Who remains a member of the Ski Club of GB?

A snowHead

I've retained my membership of the Ski Club since the Club's forum was shut to non-members in February 2004, and intend to continue with it.

Have you, or have you resigned?

Have you joined the Club since February 2004?

Do you believe that Britain should have a national ski club? If so, what should it be doing?

What membership price and package would encourage you to join, if you haven't joined?

[That's enough questions - ed.]

A snowHead

Still a member.

I was not bothered about the forum particularly. I did not really use it.

I have no strong views on Britain and a national ski club. SCGB already exists and I value the services provided.

Two years for the price of one, if you join in resort, is a fantastic offer. If I was a real cheapskate, I would cancel and rejoin every two years.

The magazine and the discounts are fine - but what I really value is the repping service.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Forgot to say that I joined after the HQ moved to Wimbledon.

I would have used the bar in the place up in town had it been open.

Wimbledon is handy for me but the place is rarely open.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

We attempted to resign then forgot to cancel the DD, DD now cancelled so as of this August we will no longer be members.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I am a member as a single skier I use the reps in resort and feel I get value for money if they didn't offer that service I would not stay a member

You'll need to Register first of course.

I'm pretty much as Latchigo, except that I reguarly use the Club forum. I have also found the holidays good - great introduction to ski touring for a week this year. Didn't belong to the old forum, or this one, until the Club site went MO.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I'm still a member though I'm tempted to quit mainly due to another member and rep's attitude, which does not really say a lot for the club Sad

After all it is free

Still a member.

I greatly value the Repping service - this winter wouldn't have been so much fun without it - and the discounts we have got off holidays have more than repaid the cost of membership.

Four of my friends joined last autumn, principally for discounts, but two of them have used the Repping service as well and liked it.

I'm still a member. Not sure why. I think that Gerry and his friend (can't remember the name) have an appalling attitude.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

What is it the reps do? The only one I've ever seen seemed a bit of a prat, and put me off a bit.

Strangely for me, this is a serious question. Little Angel

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

marc gledhill, see here. I guess any one individual from a large group can be a prat - but usually I find the reps group is a great way to get together with other members, and have a really good time skiing. Especially as I normally go as a singleton or with just one friend, so I am not automatically otherwise part of a larger group. Actually, that may change next season, but I still value the reps.
D G Orf, it'd be a shame if just a couple of individuals put you off.

snow reports

Nick Zotov, thanks, I should have looked there before I asked really Embarassed

and I wouldn't judge any group by one individual.

So they're a resort guide/leader. I could see that would be handy if you were on your own.

I'm still a member too!!! Purely for the discounts, saved ourselves a fortune this year with both buying new skis with 10% EB discount voucher plus discounts of 2 hols. Don't use the repping service. Otherwise I'm afraid those two are enough to put anyone off continuing their membership, but I think they're succeeding in driving away any voices of dissent - just gone and had a look, boy are they rude!

You know it makes sense.

Hmm. Intriguing that the Club forum continues to be of interest here, whereas snowheads is not really discussed there - except to provide links to interesting threads.
If one's fair, there has been the odd offensive comment in this forum. It's even got close to flame wars a couple of times. All dealt with snowheads-style - a combination of some moderator intervention, but more the good sense and humour of members.
If anything, I've thought the club's site even more laid back than this one. But, true, there has been the odd offensive comment. The reaction has tended to be an occasional mild dig from other members, more often the simple ignoring of the offending comments. Very occasionally, the moderator has intervened, perhaps prompted by the feedback link shown on every
thread page. I've thought that sensible - at the end of the days words are only words.
However, I see there is a worry, and I shall put up a thread in the cub forum to see what others think. Best discussed there - as much as anything because all the members of the club forum do not post here. And it keeps our moderator in the loop.
[edit] Have started club thread here. [/edit]

OT Ooo 1000 posts snowHead

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I'm a member too, but the discounts I got in Whistler were available without SCGB membership (in the price I paid in the shop was less than I was quoted via the link on the SCGB website. The only decent discount I've had this year was my airport parking. We tried to meet up with the rep, but there was no-one there.

A snowHead

Congratulations on your Millenium Nick Zotov!

By my recollection, pre MO day, the SCGB and its forum were indeed discussed on its own forum.
These days, they tend to be discussed here.

I don't think there's anything strange about that. It was clear that the SKGB administration was uncomfortable with some of the discussion which took place and although not officially declared, it's not inconceiveable that this played a role in their decission to exclude most of their forum's users - indeed, many people seem to believe this to be the case. After such a stark discouragement, it's hardly surprising the discussions have taken place elsewhere since.

