Pros vs Cons of Detecting Club Membership

[Old Dude]

I have been in this hobby for 2 years now. I have never hunted with more than three others at a time in those 2 years. I was just wondering what benefits people get from being a member that you can't get from being an active member of this forum? I know being a member can get you into some places that are reserved for clubs, but for me, I'm not sure the politics involved would be worth it. I am not interested in the drama that some people always inject into group hunts. This person said this....that person did that. I am there to metal detect and have fun, not talk about people or discuss who's the leader. Maybe this all boils down to personality types? I have always been more of a loner and never really cared about functioning in a group.
Anyone have any points that being a member of a club is a good thing?

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

Pros - you get to see and try a lot of detectors. Good fun at picnics and "planted" or token hunts (prizes for finding numbered tokens). Get to talk with like minded folks. Occasionally you get asked to look for something really interesting.

Cons - eventually they'll try and get you to serve as treasurer. Dues. Less new opportunities than you might think.

 

[JrMack]

Never been in a MD club or the mile high club either: LOL! but seriously I do think it gives some members an opportunity to hunt with other members on lands that are privet that normally they couldn't,, plus they do gather information about places in the local areas that are otherwise not known or posted on here, Just like you or I have knowledge of local history of our area--a lot is not published anywhere..storys from friends and aquaintences or family members. If you combine that knowledge tenfold and through other members experiances learn your MD craft, you would benefit by advancing skills and also have some awesome treasure yielding hunts! good luck

 

[pepperj]

Hunted most of my life with just myself or family. Joined a detecting club and it was fun sharing the finds and even more fun in watching the parade of hunters hitting an area that I hunted the day of the club meeting. They were all over me where did I find this or that that was on the finds table, then a buddy would drive by the spot the very next day and sure enough it was a cow paddy and there were flies all over it, trying to suck it dry. I use to laugh at their expression when I'd casually ask them quietly at the next meeting "Did you find anything over at so and so place?" The spots that I wanted to hunt again the cards were held close to the chest.

On another note I belong to a club in the UK and sharing information of everything that's found is key to the clubs success.

 

[Old Dude]

Hunted most of my life with just myself or family. Joined a detecting club and it was fun sharing the finds and even more fun in watching the parade of hunters hitting an area that I hunted the day of the club meeting. They were all over me where did I find this or that that was on the finds table, then a buddy would drive by the spot the very next day and sure enough it was a cow paddy and there were flies all over it, trying to suck it dry. I use to laugh at their expression when I'd casually ask them quietly at the next meeting "Did you find anything over at so and so place?" The spots that I wanted to hunt again the cards were held close to the chest.

On another note I belong to a club in the UK and sharing information of everything that's found is key to the clubs success.

Pepper, I just don't understand some people. I would never poach someone's site, and I expect the same from them. Cjon455 and I started hunting together last year and on our very first hunt together, I shared my best spot, showed him where I had found my 2 KG's and most of my other big coppers. He and I have spent many hours and many miles driving, looking and getting permissions. He has shown me places he has made his finds. If people are just honest, things go so much better for everyone involved.

 

[Jason in Enid]

cons - every club has at least one scumbag who buys items and submits them in the monthly finds contests. There are always people who will be there solely to find where others are hunting to jump their spot. Most members are very old, very clique-ish, and wont even bother to look at new members much less actually talk to them and make them welcome.

 

[Old Dude]

cons - every club has at least one scumbag who buys items and submits them in the monthly finds contests. There are always people who will be there solely to find where others are hunting to jump their spot. Most members are very old, very clique-ish, and wont even bother to look at new members much less actually talk to them and make them welcome.

Jason, I believe there is one thing we can count on about those types hunters ~ they don't have enough down deep inside to truly hunt a place very well. I would almost bet a dedicated hunter could go in behind them and make good finds. Their impatience and low standards just keeps them in the losing circle.

