Require Meeting Attendance?

FYI, when earlier this year we asked MYC members, "Should each voting household be required to attend some meetings each year?", this was the response:

No       Unsure    Yes, one    Yes, two    Yes, three    Yes, all
65.5%    9%           17%            9%           0%               0%
38          5              10             5            0                0
Here are some of the comments that accompanied their answers:

The more I am "required" for recreation, the less interested, especially when the health and safety of me and my family are not directly affected. I will be sure not to negatively impact other members ability to participate by my decisions and if I do, I expect to be told I am, at which time I will cease those activities.

Such a requirement is totally unenforceable unless we are willing to expel a sizable percentage of the club.

This is inappropriate. We have many members who contribute in many ways, and have done so for years, but circumstances prevent meeting attendance.

We should be looking for ways to reduce, not increase the burdens on the members.

… lack of attendence itself generally should be considered a vote of confidence in those who do attend.

I think it would be impossible to create a fair list of acceptable exceptions or to assess appropriate penalties, and following up on all this would be a lot of work.

I don't think you can require members to attend membership meetings. I see why work parties and saftey seminars are required, but not membership meetings.

Just like anywhere else, if you find something important enough to you, you will take the initiative to engage.

I think this would be very hard to enforce -- after all the club is a voluntary, recreational activity. If people don't want to get involved, they have to live with the decisions of those who participate.

If a household is not interested in the meetings, there is no reason to make them come to a meeting.

This may be a good solution.

This should be optional, you can't fource people to care or get involved if they don't wish to.

Why would we force members to participate if they are uninterested?

I don't take attendance among students. They are adults I expect them to act that way. I expect the same from the MYC membership. (I realize that this is probably unrealistic.)

While it is important to attend meetings, the few that are important to the running of the club, it is hard to "require" attendance. It is "strongly requested" to have the membership attend because of the few days we have to conduct our club business and make decisions that can effect every member whether attending or not. Encouraging attendance is still the best solution but getting the quorum to each meeting to allow a proper representation of the membership is the request of the regular attendees.

MYC is a club that people choose to join because of a common interest in sailing. To make meetings a requirement could pose a hardship on some families due to circumstances that are none of the club's business and potentially result in loss of members. To go to a meeting should remain a choice.