CAMRA trying to modernise again?

Just seen on the CAMRA website that its going to try to modernise the organisation yet again. It seems that they want to lose the beard and sandals image, and in so doing, increase its membership by 32,000 in the next 3 years.

Haven't they realised that the reason lots of people take the micky and don't join is because the organisation fulfils its stereotype in nearly everything that it does? Most people like drinking beer, not being in a club talking about it.

Reply to
to
Loading thread data ...

Trouble is, in trying to modernise itself it has become an anodyne, politically correct organisation that has lost the campaigning edge of its early years.

--

formatting link
"If laws are to be respected, they must be worthy of respect."

Reply to
PeterE

A sweeping statement but are you prepared to put some meat on the bone for us and provide some examples?

True but there are enough people around who like doing just that. As someone who has bothered to subscribe to a real ale newsgroup, I of course include you in this group.

Why should this be surprising? A lot of visitors to local railways aren't actually involved in restoration. A lot of visitors to historic monuments aren't members of the National Trust.

Brett

Reply to
Brett...

Now, I'm a CAMRA member for one reason - it saves me money. I go to beer festivals & get in free.

In all seriousness, what else is there to it ?

Reply to
Manky Badger

In message , Manky Badger writes

Well... most of those 'talking about beer' sessions happen at a bar whilst drinking the product. And even more strange, rather a lot of us like talking about beer - just like people posting to this newsgroup!

So what was the problem again?

Reply to
Paul Shirley

"Manky Badger" - a made-up name if ever I've heard one - said

There's that, but personally I'm in CAMRA for all of the following reasons:

Our branch meetings are a laugh and we have a good craic.

We get to drink some interesting beers at same.

It's interesting going round to different pubs which aren't on your normal circuit.

We want to support landlords who go to the effort of putting real ale on.

We want to support, by drinking and campaigning, local breweries, especially our very own

formatting link
in Heysham.

We want to act as a pressure group to lobby MPs and local councils to preserve archtecturally interesting and valuable pubs.

We want to persuade more people to think for themselves and develop their own tastes instead of simply drinking what they see in adverts.

------------ I'm not sure what you can do about getting more young people in - I'm

39 and I'm the youngest regular attendee at our branch meetings. Partly the problem is that everyone in our branch is very busy with work/children/family/other committments to put the extra outreach work in.
Reply to
loobyloo

I get fixed rate transport (a fiver) to monthly meetings and often to other events, with door to door delivery, when I can drink and not have to drive (very rare for me, as I live in a very rural area with little public transport, which usually stops after 6 pm anyway).

Reply to
gertie

I don't think your branch is atypical in that respect either. All the branch meetings I've ever attended have been overwhelming comprised of people my father's age and older.

I've been a member since I was 17. I'm now 26, and still don't feel old enough to step back into a branch meeting, and maybe I never will.

People try to be friendly enough, but I felt uncomfortable and something of an outsider, simply because I was of a different generation.

I also found a lot of them boring old gits, tbh.

BTN

Reply to
Ben Nunn

In message , Ben Nunn writes

I only stopped attending regularly when I turned 30+! As you get older time gets harder to find.

You might be better off getting involved in your local beer festival, its the event that gets more young CAMRA members involved and a hell of a lot more fun than most meetings. And pub surveying trips (a major part of most branches activities) are hard not to enjoy. A few pints breaks the ice quickly (especially if the whole party are strangers in a new pub).

Unfortunately someone has to do the boring business that lets all the good stuff happen...

Reply to
Paul Shirley

CAMRA's ratio of active members is no worse, and may even be better, than that of many other subscription-charging campaigning bodies. It's just a fact of life. Even if they do nothing their subs fund campaigning activities.

I'm sure a witchhunt against members seen with the occasional half of draught Guinness or glass of Chardonnay in their hands would do wonders for recruitment.

Personally I think CAMRA needs to grow up, forget the simplistic mantra of "real ale good, keg beer bad", and recognise that there can be much to be said for many beers from around the world that don't precisely conform to the definition of real ale. To be honest, most thoughtful CAMRA members recognise that already.

--

formatting link
"If laws are to be respected, they must be worthy of respect."

Reply to
PeterE

And the NT undoubtedly has a much lower member participation rate than CAMRA.

--

formatting link
"If laws are to be respected, they must be worthy of respect."

Reply to
PeterE

Sorry Roy, but you are posting just liker an old f**t. Exactly what an organisation that intends to look forward could probably do without.

John B

Reply to
JohnB

"Ben Nunn" - a made-up name if ever I've heard one - said

The problem in our branch (like most I suppose) is that there aren't sufficient numbers of younger people for them to group together if they wish, so they tend to get a bit isolated, despite everyone's best efforts.

Older people don't have a monopoly on being boring you know!

Reply to
loobyloo
Reply to
Steve Pickthall

Nope, they dont know me! I own it, but i dont manage it daily. Lots of people do seem to like it though because we have no shortage of customers.

Well if you need some simple maths, we sell around 350 DIFFERENT cask ales a year - and I dont mean beers that get repeated. That doesnt include the bottles, the fancy continental draughts like Chimay, Leifmans and Dentegems, the standard lagers like Stella and Carlsberg or the german wheat beers or the ciders and perry's. It goes without saying that we dont sell any keg or nitro beers. Now by my reckoning thats well over a cask a day(ish). I have a cellar man and I would trust our beer to be in as good or better condition than anywhere else I know. My god.. we even flush the lines when we change a line from one to another cask of the same product!

Reply to
to

Tough to give you the answer Peter for all the reasons that you will have gathered by now - apologies for that. Lets just say its not in London.

Reply to
to

They're probably all away from home in the big cities. There seems to be a pretty active "under 26" group of CAMRA members in Manchester for example, and probably similar groups in other cities.

Reply to
Daisy Hill

In message , Daisy Hill writes

You've missed the obvious I'm afraid. Just selling RA does not get pubs into the GBG, otherwise the GBG would contain 30-50 *thousand* pubs. Selling 12 at a time won't either, they have to be good (ALL of them), pubs with 3 good beers will always beat ones with 12 mediocre ones (or even 11 good and one consistently bad).

There are enough wine bars/continental bars/youth pulling joints getting CAMRA support to mostly discount his other claims.

The obvious problem though is we've heard a one sided description that there's no way to check. 3-5 years ago he could be describing my local Hogshead, 12 beers, cider, continental beers, heaving with youngsters. Also a pub that consistently sold stale beer from Sunday till thursday every week because they had too many beers on sale.

If the pub's as good as claimed anonymity makes no sense...

Reply to
Paul Shirley

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 8:15:44 +0100, Daisy Hill wrote (in message ):

You may not have intended it that way but that is such an arrogant reply (one I've heard many times).

To me it's like saying 'how can he possibly have contrary views to CAMRA? We're right, we have the moral high ground, there are no valid contrary views so he must have an axe to grind'.

Winds people up it does.

Reply to
Steve Pickthall

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.