The state of clubs and socs...

Seren_

What is everyone's opinion on the state of clubs and societies in Maynooth? I'm on the committee of a society, so obviously my views are going to be a bit biased :pac:

I think something seriously needs to be done to get people interested in them... I can't see the society I'm involved in surviving next year, mainly because nobody gives a sh1t. You do so much stuff to try and get others involved, but it just doesn't seem to work. I'm a bit disillusioned with them as you can probably tell :P

The thing is though, what can we do to get people involved? Having an active clubs and societies scene on campus would add so much to the place.

I do realise the irony of starting this thread when I should be at clubs & socs council, but I'm wrecked after putting up posters all day. :pac:

allandanyways

It's sad but the reality is that if you want to generalise, probably somewhere in the region to 45-60% of students don't actually give a bollox about the subject that they're doing and if you're not good at the oul public speaking (L&D), into music in a big way (Alternative soc/choirs etc) athletic/sports inclined in any way, or want to be involved in the very small margin of clubs and socs with small memberships that are have a devoted kind of membership (Games soc), that leaves subject based socs which tend to have the lowest memberships from what I can tell.

Like the way you have the Geography society: the Spanish dept have the Mundo Hispanico club (or at least they try to)- but even though it presents a great opportunity to practice speaking Spanish etc, nobody goes because they couldn't be bothered. I think a lot of people just see it as more study or more work, which is ridiculous because doing a subject in University isn't just about doing exams in the subject.

As well as all that, sometimes people are just too busy to go to a club/soc meeting every week- if it's in the daytime, people have lectures, and commuting is a bollox anyway, which is why many (but not all) commuters don't join clubs/socs, because it involves extra commuting most of the time.

In summary:
The active socs seem to require some sort of talent
The smaller socs seem to be like big groups of friends which can be offputting for some people, but on the flipside means steady membership
Subject based socs are seen as extra work by many students
And commuting is a bollox.

kisaragi

I'm pretty active in one club and was committee the past 2 years... There's plenty of clubs and societies out there for those interested. It's kind of up to the clubs/socs themselves to promote their events really. I do know what you mean though, you get 200 members signing up on c&s day and 3 or 4 new members left at the end of the year!

Honestly though, if it wasn't for the clubs and societies I'd have had a totally different (i.e. worse) experience at Maynooth... but they're just not for everyone!

Seren_

I was a bit cranky when I posted that earlier :pac: so I suppose I didn't get my point across properly...

I do love being involved in a society; you get to meet loads of people, and I'm one of them weird people who doesn't mind sending out emails and printing posters. There are some great people involved in clubs and socs who will do loads to help out

However, I still think that we could make clubs and socs on campus better. Allandanyways, you said that being a commuter sucks when it comes to getting involved, which is obviously true. How could the SU/clubs and socs make it easier for commuters, and also people who live in Maynooth, to become engaged with them? The bigger clubs and socs such as Drama/LGBT/Soccer etc will always have a huge following, so I'm kind of thinking more towards the small/medium sized ones.

LeixlipRed

The state of your Socs!!

I was meant to be involved in Maths Soc this year but they keep arranging things when I have football training. I did help out with a conference they arranged here two weeks ago, gave a talk and what not. I think it's purely down to the motivation of the student. I always start the year with high hopes of joining this and that but never attend anything. I'm simply too busy on weekday evenings to devote time to one, never mind more societies. But saying that, next year I am, after 8 years, determined to pull on the yellow jersey and finally represent my college in soccer. I can't really use the excuse of playing football to not play football, that's my logic

banquo

If you want commuters, have your weekly meetings on the train. Seriously.

allandanyways

banquo wrote: »

If you want commuters, have your weekly meetings on the train. Seriously.

Or at the bus stop. The "waiting for the 67a" soc (because there's about 3 66's for every 67a), I can just see it now. We could hand out tea and biscuits and have sleeping bags and security for people left stranded when the bus decides not to come.

