Is it possible the AHA can provide contact info to clubs for individual AHA members in set zip codes so clubs can contact those that aren’t members to attend a meeting? Or to protect privacy a club could give the AHA a list of zipcodes and the AHA can send an email to all members in those zipcodes regarding an upcoming meeting for the club in that region?
I know I was unware of my local club until I started competing locally and they contacted me. Now I’m a member. I wonder how many more are out there like me. Had I known I probably would have gone to a meeting to check it out earlier. It can only help the hobby to strengthen our clubs. Seems like it could be a feature or service that could be provided to clubs. Just looking for a marketing tool for the clubs to increase membership.
The AHA website does have a listing of clubs by area. perhaps not zip code but it shouldn’t be that hard to find a club in your area that way. That’s what I did when I decided to join a club.
As an AHA member, it’s a bad idea. There is enough information about clubs already available to the AHA’s membership, for anyone who is interested to find a local club.
And under no circumstances would I want the AHA giving my contact info to anyone, for any reason.
+1
This really only works in one direction. Clubs are usually looking for more members, so they can put their info out there and homebrewers will find them.
Individuals, on the other hand, deserve their privacy.
I agree that membership info shouldn’t be distributed to clubs, or anyone else for that matter.
It would be a neat idea if clubs could someone provide information to the AHA that was distributed to members in the areas the clubs operate in. But I can see how this would present some pretty serious technology and logistics issues to the AHA. I doubt there’s a cheap n’ easy way to automate something like that.
And, as has been pointed out, if a member is interested in a club, there’s plenty of info already out there to let them connect with one.
Perhaps listing the clubs and contact numbers and/or websites in the back of Zymurgy just like they list various homebrew shops by state? Agree with helping clubs get their info out to prospective members but would not want my info disseminated beyond AHA.
Believe me I understand privacy. I work as a Risk Manager for a major corporation with one of my responsibilities being protecting customer information. How many complain about the AHA emails now as an invasion of privacy?
I think I didn’t phrase my question or idea correctly. I didn’t know much about clubs and I didn’t know I wanted to be in one until I was invited to a meeting. I didn’t know about resources when I first started brewing. I bought a beer kit from a catalog (in 1990 the internet was a little slow) and had no local contact with anyone in the hobby when I started . I think that many aren’t aware of clubs or clubs in their area. How many members are in the AHA and how many of them are in clubs? We get emails from the AHA now (some I read, some I delete). Why couldn’t a brew club even pay a small fee to have the AHA send a email to individuals in the area that are AHA members letting them know about the local brew club including the time and place of the next meeting? One email couldn’t hurt. If you aren’t interested delete the email. If you are then you can go or know how to contact the club. Maybe just an email letting AHA members know that there is a brew club in their area and attach a link to the brew club’s website. What’s the difference between that email and one we get about Mead Day or Learn to Homebrew Day?
I did know later on that there were brew clubs but didn’t know there was one near me. I just didn’t take the time to find out because I didn’t realize how it could help me. If I found out there was one near me that was registered with the AHA I might have looked into it. My current club isn’t hurting for members. I just want to support the hobby and let it grow.
As far as logistics…I use Excell and Access now and it’s easy to sort for specific data. Not sure how the AHA membership is stored but it must be on some sort of database and can be easily sorted.
Now that I think about it I do get emails when local bars are added to the pub discount program. So some of that infrastructure might already be in place.
I’ve no problems with the AHA sending members an e-blast saying “Hey, here are some clubs near you–check them out if you’re interested.” And leave it at that. But giving the clubs my info–not OK.