Socs dying...?

Rozie

It seems to me most of the societies are dead... last year I did nothing but sit in and... do nothing. I'm not looking forward to going back into 3rd year if there's **** all to do but study and go to lectures, I need something interesting to do. And if I fail I'll be stuck around for another year...

I miss RPGs being on... I wish there were some new GMs. It seems like everything fell apart and it makes me sad. I probably should have gone to Cork, I quite liked UL in first year but now I'm afraid it will be even naffer than last year.

cornbb

The music soc is dead. I was on the committee for years. So much hard work down the drain. How sh*t is that?

Rozie

Music soc is dead too!?

Argh, what the ****? Seriously? Why is nobody stepping in to DO anything? College is meant to be the best time of your life. I've just got two more years of complete rubbish ahead.

I wish I'd gone somewhere else now.

Sorry I'm just very upset I really loved first year ;_;

sceptre

Rozie wrote:

Why is nobody stepping in to DO anything?

If that translates as "why can't someone (else) just do something?" you've just answered your initial question. Societies are run by groups of volunteers with an interest in the aims of the particular society. I've been on the committees of a few, headed two and been on the founding committees of the odd few. Some worked, some didn't. Some are still there, others aren't. If no-one's willing to take on the task of running a particular society it just dies. That's the way it is.

Most societies are run by very small groups of people. Some societies are almost effectively made up in total of those same people. The story is much the same for clubs, though obviously while they suffer from the same potential committee problems, there's more chance of more people just turning up due to the competitive nature of what they're trying to do.

The real problem is that while there are often people who are willing to just turn up and enjoy the fruits of the labours of those who've taken time out to organise things, there's far less willingness from people to actually get involved in any meaningful way. Simple things that take time - booking rooms, organising finances, writing the necessary budget, fundraising where possible, turning up at the fortnightly clubs and socs meeting and actually organising events and seeing them through. There's money there for events and both clubs and societies in general but it's not intended to be a slush fund and someone's going to have to organise things. That job isn't the job of Paul Lee in the clubs and socs office (given that I've been away for the past 12 months I'm assuming Paul is still there - sterling chap, very approachable), it's the job of someone who's willing to organise stuff themselves.

I suppose what I'm saying is basically this: it's all well and good for any random person to wonder why particular interests aren't catered for but the reason why a particular interest may not be catered for is because apparently no-one cares enough to get off their toddy and run a society dedicated to that particular interest. For anyone who doesn't have the time or reckons they won't have the time, that's fine but it would seem that no-one else does either so there you go.

Rozie

Actually, I was "unnoffical head" of Pagan soc for a while, but I got screwed around badly.

Really, I'd love to do something, but I guess what I'm really saying is I wish someone with *more experience* would do something. I don't have the kind of Charisma needed, but I know there are people that do.

Sergeant Horse

If you want RPGs to come back, all you have to do is come ot the GSoc AGM and say that, and then help out. Thats all a society really needs

Societies might be in trouble but GSoc had one of its best years last year, we even won an award!!! :O

kodute

Yeah dont blame the people with *more experience* or say that you dont have the *charisma* just join a society and volunteer.

I do think that societies are falling by the wayside to clubs, clubs by their very nature can offer more events and activities than a society, for considerably less work input.

Mr. CooL ICE

From what i know, a lack of funding is largely to blame for the music soc going downhill, as it couldnt afford to hold any events (someone else could elaborate on this). And again, from what i know, there are clubs there that do feck all but use the funds to go drinking. Ive heard of the Celtic Supporters club (?) - do they actually do anything except take funds away from societies that need them?

A lack of funding turns into a vicious circle - the club/soc cant afford to do anything special, so people think theyre crap, and less and less people join, and before you know it, they dont have enough interest to be considered a club/soc anymore. My band played a gig in may before the exams, and we got it ourselves (not the music soc), but somehow it was advertised as a music soc event and they did the sound for us. They couldnt afford a sound engineer or anyone with any amount of experience, so the then-president set everything up - and did an awful job (no offence to him, but he hadnt a clue). If people came along, saw us playing (as a music soc event), couldnt hear one of the guitars because the amp was at a bad angle, could hear nothing except vocals in one part of the bar, and everything except vocals in another part, theyre gonna think the music soc is terrible. As said before, its one helluva vicious circle.

cornbb

LordChessington wrote:

From what i know, a lack of funding is largely to blame for the music soc going downhill

The music soc hasn't had decent funding in many years but we still managed to run gigs, open mic, rehearsals etc. Its a lack of people giving their time that is the problem.

