ideas for my local chess club

I am surveying for new ideas for my local chess club.  The club meets frequently to just play, of course.  We hold unrated action tournaments (game in 30) once every other month or so, that are very popular.  A few members will attend local rated tournaments, but the vast majority of our members are not tournament players.  And once a week, for an hour at the end of club, we try to offer some kind of instruction time (lessons from one of our strongest members, video presentations, tactics lessons, game analysis).

We may already be exhausting what a local club can do in our community.  But I was wondering if member here could relate other things their local clubs try.  Challenges to other clubs?  Guest GM lecturers? Should we be offering rated games?  Ect.  Or should we just stick to the basics:  play chess!  In short, what do you like best about your own local chess club?

I have always loved the thought of playing other teams. I use to do that in an earlier life: it was great fun and it really develops a sense of team.

That sounds pretty ambitious ratkins. Any club I've ben associated just played chess. I'd think running some rated tournaments might be the next step. We hold two rated tournaments at the club twice a year where one game is played on club night over 4 to 6 weeks: an open and the club championship. We also run a couple of weekend events, but I'd build a bit of experience first.

My chess club has like 5 members in a town that could care less about chess.  All we can even do is show up once a week and play some good chess but I think if you could get some GM lectures or even  GM simul. that would be great.

Nice post Ray.  I hope we could compete against other chess clubs in the Metro DC area.  First, we can have an unrated Loudoun tournament where the top 4 players will represent our club.  It should be fun playing with another team on one Saturday.