Agree, this has been a major failing again this year. I believe we (HS) tried to do this in the past, I can't remember the result of it. Another thing that HS has worked on in the past without much success. Maybe with a bigger group we could get better results....
1) I don't think the membership numbers of the Cauldron have stagnated. In fact, I'd argue that the full Cauldron the last few games, compared to many games at the beginning of the season, is a clear indication that the Cauldron is healthier than ever numbers-wise. 2) It's really simple: Less white noise and more noise people can understand/join in on only increases the impact of the Cauldron and the likelihood that those people will join at some point in the future. To me, the best tool the supporters groups have ever had was to create the best atmosphere they can possibly create, and it becomes infectious. "Wow, those people are really freaking loud, and look like they're having a blast. I think I'll go check it out."
Another thing that HS has worked on in the past without much success. Maybe with a bigger group we could get better results....[/QUOTE] Maybe if we did something as group (all ISG's), and let the Prospect decide which group they might be a better suited. Like said before if there was something also given from the team (food, beer or whatever) plus something from the ISG's, maybe that might help. But if they got the choose from one mailing (just an example), that had all the ISG's on there with some background info on each, maybe they could pick from that or start one of their if they want...that is if they want to be a part of an ISG. I could probably explain better in person...not very explaining on here, if this doesn't make sense.
Regarding the LA watch party, it is on BigSoccer, it is on the HS web page, there is an event page on Facebook and it has been tweeted. Check your tweets To the larger point, communication does need to be better. We are all volunteers, if there is something you want HS to communicate tell us.
Healthier numbers wise - yes, but chaotic and disorganized. We can't get 100 people to the same spot for something like a walk in, we often can't even get the Cauldron singing the same song at the same time. Its not a group but a collection of individuals with a couple of ISGs thrown in. Your just missing the vibe of the thread. Its not so much the noise as getting organized and locking those people in so when the wizards next decide not to win for two months, or score 15 goals in 20 games they don't all run off. 'Joining' is what this is about but people don't even know about the ISGs. Checking it out is one thing, keeping them here is another. We have a 2000 seat section next year, and if the Wizards stink it won't stay full and while it'd be lovely to think we might win an MLS cup and the stadium will be crammed we need to figure out some more inventive ways of getting people to come back when the football sucks than not banging a drum. It isn't that simple and you can paint it that way but it just isn't the whole picture or that section would be jammed full.
Maybe if we did something as group (all ISG's), and let the Prospect decide which group they might be a better suited. Like said before if there was something also given from the team (food, beer or whatever) plus something from the ISG's, maybe that might help. But if they got the choose from one mailing (just an example), that had all the ISG's on there with some background info on each, maybe they could pick from that or start one of their if they want...that is if they want to be a part of an ISG. [/QUOTE] I guess this has been my point about returning to the Cauldron leadership. I am not advocating a Leadership to control the ISG's but to provide one voice for all groups through mailings, Facebook, etc. A general leadership to help get the word out, be a place to facilitate ideas, and create new lines of communication to people. I dont see this happening through HS at this point. I know things changed because it was the same people with the Cauldron and HS , i guess I should have raised these points then, but there are people out there that are totally into what we do yet for whatever reason dont want to be part of HS or Yardbirds, or Barra, but we still need to recruit them and let them know no matter what we want them as part of our group. "The Cauldron"
I agree that there are more people standing in our section but I feel that has more to do with the price of the ticket, atmosphere and team promotion rather than our own efforts to recruit new members. Although I think the sound is a very important part I agree with James. I think at this point we need to make some decisions and changes organizationally to prepare for the end of the season and the coming year.
I believe we are still paying the annual fee for WWW.KCCAULDRON.COM, an we currently have it set up to auto-redirect to WWW.HILLCRESTSYNDICATE.COM. I don't believe anyone has ownership of the name "Cauldron" as it's pretty much always been the name of the supporter section for the Wizards. The logo was created by Matt (soda) and I think he basically created it for us to use....I don't think there is any copyright or anything on it. Proceeds from the sale of current "Cauldron" merchandise (scarves & pint glasses) goes into the HS account for use on future Cauldron efforts (scarves, Tifo supplies, tailgate supplies, any other Cauldron efforts). All monies generated by Cauldron-specific merch/events are funneled back into Cauldron-specific uses....we use none for HS initiatives...and we produce our "books" at least yearly.
