Dude...Wanna start a club?

Here’s how I feel about clubs…

Just over 10 years ago, I was involved in another hobby, and was an officer in a club. We went to the equivalent of rallies, where multiple clubs would meet. The whole thing turned political; “you’re hanging out with that club too much, you should be representing us”; there was an expectation that you would go to every event. It turned into a huge obligation and the expectations sucked the fun out of the hobby. I quit the club, and shortly after, the hobby.

I like scooters. I enjoy playing around with this website. Part of the reason I started it was that if an active scooter scene arose in Lancaster, it would benefit me as well as the City. But I’m not interested in leading a club. I’d join, and I can do the internet stuff if needed, but somebody else is going to have to lead the effort.

The fact that Tom Toczek hasn’t really publicized his informal club suggests to me that he feels similarly. It’s fun, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.

Whomever does take it on is going to have to deal with the issues of vintage vs. modern, maxi vs. mini, stock vs. hoppers, etc.. Plus the usual issues involved with formalizing events; liability, manpower, sponsors, etc. Do they have dues? Is it an organized non-profit organization? Does it have a charitable aspect? Money changes everything.

But there’s also what I referred to as “critical mass” in the previous post. There are enough scooterists around to support a club. The varied support skills exist, especially now with the addition of a scooter dealer looking to generate interest on this side of the river. The Mayor’s Office Of Special Events is including scooters in City events. The time is ripe. All it needs is for a leader to step up.