How much does your club cost?

[Teme]

Membership 15€ / year

'Floor' fee 70€ / year (free use of any resource the club has)
By organizing competitions, courses, training sessions, whatever activity (or just by being an old fart!) one can forget about floor fee.

Beer 1000€ / year

Durn, I had no idea fencing was so expensive!

[RebelFencer]

Used to be: 1500 a year for unlimited lessons/1200 for two lessons a month (both include two group classes a week), plus it was open 3 hours a day 4 days a week. $25 a private lesson.

Now: Two days a week, 3 hours a day. $15 per group lesson, $25 per private lesson.

[wahrman]

My former club (before a 2500 mile move in July) was:

$250/month plus $22.50 per 30min lesson, 8x a month for a total of $430/month.

It had dedicated space, grounded strips, and armory facilities I could use any time I wanted, which was nice.

[Sboard1019]

Wow, i am in a bubble of cheap fencing. My club is only $50 for the whole year. I guess it helps to have college funding and a volunteer coach and such. Not looking to forward graduating this year...

[FusionWhite]

$500/year full use of the facility when open and use of rental equipment for 3 months. Monday - Friday 2:30pm to 9pm. Group lessons (one night per week) an extra $75 per month and private lessons $25 each.

The best part is I got one free month of lessons thrown in for joining.

[sionnach]

University club: €4 for the year

Regular club: €250 for the year

[warlordkenobi]

$25 per year= membership
$100 per month= weekly private lessons
or $50 per month= every other week private lessons

[TBean]

$65/month floor fee + $10/month for my locker. Which means I can come into the club anytime its open for bouting, training or to use the weight room.

My lessons are charged on top of that - I buy them in 5-packs, plus the coaching fees for regional and national events. I think my total fencing bill is in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 per year depending on my travel.

[Emfuser]

I pay $60/mo for base dues, another $25/mo for being in our competitive program, $35/mo for the YMCA membership. Lessons are extra $$. Coaching at tournaments is extra $$.

We fence in a few hundred square feet of space on the top floor of a 100+ years old YMCA.

[Guerre]

YMCA is charging 38 now (they snuck it in the last couple of months) and you forgot to mention meeting only 3 days a week versus some of these other clubs. We are pretty much getting bent over and taking it with a smile.

[Emfuser]

Originally Posted by Guerre

YMCA is charging 38 now (they snuck it in the last couple of months) and you forgot to mention meeting only 3 days a week versus some of these other clubs. We are pretty much getting bent over and taking it with a smile.

Errr... colorful language aside, I agree that we are being overcharged for what the club provides.

[carsen82]

It's nice being in a college club. Dues are $30 for the year, and this year we're waiving them if members get their USFA membership in the first few weeks (trying to encourage more of our members to get USFA membership and compete more often)

That covers use of the club's equipment and the building any time it's open, as well as our club practices twice a week.

[jjefferies]

Originally Posted by rcdjr

The club's only competition was in the adjoining town and it closed two years ago. Without competition you can charge whatever you feel like.

And it may be the reason they have no competition is that the competition didn't make enough to cover their costs.

[jjefferies]

Looking over these answers I come back with the feeling that overall we're comparing Apples and Oranges. Some how, somewhere if the product is worth anything someone is going to charge because they have to. You can run a rec center class with volunteers who barely know how to hold a foil for next to nothing because you have next to nothing invested. But if you're offering a competitive program in a dedicated facility, i.e. the club is open daily and at times convenient to the fencers, using trained coaches then someone has to foot the bill. And that someone is the fencers.

Just my opinion based on what I consider common sense.

[epee rocks]

My club cost $100 for the class, which is twice a week and mainly for beginner fencers. The "club" as we call it is $46 and 4 times a week. Really, though, if your in club you can go to class and vice versa. Private lessons are $100 a month.

[Nolano]

My club meets twice a week for 2 hours, I typically get about 1 private lesson every two weeks, used to be more often, except I seem to be approaching the skill level of my coaches (Foil specialists). Because I pay the full 2 nights a week fair, I can also fence on one other night, for 2 hours. the normal classes typically start out with footwork drills, or some other game designed to improve reflexes or speed, and then goes into actual fencing for the last hour. 2-3 electric strips, 2-4 coaches, people can usually get a lesson at least once or twice a month if they want. They typically run about 20-30 minutes. anywhere from 10-30 people show up, usually. $60/month for two classes and the optional monday fencing, or $45 for one per week. Equipment is included, although I've got almost entirely my own gear now.

[Zilverzmurfen]

My club fee is roughly USD 200 per year, including free private lessons.

[cbcarey]

Many different ways to be a member at BFC

Club membership is $525 a year or $60 a month. Year membership includes USFA membership if you purchase at the start of the year, otherwise you are required to purchase on your own.

Instructional classes are about $90 a month for beginners and do not require club membership. (1 hr twice a week). Club provides all the gear needed. I believe USFA membership is required for this, and not part of the cost.

Youth level competitive programs are more expensive ($280 - $385 every two months depending on age group), but meet three times a week for two hours. Club membership is required and extra. At least one private lesson a week is required and extra. I believe that if you go through this program, you get a discount on club membership for life as well.

[Coldfire]

I go to Manhattan Fencing Center

Annual membership - $950 or $120 per month

Family discount: each additional family member - $850 each

One time initiation fee - $350 (Stay for 4 years after interruption of membership).

Private lessons and classes are $40 each. The lesson is minimum 20 minutes but if it isnt busy the coach will spend more time with you. The classes vary in length but are generally an hour to two hours in length.

Locker fee - $ 500 annualy or $60 monthly

My coach also charges $40 per event for strip coaching at National Events.

[The Armourer]

Well details of RFC's can be found here http://readingfencingclub.net/membership.php this is for three nights a week pretty much 50 weeks a year; lessons are extra. As you will see we try to make it affordable for everyone and the family membership is really popular. The 'Country' membership idea I got from golf club rates - we find that once somebody comes along as a Country member they very soon convert to full membership.