GNAS...what do we get

[Greenman]

Just had 3 new members (good news) pay their GNAS fees, and one of them had the audacity to ask what he got for his money from GNAS, and apart from a bit of insurance and a magazine I didn't have the foggiest, nobody else seemed to know and the Juniors weren't bothered. So what do we get for our £35.75 pa? This isn't meant to be contentious, just curious.

[TJ Mason]

We get an organised sport with opportunities for progression and international participation, instead of just a load of clubs muddling through. If you only shoot at your club, then you probably won't get much out of the GNAS apart from insurance, magazine, classification tables and handicap tables. But there's more there if you want to take part in tournaments.

[Furface]

Various things you can do in your clubs: January Challenge; Handicap Improvement medals; record status (good selling point for club tournaments, apparently); July nationals (Juniors); November Challenge (Juniors); JAWS (Juniors). Well you would expect me to point those out!
Coaching standards and provision.
A consistent set of safety rules, so each club can prove to the landlords they are safe to shoot! A standard and accepted Children's policy, so each club can recruit juniors and families, and so continue.
Let's keep this thread positive - but could we add "What would you like from GNAS?" from the point of view of club archers

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by Furface

Let's keep this thread positive - but could we add "What would you like from GNAS?" from the point of view of club archers

As the organiser of beginner's courses for our club, I would like to see a significantly reduced GNAS/Region fee for first year members. A lot of people attend beginner's classes but do not continue because of the cost of club fees, GNAS/SAA fees, and the prospect of buying equipment.

If the fee for the first year was say £10 to GNAS with region fees waived, it would be much easier to get beginners to stay. (If NFAS can do membership with insurance for £10, I'm sure GNAS could too.)

We have club fees due in January, to help spread the costs and new members pay a proportion of the annual fees depending on when they join.

Originally Posted by MikeD

As the organiser of beginner's courses for our club, I would like to see a significantly reduced GNAS/Region fee for first year members. A lot of people attend beginner's classes but do not continue because of the cost of club fees, GNAS/SAA fees, and the prospect of buying equipment.

If the fee for the first year was say £10 to GNAS with region fees waived, it would be much easier to get beginners to stay. (If NFAS can do membership with insurance for £10, I'm sure GNAS could too.)

We have club fees due in January, to help spread the costs and new members pay a proportion of the annual fees depending on when they join.

Our club has a direct debit option. We pay the GNAS fees and the rest is about £8.00 a month. I find that a great way of helping spread the cost.

[ben tarrow]

Originally Posted by MikeD

As the organiser of beginner's courses for our club, I would like to see a significantly reduced GNAS/Region fee for first year members. A lot of people attend beginner's classes but do not continue because of the cost of club fees, GNAS/SAA fees, and the prospect of buying equipment.

If the fee for the first year was say £10 to GNAS with region fees waived, it would be much easier to get beginners to stay. (If NFAS can do membership with insurance for £10, I'm sure GNAS could too.)

We have club fees due in January, to help spread the costs and new members pay a proportion of the annual fees depending on when they join.

This is just penny pinching.
A beginner finishes his/her beginners course (£25), joins the club (£100) and buys a bow kit (£350) and then you think £35 for GNAS will put them off. Why not just let 'em off club subs completely for the first year?

Run your courses in April, they join in May and they get 18 months GNAS for the price of 12!

[Greenman]

I don't think the money is an issue, it is people's perception of what service they are receiving. Mind you if you are a parent shooting with offspring it soon gets expensive(everything does). The Direct debit option sounds like a good idea, will see if there is any interest in initiating that.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by ben tarrow

A beginner finishes his/her beginners course (£25), joins the club (£100) and buys a bow kit (£350) and then you think £35 for GNAS will put them off. Why not just let 'em off club subs completely for the first year?

Run your courses in April, they join in May and they get 18 months GNAS for the price of 12!

I don't think the GNAS fees put them off. I know many who start a beginners course are put off when they discover archery is not as cheap as they had assumed. I have said that we should charge more for beginners courses, so that participants are more aware of the true costs before they start.

We run a course in May (£28). To join they pay £17.50 to the club (6 months) and they will have use of club equipment for at least 6 months. In addition they have to pay (adults) £35 to GNAS, £16 to SAA and £1 to Eastern Area (for 16 months or so). It's not much, but to someone who has probably shot not much more that 100 arrows with a fibreglass bow at less than 20 yards it is a choice they have to make. A first year with redued fees would let them get totally hooked. They will have bought a bow, and they will moan like all the rest when asked for GNAS fees. Some may even be absent for a week or two at the beginning of the indoor season, but in the end they will pay and will continue to shoot. Drug dealers have used this marketing method horribly successfully for years!

We find that a course for 10 people often results in as few as 2 joining. A beginner's course is a lot of work for for a club to organise and impacts on the shooting time for a number of members. I sometimes wonder whether they are worth the effort, when so few participants actually take up the sport.

Originally Posted by MikeD

I don't think the GNAS fees put them off.

Neither do I Mike. I feel it's the expense of investing in a bow etc. However, when I started archery, I would have sold a kidney to keep shooting. It's kind of a test of commitment.

There are very few hobbies/sports that don't incure some initial investment in both time and money.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by rgsphoto

Neither do I Mike. I wonder if it's the expense of investing in a bow etc. However, when I started archery, I would have sold a kidney to keep shooting. It's kind of a test of commitment.

There are very few hobbies/sports that don't incure some initial commitment investment in both time and money.

I don't know Rich. It is frustrating though. In our case it is not the cost of equipment. We always make it clear that they can use club Rolan bows until such time as a newer beginner needs it.

I think we just attract too many who treat our beginners course as a night class, if that makes sense. They have no intention of going beyond the course, it is just more interesting than doing flower arranging/silver surfing/yoga again (and cheaper too!).