Does your club have a public roster, or not?

[Jamie Straw]

Looking for details here. Does your club provide a roster for members with data such as email, phone#, etc. Pictures?

• If it does, is it an "Opt-in" or "Opt-out" or something else?
• If it does, how is it provided to the members?
• If you don't have one, do you wish you did for ease of finding someone?
• Any recommendations to a club that does not have one at this time?

 

[Mike Peace]

I know several clubs that maintain a member spreadsheet. Typically they are available on the club website with password access to members. The spreadsheet is often maintained by the Treasurer since they are often the first person to know who has joined and can get the required contact info. These rosters are sometimes provided to woodturning vendors in return for gift coupons or a member discount when purchasing. Members are typically given the opportunity to opt out of distribution to a vendor.

 

[john lucas]

Our clubs have a spread sheet of members. The one that has a website it is on there but available only to members not the general public. We do have photos of each member on that website however. We have never had anyone opt out but if that were the case I don't see why they couldn't do it. We don't force anyone to do anything.

 

[Bill Boehme]

We do a picture directory printed 2-up saddle-stitch booklet 5.5" X 8.5" with a heavyweight paper cover (about the same weight as a greeting card). It has mug shots, address, phone numbers, and email. It also lists club officers at the front as well as club history. We do not provide an electronic version because we don't want to make It easy for anybody to misuse this list of personal information. The club officers and a few other VIPs have access to a spreadsheet with more in depth data such as lathes owned, mentors, professional background.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

The Orion woodturning club has no list of members, no meetings, no dues, no website, is affiliated nationally but not by club, does have a club patch available for nominal fee and shipping.

 

[Jamie Straw]

We do a picture directory printed 2-up saddle-stitch booklet 5.5" X 8.5" with a heavyweight paper cover (about the same weight as a greeting card). It has mug shots, address, phone numbers, and email. It also lists club officers at the front as well as club history. We do not provide an electronic version because we don't want to make It easy for anybody to misuse this list of personal information. The club officers and a few other VIPs have access to a spreadsheet with more in depth data such as lathes owned, mentors, professional background.

Thanks, Bill. Is this an opt-in system? Do you have many members who don't want to participate?

 

[Jamie Straw]

I know several clubs that maintain a member spreadsheet. Typically they are available on the club website with password access to members.

Our clubs have a spread sheet of members. The one that has a website it is on there but available only to members not the general public.

We (the Board of Directors) have a spreadsheet, but the general membership has no way to find contact information for other members. Some of us would like to have a roster, but there is, understandably, great concern on a few members' parts about having privacy violated. I'm trying to find alternative roster structures that other clubs have found work and have caused few problems. One club I know of in Southern California has (or had, at least) an Opt-In system that I think led to a printed version similar to what Bill described.

New Question: If your club has one, are you really glad they do?

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I am Treasurer and Webmaster for our club and mostly like John said member specific info only available to members in good standing and is password protected. We do have on site a yearbook with photos and names. Anytime the membership changes or has info changes I send a spreadsheet to officers and the member who does the news letter. Just 3 years ago when I started doing these jobs there was only a printed list. By the way you did not ask but I will add this free info on getting the data to complete these statistics I have every member fill out an application which also has lathe owned, emergency contact, experience level and turning interests.

 

[Bill Boehme]

By having a printed direct

Thanks, Bill. Is this an opt-in system? Do you have many members who don't want to participate?

We do not offer opt in or out. Limiting its distribution to club members and not having an electronic version available reduces anxiety about misuse. I think that people who want to remain anonymous aren't very likely to be a club member. Members find the directory very useful in contacting each other.

Years ago when I was a club officer I created an Excel spreadsheet so that our treasurer could maintain member data. The spreadsheet linked to mug shots which I maintained. I also created formulas in the spreadsheet that automatically generated a CSV file that was then imported into an Adobe InDesign template so that the complete layout of the directory was automatically generated along with a PDF file with embedded pictures for the print service provider. Having a fully automated process for the directory made It so much better than the way it was done when I took over the job.

