How would you like to see the NHC evolve?

[admin]

Just throwing this out there for any thoughts anyone would have...

What about a paid membership whereby you get something like discounts on group buys and discounts from various homebrew and/or beer retailers?

[Rats]

+1

[newToBrew]

I'm all up for discounts, me !

[Ciderhead]

What about a paid membership whereby you get something like discounts on group buys and discounts from various homebrew and/or beer retailers?

Paid membership is long overdue to pay for the electrons that run the forum   

[Spud395]

Small enough that you more than make up for it by being a member, after all we're all skinflints making stuff ourselves rather than paying for it!

[CARA]

How much is the Beoir membership? Being the CAMRA snob that  I am, I am more than positive about the benefits that a paid membership could bring to the NHC, and its members of course. Beer festivals, beer discount tokens, yearly (or monthly) printed magazines etc etc etc

[Will_D]

What sort of figure so?

So about 140 members at €100 a year would give us about a 14k budget for shinny SS boilers/HLTs/fermenters/mash tuns and the like that could be leased back to the members.

Alternatively, what about a €10'er a year

Will

[Rossa]

How about a €5. Max €10. I suppose local clubs may also charge if they need to for rent etc. You'd make that back in no time from discounts elsewhere.

[DEMPSEY]

€5 to €10 is what I feel should be the cost of this. It's not alot of money but some people can get worked up with even paying anything,so being able to show that you are getting more than a fuzzy feeling for paying it is necessary. Without any income,we will not be able to do things.

[Eoin]

I think paying makes it more serious, anyone can join a free club, as a result they don't get taken seriously. The same argument that was made for Beoir payments, you need paid memberships to have a voice and be taken seriously.
To get something would be a bonus, I'm not that pushed, if meetings were only at weekends, I'd be happy with that.

[Eoin]

Yeah, I did get a PM, but it appears that the event is when the money is no longer there for play....that's my other issue.

Second child on the way, one income, there are other priorities for the cash and we already caned it last weekend with a meal in the Bull & Castle and a stay in Juries for the weekend.

[Ciderhead]

€5 to €10 is what I feel should be the cost of this. It's not alot of money but some people can get worked up with even paying anything,so being able to show that you are getting more than a fuzzy feeling for paying it is necessary. Without any income,we will not be able to do things.

Another UK forum (Not Beer related) I am on has voluntary contributions and a tag line showing of 60stg every month how far they have progressed, amazing thing is they hit the target fairly early on every month and today they are at 30 of 60 today. Big numbers on the site though.
They also have a little status bar or tags beside user profile statement saying "I support this forum". They refresh them every year.  They have a policy of not receiving monies from suppliers or promotion of any of their wares to keep themselves independent. 
Personally for smaller forums I think this is very hard and direct membership contributions in NHC case for say €10 are best.

[JimmyM]

I think membership is something the club should charge.
After all not everything comes for free.

As long as everything is transparent I dont think anyone would expect NOT to pay a small membership.
You save it back on one bag of malt.

With a few quid in the bank it makes it a lot easier to organise things like competitions - with out having to worry if buying a promotional banner and a few posters is going to put us in th red

[Partridge9]

I'd be a little coy about membership - my experience is that when things are free - everyones interested - when it costs a tenner - you can expect a 90% drop rate.

I'd let the membership (free) build up for about a year and then consider it.

But on the more positive side - I love the idea of getting something for the membership - like vouchers or additional group buy discounts.

Just my opinion

[Eoin]

Eoin, really sorry but I clicked Modify instead of reply and accidentally deleted your post. Does anyone have Eoin's post on their screen so I can paste it back? - Tube