South London Steelies 17th January 2015

[Barry]

I'm with Jon on this.
I was unable to attend because of a cataract operation ( I e-mailed Jon) which could not be cancelled but as Jon said, we have a date for the next session, so if we can't make it there's time to possibly change it.
We're all trying to improve and learn something from each other - which these sessions do - well for me it does. It seems crazy, that there are enough people overall that have attended the meetings over the last couple of years to make it worthwhile financially, and for nobody to be out of pocket. If you can't make it, all it takes is an e-mail to Jon and if the count is to low, it can be cancelled.
It's good of Jon to run these meetings, so lets either back him or as Jon said, let's just not bother. ( Well not in those exact words)
Barry.

[jonshack]

In fairness, everyone emailed. We had a few cancellations in the run up week and one the night before. I imagine the cutoff for losing the deposit is a week, probably should check. There was a point on Sunday morning where I thought there might be just two of us and considered cancelling but you're never sure if someone just hasn't picked up a message and/or is already on their way, which turned out to be the case. The only way to ensure someone doesn't end up heavily out of pocket is to get a cheaper venue - which almost certainly means out of town (and that may also impact potential attendees).
Jon

[Shaun]

Jon,
Sorry I couldn't make it, as you know I've been suffering from Ill health for the past 12 months, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I've just started chemo-therapy which should be finished by June. Hopefully I'll be a Lot Stronger by then.
It would be a shame to loose these meetings, just a thought, would it be worth having an Annual Membership Fee to cover room hire costs in advance?
Say we have 30 members and go for 4 meetings a Year (quarterly) that would be 4 x £80 = £320.
£320/30 Members = £32 for a Years Membership. Payable on the first session each year.
Then we can pay for the room in advance, I'm sure the Pub could be flexible on Dates.
Just a Thought, what do People think?

[jonshack]

Hey Shaun, as we all know, you are one of the stalwarts who would make it to every meeting if you could, and again I'm not casting aspersions on anyone who has to cancel for one reason or another. These things happen and are unavoidable. One day EVERYONE on the list is going to turn up and the room will be too small!

I really like your idea and want to hear feedback from others on that. I suspect that 30 is optimistic and that we would still be looking at a cheaper venue. I'd like to be wrong. As I've said before, I do like the pub and the room itself but it's not everyone's cup of tea. Membership fees bring up other responsibilities too, what if someone like yourself pays upfront but is unable to make any meetings due to serious illness? Should others benefit from their fee?

I have thought about streaming the meetings online so that members could tune in remotely if they can't attend in person (I'm not sure if the pub's broadband could handle this). It might potentially be a way for non-attendees to contribute to the fees and still feel that they are part of proceedings (to a degree). This might work better if we went more towards a workshop thing with one person leading sessions, guest leaders etc.

If we went for a membership model I would be happy to run a private webpage with extra content for members (i.e. tabs and photos, video and discussion points from the sessions) IF it would be considered added value. At the moment I'm not sure if people even read the emails.

All just ideas, maybe pie in the sky. Let's hear more ideas and feedback if there is interest.

[Gretschnut]

Hi Jonathan. being out on a Limb up here in North Wales, I envy the groups that get together in London, Glasgow and the North East. What impresses me is the dedication and enthusiasm of the people involved. What particularly struck me with your discussion was your idea of some sort of remote link which reminded me of being involved in conference calls or even televised meetings when I was involved in something I believe was called work. I think that this is well worth exploring and must be technically feasible. Can any of our Technical Wizards throw some light on this given access to Wi-Fi, Skype etc.

Kind Regards, Harry.

[Shaun]

Hi Jon

I Love the Idea of Streaming Meetings, could be a great way of opening up to a wider membership. Like you say it depends on the Pubs broadband. Its definetly worth exploring though. There's quite a few people doing WebCasts these days.
I wouldn't have a problem with paying annual membership fees regardless of making the meetings or not.
All the Best
Shaun

[HarryBohay]

Hi all,

I was gutted to miss out on this one, the last one was very inspirational, but unfortunately, my beloved 400 suffered some electrical issues.

I, for one, would be happy to schedule the meetings in advance, and pay an annual fee. I think we'd all make the effort to show up having already spent the money.
Maybe I can draw up a design for a patch too!

[jonshack]

Merch! I like it Harry.

I'll have a look into the streaming thing. I know there's a website called Periscope where you can stream directly from your mobile and send out passwords - wouldn't need any special equipment just decent broadband or unlimited 3G I guess. If it's doable there's no reason we can't go international. Thinking big y'see

Please keep the ideas coming guys, if you have a whiff of a cheaper/better venue near the big smoke or have the technical knowhow to spread our net wider, now is the time to mention it.

[HarryBohay]

Branding's everything these days Jon!

There's a couple of pubs near me, including one next to Vauxhall tube that have function rooms etc, I can make some enquiries if you like?

[Nick Bidmade]

Hi Jon and all you Bar Tenders.
I've read all these posts - I think Jon is right in looking at wider possibilities but I also have to say that there's nothing like 'live' playing and interaction with people/players. I've always found on line stuff to be a bit cold - well received, of course, particularly tuition and some of the fantastic playing by the pros.
I also took heart from the fact that everyone had at least emailed to apologise for not being able to attend, including two stalwarts who were unwell and who would otherwise have been there - so all is not lost.
The cost of the pub is a bit of a killer, though - £80 for a Sunday afternoon is a bit steep, especially if only a few attend on the day. Those who do turn up then find themselves subsidising the non-attenders. There is parking available, however, which Vauxhall may not be able to offer and I'd have thought parking was essential.
The annual sub is an idea - I think I'd favour a smaller annual sub which could subsidise a smaller fee on the day - just a thought. Frequency of meetings might also be worth considering, especially for those with family commitments.
Here in the north-East we have different sorts of problems... the pub room is free! Ample parking!! However, we have only ever once had 5 attenders and we are usually 4. Tony is local, Derek and Keith come from Hartlepool, approx 40 miles each way and I do 120 miles round trip! We seem to think it's worth it and we are ever hopeful that one or two more known players might come along. Derek and Keith put together cracking backing tracks with Band in a Box. We're meeting on Sunday and doing:
Georgia
Mansion on the Hill
Somewhere over the Rainbow
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Lonesome Me
Crazy

so I'm off to practise!

All the best to the Bar Tenders - may you go from strength to strength.

Nick