 

[Bill Bulloch]

Our Club has a membership roster that is furnished to each member so that they have contact information for each other. It is not on our website. We do provide membership info to venders offering club discounts, but members can opt out if they wish.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

By the way when I send a list to vendors I only sent name and email to limit exposure

 

[Mike Johnson]

I belong to several different guild clubs and they tend to have different concepts and ideas
surrounding the ability to contact members and provide contact information among it's members.
A club "e-mail" that goes out to everyone is an easy way to make contact with the members and
provide some privacy at the same time. There are times that a club member is looking to make
an acquisition and another member may have what they are looking for. On occasions I will run
across a free wood source and can quickly post a message for other members that may want to
get in on an opportunity or have me pick up additional pieces for their needs. The other advantage
is posting an e-mail with a question or problem where the other members can reply on a timely basis
instead of waiting for a monthly meeting.

 

[Dean Center]

In our small club, the secretary (me) maintains a spreadsheet in order to e-mail out the newsletter. I make it available to the officers once a year. Only occasionally does a member ask for information in order to contact someone. An club officer email address is posted on our web site for each officer ("president@nrwg.org") to make us readily available. At the urging of one of our computer professional members, we are also careful to use the BCC: feature when we send out group e-mailings, in order to protect everyone's privacy, avoid phishing and minimize spam. If we were a bigger club with more funds, it would be wonderful to post an access restricted membership roster on our web site.

 

[John Torchick]

Our chapter has an email list that informs us of upcoming meetings with the demonstrator and the program. Not sure if they send the lists to vendors. Don't think so as I have never been informed that this is done.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I just received next years phone book on my door step today, the book is now about 1/3 the size
of what it used to be a decade ago. A large percentage of the population no longer has a land line
which drops them from being published in a "phone" book. The good old days when you could look
someone up in a phone book and call their number and actually talk to the person on the other end.
Now everyone just looks at their smart phone display and sees an unknown incoming phone number
and ignores answering the call thinking it is a telemarketer.

 

[Owen Lowe]

I just received next years phone book on my door step today, the book is now about 1/3 the size of what it used to be a decade ago.
…
Now everyone just looks at their smart phone display and sees an unknown incoming phone number
and ignores answering the call thinking it is a telemarketer.

Yep, that’s me (except we still have our land-line). Our phone book is 1/4 of the old size - I’m kinda surprised they still print them at all. I generally ignore all unknown, toll-free, and unrecognized calls on the ID screen — if it’s someone who really needs to talk to me they’ll leave a message.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Our phone directory used to be about ten pounds. Much of the size reduction in the new directory is due to much smaller print and thinner paper. I'm one of those dinosaurs who still uses a wired phone and a printed directory.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Bill, still works

 

[Bill Boehme]

Bill, still works

We also still have a rotary dial phone for emergencies such as when the power is out and the touch tone phones are dead in the water. However, last winter we discovered that this is no longer a viable option because the power company phone was answered by an automated system that asked me to "select from the following menu". The problem is that selecting an option from the menu required a touch tone phone ... and the touch tone phone couldn't be used because it had no power. Who said that all this new technology stuff is great? 😀

 

[Charlie Knighton]

We also still have a rotary dial phone for emergencies such as when the power is out and the touch tone phones are dead in the water. However, last winter we discovered that this is no longer a viable option because the power company phone was answered by an automated system that asked me to "select from the following menu". The problem is that selecting an option from the menu required a touch tone phone ... and the touch tone phone couldn't be used because it had no power. Who said that all this new technology stuff is great? 😀

Something to look forward to, I have to run to the touchtone phone when I expect a doc reminder for exactly the same reason

 

[Gretch Flo]

Catch 22????

 

[Mike Johnson]

I was on woodcentral and there was a post about contacting a wood club where the website listed is no longer valid. No email or phone listed to make contact with anyone in the wood turning club, Kind of hard to grow membership in a club when an interested party has to hire a private investigator to locate an email or phone number and contact for such an organization. Double edged sword when keeping emails and phone numbers hidden from the public.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Did anybody suggest trying the AAW Resource Directory? It gives phone numbers and email addresses. Club web sites seem to be a hit or miss thing.

UPDATE: I just checked WoodCentral and then the AAW Resource Directory. The link given in the Resource Directory is valid and there was a reply on WoodCentral that also gave the link to the web site. The AAW Directory also provides other contact information as well as meeting date, time, and location.