Starting a pipe club, help needed.

[macthenife]

I'm a newbie here on the forum but I've done enough reading of posts to know that this is a great place to go for help. The group is great and I'm looking forward to becoming an active part of the group.
After being a loyal listener to the weekly radio program I have decided to start a pipe club in my area. We are set for a first meeting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The location will be held at one of the last bars that serve food at that you can also smoke. Let me tell you, this was a find! It will be held at the Ranch Club in Garden City, Idaho. This is the same bar as seen in the Clint Eastwoood movie "Bronco Billy". This was a blast from the past. We will be meeting from 6:30 to 9:30.
I need suggestions from the group on what would be a good agenda for the meeting. They offer a full bar and menu so eating and or drinking will be a part of it. I figure that we can go around and do a short introduction of ourselves, who we are, what we do, what pipe and tobacco we are smoking. I need other ideas to keep the meeting going through the night and make it an event people will want to come back to and invite their friends the next time. So I'm open for advice here and appreciate the help in advance. I'm a pipe smoker of 20+ years and have learned a lot over the years and I want to keep learning and sharing information with others. Brian really sold this idea to me on the radio show. So here I go.
Slainte!

Shawn

 

[orionpyoung]

Maybe have a membership fee which goes to buying new tobacco, preferably something new to most everyone. That would probably keep folks coming back and having something new to discuss.

 

[macthenife]

Good idea Orion. I was thinking about starting some type of raffle for this same thing. That way the funds can continue to be used to buy new tobacco or maybe one day a pipe to give away to the winner.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I'd say the best idea would be to get the first meeting under your belt. Then send out feelers on the fee and raffles and such in the second or third meeting. Good to get to know one another and get a feel for what kind of blends and pipes the group is into individually in the first meeting.

 

[admin]

Check this out -
Starting Your Own Pipe Club - By Steve Fallon

 

[ace57]

You could do some pipe or tamper making and then sell them to help with the club cost.

 

[kb7get]

Shawn, just saw this post and it finally got me to join the forum. I live within driving distance and it is nice to see something getting set up here in Idaho. Sent you a PM also.

 

[lestrout]

mac - good on you to have the initiative to set up a pipe club meeting. A lot depends on the sensibilities of your members to be. I've been to a number of clubs and they vary from having a set format (such as presentations and tastings) to non agenda at all. If you have nothing formal, you may not need any dues. If you have a club that joins UPCA, a club of clubs, then there are some nominal fees involved. But then your club gets on the Altadis list which gets a box of free tins and pouches each month.
hp

les

 

[judcole]

Good article by Steve Fallon that Kevin linked.
Steve's a good guy - I know him through Yahoo Pipe Smokers 2. He was very active there when I first joined. He is AKA Pipestud, and has contributed quite a bit to the pipe smoking community over the years.

 

[philip]

I'd say the best idea would be to get the first meeting under your belt.

I agree. The important thing is to have a good time. Then everyone will look forward to coming back.
At the Seattle Pipe Club there is usually no agenda at all (with the exception of this month's slow smoke competition.) The members just get together, smoke and talk with other members they have not seen for a month. Some have dinner or a drink. And everyone has an amazingly good time. I look forward to it as it's the only chance I have all month of smoking with others indoors.
The club also has an annual dinner in January and a barbecue sometime in the summer. One month is the annual "White Night". Everyone brings their meerschaums. Members might get together to visit local B&Ms or attend pipe shows. Your members might also like to do some political work advocating tobacco rights. Starting small is okay. The Seattle Pipe Club started with just three members.
I don't know if it will help, but you might enjoy reading the PM Pipe Club Blogs, if you haven't already.

And here is a link to the Seattle Pipe Club.
So here's my advice to you:
1. Be content to start slow.

2. Have fun.

3. Come back here for encouragement if needed.

4. Persist and persevere.
Best of luck to you.

 

[macthenife]

Thank you all for the support and suggestions. Thank you Kevin for including the link on starting a club. There is a lot of helpful information there. And Philip, thank you for the link as well. I'm going to try my best to make this club to be something the members will be able to enjoy. They may come away with more information than when they joined and may ne able to share some wisdom if their own with the rest of us. But most importantly a chance to meet new friends in the pipe community. Looks like I'm already successful with having KB7get join the forum and offer to help get things going. This is a shining example if what this place is all about. We are a community of people that love smoking pipes and the members are there for eachother.
Thanks again. I will keep everyone posted as mire develops.
Slainte!

Shawn

 

[hawk60ce]

Wish i lived in idaho!

 

[austinxpipe]

Orion, we should get one started up where we are!