i hate this!!!

[wadadli]

now i'm pi$$ed!! the fencing club at my school/college is pretty much gone. this really sucks!! its really ridiculous the more i think about it. in a school with over 35000, are you saying that there aren't even at least 50 that is interested in learning how to fence?? the only people that come around are the ones who want to learn to "poke each other". when they realise there's more to fencing, they quit.

its frustrating because i'm one the few (like 2 or 3, even less) that actually want to learn to "fence". and i was really making progress. now i have to go out of town at least an hour and a half one way, just to get a lesson and not even that club has enough fencers in my weapon.

how do you guys from the other schools do it?? how do you attract members??? and how do you keep members??

the fencing club is dead and i'm stuck without a club!!!

i want to graduate!!!

[noodle]

1) yes that sucks
2) 50 is a lot. for a long time we only had 10 and we just recently broke the 50 mark.
3) you can always try harder to gather a club. be more public.

[lochinvar]

Marketing, marketing, marketing.

Lots of demonstrations/free "learn how to fence". In public. Like, outdoors or at athletic events or in the middle of the student union, such like places.With witty placards. In fact, post witty placards everywhere, all the time. Position yourself at every event you can find. Get volunteer time on the local radio station. Press releases. Etc., etc.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It takes a heap o' time and creative thinking and someone of enthusiasm to spark and push, but it's the only sure way.

[ls14evar]

Practive outside in your quads whenever you can. Alot of people will stop and ask you questions, and maybe show up. I bet most people who would be interested how absolutely no idea there is a fencing club. Stage a demo at the tail gate party of the football team. lots of audience there.

As far as retaining them.... fencing has sorta a steep learning curve in alot of ways and people dont like stuff they arent halfway descent at from the start.

My club has something like 110 people on the rolls. I think we're lucky if 10 of those show up every week.

[Soldier]

And if you're messing around in the quad with shinais, somebody will start playing the Mortal Kombat theme out their window for you, and multiple people will start yelling at one or the other of you to kill the other.

That was definitely worth the bloody knuckles and lip.