Poll: To social or not

This is just my 2 cents so take it as you will but I joined the club to make friends with like minded individuals not to limit things to strictly a hobby related relationship. Frankly, if I just wanted the reef info, google searchs can yield as much info as you can get here or on RC or the like.

I found out a few things...
Phil and I can talk about ALOT of things not just fish tanks and skimmer and which coral will do best in crappy water conditions.
Wayne and I have done some similar stuff in our lives for work and can discuss our experiences.
Ryan #1 and Rachel are just fun people to hang out with.
Brad is a consumate smart *** but we have some pretty similar political views and a surprisingly similar tastes in food. And Sara is just a sweetheart.
Sone is a great guy...haven't had a chance to hang out with him much but I am pretty sure I can carry on conversations with him.
JJ not only has a great tank but he is also a horrible poker player (all rumors JJ but I am going to take your money some day!).
Joel has a pretty cool business that doesn't revolve around fish tanks. Plus I am damn curious about what kind of tractor he is working on.

I always use the group of Ducati Monster enthusiasts that I know both online and in person as an example of what a club means to me. It is a group of people who share a passion for a certain thing but also who can disvcuss any topic at will and do so in a manner of friendship and a mutual love for expanding one's mind. To be honest, the tech section and gear and technique sections of that motorcycle forum are filled with great information but again it's not something that is not readily available through Google. But then you visit the No Moto Content section and suddenly you have discussions ranging from politics to fish tanks to sports to personal problems.

I think a club should be a support structure. If so and so loses their job, I want them to feel like we are a shoulder or a hand in their time of need. To me, that's what makes a club great. Going back to the moto club as a reference, when my ex-fiancee and I split up, someone i had never met before outside of the internet flew me to Colorado for a week and put me up simply as a "Hey, there is more to life" kind of gesture. We talked a little bit about motorcycles but for the most part, it was just a friend doing something nice for another person.
Another example is the outpouring of support that a rider in California got when he was run off the road and lost half of his leg. This same group of folks came together and paid for his first 2 prosthetics. To me, THAT is what a club is about.

I know not every club is going to be that kind of support structure. But I do think every club can be a group that can go out for a drink together AND have great discussions about the hobby AND be more than just a group of people who share one hobby.

Again, just my 2 cents. And if I didn't care and didn't think we were capable of more, I wouldn't have shared with you.

 

Nicely put Ryan.
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-JB

 

Once again Ryan you hit the nail on the head..