*UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST - 8th Nov *
So, I’m a member of a couple of golf societies in the UK, which are a lot of fun. One is 80+ years old and has 150 members and is terribly well organised. The other is a group of 12 mates and we go away for a weekend every year, where we play for an individual prize to be the Champion Golfer of the Year and hold the prestigious Westwood Woollen Chalice for a period of 12 months. On day two we have a pairs match for the Hangover Cup (which is a pair of Hello Kitty mugs I bought in a thrift store).
On top of that I’ve had a plan for a while to start a proper society and call it The Royal & Ancient Company of Dishonourable Golfers. Just… well, just because.
There’s been some chat on NLU about societies and I was wondering if there’s any appetite for combining my idea and the hunger for it from NLU fans.
I’m thinking the RACDG could have regional chapters across the US and other parts of the world as it grows. So a US North East chapter, for example. A Europe South. A US Mid West.
Start off really informal. Just the name and a mixed group chat on here. Each chapter arranges one big meet a year to play for a silly named cup. Plus we invent all sorts of silly rules and toasts that have to be made at each annual dinner, etc.
If it takes off we could do more with it but it’s an umbrella association for NLU fans who want to hang out together. Maybe in time we could do some regional and international finals. But all extremely silly.
Happy to take point if there’s a hunger for it. I’m British and we’re awfully good at clubs and societies.
Thoughts?
UPDATE - 8th Nov
In the last two days we’ve had 200 posts about this and so far 57 people have publicly declared an interest. We now have 11 Chapters in their infancy in the US and Europe and the first conversations are happening about arranging meetings for those Chapters. We also have a draft Constitution, a motto (Certus Et Celer) and a Twitter handle @CertusEt. A Facebook page is in the works.
Safe to say this might now be a thing!
If you are interested in joining please use the Google Docs linked below to tag yourself in whatever part of the world you are, and also use the Google Sheet to add your info and choose which Chapter you’d like to be in. Its’ the best way to keep track of everyone and make sure everyone gets the information they need.
Each Chapter needs an Interim Captain to get them up and running, so if you have offered to do it, please change your name in the Google Sheet to Green so other people in the Chapter know to reach out to you. If there are no green names in your Chapter yet, please consider volunteering to do it. This whole thing won’t happen without someone taking that first bit of responsibility.
If you are an Interim Captain please keep an eye on the roll for your Chapter and reach out via DM to any newcomers. It’s up to you how you all choose to communicate, but a WhatsApp group in the first instance will probably suffice. The objective is to get you all talking and then to arrange a first meeting and match!
Here is the Google Sheet with the members roll call:
And here is the link to the Google Map: