Guild Governance & Operations

Club Finances That Don't Make You Miserable

By HILT Official · Dec 15, 2025 · 10 min read

Five financial strategies that keep HEMA clubs solvent without making the treasurer want to quit.

Stop Replacing Gear You Could Maintain Most clubs buy cheap nylon wasters and throw them away every 6 months. This feels frugal. It isn't. Over 3 years, a club that buys €40 nylon trainers twice a year spends more than a club that buys one €250 steel feder and maintains it. Steel lasts, nylon doesn't. The same logic applies to protective gear. A €200 SPES jacket that you wash and repair lasts 5+ years. The €80 knockoff falls apart in 18 months. Buy once, maintain always. Build an Armoury Tax. Add 5–10% to your membership dues and earmark it for equipment. Don't touch it for anything else. In…

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