 

[bigfoot1]

I am the president of a sucessful club...members are my wife,my buddy,and me.no dues,no meetings,a few pranks but all in fun.I like my club...I'm only pres.cause I've been at it the longest and pres.buys the beer(I dont mind)

there are places where a club would prolly make sense...this aint one of em.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

old-dude: Your post is very illustrative of what's become of "clubs" over the last 20+ yrs. Brick & mortar clubs (monthly meetings, blah blah) have gone by the way-side of the day-&-age of the internet. Nowadays, people get their "gossip", show & tell, tech-information, meeting others, etc.... ALL from the comfort of their living room chair.

In the old days, if you wanted to know who's finding what, or how different machines compare, or learn of others-in-your-area, you HAD to join a club. Not so anymore

So as time has gone on, the only places that seem to have clubs anymore, is really big cities. R.I.P.

 

[Keppy]

cons - every club has at least one scumbag who buys items and submits them in the monthly finds contests. There are always people who will be there solely to find where others are hunting to jump their spot. Most members are very old, very clique-ish, and wont even bother to look at new members much less actually talk to them and make them welcome.

Jason…. Hit it right on the head here clubs are a big pain in the rear… And Tom also gave you good info ……….I belonged to one about 30 years ago what a joke … And i have about 40 + years hunting and have spent about 99% of the time hunting by my self and i still hunt by my self …. And i really am very happy with it that way ...

 

[Tom_in_CA]

........ have spent about 99% of the time hunting by my self and i still hunt by my self …. And i really am very happy with it that way ...

No. You are not hunting "by yourself". You are engaged on md'ing forums. Quite frequently mind you. Hence THAT has become your "club".

 

[pepperj]

No. You are not hunting "by yourself". You are engaged on md'ing forums. Quite frequently mind you. Hence THAT has become your "club".

True but there's a bit of difference as one isn't subjected to a bunch of members trying spot your car parked around the local hunting area, now one has 91,000 members trying to track one's IP address down.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

pepperj, naturally there's differences between brick & mortar clubs, versus reading/participating in forums. However, point is: a person is not a "lone-ranger" hunter, if they consult/read/post on forums. Even if only to be a fly on the wall to read the pros & con's of others opinions on machines, see the going rate of a used item they're considering, needing to ID a find, etc.... ALL those things used to be ful-filled by attending meetings. Now we do them from our lazy boy recliner.

If someone wants to truly try to claim to be a "lone ranger" hunter, then he needs to turn off his 'puter, and truly seclude himself with just his one one friend or whatever. But heck, half the fun of detecting is "pacing" yourself with others of like interest. And knowing how you're stacking up to others, getting the most out of your equipment, etc... So what's the point ?

Hence club membership wained starting in the mid to late 1990s. R.I.P.

 

[mangum]

As long as you stay away from the politics it's a good time. You can definitely learn a lot from other members & I really enjoy seeing what everyone has found. There's always a bad apple or two but that's life

 

[pepperj]

pepperj, naturally there's differences between brick & mortar clubs, versus reading/participating in forums. However, point is: a person is not a "lone-ranger" hunter, if they consult/read/post on forums. Even if only to be a fly on the wall to read the pros & con's of others opinions on machines, see the going rate of a used item they're considering, needing to ID a find, etc.... ALL those things used to be ful-filled by attending meetings. Now we do them from our lazy boy recliner.

If someone wants to truly try to claim to be a "lone ranger" hunter, then he needs to turn off his 'puter, and truly seclude himself with just his one one friend or whatever. But heck, half the fun of detecting is "pacing" yourself with others of like interest. And knowing how you're stacking up to others, getting the most out of your equipment, etc... So what's the point ?


Hence club membership wained starting in the mid to late 1990s. R.I.P.

Let me get this straight, your saying that one needs to pace themselves with the others is half the fun? I truly enjoyed myself as many oaths have as well at this hobby well before there was a club or a computer, there was a TV with two channels. So there is no pacing or stacking up, it's not a competition to see who finishes first, but some might view the hobby as such. Getting information on how that machine performs is good.

