Post by Antone Aboud on Mar 17, 2023 13:39:34 GMT
Good Morning! (At least here in Albany, NY)
One of the biggest challenges our local stamp club has faced is finding new, and younger members. At 75 years old, I'm not the youngest but hardly the oldest in the club. We have routinely experimented with ways to reach a wider audience, generally with little success.
Recently I contacted a local television station which has agreed to air a news program about the club and our upcoming Stamp Show. The message to the station read in part:
"In a world where what passes for communication are frequently short, glib, and sometimes toxic messages, we need to identify activities that can promote satisfying conversations. Collecting stamps is a hobby that can support communications across the cultural barriers that too often divide our citizens, sometimes even our families. The Fort Orange Stamp Club (FOSC) would like to schedule a meeting with Spectrum News to discuss a feature story that we believe would be of interest to our community. The story would focus on how this now “old fashion” hobby can become a “new fashion” among all persons who are both curious and desiring fellowship with equally inquisitive neighbors, family and friends."
Evidently that first sentence attracted the recipients' attention. And given my experience, the sentiment in the paragraph is true. I have belonged to the stamp club for about five years. During that time I have never once heard a single person raise a topic that would inflame passions beyond, "how much is that stamp worth?" I have no idea of the political affiliations of any person in the club but one close friend. Our meetings are at worst a little long some nights, putting me past my preferred bedtime; however, I never leave angry because of an argument over a world event that permeates public, private and social media. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't pay attention to the world around us, but we do need an occasional opportunity to "chill."
Whether this type of messaging would work in other locations is unclear. Still, I thought I would share the idea for those who might want an idea about how to market our hobby in your own communities.
One of the biggest challenges our local stamp club has faced is finding new, and younger members. At 75 years old, I'm not the youngest but hardly the oldest in the club. We have routinely experimented with ways to reach a wider audience, generally with little success.
Recently I contacted a local television station which has agreed to air a news program about the club and our upcoming Stamp Show. The message to the station read in part:
"In a world where what passes for communication are frequently short, glib, and sometimes toxic messages, we need to identify activities that can promote satisfying conversations. Collecting stamps is a hobby that can support communications across the cultural barriers that too often divide our citizens, sometimes even our families. The Fort Orange Stamp Club (FOSC) would like to schedule a meeting with Spectrum News to discuss a feature story that we believe would be of interest to our community. The story would focus on how this now “old fashion” hobby can become a “new fashion” among all persons who are both curious and desiring fellowship with equally inquisitive neighbors, family and friends."
Evidently that first sentence attracted the recipients' attention. And given my experience, the sentiment in the paragraph is true. I have belonged to the stamp club for about five years. During that time I have never once heard a single person raise a topic that would inflame passions beyond, "how much is that stamp worth?" I have no idea of the political affiliations of any person in the club but one close friend. Our meetings are at worst a little long some nights, putting me past my preferred bedtime; however, I never leave angry because of an argument over a world event that permeates public, private and social media. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't pay attention to the world around us, but we do need an occasional opportunity to "chill."
Whether this type of messaging would work in other locations is unclear. Still, I thought I would share the idea for those who might want an idea about how to market our hobby in your own communities.