Membership matters

The Narcissist and the Club of Mutual Distrust

Within every club, the opposing tensions of mutual distrust and narcissism prevail, warns David Roy CCM. Tongue in cheek but with serious messaging, here he identifies the main protagonists.

Thememberswhogrouptogether,agitatingand connivingtobendthedecisionmakerstotheir will,dosopurelytoshapetheclubtosuittheir needs.Theyprofessinthemostearnesttonesthatthe changes in policy they seek are ‘ common sense ’ and ‘ what the members want’ . Howling with indignant rage,theystalktheloungeandlockerroomsearching for allies and beam with contentment whenever they ‘ win ’ .

These bands of malcontents are easily defined as follows:

1. The Club of the Parsimonious

No amount of financial prudence is ever sufficient. It is easy to make the mistake that the miserly are content with the lowering of standards to avoid a subscription increase but this is rarely the case. Admittedly,therearealwaysafewcrankswhowould be satisfied to sit in a garden shed and play golf over a ploughed field but these eccentrics are never representative. Similarly, it is just as dangerous to dismiss the ungenerous, who can be a useful counterbalance to the spendthrifts.

2. The Pack of Cliques

The first tee is the fiefdom of a whole range of members whose lifestyles coalesce around a certain pattern. The early birds who play directly after finishing nightshift, the mid-morning grandparents and the heavy drinkers who enjoy an afternoon round so that they are finished in time for a session at the bar.

Distress,miseryandanguishwillbefallthesemembers should anyone audaciously take ‘their ’ tee times and they will growl, snarl and yap at any figure of authority to preserve their status as overlords of the first tee.

Their demands can never be reconciled and it is pointless to try.

3. The Gang of Committed Socialisers

Tosome,theclubhouseistheirdomainandtheyview theplayingofgolfasanecessaryeviltobeenduredto enable them to enjoy life in the lounge. No menu can everbeelaborateenough,nobarpricecheapenough, no amount of social functions are sufficient.

They are bemused at why so many of their fellow members would choose not to spend any money in the lounge, which they see as the primary element of clublife.However,thebarfliescanoftenbecharming, and be relied upon to support the summer barbecue just as much as the New Year Ball, and their support can be very useful.

The problems caused by these members are significant and tiresome. At times, they simply depress the spirits of staff and volunteers but at their worst, can negatively impact the business of the club and with it, thelivesofthefamiliesofthestaffwhodependonthe wages.

The problem is universal and undying but well worth tackling with energy and vigour. Improved member engagement, member surveys and effective communications all help but the root of the problem lies in the membership contract. Most clubs are very poor at clearly articulating their abiding culture and consequently, tend to try and be all things to all people.

The most successful clubs are the best at avoiding this pitfall and are perhaps unembarrassed to be single gender, or proudly heavy drinking or pleasantly rural. The trick is to find an unambiguous way of illustrating the style and nature of the club, ensuring that no new member can be under any illusion as to what is being offered.

Look again at your website. Do you make promises that can ’t be delivered? Does the application form explain what is expected of the members? At any pointoftheapplicationprocess,doesanyonespellout what the club culture is?

In fairness, most clubs haven ’t worked out what they are and by extension, what is required of each member.Inaperfectworld,thisworkcanbefacilitated by industry experts but it is hard to persuade a committee to spend money on such an esoteric pro-

ject.

It is therefore perfectly acceptable to fill this void with your own perceptions of what your club is. You have the opportunity to be the editor of your club comms and should use it. It is surprising how quickly a club can be shaped though the natural membership churn. If every new member is provided with a writtenexplanationoftheclubculture,withinafewyears, there will be a couple of hundred members who will find great difficulty in complaining that they have

been ‘ sold a pup ’ .

Andrew Carnegie famously stated that ‘Mutual ignorance breeds mutual distrust’ . In an age when it has never been easier to communicate, there is no excuse for ignorance within a membership. <