Guild Governance & Operations

Retaining Members: Why People Quit HEMA Clubs

By HILT Official · Apr 08, 2026 · 7 min read

Member retention is where most HEMA clubs quietly fail. Here's why people leave, and what actually keeps them around.

Retaining Members: Why People Quit HEMA Clubs Member retention is where most HEMA clubs quietly fail. Not noisily, not with a dramatic implosion. People just stop showing up. One or two at a time. And most club leaders are so focused on finding new members that they don't notice until they've replaced their entire roster twice over and wonder why they still feel like they're starting from scratch. This is a fixable problem. But you have to understand why people are leaving first. They Didn't Feel Like They Were Getting Better This is the most common reason, and it's almost never voiced.…

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The Transition: From Study Group to Academy Most HEMA clubs die in the study group phase. Here's what separates the ones that survive.
Club Finances That Don't Make You Miserable Five financial strategies that keep HEMA clubs solvent without making the treasurer want to quit.
Building a Leadership Pipeline If you're the only person who can run your club, your club is one injury away from closing.

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