Norrdeth

Oooh that would be awesome! Next year I'd be a regular member, that's if I just miss the 66 by a second, the auld knocking on the door trick rarely works these days!

Norrdeth

banquo wrote: »

If you want commuters, have your weekly meetings on the train. Seriously.

Ah in fairness I commuted last year and attended almost all of the Composers soc meetings, this was only partly due to the fact that I was Vice President.
Most committee members failed to turn up on a regular basis, even those who lived in Maynooth. Dedication can override comfort, inspiring commuters to care about clubs and socs is the key I think. Solutions such as better timetable planning for events, advertising an event on that day is not practical. Things need to be booked well in advance. Socs should actively send their members emails and be open to recieving feedback on how events have gone etc, a simple web pole with a suggestions box would be the best bet. Or for people who don't have access to internet regularly ie. all day a comment box at meetings would be very useful.

shmici

banquo wrote: »

If you want commuters, have your weekly meetings on the train. Seriously.

im very involved in quite a few societies....
im the vice-pres of the juggling soc and we made an extra day during the week for commuting jugglers to come and well juggle.....
it is also just an extra day for maynooth heads as well.....
during the day....12-3
win win really!!
except no fire... doesnt work well during daylight hours!!
:mad:

Ataxia

I think the problem is that for most people joining clubs or socs is basically an aspirational thing. The L&D has nearly 200 members on paper, but only a handful who will actually show up to an event; part of this is naivety - freshers just don't realise the amount of drinking/drug taking/etc that they will be doing in the evenings, which prevents them from doing other stuff they want to do. Part of it is cliqueishness. I think any society inevitably becomes one or more cliques, which can be daunting for new people to try and break into. But I think the main problem is that NUIM just doesn't have the tradition of Clubs & Societies that TCD, UCD etc have. The Phil in TCD (the equivalent of the LnD) owns its own building on campus and has a huge number of active members simply because of its prestige.

Kiwi_knock

It boils down to commuters losing interest and feeling out of place within the societies. The on campus members seem to dominate societies committee positions mainly due to they can devote more time to the activities of a specific society. Commuters can not attend every single society meeting or event, so they start to feel out of touch with what is going on within the society. Most feel sidelined in the societies so eventually they stop going all together. To be a commuter and an active member of a society takes a lot of work. I feel it easier though because I was involved in the same society before I joined Maynooth. I think commuters find it easier to adapt to societies that they already are involved with or at least interested in. Its a very difficult situation to remedy, you can not force people to be members but then your society can not survive without members. Its quite a challenge to the societys and the Union to try and improve the levels of participation within the social aspect of the college.

rcaz

I joined four clubs/socs (trampoline, composers', kung fu and alternative music), and kept up two of them (composers' and trampoline). The Alternative Music soc never once emailed me with anything, and I wasn't able to make Kung Fu training most of the time so I stopped going. The music soc never contacted me either, but the PRO would come into lectures to tell us what was going on anyway. Commuting makes it hard (I don't go to composers' meetings unless I have another reason to go to college - since 2nd semester I've no Tuesday lectures), but I really liked being involved in them when I could be. Made it a lot easier to get comfortable in college, but that's more of a general fact about clubs/socs, not necessarily one that needs pointing out here

I'm REALLY pissed that some socs would take your €2 and never try to contact you.

Norrdeth

Speaking of Composers, we have a lovely facebook page that I have to promote, the more discussion the better!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47776542430

manic mailman

Some societies just don't try. For instance last year a few societies i joined either didn't even organise a single thing or else didn't have much going on over the whole year....its fustrating considering these and many other societies have alot of potential. I really wouldn't know where to start to try and change the situation either.....:S

manic mailman

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

It boils down to commuters losing interest and feeling out of place within the societies. The on campus members seem to dominate societies committee positions mainly due to they can devote more time to the activities of a specific society. Commuters can not attend every single society meeting or event, so they start to feel out of touch with what is going on within the society. Most feel sidelined in the societies so eventually they stop going all together. To be a commuter and an active member of a society takes a lot of work. I feel it easier though because I was involved in the same society before I joined Maynooth. I think commuters find it easier to adapt to societies that they already are involved with or at least interested in. Its a very difficult situation to remedy, you can not force people to be members but then your society can not survive without members. Its quite a challenge to the societys and the Union to try and improve the levels of participation within the social aspect of the college.

