Philip, I cannot agree more!
I don't think that the NSS has done anything or failed to do anything to retain and attract members. I've noted that service clubs are having the same problem and that started with the 1990's or late 80's. The grotto to which I belong, The Central Ohio Grotto (COG), is down to just a few members. It has always been a project oriented club surveying the caves in Kentucky -- a club of cave surveyors. It was COG members that founded CRF. COG member Jim Dyer chaired the NSS Photo Salon from 1962 - 69. He died (1970??). Ed Herel took the salon over after Jim died and was salon chairman from 1970 - 78 (doesn't agree with the NSS WEB site listing which I think is in error). Those years the COG always had a preview of the salon for the June meeting and almost every COG member attended the NSS Convention. We had a lot of dedicated cavers. The grotto was active in cave surveying and with the NSS. The NSS convention was the main event each year for club members. I've joined another grotto that is very successful. They have a lot of organized "sport" trips, don't have any survey projects, and have really great parties. While fun, the grotto has no cave projects. They do have several members who regularly help with my survey projects - hence my reason for joining. What happened? Perhaps "staying connected" to one's job has affected some people. Late in my career I got a new boss who wanted to be able to contact me at any time. Not possible I told him. "I'm always out of reach on weekends. Cell phones don't work where I go!" He never liked that. Tough! Organized kid activities appear to take more parental time than ever today. The list of activities through the seasons seems endless. With my family caving was the kid activity! My daughter was caving before she was born! Once born we used to put her in the backpack carrier and take her into the caves on easy survey trips! She was always real quiet and wide eyed! Now married and a professional, she is still caving. I suspect modern electronics may play a role too. Many people spend way too much time on the computer or playing electronic games. Add the above together along with factors I haven't thought of and the result is less time spent on service oriented organizations. Cave surveying continues in south central Kentucky but most is being done by individuals and not by grottos. Most of us project leaders are in our 40's and up in age. Most are driving 4 to 6 hours to get here. Me, I retired to Wayne County, Kentucky so I can cave more! See you all in Lake City, Bill Walden ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip L Moss" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 9:19 PM Subject: Re: [Texascavers] NSS Convention >> >> >> I am looking forward to the day when the NSS Photo Salon is shown >> live on my 65 inch LCD TV in my living room, along with the >> exploration >> programs, and video salon, etc. >> >> >> David Locklear >> > The opinions offered below are my own. > I hope the NSS never shows the photo salon or any other convention > activities live. NSS membership retention (not recruitment as many would > have you believe) is way down. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, the > NSS Convention had attendance that was equivalent to 20% of the > membership. Since 1976, the largest convention has been equivalent to > 14% of the membership and many have been under 10%, although at least one > flaw in my model is the fact that membership retention did not plummet > until 1995 (Does anybody know what it was the NSS did in 1995 or possibly > 1994 to so disaffect its members?) It is my opinion that membership > retention is affected strongly by personal interaction among the members. > Convention attendance is one of main things that separates a committed > member from a magazine subscriber. The NSS can not thrive by having any > number of subscribers to the NSS; there are way too many activities that > the NSS depends on volunteers to run. Voting generally tracks the > attendance at the previous convention. > > I believe that conventions are the glue that holds the NSS together and > we need more glue, not less. The more one can get the benefits of > convention without attending and having the personal interactions of > actually attending, the poorer the NSS will be. People who routinely > attend NSS conventions are more likely to volunteer their time, donate > their money, and vote for Directors. > > Philip L. Moss > Former NSS Director and recovering speleopolitician > [email protected] > ____________________________________________________________ > Save on Cell Phones. Click Now! > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3nRN16uIMOfB5d9pqWzIGDj3k34ppBEmbCU3nNm4idzRCCtx/ > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] >
