. . . still focusing on water/parking/site/member access issues:
New member [smaller and smaller apts] access issues likely will provide more challenge over time, so any reactions will become more important over time. Interactions/agreements with other clubs [the Locarno example] or utilities [storage] or other members [say spare boats as club boats sound like a no-go] go some of the way for initial introduction, but more immersive involvement is difficult to enable – like how is one to get and store one’s own boat?
Maybe a few moments of quarterly web meetings could cover some appropriate commercial folders or even a pneumatic example or so. As well, maybe a yearly workshop, for those who would like to make their own folder – especially say a compact one [say based on river-sea crossover kayaks] – might go some small distance to addressing the issue and yet still be a real multi-day kayak but readily stowable in a closet or portable on transit if car-less.
Another idea to attempt getting around access parking ‘rules’ would be to try to get some kind of alternate status for SKABC members . . . say to trade on the great Howe Sound site stewardship status but maybe more specifically on say a perpetual ‘shore-cleanup’.
All of us usually carry some kind of garbage bag for odd junk we find, so what if we try to get some kind of Metro Park recognition with car stickers that say something like ‘Weekday Shore Pickup’ or ‘Metro Beach Cleanup’ anything along those lines.
Heck, SKABC officially [and others individually – I have and Nick and I have] has done a fair bit of cleanup on other lower mainland locations without trading on the publicity – maybe try and leverage that and the other creds for parking beach cleanup car-stickers to indicate elevated status . . . or at the most minimal and despite official recognition make up our own ‘beach cleanup work-in-progress’ in car banners/ cards [say like those handicapped cards on mirrors] that may at the very least give a little parking time respite, heh heh.
**
On the separate issue of attracting new trip leaders, what about reducing required qualifications when leading simple trips.
For example, how much leader qualification is really needed for a trips up Indian Arm, or longer ones up Pitt Lake, or Stave Lake, or say much longer ones up and around the Sechelt Inlet. Or maybe an intermediate for Harrison. Other than basic rescue ability and listening to weather – just about anyone could lead one of those – and they sure would get you out there.
Anyway, some ideas.