[Paddlewise] Paddlers, Groups, Clubs and Soverenty

Hi all,

Was thinking about Jim Farrelly's plight re: club insurance and training
sessions. My train of thought (I think the engineer was asleep in the
caboose) morphed into asking myself why are there paddling clubs, or any
activity related clubs in the first place.

One of my other activities is rock climbing, and there's a group of friends
who act like a club in many ways but are not a formal club. Most climbing
requires a partner on the other end of your rope, so you're always looking
for at least one other someone to go with you. We've taken to sending
e-mails to everyone we climb with announcing our desire to go "here" and do
"this" at "this time." Sometimes nobody can go, sometimes six or eight
people go. Sometimes we have dinners or birthday parties where we say a lot
of climbing words.

People come and go from the "circle of friends" as they enter and leave the
sport or the geographic area.

How is that different from a club? Why should/shouldn't we be formal club?
Is there some "club veil" that provides legal protection the members? Does
having a formal club attract legal lightning? Why do people form clubs
anyway? Why not just go paddling with the same people over and over?

Paddling clubs, climbing clubs, scuba clubs. All would seem to have
significant skill issues. There must be reasons people formalize their
membership. Is it driven internally or externally? Does Doug Lloyd have a
club of one up in Vancouver? Is paddlewise a "club"?

What are your thoughts?

Fair winds and calm seas,

Carey
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