While a 2% growth may not seem very impressive, our ranks grew inspite of the economy and thus stopped the several month trickle of run-off that we have been experiencing.
We began 2008 with 659 members. Our all time high membership count has been 667 at the end of April 2008. Every month we have some memberships lapse and, of course, we get some new members. The recent 20% discounted membership renewal fee coupon in the magazine BACTalk helped to spur a resurgence of renewals and so we ended January 2009 with 634 members. Not back to the where we began 2008 but it’s a pretty good start!
Soon, I will be announcing the kick-off of a couple of membership drive programs designed to increase our ranks and provide some fun competition. So stay tuned, keep spreading the word and talking up the benefits of BAC! You can help us keep the momentum going!
Addendum by Mike Rellihan:
BAC seems to experience the same statistic that has been reported before in the aircraft brokerage business. I.E. that aircraft typically change hands, or owner circumstances change, on average every two years. That still seems strange to me, since I have owned my Sierra for going on 21 years now (and it was my first plane). The significance to BAC is that we have to attract three new members every two years, for every existing two members, in order to grow and maintain a healthy Club. BAC also made memberships transferable, so that a new owner can get the chance to know us, before renewal time rolls around. Of course, over the very long run our targeted airframe inventory will decline; but we hope to keep these great birds flying for a long time to come!