Thursday 18 July 2013

The cold weather?

Numbers have been down at all the Canberra chess club's recently, and Street Chess is also seeing participation levels drop off. Having just experienced the hottest 23 degree day I can remember (while walking around Amsterdam) I'm wondering if it is the cold weather that is putting everybody off. But if it is, the I would be very disappointed, as one of the things that sets Canberran's apart from the rest of the country is our ability to survive, nay thrive, in single digit maximum's and laugh in the face of below zero mornings.
The other reason is of course a general complacency, where players 'take a break' and expect that things will be fine when they choose to return. The drawback with this thinking is the theory that 'a crowd attracts a crowd' and a club with fewer members becomes less attractive to new members, or even existing members who are currently playing.
So if you are a club member, it should be better to see the club as a community of fellow chess players, rather than a service for them.

1 comment:

Gareth said...

...and success in no small measure involves turning up!