Anyone is free to put conditions on any contest they wish on this message board. Ebay sellers often limit participation to residents of certain countries as a matter of choice. If I want to limit an activity to new club members only, isn't that my perogative? If I want to offer chips for sale to only those who have paypal accounts, that too is up to me. So if I as an individual were to offer chips, or some other incentive to club members only, in an effort to encourage club membership, how does that make the privately owned chipboard a club activity or a club function? Are there more club members who post on this message board than non-members do? Probably. Personally speaking, I look at club membership as a "good housekeeping seal of approval". Does that mean that non-club members are not to be trusted and that all club members are honest? Of course not. I respect their right not to join. . . but I have the option to decide who I would prefer to do business with, or to engage in contests with.