This was posted earlier, but the idea got lost in some odd writing and joyous frivolity.
I suggest a public forum called "Clubs." The clubs on this site are a resource on this site and a site of much innovation and good times. The problem is no one knows what goes in them without joining, investigating, and then leaving several before finding something they like. A lot of interesting things go on the clubs, and a public forum would make a great place to get the word out about them. An opportunity for public promotion for clubs who are doing neat things in which others might be interested.
A few that already exist:
Club 218’s database of master games is just amazing. And the zillions of tournaments they have and fill with over 600 members!
People enjoy banded tournaments? There are banded clubs: Under 1000 Club 86, 1000-1250 Club 115 and 1250 and Under Club 20-- Places where like-leveled players can develop together and have a greater number of banded tournaments than are offered on the site.
Useful learning clubs: The Beginner’s Club Club 209 and legendary Personal Chess Training Club 51 (experiencing technical difficulties). (Greenpawn34 User 437199 started something similar in Club 196 at one point; not sure if anything ever came of it.
In my own club Club 171 we have non-subscriber tournaments (banded and not banded), consultation games, discussion games (where two players play an unrated game in the forum and discuss with everybody all their moves) and we’re working on a Club vs. Club Challenge. (I see a couple non-sub tournaments are being done in the public Tournament forum right now, getting much interest. Wouldn't it be nice to know there's already a club where things people want to do are already in place? This applies to any of these ideas and clubs.)
Scotland Club Club 58 has a whole separate website with tourneys and other matches played on this site. My club also uses an extra website to track non-subscriber tournaments.
Club 566 has a players league and a tournament series with year long point systems!
I know of a number of clubs whose owner use the clubs to recruit/scout/whatever members for their clans, too.
And of course community-building stuff.
I’m sure there’s more innovative stuff many would find interesting going on in those clubs, but where to discuss it? How to tell the world? How to keep still others from re-inventing the world, either in public forums or by establishing entirely new clubs that repeat what other clubs are already doing? A Public Clubs Forum! Hurrah!
