At our recent SAM board meeting an issue came up regarding anouncements made at our regularly monthly meetings. Some board members,as well as the president,did not like the idea of our Seargent at Arms announcing each month that another magic club (independent of SAM or IBM) meets in town on another night each month. The concern was that this may sway SAM members to join the other club thus negating the hard work that's put into recruiting SAM members as well as diminishing the membership.The SAA stated that his intentions were to just let peope know that another opportunity exists to mingle and share with other magicians who may not find the meeting night convenient for SAM meetings.
I would appreciate any thoughts on this issue.

No offense, but competition is a good thing. It keeps all of us on our toes, sharp and giving our best all the time. When you don't have competition, you end up with something like the former Soviet Union.

I agree with DW. What's happening at the Assembly that might cause members to defect to another non-affliated organization? What is the other organization doing better than your Assembly? Instead of competing, why not approach the other organization and offer joint sessions or, at least, mutual cooperation?

We have SAM, KIDabra, IBM and two nonaffiliated social magic groups available in our immediate area. All five groups openly cooperate with one another, announce one anothers meetings and lectures and encourage our members to join and actively support each organization. Fact is, each group shares common members.

Suggest to your leaders that they make the first move towards a sound and friendly intergroup relationship.

Skip

I agree with the above as well. Reach out and see the other group(s) as a friend.

Think of the benefits. You could host a lecture, together, and only have to spend half the money! You could pull together and host a convention, put together a community show, fundraisers, etc... After all, there is strength in numbers. You can share in the costs, the work that must be done and have more people available to help with various tasks.

If they meet on a separate night, it should not affect your group anyway. Your members will just have another opportunity to share with others in your area and grow in the art. You might find members from the other group coming to your meeting and helping your membership grow in the process.

Try to view it as a win-win situation. The benefits might far out way to negatives.

Good luck. Mark.

I frequently announce other meetings, conventions, and groups as I travel from convention to convention as well as in my Magicalendar on All Magic. If you are a serious magician, hobbiest, or student of magic you will probably attend all the meetings you can. Ask anyone of the National Officers in the SAM and they will tell you the same thing. It should not be a competition, we don't promote that, or think that way. Most if not all of us belong to the SAM, IBM, and many independent clubs, as well as some International ones. If you love magic, forget the politics and promte harmony and the love of our art. It's really simple. Those that make if a competition really have nothing to offer you of any quality. If you do that, people will be attracted to your club rather than shy away due to internal politics, in fighting etc. that has been the demise of many a group. Be a power of example, that is the most effective.

Thank you all for your insight...I appreciate it in the sense that I hope that unity will be the focus rather than competition among the magicians in our area!

At our SAM meeting we don't really here that much about what is going on. It is more of the "complaing" type. I have been in the Club for 3 years and it has dwindled down to nothing but complaining about when the newsletter gets out and why our website is up to date and why our members are down. Essentially it is a gathering once a month to complain about our organization. It is rather sad to tell you the truth.

Rog, as an outsider to your Assembly looking in, this sounds like the classic symptoms of poor, disinterested leadership and member apathy. Late newsletters, featureless and negative meetings, late or missing Assembly reports and diminishing membership can generally be traced to these issues. In my experience, members of any group interested in maintaining a healthy, constructive group MUST take an active role in demanding more positive and supportive service from their elected officers. They can't simply sit back and say, "Oh, well...they're the officers. It's their problem, isn't it?" The slow death of an Assembly should be every member's concern. If the current officers just don't get it or care, there must be steps in your by-laws that outline the action you can take. Remind your interested and dedicated members that complaining solves nothing...only action counts.

Skip

Skip-

I can see that a late newsletter would be the problem. The fact is the newsletter gets out 2 weeks befor the meeting and it's still not good enough. Have you ever met that person that would just complain about something, just to complain? Well it seems that my assembly is full of them. All of our board seems to be interested but we can't get by the 10 old timers complaing about nothing. Anytime we try to move on another issue is brewed up in thier heads....

It makes it to the point of not wanting to go and enjoy the meeting.

I agree with Creig. Cooperation with the other club could help both.