Messages

1

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 05:08:15 PM »

They hold meetings and share information just like any other club.

I do not believe that to be the case. When and where are these meetings? None of the "club members" I've had this discussion with ever mentioned meetings.

2

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 05:03:34 PM »

One of our members (the founder) hasn't been to a meeting in probably a year because he travels a lot for work now.  So his entries don't count?

Nobody is saying that every member has to attend every meeting to be a club member. The particular club's membership are would determine who is, or is not, a member in good standing and eligible to enter beers in competition under the club name.

Ah, see, now you've just ruled the BN in.  Members do physically get together on a regular basis.

Really? When do they get together for club meetings?

3

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 04:54:41 PM »

One of our members (the founder) hasn't been to a meeting in probably a year because he travels a lot for work now.  So his entries don't count?

Nobody is saying that every member has to attend every meeting to be a club member. The particular club's membership are would determine who is, or is not, a member in good standing and eligible to enter beers in competition under the club name.

4

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 04:44:36 PM »

I think a club should have regular, physical meetings to discuss club business (not an internet radio show or a yearly party), should have officers and do the things the club is organized to do.

Well then you've invalidated one of my clubs.  We have regular meetings, but we have no club business and no officers.  We gather, taste beers, talk about beer and brewing (among other things), and go home.  It's a nice relaxed club, I've made good friends there.

But we have to be a club, right?  We have t-shirts.

Maybe your club doesn't meet all my criteria, but it certainly meets the most important one- regular, physical meetings.

5

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 04:37:56 PM »

Put me down as saying that I have no problem with TBN winning.  They followed the rules and won.

I'm not saying anybody cheated; clearly TBN meets the current AHA criteria for a homebrewing club. What I'm suggesting is that the criteria need to be changed.

Can you suggest what the criteria should be?

As has been mentioned, requiring dues, requiring local members only, etc affect many more clubs than TBN. I think if you want to come at this with a scalpel and invalidate TBN while otherwise maintaining the status quo, you will find that an impossible task. It is easy to say the AHA must redefine "club", it is hard to write out what the new definition should be.

Well, first off, I've never indicated that a club should only consist of local members. I have said that typically, club members are local to each other. But if Jamil (for instance) wants to be a DOZE member (which he has been) and drive 100 miles from Elk Grove to attend meetings (which he has done) that's fine.

I think a club should have regular, physical meetings to discuss club business (not an internet radio show or a yearly party), should have officers and do the things the club is organized to do.

6

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 04:29:57 PM »

Put me down as saying that I have no problem with TBN winning.  They followed the rules and won.

I'm not saying anybody cheated; clearly TBN meets the current AHA criteria for a homebrewing club. What I'm suggesting is that the criteria need to be changed.

7

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 04:20:12 PM »

You all make valid points, but I still have a problem with it. For instance, in my city there is a private Catholic high school that has had the top-ranked high school footbal program in the country for many years and in fact once had a run of 151 consecutive wins. Much of that came when the team competed in the same league as local public high schools. The private school was able to recruit players from all over the country while the public schools could only draw from their surrounding neighborhoods. I see this situation as identical. Maybe nobody else sees it as an issue and if that's the case, I don't need to spend any more brain cells b*tching about it. Just seems to be an inequity to me, that's all.

8

Homebrew Clubs / Virtual Homebrew Clubs And Competition

« on: June 21, 2011, 03:50:52 PM »

We all new it would happen eventually and it did- The Brewing Network's "homebrew club" won Club of the Year. I am of the opinion that a club that has no meetings, has no officers, collects no dues and exists only in the most general sense of the word and even then, only virtually, is not really a club at all. Further, a club like this can draw hundreds or thousands of "members" from all over the country. Real clubs, brick-and-mortar clubs, cannot. They are typically restricted to members from the local area. This creates a very uneven playing field, IMHO. I know TBN meets the AHA rules for being a club (that is; simply call yourself a club and you are one) but I wonder what the general consensus on this issue is. I have hashed this out over on The Brewing Network forum, but not surprisingly, most there seem to feel that it's tough ta-tas for anybody that doesn't like it. I think the AHA needs to define what a homebrew club is in the competiton rules. Your thoughts?