paramatta supporters group

[JessEel]

or given the board room changes and that we now have a board who have stated on many times how important the humble fan is, it could be a good time to strike ;-)

whats wrong with having something set in motion before taking it to the new board?
Im sure they have bigger things to worry about at the moment!

 

[The Colonel]

or given the board room changes and that we now have a board who have stated on many times how important the humble fan is, it could be a good time to strike ;-)

Yes. The difference is though if you came to the club with something already organised or part way organised it would be an easier base to work from and progress with. Rocking up with this is the plan, we've organised none of it but what can you do for us, given where they currently stand would place it on the bottom of the to do list.....

The people who are likely to be involved are all likely to expect different things and to iron some of that out before coming official may be a better long term move.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

I guess I'm saying it's a bit like the election.

People pissed and moaned and were told to change things to join up and then go and vote.

Surely the best way to change the supporters club and they way they think, to modernise them if you like, is likewise, join and start going to meetings with ideas etc and the more people that do it, the more likely of change?

Or you could (not you personally, generic you!) piss and moan about it on the forum and try and do something in isolation?

We tried to get that going at the Start of the year, but the person who went the first time was quite concerned at the numbers that would needed influence the voting of the supporters club, it was to be about 40 from the reports.

We do have a face book group for it already though.

 

[Suitman]

Just with one little thread on this bulletin board, I feel some renewed interest and momentum.
What gives me more hope this time is that we have a new board controlling the club.
I feel, that finally, some support might be forthcoming on an idea like this, if the right people, both fans and board, are prepared to get behind it.

Suity

 

[fish eel]

Our Official Club is nothing more than a Golden Oldies knit & snore daytrip group.

They have structure in terms of official presidents etc.. but in terms of what they offer.. NADA.. the odd bus trip, complete with annoying, loud, whinging senior citizens topped off with jam & scones at Goulburn or the Cafe visit at the Truck Stop at Somersby..

The problem is, for so many years these people have maintained the mantle of "official" yet the Club has done nothing to encourage new members or new ideas nor have they promoted their association with the Group other than allowing them a link to their bus trips and on the flip side, the Group has done jack squat to promote themselves as an attractive group to be associated with.

It was mentioned earlier that we should be working with what we already have... but that isn't going to work.. The Club as with many of it's "idea's" continuously live in the past or use old ideas.. we need NEW not rehashed..

:roll:

Which is all why I was suggesting people actually front up to the supporters club and change it by participating in it.

Having more 'young' people turn up to the supporters club, stand for positions etc can't be a bad thing, can it?

 

[MarkInTheStands]

Yes. The difference is though if you came to the club with something already organised or part way organised it would be an easier base to work from and progress with. Rocking up with this is the plan, we've organised none of it but what can you do for us, given where they currently stand would place it on the bottom of the to do list.....

The people who are likely to be involved are all likely to expect different things and to iron some of that out before coming official may be a better long term move.

Gee all this stuff that I said 6 months ago after the football club election. . . . I have an excuse for not following through.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

Just with one little thread on this bulletin board, I feel some renewed interest and momentum.
What gives me more hope this time is that we have a new board controlling the club.
I feel, that finally, some support might be forthcoming on an idea like this, if the right people, both fans and board, are prepared to get behind it.

Suity

Sure we are still 6 months behind were we could have been, but at least some have hope now.

 

[The Colonel]

:roll:

Which is all why I was suggesting people actually front up to the supporters club and change it by participating in it.

Having more 'young' people turn up to the supporters club, stand for positions etc can't be a bad thing, can it?

The thing is can we get the forty or more interested people that MITS has suggested that the group would need to make changes within the supporters club involved to start off with?

 

[JessEel]

Gee all this stuff that I said 6 months ago after the football club election. . . . I have an excuse for not following through.

MITS - we all have our excuses. Don't be like that

 

[fish eel]

whats wrong with having something set in motion before taking it to the new board?
Im sure they have bigger things to worry about at the moment!

Nothings wrong with it Jess, I'm just saying there might be an opportunity to do something with the club given the new board and the 'official' supporters group - I suspect though that people would rather do their own thing and rather not be associated with what they see as a defacto knitting club, which is fine.

 

[fish eel]

The thing is can we get the forty or more interested people that MITS has suggested that the group would need to make changes within the supporters club involved to start off with?

I wouldnt know, and I wouldnt know why you would need 40.

I just know the the supporters group, which, lets be honest, is very much maligned on here because of the age of the people, won't ever change if it is put in the too hard basket.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

The thing is can we get the forty or more interested people that MITS has suggested that the group would need to make changes within the supporters club involved to start off with?

Why not do both in parallel? Get people together, to get the plans together to start getting people together at away games, to demonstrate their ability to do so as well as their plans for becoming part of and trying to help stear the official supporters club.

The problem is, Suity, Dimmy, Hollywood and I tried to do this in 2001 and then 2002, Smillee and I tried to do this back in 1999 with regular Wednesday night meet-ups at the Royal Oak. So I don't seem to have the ability to make it glue.

 

[fish eel]

Why not do both in parallel? Get people together, to get the plans together to start getting people together at away games, to demonstrate their ability to do so as well as their plans for becoming part of and trying to help stear the official supporters club.