Sergeant Horse

i used to be in TenForward before it died, i.,e the Film Soc. It cost €120 per week per film. And we got usually a budget of under a grand. Now do the maths and see how a society, thats main event was showing movies, could stay alive.
The usual ratio for money is 2:1 with Clubs getting 2 thirds of the budget. How can that be considered fair, better to split the budget in half and work it that way.

BraveheartGal

what about the drama society?
signed up last week (am a fresher)
is it just a piss-take or what?

Amazotheamazing

As someone who drifted in and out of socs in my time in college, I'd just say to the OP to go out and do something about it. If you want a society to survive, look for new members, go around town looking for sponsorship etc. This attitude of "someone else will do it better" is bull****. I know because I used the same lame excuse myself, and regret it now. It was only when I couldn't avoid the responsibilty (became class rep in a fit of ambition) that I took it serously, arranged things, talked to people, tried things, ****ed up things and did one or two damn fine things. (This was all in Galway, where socs are also dying BTW). No matter what college you're in, you'll find a reason to pass the responsibilty on. Make it happen yourself, or quit whining about it.

Rozie

Well, to be honest, I'm scared of failing because so many people that have done soc stuff have had to end up repeating that I know. I can't afford to repeat the year, and comp sys is a difficult enough course.

kodute

Bullcrap! If you manage your time effectively then you can take an active role in a club or soc and get good grades. Its not like your doing an FYP. :rolleyes:

Sergeant Horse

Yeah most people who repeat only use the Society as an excuse for it anyway, like me!!!

gaf1983

LordChessington wrote:

And again, from what i know, there are clubs there that do feck all but use the funds to go drinking. Ive heard of the Celtic Supporters club (?) - do they actually do anything except take funds away from societies that need them?

A lack of funding turns into a vicious circle

Your lack of funding-vicious circle point is spot on. It is annoying when some clubs that would seem not to need such large amounts of funding get it anyway. For example, I'm involved in the badminton club, and we've got maybe 5 times or more active members than the American Football club, yet they get more funding.

"are clubs there that do feck all but use the funds to go drinking" - I'm not so sure if this is true. I know that the debating society used to give people that spoke a free pint, but this has gone out the window since ulsu's adoption of the alcohol-free policy. Also, clubs can't use their money for drinking - everything they pay for out of the fund during the year they have to account for with a receipt come budget time.

It seems you also have gripes with the Celtic Supporters' Club. Don't worry, you're not the only one. While it is fair enough that if there is an interest in the college for such a club to be there and the members run it well than why not have it, but on the other hand it is annoying that a group of Irish students get funding out of the rest of our registration fees to get discount trips to follow a SCOTTISH soccer team, especially with Limerick FC crying out for support.

If anyone's interested, myself and a few friends are thinking of setting up the UL Glasgow Rangers Supporters' Club. I believe it has just as much a right to exist as the Celtic one, and as long as there is genuine interest out there we will go ahead and set it up. You might say it is hypocritical me giving out about the Celtic Supporters' Club getting funding and then talking about setting up a Rangers one but just to reassure you that I'm not a complete hypocrite we won't ask clubs and socs for much money, just maybe a room to have meetings the odd time and all we'll do is meet up and watch matches, maybe enter indoor soccer leagues, organise trips to Ibrox that we'd pay for ourselves etc...

Any takers?

sceptre

gaf1983 wrote:

I know that the debating society used to give people that spoke a free pint, but this has gone out the window since ulsu's adoption of the alcohol-free policy.

Ah that was gone a wee bit before the no-alco policy. In any case it was always Heineken-sponsored beer (or Guinness prior to 1994 IIRC) rather than any cash actually coming out of ULSU-granted funds to pay for it.

Don't worry, you're not the only one. While it is fair enough that if there is an interest in the college for such a club to be there and the members run it well than why not have it, but on the other hand it is annoying that a group of Irish students get funding out of the rest of our registration fees to get discount trips to follow a SCOTTISH soccer team, especially with Limerick FC crying out for support.

I too fail to see the point. I wish you well in your possible trips to Ibrox though.

Sergeant Horse

If any of ye want to help Socs, come paintballing with GSoc next week. only €20

Mr. CooL ICE

Plugging alert! Plugging alert!

Sergeant Horse

maybe so but I guarantee, ho wmany people will look at our advertising and say "oh, that sounds pretty cool, I'd like to do that" and then not be arsed to go.

Rozie

kodute wrote:

Bullcrap! If you manage your time effectively then you can take an active role in a club or soc and get good grades. Its not like your doing an FYP. :rolleyes:

I'm doing one next year. Bit late to set up a soc now anyway, unless I find a lot of friends with common interests.

I was thinking about setting up a comic book/general nerdy stuff soc, but I doubt there'd be that much interest.

kodute

Banned. and not a moment too soon...