The membership of London Scottie Club continues to grow, and fast and reliable communications are necessary to keep you all informed on what we do.
We have always taken privacy of members seriously and in light of recent dog snatching by criminal gangs we are on alert to protect your perfect pooches. That is why we will be introducing Member Tags this autumn and making sure members understand the need to remain with us on WhatsApp messenger.
The Member Tags are currently undergoing extensive testing as high tech is required to make them efficient and secure.
And WhatsApp is a requirement of membership of the London Scottie Club. Most smartphones are compatible. And it is free to download and use!
When you registered your dogs in May-July you will have noticed our terms specify it is now mandatory to be with us on WhatsApp Alerts.
We have noticed that some of you prefer to limit the groups you are in. Since you find WhatsApp so popular you are already signed into loads of other conversations and groups on the free messenger service.
So starting today we will relax the rules – just a wee bit.
You can now remain a member of either LSC Alerts or LSC Convo. But we still recommend you consider keeping Alerts. Here’s why.
Alerts was designed as a means for the club to send official messages to you. For that reason, it gets the least traffic and respects your privacy the most. It also means that you can easily scroll and find messages the club sent to you. It’s like a bulletin board was at school. For this reason it really does help you organise your activities with the club.
However, some of you love the two-way conversation that you get with LSC Convo. It is Britain’s biggest Scottie dog convo as some of our honorary members now live outside of London. It is also a great way to stay in touch with pals you made on London WalkAbouts, sharing photos and your stories with fellow Scottie fans. And last, but not least, it is a place where you can often ask other members for practical advice, some of which will become added to our TIPs sections on the website.
So we get it. Some people want privacy. Others want to max their membership! We therefore cater to both desires. And if you accidentally exit from the WhatsApp groups, just email us to fix it for you.
What happens when I leave London?
Some members have recently left the WhatsApp group because they have moved out of London. There is no need to leave the Club. We made friends in London with fellow Scotties and their owners, so why not carry on being friends? We are not a register for London-based Scotties. We are a community. To some even family. Just like with your long-time friends, you don’t delete them just because they
Fraser (right!!) with Douglas
move out of your county.
And just like with friends, we continue not to charge a membership fee. We are not friends with benefits. We are friends for life.
That is why in 2021 we created a new category of member: Honorary Members. They enjoy all the same privileges of membership but we acknowledge that they are no longer in London. They can continue to attend our WalkAbouts too, if they can travel.
We are delighted that the net size of the membership continues to grow, despite a handful of people leaving the WhatsApp groups. We are encouraging them to re-join and to explain that they remain welcome members. Honorary Members.
Take Fraser. Lived in Windsor. He has recently moved to Scotland. But he remains an active member, has Meeting Marshal status, sits on the LSC Coordination Committee, and has vowed to come south to attend our WalkAbouts with Douglas and Maggie as often as he can. He’s even volunteered to write our Did you know? section of Tips for the website.
And remember – it is also strength in numbers. As the membership continues to grow so too we can secure special deals for Scottie owners. Discounts, privileged access, and plenty more is in the works. We already have a section dedicated to that on the website called Offers.
So what do I need to be a LSC member?
- To live in London, and to either have or intend to have, a Scottish Terrier as your pet.
- Or, to live outside of London but have a Scottish Terrier as your pet.
- To ensure your dog is registered with a profile in Our Members section. We have a search feature on that page to help!
- To retain membership of the LSC Alerts or LSC Convo WhatsApp groups
That’s the checklist and we welcome you warmly!
Thanks for making London Scottie Club such a popular and growing club. It’s YOUR club.