Also this pretty much is my situation down to a tee!

Norrdeth

Hey calling all Maynooth musicians or anybody just interested in music in Maynooth. Join the brand new Music society facebook page! Just made today!!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110048005698134&ref=ts

Ms. Koi

I would but I have facebook blocked from my laptop until the exams are over!!

TheManHimself

I think it is up to the club and society to try to have the best stand at clubs and socs day. WE need to go all out on the one day were we can potentially get loads of members. Then after that it's keeping up regular emails in order to get more active members

kisaragi

kellief wrote: »

I would but I have facebook blocked from my laptop until the exams are over!!

This seems like a good idea... how does one block a website from their computer? I know I can just deactivate my fb account but can you actually "blacklist" specific sites so to speak?

jamesie_boy

kisaragi wrote: »

This seems like a good idea... how does one block a website from their computer? I know I can just deactivate my fb account but can you actually "blacklist" specific sites so to speak?

Hey! you can do this through your router. If you type in the address of your router then go to the sub tab of 'content' or something that resembles that there should be an option to input website urls that you want to blacklist. Hope this helps!

Ms. Koi

kisaragi wrote: »

This seems like a good idea... how does one block a website from their computer? I know I can just deactivate my fb account but can you actually "blacklist" specific sites so to speak?

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=2f89b5969fa0934c&hl=en

Simple!

manna

I was very involved in a couple of societies this year, sitting on committees or being present for most events. I've watched as societies like MINDS disappeared into non existence this year, new societies such as Tedsoc found it incredibly difficult to organise events.

The Tea society, which was new this year and won best new society at Clubs and Socs awards struggled to get attendance at committee meetings, not to mind events, and they signed up over 200 people on Fair's day.

Is there anything we can do about this kind of thing? I like these new societies, but I'm afraid they won't exist next year, because it's hugely disheartening to have such no one turn up after working your ass off to get an event going. Suggestions anyone?

Kiwi_knock

There is no direct correlation between the numbers who sign up on fairs day and those who regularly attend meetings. People sign up for clubs and societies without even asking about what they do and events they hold. Ideally sign up for clubs should be held on a different day than societies, at the moment the sports hall is packed with all the stalls and impossible to find some of them. I spent 20 mins walking around trying to find one stall, it is ridiculous. They should give a printout of where each stall is located in the hall. Also sign up for clubs and societies should be held during orientation week for first years to really try and get them involved. We were told at the majority of orientation talks to get involved in campus life but then we had to wait for over a week to get involved, I think that is ridiculous. Get people signed up when they are not yet settled. With the increase of first years next year there should be a rise in the number of members of clubs and societies. However the current system of sign up needs to be changed so that more members can be attracted.

manna

The problem with holding it during orientation week is that a lot of students don't move up until just before lectures start, especially if they were working over the summer. Even if they had some sort of pre-Fair's day thing, like the stalls on the Open days, where you can learn about what each club and society does without being pressured into handing over money...

I definitely agree about how overcrowded things are on Fair's day, and how there was no order to where the stands were placed.

Kiwi_knock

The orientation booklet should contain a paragraph on each club and society outlining the activities and the events held. Being a member of a club or society should be an integral part of college life but I know a lot of people who do not get involved and that is not just commuters. Any society that is looking to survive,needs realistically to be holding events every month. I fear that a lot of these new societies being formed will fade away as those who formed them leave Maynooth as they will struggle to gain members.

banquo

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

The orientation booklet should contain a paragraph on each club and society outlining the activities and the events held.

/Scribbles down idea

Ataxia

banquo wrote: »

/Scribbles down idea

It used to, I think.