This is a little off topic, but maybe not. I think one of the reasons there is less unity and more stagnation is the lack of a unified tailgate. A tailgate that provides food on a regular basis. Before I go further with this, I want to give George an enormous amount of credit for doing the food in previous seasons. The amount of work, money and time is beyond all expectations. I completely understand why he chose not to continue. However, with the demise of the organized food offerings (bar the home opener, Man U and the last home game) has led to a tailgate with no central focus. We as fans are milling around in the same general area but we have no place to gather to intermingle. I mingle more around the grill and the table with sides and strike up a conversation waiting in line for my piece of chicken (Man U game - chicken was awesome). It's like a home without a fireplace, kitchen or TV, where do you gather? We don't we wander around or stay in our group of already existing friends. It also provides an incentive for people to join the tailgate, without the grill/food, what other reason is there to come over and join? The kegs? Sure. having both kegs and grill is the best bet. But not everyone is into that. Solution? Other than twisting George's arm, maybe a rotation of a small group of individuals can take up the job of providing the food? Just my two cents...
Well we've been down this road at least once before. When Sam hung up his spatula "several" years ago, everyone stood around looking at each other for awhile and then I and a couple others suggested just doing it ourselves and we started a pot luck style tailgate. From there it grew and grew into an eVite thing and eventually morphed into the WoaS tailgate. I'd love to see more of this going on again but I am still curious about what we'll run into next season at the new stadium. I'm hoping that the reports of us not being able to tailgate at the borrowed lots are not true. I know that I won't be able to afford to spend money in the Cauldron Club at every game. Anyway, I agree with you that the food/beer is a big draw. That is how I've gotten quite a few people to come out in the past. Without the big grills that we had at Arrowhead it is a bit harder to do on our own but some discussion could take place and we could, I'm sure, figure it out. When people actually talk to each other (not just type things online) stuff happens...really, it works.
Here is a possible solution for the lack of food to maybe help rebuild the tailgates... http://www.twoguysandagrill.biz/index.htm I'm not sure how much they charge, or how you would want to organize to pay for it... but they have a good setup and can scale to however small or big the tailgates grow. The place I work uses them from time to time for charity fundraisers by selling us lunch at work. If they made any money, than this has to be reasonable.
We work with them extensively. They're great guys and big fans of the club. One of their employees is a season ticket holder, and they have had (and may still have?) company tickets. We use them a lot for group events at the stadium. They could do AYCE for $7, no sweat.
Or we could just find out who is willing to step up and do it, I'm willing to smoke food without any problems...or at least not too many problems
It was great to meet everyone that made it down last night. It always helps to put faces with names, even if I wont remember that name, I am terrible at it. As everyone that made it down last night knows our chance to discuss the supporters section was not the most successful. I did talk to everyone there one and one and I appreciate everyones input. I tried to convey several simple points. 1. We need to get supporters tailgates organized for the rest of the season. These need to be supporter-centric and not ISG related. 2. Its up to us as individuals to reach out and talk to people and make sure they feel welcomed and part of the section. 3. Everyones opinion is important and needed going forward into our bigger section. 4. We need to have a more organized meeting of those interested in helping lead the Cauldron as a whole. I was thinking that the next first Friday at the wizards office might be a great time to make this happen. Actually that is next Friday so maybe thats a little to quick. 5. If your interested in having your own ISG. Do it, Do it tomorrow and run with it. The feedback I received was positive on all of these points. This is an observation from my conversations, but most people that I talked too are more interested in one "Cauldron" vs the ISG model. I really feel if we hit this hard for the rest of the season we can make a big impact and build a good base to go forward. I have asked Robert if the Hillcrest Syndicate would be willing to separate the Cauldron website again and let us use the Cauldron name as an umbrella to market events under for the rest of the year. This seems like the easiest most effective way to build on what we have and move forward. Regardless I will be working hard for the next few days to make sure we have a tailgate together for the next game.
