What Makes a Good Club?

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LikeDadDid

Can't Leave
Apr 27, 2021
426
976
Virginia Beach
I've approached a local tobacconist about starting and/or sponsoring a club. I had a pleasant conversation with a pipe smoking employee who is going to run the idea up the pole. I'm going to meet him next Monday at one of their locations.

I think it would help to prepare a one-page proposal. I've started interest groups before but know almost nothing about pipe clubs, except what I've gleaned here. So what makes a good pipe smokers' club? Any advice?
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,206
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
I read the title and my first thought was my shillelagh. To answer, one with companionable members and no real rules unless moneys are involved. I suppose it all depends on the members having the same goals and that's probably not possible. Someone will want to be in charge, others will simply be parasites, a handful will do most of the work necessary.

And, I believe it was Groucho who observed, no quote, he wouldn't join a group that would have him.
 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,068
Maryland
postimg.cc
I was a semi-regular at the NYC, Philly and Allentown clubs (I miss traveling for work...). All three had great clubs. We tried a local one here, but it petered out. A small group of forum members from this forum and the Pipe Smokers Den do quarterly meets at Boswells. I'd keep it informal (NYC has a President and is the most formally organized club).
Here's some tips you might find helpful:

 

LikeDadDid

Can't Leave
Apr 27, 2021
426
976
Virginia Beach
Th
I was a semi-regular at the NYC, Philly and Allentown clubs (I miss traveling for work...). All three had great clubs. We tried a local one here, but it petered out. A small group of forum members from this forum and the Pipe Smokers Den do quarterly meets at Boswells. I'd keep it informal (NYC has a President and is the most formally organized club).
Here's some tips you might find helpful:

That's very helpful. Thanks
 

chilllucky

Lifer
Jul 15, 2018
1,091
2,715
Chicago, IL, USA
scoosa.com
The Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club started out as a casual, occasional meet-up and is now an organization with a charter and voting members and a nearly full-time (unpaid) staff to plan the Chicago Pipe Show.

it would be getting ahead of yourself, but our current president is a member of the forum, Finnian3, and would probably be happy to share the charter with you.

But as others have and will say, members first. Do what you can with whoever shows up most often. Teams that make the most of what talent is already on the roster tend to do better than ones formed around one person's revolutionary ambition.
 
When we started the Magic City Pipe Club, we worked with The Briary, so that we would have a place and someone who could get us speakers in the industry. Our first few meetings were run by some younger folks, that I remember were basically just them wanting to set around and list rules for pipe smoking: never get your pipe wet, never remove a hot stem, blah blah blah, bullshit. After two meetings, all that was left were us older members, the gray beards. They elected me the President, for some weird reason.

I worked with Skip, the owner of The Briary to get people who showed up for meeting a discount for Pipe Club nights, I think it was 15%. Then we got Mike, his Lane Sales rep to come bring us samples and we did a blending night. Then we got a few Pipemakers to come talk and peddle their pipes. We had Music City come talk about Dunhills. The Briarworks folks came one night. We had Erik Stokkebye come and talk about blending. Nording, Ian Walker, and a whole bunch of other pipemakers. With the Italians, I could barely say their names, much less remember them.

We spent a year meeting up at other cigar shops and restaurants that allow smoking to give Skip a break from us keeping him up late.

Then, we realigned ourselves with The Briary when Skip hired a manager for the store. I got burned out on being the president though. So, I just threw it all on a younger member and left about a year before covid hit. They haven't gotten the club back up yet, but I am weighing whether I want to get involved again. I loved it, and I especially enjoyed getting to meet folks in the industry, but after a while it's like... meh... another pipemaker, or another blender... the pixie dust just isn't there anymore.

A club is whatever you want to make of it. I think that after all of those nights with people in the industry, some of my favorite meetings were just conversations were just setting at a table outside at a restaurant talking shit with my friends. We fluxed between 12 showing up to nights where we had over 100, with people having to stand up all night.

I would suggest just getting people to show up at first. Low key, no real plans, just let everyone get to know everyone, access what talents you can gather in a room. If anyone does websites, ask them about setting up a simple webpage or FB acct for the club. If anyone is a photographer, ask them to take pics. If anyone likes to write, get them to do a blurb for each meeting. Or, whatever you want.

If the tobacco shop can call his reps or distributor folks, they can get you a start on getting speakers in. The one thing people in the industry want is to drum, up more business. Then after each speaker, ask them if they know someone else that might could come and talk to you guys. It's a chain reaction. Everyone in the industry knows someone else. Pull strings. Set the dominos up. Or, just keep it laid back. Be as small or big as you want. Like I said, some of my favorite nights were where I didn't have to do anything, except just show up and talk with friends.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
No pipe club experience, but from other small special interest groups, I'd say the following: It takes people who can naturally "chill" as people say. One egomaniac or unrelenting talker can kill a book group or any sort of club or committee. A little format at the beginning is good -- like brief introductions and check-in; an explanation of that meeting's theme or presentation; followed by the theme discussion and follow up questions and comments on the theme; unrelated comments and questions; then smoking time. This is just an example, could be different or entirely free form, but a format can give the big talkers reason to let others speak. Then end with smoking and conversation.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Usually the first club meeting, or first few, are unsettled and awkward. Then some people won't come back, others will bring a friend, and people start to know what to expect and how to contribute, and you get some group feeling going, and things get better. Give any social gathering a few meetings to get going before you give up on them.
 
If you set your mind to it, a pipe club can become a power house. Those hard nose boys at the Chicago Pipe Club eventually set up the Pipe Sow there. And, the New Orleans Pipe Club put on a wonderful Pipe Show down there, and managed to get us all on the ins with Mark at D&R to tour LaPoche perique Factory. I just wish they could have sustained the New Orleans Pipe Show yearly, because, even though it was a smallish show, the atmosphere of Nawlins and being so close to LaPoche made it a fantastic adventure.

But, I enjoy seeing people post small pipe clubs also, just some gray beards smoking round the pot belly stove, looking like they are really enjoying their leaf. I know that we have folks here that don't like people, or prefer to smoke alone. But, I think that having some friends that you can share some blends with, or talk pipes, or just cut the shit with has a lot of value. Gone are the days of hanging out at the barbershop, the front steps of the General Store, or taking over the corner of a small deli and enjoying the fellowship of friends, outside of family, church, or work.

One of the nice things that a pipe club can give you is friends outside your other interests. Hang out with farmer, doctor, HVAC guy, stock broker, people of various means of survival, set politics aside, football teams be damned, current news topics, and just enjoy some friends who may just share one thing in common, smoking pipes. Whether it is a powerhouse or just a small eclectic gathering of souls, there some value to being a part of a brotherhood of the briar.
 
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