Pastures new

webberg · Post by **webberg** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:42 pm

I see that we have lost another team mate today, although I'm not too sure who at the moment.

This comes after John Sisley left to join a local club.

I think that we as a team like to think that we are catholic in taste and will try to accommodate all types of rowers from 100m to 10 million and sub 6 sprinters to people who have no interest in the race world.

It's always a little sad therefore to lose somebody and although I'm sure that everybody wishes them well in their new team or in their independent efforts, it would be a great learning experience to know why in some cases the decision was made.

This doesn't have to be public and can be done via a PM on this website or a private e-mail.

If therefore anybody would like to share their views on why they have decided to leave, it would be useful.

If not, then good luck and best wishes to you anyway.

ptruz · Post by **ptruz** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:02 pm

Gary McCollim.....does anyone know him?

He has not sign up for another club yet?

Post by **Thomas W-P** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:59 pm

I have been meaning to start a thread on this too.

We stand for "doing what you want" and if people want to leave then that is fine by me.

But how do we support people who are wobbling, and how do we know? There are a lot of people in the team who post metres but are not present on the forum. Now, that is fine, but if they are feeling "out of it" for some reason how do we know?

I am loath to ping off random emails saying "are you OK?". This was one of the reasons we started the newsletter since it (hopefully) captures people not using the forum regularly (or at all if they have signed up).

So, how do we support our "quiet" team mates. And do they want our support?

Jessica-Red · Post by **Jessica-Red** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:56 pm

If I was wobbling Id love to receive a nice email of support from my team to prop me up!

maybe a qauterly personal email to check all is well with everyone?

Jessica-Red · Post by **Jessica-Red** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:57 pm

that should of course read quarterly!! LOL

ptruz · Post by **ptruz** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:27 am

You know.....we are only going to grow so fast.....and get so big....We are a club....not a business. I am sure all of us can think of ways to pick things up.....but they all take time.

That being said.....I have suggested rolling team captains......by region.....or total maters.....maybe a dozen or so.....and they should change frequently.

That way things may be spotted.....but people may not want things to get spotted......

I personally have started at least a dozen serious exercise programs over the past 25 years......all failed. Half of tghe days I row are because of this Team and having to face the meterboard (see I don't see her as sexy....I see her as a NAG!) and get crap from Boris.....or McOnie.......It is the club that has motivated me to keep with my program.

But......some people may not want to be "checked up on." Althouvgh all good intentions will be at work.......some people don't want to be bothered......we may have learned a leason about this these past coupld of days with our two good members (or is it 3) leaving us.

We......at least the contributers and reviewers of this forum love FS.....and we should do what we can to help the club grow and get more people to feel the truly authentic FS effect.......and row better and more........but anything we do will be at the expense of something else.....that's for sure.

One thing is for certain.....I must have sold 6 C2's in the past 6 months.......I love rowing and it's because of FS.

webberg · Post by **webberg** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:50 am

Peter has made some very valid points here in that membership fo the club will help some people stick to the exercise regime.

Others will not need this motivation and might join because of the chance to share thoughts with people fo similar interests.

Some people may not actually want to share their own thoughts but get something out of seeing others express a view.

All of these are valid reasons for joining and staying and in some cases, leaving.

We do need to engage with all the team and encourage an active and lively forum. We have 265 members but only 135 registered. Take out family groups and some registered people who are not members, as I reckon we have close on 100 team mates who are not on the memberlist.

I am against compulsion and would not want to see people forced to register in order to be in the team.

I would however propose that we expand on Peter's idea of having regional captains. I propose that those of us who are active and don't mind being humiliated on the forum, "adopt" a group of unregistered members and engage with them outside the forum.

This engagement, via e-mail or whatever suits, shoudl just be a way of providing a tangible means of keeping in touch with the team on a more personal basis than the newsletter and team challenges.

I'm sure that this is already happening in many cases and certainly I have contact with team mates who hardly, if ever, post. I'm convinced that I'm not alone in this.

If there is any merit in this idea, then we need to decide on who will contact whom.

webberg · Post by **webberg** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:49 am

OK, less talk - more action.

We have lost another team mate over night UK. I will find out who and contact them.

I am hereby appointing myself the team shepherd (where's that sheep/crook emoticon?)

No jokes about bankers and crooks please - Mr Gooner note especially.

webberg · Post by **webberg** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:08 am

I have been following the various debates on the forum over member retention and I have made contact with our departed colleagues. As and when there is much to report I shall do so and hopefully spark a healthy debate on how we keep people interested.

Tom Barrick · Post by **Tom Barrick** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:21 am

webberg wrote:I have been following the various debates on the forum over member retention and I have made contact with our departed colleagues. As and when there is much to report I shall do so and hopefully spark a healthy debate on how we keep people interested.

Thank you, Graham. And I can also do the same for certain members if you'd like. Always up for a few personal e-mails.