 

[perdidogringo]

Hi All, This is an interesting thread for me to follow. I've never belonged to a club, having mostly lived in 3rd world countries the last 15 years (although I'm American). I would like to get a club going here in Bogota, Colombia where I could make connections with the very few metal detectorists that are here. Safety is an issue so I think that would be a major advantage of starting one here.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Let me get this straight, your saying that one needs to pace themselves with the others is half the fun? ....

Dude, I think you got "lost in the example". There were/are multiple reasons why people joined clubs (the pacing was one of them, as an example I gave you). Sure: perhaps you're content to find memorials, while seeing your buddy find IH's. That's fine if that doesn't compel you to try to up-your-game (hence "pacing"). But for others, yes, we pace ourselves to each other (even if only subconsciously). Same for golf scores, fishing (size/weight of bass), etc.... It's only human nature to have these benchmarks, evaluations of skill, etc.... If that's not YOUR particular enjoyment, fine. Because for example, you turn right around and say:

.... Getting information on how that machine performs is good.

Well gee, then you're not a "lone ranger". The only difference is that ...... while in the old days, you got that from club meetings, but now, you can get it from the net. Hence the net serves as sort of a "club", in that respect. Heck, you can even go on Youtube and see and hear how it's swung, what signals the user is trying to hone in on (audio), etc...

 

[Tom_in_CA]

perdidongringo: Welcome to T'net. Good luck on your endevour to start a club. If, as you say, there's very few hobbyists there, then it's going to be an uphill climb to a) find them, b) hopefully that's enough to merit a "club", and c) that they're inclined enough to come to a monthly meeting of the usual things: show & tell time, raffle, reading of the minutes, blah. Or it can be casual where it's nothing more than a BS session at a Dennys restaurant, etc...

 

[pepperj]

Dude, I think you got "lost in the example". There were/are multiple reasons why people joined clubs (the pacing was one of them, as an example I gave you). Sure: perhaps you're content to find memorials, while seeing your buddy find IH's. That's fine if that doesn't compel you to try to up-your-game (hence "pacing"). But for others, yes, we pace ourselves to each other (even if only subconsciously). Same for golf scores, fishing (size/weight of bass), etc.... It's only human nature to have these benchmarks, evaluations of skill, etc.... If that's not YOUR particular enjoyment, fine. Because for example, you turn right around and say:



Well gee, then you're not a "lone ranger". The only difference is that ...... while in the old days, you got that from club meetings, but now, you can get it from the net. Hence the net serves as sort of a "club", in that respect. Heck, you can even go on Youtube and see and hear how it's swung, what signals the user is trying to hone in on (audio), etc...

I was only giving that giving the example of the machine and information one can get is good Tom, not that I'm black or white on the issue. I just sort of understood it as I stated, and my apologies for not getting your pacing and up-your-game as being something else.

To see a person dig cut silver, colonial finds like it's as easy as digging a new pennies can work two ways it can inspire the person or totally deflate their ability to dig anything worth while. In their eyes when they have that need to be equal, then lots of folks are happy to just to dig regardless of what's in the hole because it's all a bonus to them.

Yes I agree with you that the club "bricks and mortar" is a thing of the past.

It's only human nature to want what the buddy/stranger has, regardless of what it is, finds, scores, that's what makes up this wonderful world the need to have, even if can't be obtained.

 

[Keppy]

pepperj, naturally there's differences between brick & mortar clubs, versus reading/participating in forums. However, point is: a person is not a "lone-ranger" hunter, if they consult/read/post on forums. Even if only to be a fly on the wall to read the pros & con's of others opinions on machines, see the going rate of a used item they're considering, needing to ID a find, etc.... ALL those things used to be ful-filled by attending meetings. Now we do them from our lazy boy recliner.

If someone wants to truly try to claim to be a "lone ranger" hunter, then he needs to turn off his 'puter, and truly seclude himself with just his one one friend or whatever. But heck, half the fun of detecting is "pacing" yourself with others of like interest. And knowing how you're stacking up to others, getting the most out of your equipment, etc... So what's the point ?

Hence club membership wained starting in the mid to late 1990s. R.I.P.

I am a lone hunter when i take my detector and go on a hunt i am with no one i am by my self…No one from any of these treasure forums is with me …..