Pip Radish

Snail - yes, I understand that your experience is different from mine;

Perhaps I should give some credentials. I first started going to folk clubs in about 1969. I started coming to the present incarnation of the club in the mid-nineties and joined the committee about nine years ago. I think all the other members of the committee have more experience on the organisational side in this and other clubs, some going back forty years or more. Some are still involved with other clubs. One, now retired from the committee, probably started out in the fifties/sixties revival and was for a time an organiser of Bracknell Folk festival. Between us, we have quite a lot of experience.

In case anyone is in any doubt, the policy we operate is that anyone who wishes to perform will be given the opportunity to do so, time allowing. As far as I know, this has always been true long before I appeared on the scene. Will Fly will confirm that any newcomer will be pounced on as soon as they come through the door and asked if they want to sing or play. (Does anyone think we shouldn't have asked him?)

whenever you're asked to explain, you seem to maintain that it is a pure open-door policy

It may seem that way because that is what seems to concern people most. I am constantly on the back foot defending myself against attacks on our floorspot policy. Your own post of 08 Feb 10 - 12:58 PM was somewhat confrontational. My "I really can't understand why I am coming under attack..." was in frustration at the fact that I am saying "Look. We've got a club that operates this policy but remains largely traditional and hasn't vanished under a tide of snigger/snoggers or Dylan wannabes." and the only response I get is people telling me what we are doing wrong.

Can you clarify, some time, please?

Well, here are a couple of extracts from a post in reply to Jim that you may have missed -

We care deeply about the music we love and put a considerable amount of work into promoting it. We try to create a positive and supportive environment in which people can learn and share.

All we can do is lead by example and hope that what we do and how we do it conveys the message.

My seemingly flippant "Maybe it's our positive attitude." contains an element of truth. We try to create a culture of success and hope that it's infectious. It seems to work.

Maybe I don't entirely understand it myself but a civilised dicussion and an atmosphere of enquiry might be more useful than the present situation where I feel I'm being constantly asked to justify myself.