A point if clarification here. The large tailgates we have done in the past have NEVER been ISG related, other than the fact the HS organized them...since nobody else was stepping up. The signs for the tailgate even state "ALL WIZARDS FANS WELCOMED". The tailgate has never been about any individual ISG, it's always been about bringing together Wizards fans, Cauldron or otherwise.
With what point? Seriously, is it to get Cauldron people talking to Cauldron people or to get new faces involved? If its both then people need to drop the cliquesishness which was a word I heard multiple times last night from people who had come to the tailgate. As it is you still don't have the mechanics to get the word out. Tailgating to build a fan base in terms of the Wizards is a played out idea and one that has no future. As it is one individual said he tried to start up three conversations at the tailgate and was pretty well spurned. Considering one of them was you Sean I think this is easier said than done. I am guilty of paying attention to my friends at the tailgate as well, ultimately if you don't have greeters then you don't have a vehicle for growth. Then you will need to reach out to SV and see if their leadership can get into town on a Friday night. We need some Barra people involved as well. Some Yardpeeps. If you can't motivate them to come to one spot then motivating new people to join feels insurmountable. People often tell people what they want to hear, maybe it my happy glowing aura and charming happy outlook but I am not getting the happy vibes you are from people about the one Cauldron model. Ultimatly if we are going to go that route I would dearly love to know what potential leadership think they will be bringing to the table that will change anything. After all these pages of talk we have come back to the old Arrowhead idea of cooking out and having a beer in the parking lot. Its not exactly ground breaking is it. Base issue - there is a Cauldron website? Hell if I don't know this then how many of our fans do. Promotion and everything is all well and good. There was also talk of expanding the ISGs into the other sections which might be fine, but they may not wish to be under the Cauldron umbrella and might not have similar concerns to the Cauldron's perceived potential leadership. If you going to do that, considering there is a new name coming for the Zards, why no just rebrand the whole ********ing section, and the ISG naming and get your presentation and marketing right. This might seem negative and it is, but I feel like growth and good 'policy' doesn't come in a world where there is no dissenting opinions and NOTHING I have heard yet gives me any iota of feeling that the changes tendered will bring about any difference from what we have now. Its just rearranging the same thing back to what it was a few years ago and recreating the old foundations which didn't work. We all agree there needs to be growth, but how are you actually going to deliver it and what resources and initiatives can you bring to bear to sustain it and keep it forward that are new innovative or proven? Sorry to be a curmudgeon.
I think when the Facebook event is listed as Hillcrest Syndicate / AO Tailgate is turning it into a ISG thing. I never said that people are excluded, I know everyone is invited but people feel like its an ISG thing when labeled that way.
Robert wasn't referring to the latest tailgate, which was in fact put on by HS and AO. He's referring to the tailgates that occurred up to last year that were run by WOAS.
I think we kind of have to do that. If there isn't a name on it, AO & HS don't get the recognition we need to get more members and more money to do more of the things we do. Until someone steps up who isn't trying to get "paid members", there will be a name on it.
Maybe a new model show be made to raise funds. We should be asking the sponsors of the Wizards and MLS for $, rather than getting people to join because "we need the dues". If we go to the sponsors with an amount needed for a specific purpose, such as banners, tifos, tailgate price deferments and road trips. I bet we can get some donations.
I see you got around your router James - All I really tried to do last night was get people there and talking, that worked to a degree. As I have said I want involvement from all the ISG's and I will work to get LA Barra, and SV, and the Yardbirds Involved. Afronido was going to be there but I am guessing he had to work and could not make it. I would really like to have some more distinct direction by the next home game so that we can hand out flyers in the stands or on the way in our out in order to draw more people into the discussion. This means more of us have to sit down and talk about it. How this happens is something that can be worked on in the coming weeks. I know tailgating is not the future but it is something that we can do for the last few home games and help introduce us to more people before the end of the season. This has to be coupled with a change in approach out side of the game day experience but that still has to be figured out. What I don't have at this point is anyone else saying this is how we should start, I mainly just hear we need to change. I could start a new group tomorrow but I have been trying to build off of what we already have. "As it is one individual said he tried to start up three conversations at the tailgate and was pretty well spurned. Considering one of them was you Sean I think this is easier said than done." As to that person I sat around and had several beers after the game and felt like I made a new cauldron friend.