Lapidary Clubs are a failing.  With that is the death of the club show.  It is a very sad phenomenon that is happening all too frequently.  

This week I received a call from The Show Chair of the Monrovia Rock Club.  This was to inform me that the club has disbanded and their show at the LA Arboretum in March has been cancelled.  This has been a great  little show, Peacocks outside the doors, quick walks thru the cactus gardens.  The thought of losing this show makes me very sad.

I feel the real issue is that the average age of the club members is 80.  The work of setting up and take down for members is daunting.  

Another is the difficulty in drawing in and keeping new and younger members.  Having gone through this as a new member, I understand the difficulties.  Many of these club members are like an old married couples.  They have had 20 to 30 years of issues that should have been like water under the bridge, but have not been let go.  Meetings can end up by listening to fractions nit-picking at each other over issues that were not resolved many years ago. 

Then there comes a time when no one wants to be club officers.  The newbie gets elected full of ideas of how to increase membership, streamline the show process, bring the club into the 21st century.  There is nothing like that to get the warring fractions to join ranks against you.  Suddenly something you joined to have fun and learn new things becomes a major headache.

I do not know if this is what happened in Monrovia, I am still sad to see them disband.

Thanks for reading.....