After six weeks in the President’s chair, I’ve learned a lot about our club. I now fully appreciate the time and effort that each board member puts into their role. I also more clearly see how our club positively impacts our members.
At two recent club events, members pulled me aside and expressed their gratitude for the club, the officers, and especially our in-person events. It’s easy to forget that our club is a social organization. It’s not just about stereo equipment, it’s about people and their shared love of music.
To outsiders, our hobby can look like a competition with each member trying to outspend the others in their pursuit of audio bliss. Nothing could be further from reality. Our club is made up of people of all financial statuses, each with different life priorities. Younger people just starting out, building their lives, and older members, entering retirement, who may have considerable savings and disposable income to spend on their hobby.
We try to engage all our members when we host events. The recent “Streamer Shootout” is a good example. We demonstrated streamers costing from $350 - $6,500, from cost-effective to luxury-class. The goal wasn’t to demonstrate the superiority of the most expensive streamer, but to give members the opportunity to hear a streamer that fits their individual budget and priorities.
Why is it important that we don’t focus on just high-end gear? It’s important because we want to share our love of music and great musical reproduction with as many people as possible. Our club is a community, and if we want it to thrive, we must engage all its members. Our members must believe that belonging to the club adds value or enhances their lives in some tangible way.
On a personal note, I believe joining the club was a great decision. Before joining, I participated in our hobby largely in isolation. While I subscribed to a few magazines and watched audiophile YouTube videos, I didn’t have any personal connections in the hobby. Today, in contrast, I feel part of a community and have formed lasting friendships with fellow members.
If you have ideas or suggestions on how we can better engage our members please don’t hesitate to email me directly at jimh@audiophilefoundation.org.
Warm regards,
Jim Hunton (Interim President)
Audiophile Foundation