Starting a pipe club, tips?

[Lianza]

Hello pipe smokers!
Sorry if this is in the wrong section!

I really enjoy the sense of community of these forums, and I want to start a pipe club in my area. But I’m not sure how to go about doing that.

Should I ask my local shop if I can use their location once a month for a meet up?
Should I use my private residence?
How would I go about finding other pipe smokers in my area?
Should I just make a flyer and ask to post it at my local shop?

If anyone has any experience’s starting a club I would really appreciate your insight!

Thanks for reading!
Lianza

 

[Mr_houston]

Your idea to approach your local pipe shop is a good one. It would be good for their business, so they ought to be helpful. Their customers are your best targets for participants. Maybe they’d post a notice for you.

Get everyone’s email address when you start and send reminder emails for meetings.

Also, post it here in our pipe clubs section.

Our club’s best tradition is every brings lots of tobacco, puts it on the table, and anyone can try it.

Good luck.

 

[Lianza]

Thanks for your idea’s and direction!

 

[StPaulPiper]

Hello pipe smokers!
Sorry if this is in the wrong section!

I really enjoy the sense of community of these forums, and I want to start a pipe club in my area. But I’m not sure how to go about doing that.

Should I ask my local shop if I can use their location once a month for a meet up?
Should I use my private residence?
How would I go about finding other pipe smokers in my area?
Should I just make a flyer and ask to post it at my local shop?

If anyone has any experience’s starting a club I would really appreciate your insight!

Thanks for reading!
Lianza

Hey Lianza - I'm in the process of starting a club in my area as well. I've reserved a web address, a logo and am half done building a website, but I kind of stalled, as it is getting to be a lot of work. However, I should have more time this winter to putz with it. I reached out to a couple bars and breweries - many of them do have outdoor spaces you can use for meetings, or at least to go smoke, in between drinks and lies. Cigar/tobacco shops are generally very amenable to donating space and/or tobacco (occasionally), and are very good about disseminating club info, as they are all for more tobacco business, of course.

The Chairman of the Pipe Club of London gave me this advice: "Schedule a members day and time for the meetings. The best thing then is organise food and entertainment so that you have a good attendance each time you meet."

I think he's saying that simple word of mouth will get you going fastest. Get some people together, have a good time, good smokes, and pipers will talk about it to every other pipe smoker they know! I love Mr Huston's advice to have members bring extra tobacco for others to try.

Good luck!

 

[briarbuck]

A noble quest. Good luck and keep us in the loop with your progress.

 

[bullet08]

First rule. There is no such a thing as pipe club. It should be so secret, the members shouldn't know each other at all. Secret handshake, pins and dead animals skeletons are must (possums work great with that friendly death grin).

 

[eljimmy]

Let me know if you need a logo.

 

[lestrout]

Yo Lia - social media is your friend, although there is a vocal minority of FaceBook haters out there. One of my pals out West had a tiny core of 4 members meeting at t friendly B&M until they went on FB, at which point the attendance multiplied. A FB Page is much easier to set up than your own club website.

 

[Lianza]

Thanks everyone for your idea’s and direction!

I’m going to several b&m’s on the island tomorrow including my local shop to ask them to post one of these:

 

[JKoD]

Thanks everyone for your idea’s and direction!

I’m going to several b&m’s on the island tomorrow including my local shop to ask them to post one of these:
View attachment 119040

A drink for your club…except your bottle would say “domestic.”

 

[Streeper541]

Best tip ever... make sure you enjoy the tobacco & the company. ?

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I have been a member of several activity specific clubs and have come to realise I am a terrible member. I plan to attend a meeting and find a reason not to go. Wish sometimes I could be like others. When I did go the members, that I've known for years are always pleasently surprised.

 

[Searock Fan]

"Let's start a pipe club." I've heard that more than once. I don't like to be a party pooper, but I'm going to tell you what has happened to me... twice. Both times it wasn't long before the bs started. People, especially those in "the business" were in it for their own personal promotion and gain. A couple of examples:

One very well known pipe maker had a group of loyal minions who gathered around him. To be a member of this admiration society he expected you to only smoke his brand of pipes and even had the gaul to suggest to me I sell my collection and buy some of his. Plus, and this is hard to believe, he, being a born again Christian wanted his fans to believe in his version of religion only. Need I say, I graciously declined both offers and was not welcome at his table during meeting.

Another guy who was memorable, owned a local pipe shop. This character was so money hungry I once saw him try to charge one of his customers for doing a trade with another customer out in his parking lot. It was obvious to me after a couple of club meeting that his sole purpose being there was to muck up the works. I think he couldn't stand the idea of any sales or trades going on without him getting his cut.

I would enjoy being in a pipe club, but I'm gun shy about them now.

I could go on but you get the idea. Be careful of the motives of the members, especially those in the pipe business.