've more time I may do that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There was a famous comedy movie star called Groucho Masque, sorry Groucho Marx, who famously said he wouldn't join any Club that would have him as a member.
What's your excuse, Masque?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Masque, quicker and easier - ask a member to download them then email them to you. Fee instead goes to snowHeads as a donation. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Of course, all this rather invalidates what I said above. As you all so rightly point out, the Club's accounts and details of directors are publicly filed. Thanks for putting me right!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Or as Ian posted! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I certainly wouldn't join any club that had Masque as a member.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I certainly wouldn't join any club that had Masque as a member. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I would have no problems joining a club that had Masque, as a member, on the other hand if some of you other rabble were members as well I might have to reconsider 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Didn't have to say it twice! And, as one of the greats said ... "I wouldn't join a club that'd have me as a member" 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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David Goldsmith, The accounts presented to the members may or may not contain more information than what is legally required to return to Companies House. With a large membership I am guessing the information supplied will be very similar.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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D G Orf, I'm a member, and I'm rabble. How does that affect your position?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Nick, I've no problem in agreeing the value of questionnaires - my father was one of the prime movers of market research between the 1950s and 1980s - but I think we're in a new era of communication and insight now, particularly in relation to this type of animal (the internet) which is essentially driven by insight and intuition.
What is more valuable - a questionnaire, or an organisation operating an open discussion forum in constant communication with its membership and non-membership?
Most answers to the future development of the SCGB lie within the 80,000 archived postings on snowHeads, and the preceding 60,000 archived postings on the open forum of the Club. People's needs, priorities, thinking and approaches to skiing are very clear and - as with most areas of human activity - the common denominators account for the vast majority. We all tend to approach skiing in very similar ways, really. It's just a question of getting a handle on those common denominators and devising policy accordingly.
Therefore the old chestnut needs to be nibbled - does our Club wish to be a populist organisation, as it was up to the 1960s?
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David Goldsmith, gosh. We could go round in circles on that 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nick Zotov, I thought we had 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Nick, couldn't agree more. Fresh stuff brings people back to the deli and increases the number of people going into the deli.
Ski Club membership targets of 4% and 5% were quoted at the AGM for 2003-4 and 2004-5 (not sure if that was 'respectively', or the other way round). Membership targets and results are the bottom line for any membership body, and the membership targets must be viewed in relation to the overall size of the ski population.
The National Union of Mineworkers has probably not set very high membership targets over the past 20 years, which would be fair enough.
If targets exist, and there's an understanding of how they can be achieved, then there's no risk of people going round in circles.
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David Goldsmith, if you are talking of circles and targets, there may be an answer
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You know it makes sense.
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Nick Zotov, if we're talking Ski Club shouldn't that be 'Skiing in circles and shooting at foot' ?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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johnnyrotten, ah, you must be a software man
PS I like the Ada comment best, but have sympathy with the Visual Basic one.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks, Nick, Mrs H insisted that I explained what I was laughing at and then gave me a pitying look when I explained.
(I liked the 4th assembler one and the first forth one)
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FAQ
