CAMRA branches

Have a look in the pages of What's Brewing. Turn inside from the back a couple of pages and you will find a double page spread headed CAMRA meetings. Sorted alphabetically by region, and then sub-sorted by branch name. Turn up at a meeting and say hello - things just progress from there.

Coventry have had a "tradition" of inviting new members with a mailout issued just after the beer festival. This is specifically aimed at getting the new members involved and introducing them to the existing active members.

CAMRA membership can be anything you want it to be. Some people enjoy going to branch meetings in pubs, arguing about beer related issues etc. Others just pay their subs and read Wots Bruin.

Best regards, Paul

-- Paul Sherwin Consulting

Personally I find being an active branch member to be immensely rewarding . It's a great eye opener as you see the pub and brewing trades from a totally different viewpoint. It's very pleasant getting to know people in different localities , to join in activities and so on.

But why would I want to ?

Perhaps I didn't express myself properly in the first place. Rather than joining what I thought was a national body, it seems that it's more of a local social club ?

You might want to be involved in the campaigns the local branch do, or in the case of some branches you might be interested in firing them up to do some active campaigning.

Both.

I don't denigrate the many members who turn up at meetings simply as a social fixture, but that is probably because I spent all my time as local chairman pushing the social attendees to do "just a little bit" and succeeding in getting them to do far more.

In some cases people attend national events and never attend the local branch events. Take you pick, one, the other, both or none, even just being a member and paying the fee you fill a function whether you know it or not. Mind you, if you want to give up a little of your time in August to work at a national event I can assure you of a friendly welcome. Catch me on a day outside the normal opening and I'll buy you a pint down Warwick road (choice of three easy reach pubs with decent beer)

Perhaps you should explain what you want to get out of being a member?

Transposing your posts somewhat....

and, in message # d974ck$si4$ snipped-for-privacy@news6.svr.pol.co.uk (your second post):

Question [3] Would be answered by your question [1]. Whilst Steven's reply gives you the means to resolve question [1] and speculation [2]. But fear not, no-one will force you to attend meetings and vote, it's up to you.

KeithS,

Perhaps the chap selling membership might have explained a bit better what it was all about ?

Curious: what exactly did you think you were getting for joining and has it lived up to your expectations?

Possibly, but then he was probably just a simple working member rather than a member of the National Executive or a paid staff member so he may not have had as much insight as you might be expecting.

Ask and ye shall receive. If I can't answer directly then I can point you to people who can.

As others have explained, "it" isn't any one thing. Only you know what you want to get out of being a member.

I thought I was joining a national body that campaigned professionally for decent beer.

Amateurs tend to things better - because they care. Professional tends to mean paid and not really caring. Aside from that, yes we do campaign - and better than anyone else on the subject.

You are. The model of a national body with local branches is quite common: think Mencap, Mind, Red Cross, St John Ambulance... all of these are national or multi-national bodies that campaign professionally for their particular cause, but with local activists who campaign at local levels and are organised in local branches. What's the problem?

You didn't answer the second part - has it lived up to your expectations?

??

Don't really know what I was expecting !

The "problem" is that I read various posts on this ng that imply that as a CAMRA member I should be attending various meetings in which I have no interest.

I've never read any such postings but at the end of the day, if you want to become active, become active. If you want to be inactive, be inactive.

If you want to be active but are not interested in attending a branch meeting then consider... Working at a beer festival Writing articles for (or even volunteering to edit) a local newsletter Being a branch webmaster. Completing an NBSS card evertime you visit a pub Attend branch social events ...

There are a multitude of options, but I'd say that you would probably be best considering the top three or four.[1]

Option 1. Attend and discover that it isn't all business but actually a mix and discover you like it.

Option 2. Attend and discover you don't like the meetings and don't continue.

Option 3. Don't attend any meetings and wonder what happens etc.

Option 4. As option 3 but attend/work at national events.

Option 5. Just use the membership to get cheaper/free entry into festivals.