Picking Associations

I have been a member of three dog clubs. I currently belong to none and will likely never be a member of one again. My interests and theirs rarely align and the backstabbing reads like a roman political meeting.

I am currently a member of three specialty associations related to trapping, hunting, and farming. None of which is the NRA.

I am an active member of two web boards and am pretty active on facebook.

How does one decide what clubs and trade associations to be a member of? First off to me it is a question of value. A club that is little more than a logo is worthless. A club that is nothing but a gossip circle is equally worthless. Sadly this encompasses 80% or more of dog clubs where they are little more than a trade association for dealing puppies and spending money on judges and ribbons.
They also tend to be more about exclusion than inclusion. Typically their publications are private - and typically you need two or more members to vouch for you to join. This leads to a constant cycle of backstabbing and snarky behavior that should make an awesome experience into something completely dominated by the ability to navigate petty club politics.

In contrast joining a rabbit club with a quarterly publication with topics about rearing and research and a specialty show costs about $20 a year. It has open enrollment.

My trapping association sends out publications every other month. It contains information about sales, education seminars, and specific how to articles. They also present information on protecting trapping from special interest groups. Open enrollment and only $35 a year. A good value for supplies that are sometimes difficult to find.

Second to me is a question of what my dollars are truly supporting. If you donate to the NRA
one only needs to look at their financial statements to realize how little my membership matters and how much money the big gun manufacturers and retailers are willing to spend to buy congress.

So before you join a club I would suggest anyone consider the following
~ What do I really get out of joining?
~ Is the club accountable to it's membership?
~ Is what they say they are about actually what they do in action?
~ Are they transparent in finances?

If the answers are 100% acceptable to you - join. If not - spend your money elsewhere for better information based in reality.