in the service of associations

Vereinsmeier (overcommitted club member)

“Vereinsmeier” is the German name, often used disparagingly, for people who are strongly involved in one or more associations and know the association’s life inside and out. The genre of the overcommitted club member is threatened with extinction. As nowadays many club rituals are handled in a more relaxed way and the club jargon is no longer so common, many committed club members would not call themselves overcommitted, even if their commitment is just as big as that of earlier generations. It is probably time to restore the Vereinsmeiers’ reputation.