Introducing The Rebel Council

So the Rebel Badge Club on Facebook is now almost 3500 strong, and I’ll be honest, it’s all got rather busy! In the past I was able to read and respond to every post, but lately I’ve found myself spending 4-5 hours each day on Facebok alone, before I even get to packing orders, counting stock, designing new badges and writing the new badgebook. As most of you know, I do all this in my spare time, and I’ll be honest Facebook has taken a bit of a toll. Particularly when negative criticism comes late at night, or when I’m meant to be doing something fun away from work and I feel like I have to drop everything and respond.

Some of the Club’s best new developments have come from Rebels in the group - the stickers, workbook, Rebel Summer Camp, Maverick Awards, monthly challenge ideas - and I want to continue the Club in a way where Rebels can help to shape its future.

I’ve tried a few times to poll the group on decisions and it hasn’t worked - some people have felt left out because they missed the post, some people were aggressively critical without understanding what was being asked, and so many people commented on Facebook threads that original comments got lost in a thread which stopped loading. I want Rebels to feel heard and involved - but equally I believe the loudest voices should be of those who put the most into the Club, which isn’t always the case.

As a result, I’ve decided to launch The Rebel Council.

Rebel Badge Club will remain unchanged - a free Facebook group designed for accountability for readers of Rebel Badge Book. I will stay in the club, but just be a bit less active - mainly posting updates, rather than answering questions.

Customer service questions should be emailed to me at charly@charlylester.com

And then for those members of the Club who want to play an active role in shaping Rebel Badge Club’s future, and get a vote when it comes to new badges, challenge ideas, proofing badge syllabuses, new stash, meet up locations etc etc, there is The Rebel Council.

The Rebel Council will be a private Facebook group, open only to subscribers. Council members will be charged £5 (plus VAT) to be a part of this extra group. It will be a forum where they can share their ideas, and link up with other super active Rebels. The smaller group will allow everyone to have their voice heard, and every month I will ask Rebels for their votes and opinions on a range of topics. Council members will get a free Council badge (with gold thread!) and a membership card (with their membership number on!) after they have been a member of the Council for three months. There will be a new Council badge every year. The nature of the Council will be that the members shape how the group behaves and evolves.

As with everything in Rebel Badge Club, involvement is totally optional. The Club now has a whole variety of different opportunities and aspect which Rebels can pick and choose from - including The Maverick Awards, Rebel Summer Camp, the Spoonie Rebel Group, regional Rebellions, Monthly Challenge Badges, Quarterly Challenge Badges, Section Patches, Big Rebel Meet Ups and the Ultimate Rebel badge.

For those of you keen to see me in the Council, I’m looking forward to it! Subscriptions can be signed up to on the Rebel Store.

Cheers

Charly