I am one of the Board Officers for a local club and I've made an observation that kind of distresses me a little bit. This club has roughly 200 members, most of which participate in the main activity of the club in some form or fashion. These members don't really want to be or get involved in the club politics, which is understandable as I really don't want to be involved with those politics either. I mainly volunteered for the board position to take care of the club's website. The land that the club operates on is County provided land that is quickly being encroached on by civilization, other parks, etc and we need to be fairly diligent about following the County "rules" and not cause too much boat rocking so we don't loose our land. But we have a handful of members (less than 10) which seem intent on causing us to loose our land. Now these members don't ever participate at the club, they don't even show up and just hang out with friends. The only time you see them is at club meetings where they only gripe and complain (very loudly), cause grief and strife within the club and they fight every decision the board makes and ensure that these complaints are heard by our governing national club and the county administrators which makes the club look like a bunch of bickering little girls who can't get along.

A little background on this, we're starting to move all of our decision making processes that require a club wide vote to our club website. This has caused a much greater majority of the club to participate in club decisions, last election we had 3 times more people vote than has ever voted in the club's long history. In the past these decisions were made at a club meeting at which only 10 or 12 people would show up to. These 10 or 12 were the people contacted by someone to come out and vote a certain way, in other words they would stack the meeting to ensure the decision to be voted on went their way or contacted by the person up for election to ensure they voted for that person. Since most of the members didn't our couldn't participate at the meeting of course you had 10 people deciding for 200 what was best for the club, whether it was best for the club or not. They ensured that nothing ever changed or that people were voted into office for some kind of kick back, privledge or whatever. In my eyes this is just people being selfish/greedy/whatever trying to manipulate the club to their benefit, whether that benefit is monetary or just reputation.

But the object of this post is really just to vent, in the hopes that writing this will enlighten me as to the goal these folks wish to accomplish by being involved in a club that they really have no interest with participating in, at least in a positive manner. So, just what could be their goal? Surely it's not something honorable? Maybe as folks reach the fall/winter years of their life they feel they have to participate in a local club in some form or fashion and feel that if they can't do what they want at the club that no one should be allowed to participate? I really don't know and I just don't get it. If I'm not interested in something I could care less what that club decides is best for itself, as long as it's not affecting my personal assets or personal life. I just want to tell these old men to get a life and if you aren't interested in participating then don't participate.