Interesting stats from a recent Education Committee email:
Around 65% of the club are new members every year.
40% of new members in 2010 never earned a rating.
Very similar statistics on ratings were reported two years ago on this very blog. Alas, there is an even more disturbing possibility than the two suggested in that earlier post (slow learners or poor teachers): a deliberate pyramid scheme.
And that's what Hoofer Sailing Club appears to be, at least to a significant degree: one big pyramid scheme. The purpose simply is not to teach sailing, but to make money and control resources. The way they do it is by saying, "Give us your money and we'll teach you how to sail." But the large percentage of club members who never learn to sail belie that. Club leaders need a large base of paying "members" to provide capital and operating funds (since the 100 or so club leaders don't have to pay anything), so each year they mount an advertising campaign to recruit new suckers, er, members who will pay around $200 each. Of course there are some good club leaders too, but they're either the minority or are simply dominated by the sleazeballs and crooks. If the latter had their way all the time, HSC would be a model pyramid scheme.
For details, check out these related posts on HSC criminal activities, club structure, money grubbing, and arrogance.
How many are students? Students graduate and move-on. Then again, not everyone does move-on (hint-hint). Statistics can be bent when other facts are ignored. How do these statistics stack-up against other universities? Fleet Commander Palin, please elaborate!
ReplyDeleteGood questions, why don't you do some research and post your findings here. In any event, the fact is even if that 40% of members are students who's mommy and daddy paid their fees, they still never learned how to sail. I doubt any other university level classes have a 40% failure rate.
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