Numbers!
On the NAR forum today, the following was posted:
| Year | Month | NAR No. | Note |
| 1958 | 100 | Reserved by G Harry Stine | |
| 1959 | 380 | Vern! | |
| 1960 | 833 | ||
| 1964 | 5694 | ||
| 1964 | 6750 | ||
| 1966 | 7829 | ||
| 1966 | 10206 | ||
| 1966 | 11144 | ||
| 1966 | 11583 | ||
| 1968 | Feb | 11769 | |
| 12518 | Reported as 1967 | ||
| 12874 | Reported as 1967 | ||
| 1969 | 13911 | ||
| 1969 | 16158 | ||
| 1972 | Nov | 21953 | |
| 1973 | Mar | 23105 | |
| 1973 | 23691 | ||
| 1973 | Jul | 24568 | |
| 1976 | 27793 | ||
| 1978 | Feb | 29221 | |
| 29569 | Reported as "mid-70s" | ||
| 1988 | Oct | 40676 | |
| 1988 | 48840 | ||
| 1995 | 65182 | ||
| 2000 | Feb | 77083 | |
| 2013 | 95388 | ||
| 2023 | Apr | 299614 |
It took ~55 years to amass 100K members. That number was trebled in 1 decade (2013-2023). What do YOU think is the driving factor/force for such a membership increase?
I have no. 110972 and joined in early 2021. So from 2013 to 2021 they added 16,000 members, but in the last roughly 2 years they added 189,000 people? That math doesn't add up. Not when their e-newsletter says we recently crossed the 9,000 current member threshold.
I think the driving force is that someone typoed somewhere.
Current members are paying members. Many of the people holding the early numbers are no longer members through attrition or demise.
Right, but there is no way they could have issued that many new numbers in only 2 years. Even if no one renewed, and all 9,000 members were new each of the last 2 years, that still doesn't add up to 189,000. They should be around 116000.
Quote from Eric Becher on April 27, 2023, 8:52 pmRight, but there is no way they could have issued that many new numbers in only 2 years. Even if no one renewed, and all 9,000 members were new each of the last 2 years, that still doesn't add up to 189,000. They should be around 116000.
It does seem a might high. However, I copied that table from the NAR Forum. I'll see if it's been corrected.
Just looked. No correction yet, but it has to be messed up. Aside from my 2021 number, another 2022 number is 114906. So that 2023 number is way out of whack.
But they are still issuing about 2000-3000 numbers a year, which is an increase over a decade or two ago. And active membership has grown by almost 1000 since I joined in Feb 2021. That's pretty good.
To go back to your original question of what is driving this growth, I suspect a few things:
- Increasing space activity by SpaceX and others.
- Increased emphasis on STEM in schools, which increases participation in TARC and other rocket activities.
- Growth is exponential and accelerates as more members spread the word and involve more new participants, who in turn involve more new people, and so on.
Kevin Johnson (NAR board member) just corrected that last number.
| 2023 | Apr | 117033 |
That seems much more believable.
Much better. And I wasn't toooo far off. If you close 1 eye and tilt your head sideways. 😜
Peeps drop out, demise, they don’t reuse the number
mine is from late 70s n I reactivated it
30115
Quote from Zielijo1 on April 28, 2023, 4:17 pmPeeps drop out, demise, they don’t reuse the number
mine is from late 70s n I reactivated it
30115
When I renewed my membership, I didn't know they could go back to old membership. I don't recall my number back when but I got it when I was in Jr. High sometime between '72-'75.