Where are the younger members

[Maggi Young]

Bulb Despot just had this thought, to bypass the problems with emaill addresses being up to date etc: Journal and other info  could be available to download on the website, by members, from a restricted access section. 

 All this is not quite about attracting younger members , though, but it is useful discussion of wider matters!

[Ragged Robin]

I think Ian has the answer to some of the problem and I personally feel the same that perhaps, in this day and age, Members should be able to download the journal through Membership only access online as an option to the hard copy sent by post at increasing expense.  This would reduce workload on the part of the SRGC and bring it in line with the way the Seed Exchange runs on and offline.

The Journal is a beautiful publication full of interest and wonderful colour photography - the feeling that one is reading a book is important too...maybe in the sun in the garden where the computer is less at home!  It's all about choice really.

What concerns me more is that Hristo points out that there are young people who use the Forum, unseen, and have formed their own sort of free Membership Group with their own agenda and do not contribute in the Forum - in a thread like this Guys please express yourselves and ideas it would be great to have an insight into your thoughts as you are the future plants people  

We have some really good thoughts from those young Members who have already taken the time to contribute to this discussion and in different threads on this Forum - i can't believe you have nothing to say    

[tonyg]

Bulb Despot just had this thought, to bypass the problems with emaill addresses being up to date etc: Journal and other info  could be available to download on the website, by members, from a restricted access section. 

 All this is not quite about attracting younger members , though, but it is useful discussion of wider matters!

This is the sort of thinking that I am having.  I never intended to suggest that the SGRC journal should be emailed, Ian's suggestion is good though.
The CG is a very different matter - but the world is changing fast ... can we keep up?

[maggiepie]

ORG&HPS have their journal online, you log into a members only area and can read it or download but it's only an 8page journal.
At this stage it is optional and they will send it out if you don't opt for the online version. I think more and more people are opting for online and saving the club lots of money.

SRGC journal is a treasure, I would hate to give up holding one in my hand while I read. It's printed on good quality paper and is a real pleasure to peruse.
Also, am wondering how the server would manage thousands of people trying to download such a big file. It would likely crash.
Just how many financial members are there?

[Maggi Young]

I know, Helen.... many members really appreciate the quality and portability of the paper Journal!

Total SRGC financial Members stands at something over three thousand memberships, though many of these are dual/family members, taking the real total up to nearer five thousand, I think. .......
......ably illustrating that fine old proverb:  "the family that digs together ... can get a bulk rate from their osteopath...." 

[WimB]

Since I count myself as a young member (I'm almost 30 though ) I shall put in my two pennies worth.
I’ve been interested in plants since as long as I can remember, it’s probably something genetic since my parents always loved working in the garden too, though they are far from the plantfreak I am. My real interest in plants started with an elementary school teacher in what is here the 3th grade (I was 8-9 years old). She took our class on a trip to her garden and that got me hooked. I learned almost every basic thing there is to know about gardening from her (use of compost, how to take cuttings,…). While my interest in plants stilled a bit during my puberty (other things were occupying my mind ) it never stopped completely and I’ve been interested in shade loving plants and rock garden plants for a good 10 years now.

The SRGC is actually the first garden club I ever joined, and that was because of the forum. I felt really welcome here and I felt as if I could say or ask whatever I wanted without being ridiculized. The fact that the club hasn’t got many young members is dependent on a lot of factors which have all been named before:

A) you have to have an interest in plants, which a lot of young people do not have (yet) for various reasons :
  1) there are other things that are more important: find a partner, enlarge their social life, buy a house,…
  2) gardening takes patience, time, money and a garden; and a lot of young people don’t have those  things in sufficient quantity, although
  I must say I learned patience by gardening (and maybe I am an old spirit )

B) you need to have an interest in rock garden plants, most of the people my age I know who are starting to appreciate gardening are at the stage that they want a garden which does not cost a lot of money, is beautiful and does not take a lot of time to maintain, so they stay far away from rock garden plants (although I keep telling them that not all of them are tricky to cultivate)

C) you need to know of the existence of the club and for that the website and especially the forum is a goldmine. Like I said I joined the SRGC two years ago because of the forum and a lot of the plantspeople I know in Belgium are lurkers here.

The internet is the way to the future indeed. I think it’s a good idea to offer the Journal as a web-based journal too for the members.
I have a subscription to the CPS which is web-based (because it is cheaper) and I must say that I like holding the journal I read instead of staring at a computer screen reading something but maybe that’s my old spirit again.
I feel that the forum is one of the most important parts of the website and of the club for an overseas member. So I cannot not express my gratitude enough for those that make it possible to talk with plantlovers from all over the world and to ask questions that are more than often answered within a day.

[Maggi Young]

Wim, thanks for your comments..... I must show my ignorance.... what is the CPS, please?

[WimB]

Maggi,

I'm sorry, should have put the full name: the CPS is the "Carnivorous Plant Society"

[Eric Locke]

Maggi,

I'm sorry, should have put the full name: the CPS is the "Carnivorous Plant Society"

Thank heaven for that ,I thought it could be the criminal prosecution service.

[WimB]

Maggi,

I'm sorry, should have put the full name: the CPS is the "Carnivorous Plant Society"

Thank heaven for that ,I thought it could be the criminal prosecution service.

Bad conscience, Eric? 

[Eric Locke]

Maggi,

I'm sorry, should have put the full name: the CPS is the "Carnivorous Plant Society"

Thank heaven for that ,I thought it could be the criminal prosecution service.

Bad conscience, Eric? 

Certainly not Wim ,it was just the first thought that came to mind on reading it 
And I  always like to joke 


Eric

[Maggi Young]

Maggi,

I'm sorry, should have put the full name: the CPS is the "Carnivorous Plant Society"

Thank heaven for that ,I thought it could be the criminal prosecution service.

Bad conscience, Eric? 

Certainly not Wim ,it was just the first thought that came to mind on reading it 
And I  always like to joke 


Eric

  I knew those initials reminded me of something 

[Paddy Tobin]

Wim,

An excellent contribution to this discussion, Paddy

[Ragged Robin]

I agree with Paddy, Wim, a real contribution that is very constructive and positive 

[WimB]

Thanks Paddy and Robin. I feel it's more a summary of what the people here said about the topic though.