CAMRA branches

Unless I missed something that point has already been passed. MB's real issue is whether to attend meetings/get involved or not.

As with any member - their choice alone.

I will take one willing and enthusiastic volunteer over a hundred conscripts.

Ah now that's different. If you want to effectively "campaign for real ale" then that's often done at local, ie. branch level. Many of the so-called "national" campaigns are often organised at local level. Camra has espoused the "think global, act local" philosophy since its inception.

I'm not sure how you know you have no interest in something you've no experience of!

But when you read posts (in for example the thread about Prince of Wales, Foxfield and the comments about how few branch members vote) one does feel somewhat pressured.

I can see that, and I think the pressure is self defeating. People need encouragement to do voluntary work, not pressure.

Meanwhile the question is what do you want out of CAMRA? No, that isn't one I expect you to answer me on, I expect you to pause and give yourself an answer after a fair bit of consideration.

I wonder if perhaps CAMRA branches ought to wonder the same thing !

I'm reminded of my time in the Open University - something I joined to study mathematics and I found that by default I was a member of the student's associations and was simularly made to feel there was an ongoing very poorly supported social club that I should be attending.

IManky Badger writes

Well the quick easy way round the above conundrum would have been to bin the newspaper on receipt, something that i have done/do over the years and just concentrate on the courses.