The problem is, Suity, Dimmy, Hollywood and I tried to do this in 2001 and then 2002, Smillee and I tried to do this back in 1999 with regular Wednesday night meet-ups at the Royal Oak. So I don't seem to have the ability to make it glue.

there's a common factor in those failed ventures Mark ;-) :lol:

 

[MarkInTheStands]

there's a common factor in those failed ventures Mark ;-) :lol:

Thats what I said, I apparently done have the ability to make it glue.

Also on the Number, 40 would be to out number the supporters club incumbents members are a clear majority, it may indeed involve less. There are 220 people that are members of the face book group, surely we could rally some support.

 

[bartman]

I wouldnt know, and I wouldnt know why you would need 40.

I just know the the supporters group, which, lets be honest, is very much maligned on here because of the age of the people, won't ever change if it is put in the too hard basket.

I attended the February meeting, as I was genuinely interested in seeing what this sometimes maligned group get up to in person.

They are a nice enough group of people - all committed Parra fans, and all genuinely interested in forming friendships, longlasting ones with the Eels as a common factor. So not much different to many people who use this forum in that respect.

However, the way that group is set up and runs (and its meetings and activities) wouldn't suit everyone - especially I suspect most people that log on here. The way it runs is purely out of history, having been formed long ago to meet the needs of its members then, and still meet the needs of those members now. So fair enough to them, can't fault them for that.

The reason 40 is the number for "change" is that I think that's half the membership? I could have done my sums wrong, and if the membership is 60ish, then the number of new members for changing the focus of the group from within is closer to 60?

I had every intention to keep attending and join in the March meeting - to join costs I think $10, needs a nominator and seconder who are members, and to renew costs I think $5. For that you get monthly meetings which a Director sometimes attends (at February it was Chris Jurd - very honest and informative), and the chance to pay for attendance at an annual dinner with some players.

I had every intention... but my life priorities changed a bit around that time. I realised around that time that there are things that make me happier than heaps of attention on footy, so I started to limit footy my things to just attending games with my dad when possible, and a bit of banter on here. So unfortunately I can't see myself attending any of the supporters group meetings on Tuesday nights or being part of seeking change.

But hopefully that explains a bit about why in my opinion joining and influencing and changing the official LC supporters group might be a more difficult thing for people to get off the ground than as first thought by some. But if anyone can find 40-60 people that will pay money attend a meeting they might find boring (or strange to them even) once a month between now and November, then all power to them. But also remember that its current members are just as big Eels fans too (and porbably bigger) than the people who you might want to change the supporters club to include - and changing that may be taking away something from fellow fans (unless you find a way to keep those activities going as is, while also expanding the scope of the group).

 

[fish eel]

Nice post Bart, if only others respected the official supporters group and people that go to it rather than malign them as often happens here.

 

[Stagger eel]

yeah, interesting read Bart..

 

[bartman]

I meant to post my reflections on the meeting earlier the year... can't remember whether I did or not.

Beforehand I was all, yeah let's increase the membership of the club, and then through participation and involvement and votes broaden the scope.

But after the meeting I kind of thought that something new post-elections might be the best way to meet people's needs that feel they aren't addressed in this official LC sub-group. Which was not an approach I initially thought would be the best...

Structurally within the LC, the official Supporters Group operates the same as the Darts club, the Fishing club etc. So it's historical and doesn't try to be more than it is... I guess the Club Management have put the B&G Army etc in place to cater for the rest of us. But i think a growing number of people see limitations in that (merchandise only, passive membership with no two-way involvement), and hence the desire to have something different in terms of supporter memberships/groups. It just comes down to how exactly to achieve it...

 

[bartman]

We do have a face book group for it already though.

I had to drop out of the facebook group though, as I've been "rationalising my internet usage" and gradually weaning myself down from facebook as part of that...

 

[Suitman]

I meant to post my reflections on the meeting earlier the year... can't remember whether I did or not.

Beforehand I was all, yeah let's increase the membership of the club, and then through participation and involvement and votes broaden the scope.

But after the meeting I kind of thought that something new post-elections might be the best way to meet people's needs that feel they aren't addressed in this official LC sub-group. Which was not an approach I initially thought would be the best...

Structurally within the LC, the official Supporters Group operates the same as the Darts club, the Fishing club etc. So it's historical and doesn't try to be more than it is... I guess the Club Management have put the B&G Army etc in place to cater for the rest of us. But i think a growing number of people see limitations in that (merchandise only, passive membership with no two-way involvement), and hence the desire to have something different in terms of supporter memberships/groups. It just comes down to how exactly to achieve it...

Take my hat off to you Bart for going to those lengths - fantastic effort. More than I've ever done other than attend those meetings that MITS mentioned earlier.
Did you happen to pose the question at those meetings regarding the encouragement of more participation of the group?
I'm confused about this supporters group actually. Do they all sit together at games? Or are they just an elite group of people who joined something years ago and now think they are something special? I don't mean that to sound rude or arrogant, it's just the perception I feel people see them as.
The more we know of them, the more we can get things moving in the right direction.........for everbody.

Suity