Checkers Booster Club

[BaltoSkipjacks]

Hello All,

I am new to the Checkerboard. I am trying to get information about a Checkers booster club. I found a link to a booster club website but it has been under construction for weeks.

Does a booster club exist?

If so does anyone know of who I can contact to get more information about them?

I would love to get involved and see some games with a group of fans.

Thanks to anyone who replies.

[SD12]

Welcome to the board.

Actually, there is no Booster Club anymore. It was disbanded earlier in the season. What we have instead is the 7th Man Club, which was organized by two former BC members.

The purpose is pretty much the same as the Booster Club, which is to support the Charlotte Checkers Hockey Club, only there are no membership dues, no meetings, no Board of Directors. All you have to do is be a fan of the Checkers.

Occasional bus trips are organized so folks can support the Checkers on the road, and we had our Holiday Socoal last month that was a complete success.

Here's some contact information:
Chris Regish @ (704) 882-1782; or
Terry Moores @ (704) 277-3874 tmoores@adelphia.net

[CheckersChic612]

Correction, the booster club is "Inactive", not disbanded... there is still a booster club....but it is not active for now....

[Cookie32]

SD12...you guys are very wise in changing from a booster club to more of a fan club.
Believe me, that's why many of us started the whole Wildcatters Fanatics board that is highly successful. We are FANS. We don't kiss butt; don't have a clique that acts better than others; don't charge anyone to "wipe the players' butts", as one person put it, etc. We all just love the game and some of our "members" (no dues or forms, remember) used to be in the booster club and got tired of a few bossing the rest around and changing the bylaws to suit themselves. Need I mention again the "shutout award" our brilliant booster club gave our team against you guys (right before dropping the puck to play you guys again...and you tore us up).
I applaud anyone that is there for the team and not just to show authority and look down upon others.

[Ice Angels]

SD12...you guys are very wise in changing from a booster club to more of a fan club.
Believe me, that's why many of us started the whole Wildcatters Fanatics board that is highly successful. We are FANS. We don't kiss butt; don't have a clique that acts better than others; don't charge anyone to "wipe the players' butts", as one person put it, etc. We all just love the game and some of our "members" (no dues or forms, remember) used to be in the booster club and got tired of a few bossing the rest around and changing the bylaws to suit themselves. Need I mention again the "shutout award" our brilliant booster club gave our team against you guys (right before dropping the puck to play you guys again...and you tore us up).
I applaud anyone that is there for the team and not just to show authority and look down upon others.

That really has nothing to do with why the Booster Club decided to go inactive. Most of the people who posted on the subject do not know what they are talking about. The club used to be a place where a few over zealous people had the power abused it. The meetings were nothing but screaming matches at that time. That is when most of the people who posted on this subject left. Since that, a completely new board was elected and the BS was put to an end. In the last two seasons, the club has been productive and the members got along well.

The reasoning behind freezing the club for now has to do with a few certain people who had/have ties to the club. People who went outside the club rules and harassed the staff and players, etc. The booster club is not allowed to revoke membership at this time and the front office is not allowed to intervene due to the fact that the booster club is a part of the ECHL.

Without having a "booster club" the front office and the members of the "fan club" are free to refuse membership/participation to any person deemed as a nuisance. The front office can also take matters to a higher power, if need be. THAT is the reason the club is not functioning right now. The Booster Club, if and when it decides to re-activate itself will definitely look at changing the bylaws to be able to refuse participation in the club and by that time the office will have a better handle on the issues/offending persons at hand and the club can then once again restart for the right reasons and with the right support from the front office and the team.

[CheckersChic612]

:appl: Yeah what she said!! and well said I might add...


Ya know it's sad that one person can be such a boil on our butts.... but oh well what can ya do, ignore it, maybe it'll go away.....

[Cookie32]

See? That's where YOUR booster club (or those who want a "new" booster club) and ours differs...quite a few used to be in the club and just had enough. They knew certain ones would be in power (no matter how they had to get there) and it just wasn't worth the effort to "dethrone" certain "leaders". In time, they will reap what they sow. As the old saying goes...give 'em enough rope.
When you have many members and only a few "select" are allowed to call ALL the shots, something has to give. From getting into games free (when the coach himself told me that all booster club members, working the table or not, had to have a ticket),
to rigging giveaways...oy...I'll just stop for now. You get the picture.

[Ice cheX]

They knew certain ones would be in power (no matter how they had to get there) and it just wasn't worth the effort to "dethrone" certain "leaders".
It's not a matter of those in "in power". We're not talking about the leaders of the club here. We're talking about one individual who went too far--thinking that one is owed everything. Thinking that one has special priviledges. Harrassing staff members, players, other booster club members in public. The list goes on and on. The problem is that our bylaws are worded in a way that doesn't specifically outlaw those kinds of behaviors and we're somewhat powerless to remove the person from the club.

[babs<3checkers]

Cookie - are you telling us about your club, not making comments on ours, or...?

Similarities seem abounding in a general sense, though, so... Glad we are what we are!!! This is much more fun than that all sounds! :D

[Cookie32]

Ok, now I'M confused...
are you telling me your whole booster club had trouble because of ONE person's antics and that person wasn't even an officer of the club?
If that's the case, if I were you, I'd make it pretty hard for said person to be a part of the club, one way or another. Change the requirements and rules of conduct so that the difficult person will either straighten up or get out of the club altogether.
(I think that's what some of you were trying to say above).
On the subject our OUR booster club...
as I stated, some just decided to get out of the club. They knew that everything done in the club wasn't on the up and up. It was easier to just start a "Fanatics" club for everyone...no dues, no meetings, no kissing any organization's rear...just rowdy fans who are here to support the team.

[Ice cheX]

Ok, now I'M confused...
are you telling me your whole booster club had trouble because of ONE person's antics and that person wasn't even an officer of the club?
Pretty much.

If that's the case, if I were you, I'd make it pretty hard for said person to be a part of the club, one way or another. Change the requirements and rules of conduct so that the difficult person will either straighten up or get out of the club altogether.
(I think that's what some of you were trying to say above).
Yep. Sounds logical and easy. But when you are governed by bylaws things aren't always that simple. At one time, we got some people in office who specifically wanted to make these changes but when the rubber met the road and it was time to get down to brass tacks, they ended up having as much spine as a jar of Smucker's jelly. It's sad really because we used to have 300+ active members in the club. Now we were down to maybe 1/10th of that and very few even came to meetings.

On the subject our OUR booster club...
as I stated, some just decided to get out of the club. They knew that everything done in the club wasn't on the up and up. It was easier to just start a "Fanatics" club for everyone...no dues, no meetings, no kissing any organization's rear...just rowdy fans who are here to support the team.
That's pretty much what has happened here. But I will say that we had an outstanding ECHL rep who made damn sure that everything we did (as a club) was on the up and up.

[possum]

Can't we drop this?

[mamasuzy]

Amen Possum !!