Interesting chat on ukCaving Forum: Decline in Caver Numbers

[graveleye]

Seems to me that grottos and the NSS should get together and form partnerships with outfitters like REI and other sporting good retailers. Both organizations would benefit from a "semi-corporate" partnership. I know this is being done locally in some areas. Perhaps this is something that could be explored on a larger scale.

Something to think about....

[paoconnell]

It's hard to say what the best way to get new members that will actually get the bug and go caving. I first went caving with an Explorer post, on a trip led by Tom Rea (yes, that Tom Rea). Shortly thereafter I joined the local grotto, but then went off to a college that had an active outing club that did caving. I helped map my first cave while in that club. I would up in the Army, but fortunately was located near Baltimore. The Baltimore Grotto was active, and I learned some more, joined the NSS, and went to my first Convention.

There are several times up there where I got involved in caving clubs. Each time I was in a group that was enthusiastic and involved in both sport caving and project caving. That enthusiasm rubbed of on me.

Oh yes--my daughter Katy (who some of you may know) got involved in caving at the age of 6, helped start JSS at 10, dropped out of caving in her late teens, but at 23 wants to go caving again, and has two non-caver girlfriends that are interested too.

[fuzzy-hair-man]

As someone who is in a university caving club and helping to run it, most of our new first time cavers will only come on one trip with us, after about a year we will be lucky to maintain 1 out of ten. The club advertises it's presence within the university and specifically organizes beginner trips and training to less sensitive caves.

But to most people caving is a pretty weird / extreme activity and they really join to just give it a try, which is all we can really ask anyway. Our club is set up predominantly to give students the opportunity to try caving out without having to buy a whole heap of gear or pay huge membership fees ($10 is our membership fees for new cavers). We usually have free beginners trips and after that we charge trips fees to cover wear on ropes, helmets, lights, etc. Beginners only need to bring batteries.

University clubs here in Canberra anyway are extremely important for getting new young cavers and act as a feeder for the caving clubs with older, less sport-caving oriented members.

A contentious issue with the ASF (Australian Spelio Foundation) was that university clubs could have lower membership fees. This is recognition that the university clubs did a large part of the recruiting for other caving clubs and the fact that we had a large amount of one off members of which it was unreasonable to ask full ASF membership fees because they were with the club for a single trip.

Another point is that with student members passing though the club every 3 years or so those members we do maintain will be moving on soon anyway. So the club heavily relies on old members still in Canberra to provide the experience necessary to run and organize the club and / or trips. It is probably useful for clubs / grottoes in the same area as university clubs to try and ensure that the university clubs get this stable expertise so that they can survive. Just imagine what would happen if every 3 years your grotto's leadership and most experienced members moved away, it decimates the clubs experienced members, who are few enough anyway.

So if your grotto is in the same area as a university club consider making some links with them and help form the experience base within the club.

end of my rant

[bsignorelli]

Here's another question for Grottoes. How many have tried an actual recruiting campaign,besides just word of mouth? What methods did you use,and what were the results? Did your new recruits turn out to be good choices,or vandals in disguise?

LRG started putting our name in the local papers club listing....they advertise on Monday that we have our meeting on that Thursday.

We've had a few new people come to meetings but none that I recall saying they came because of the ad.

I might need to advertise in the english department of the local college so's I can get some new members who will actually write a trip report for once! :)