I would hope that there would be little need to discuss snowHeads on what remains of the SCGB forum since such discussion is welcome here. Then again - it was a bit cheeky of some snowPixie to start a discussion on the ownership of snowHeads while I was away for the week wasn't it - shall I shut down snowHeads as a response? Laughing

Or maybe I'll just sell u all to the cheesiest tour-op I can find for a six figure sum Twisted Evil

Yeah right! Might get a fiver for you if I'm lucky! NehNeh

£000005 there: a six figure sum!

Warning: on topic
I am not currently a member of the SCGB. While I was using their forum, I was strongly drawn towards taking membership. Not so much the closure itself but the style of the closure and the nature of the communication around it, rather put me off.

A snowHead

Hi U! Welcome back to your site Very Happy

I did wonder what you'd think bout eveybody's thoughts on flogging it off Laughing

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

u brain,
Welcome back, While the cats away the little mice will play eh! wink

Back on topic
I was a member before the forums got going and let the membership lapse becuase I could see no benefit.
I would like to be able to 'see' the current forum, If I could I might like it and join again (exactly what I did here) BUT of course I can't so I wont Smile

You need to Login to know who's really who.

As the aforementioned

snowPixie (that's me on the right)
I feel it would only be right to apologise to u brain for having the audacity to discuss the ownership of his spaceship while he was on the planet VT.
I find his statement "I am not currently a member of the SCGB" tantalising and intriguing. Brains are always welcome in any organisation.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Tantalising and intriguing eh?

I don't rule out membership. After all, it's a fairly large organisation as far as UK skiing is concerned and although not the dominant force it once was, it still has considerable clout around the UK ski industry. There are all sorts of technical reasons why one might need to become a member. Indeed many of their policies appear specifically engineered to this end.

However, as the thing stands, the character of the club as it appears to me, would put me off choosing to belong were there not some distinct practicality to address.

Does that help?... u naughty snowPixie!

You'll need to Register first of course.

I cancelled my direct debit the day after MO day. My membership expired at the end of December, and I doubt it will be renewed.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

May I suggest a different tactic?
David Goldsmith has suggested on the SCGB forum that the goodies available to entice new members is more than the price of membership. Why doesn't every snowHead join the club, get the goodies, and promptly cancel their direct debit. The next year they can rejoin and get all next year's goodies as well. Meantime you will have a year's access to the Members Only section of the SCGB website (and so the forum), all the discounts, the magazine, all for effectively nothing. Wodja think?

After all it is free

Hey u brain, don't I get congratulated for passing six millennia ??? And I thought I'd been promised promotion from 'freerider' at five!

I hasten to point out that Jonpim's suggested wheeze is his own, not endorsed by yours truly and not the point I was getting at when I referred to the new members' incentives!

It has to be said that there's 'no such thing as a free Salomon bag' (or lunch) and I imagine that their cost is covered from the general funds of the Club, not only the revenues derived from new members. If you're joining the Club you're extremely welcome, but please respect its members' interests and roots - it was founded by a group of venerable Edwardian gentlemen who had little time for gimmicks, but a lot of time for adventure and communication!

(They would therefore have loved the adventure of a public internet forum.)

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Nick Zotov, Laughing

they'll have to try harder than that I'm afraid. Hanging out with the likes of Geraldine and her pals in Wimbledon isn't quite the most alluring aspect of the club to me.

snow reports

This pig they're roasting down there - what's its name?

I joined for two years and enjoyed discounts off holidays, ski hire and a buy one get one free bag offer from EB.

I have now cancelled, I found I could get a 10% discount off ski hire purely by asking, and didn't book a holiday this year with a company that gave me any SCGB discount.

When I was pricing up avalanche gear I negotiated a much better deal than any of the SCGB deals. When I pointed this out to the SCGB their response was not helpful, IMHO.

regards,

greg

You know it makes sense.

Making a club relevant, making it vital, making it popular, is obviously the challenge.

Discount offers and free bags are obviously great carrots but they don't necessarily win people over forever. As U brain suggests, the 'character' and maybe 'connection' of the organisation is the key to building it and consolidating it. In essence, snowHeads is a case study in building a community - and its desires - from the grass roots. We have to see where it goes. Maybe the key is not being too prescriptive.

Obviously the Ski Club was built from nothing in 1903 and was very successful in its growth. Skiing was enjoyed by a relatively well-to-do sector of British society until the early 1960s, when flights and holidays became cheaper and more generally marketed. Until that time the social cohesiveness of the Ski Club had been easy to achieve, because one predominant social group had enjoyed skiing.

The common denominators in 21st century skiing are more elusive. But I think these discussion forums are about the only places the clues will be found.