Frequently Asked Questions

What is Adventure Club SA?
How long has ACSA been around?
What are the club demographics?
What are the benefits of joining Adventure Club SA?
How many members are there?
Is my credit card information secure?
Is my member data secure?
Can I get a refund on my membership dues?
What do my dues cover?
Are the events free?
Can I bring a guest to an ACSA event?
Can I bring my kids or pets to an event?
Why do married couples pay the same as a single person?
How do you define a married couple?
If we're engaged or living together, are we considered married?
How many people attend the events?
How many events do you have each month?
Will there be people in my age range at the events?
I'm not really into athletic stuff, are there social events too?
I'm a beginner, will the adventurous activities be too difficult for me?
How do I know if I’d fit in with the group?
What if I am shy around strangers?
Will I make friends to socialize with outside of the club?
Will I be able to find others to run, bike, play tennis, etc.?
Is this a franchise?
I could do some of these activities myself, why should I join ACSA?
I have a physical disability, may I attend events too?
How much does it cost to join?
Can I come to an event before joining to check it out?
What are my membership payment options?
What is the cancellation policy for event payments?
Are all of the events organized by ACSA employees?
How do I become an Event Leader?
How many events must I lead to get free membership?
Are there other ways to earn free membership?
What is the American Outdoor Adventure Network?

 
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What is Adventure Club SA?

Adventure Club SA is an activity driven outdoor and social club for people in the San Antonio metropolitan area.  It is totally managed online and features an interactive events calendar of organized events, from which you select fun things to do while meeting other fun folks who are new to town or just want to get more out of life in San Antonio!

What ACSA is NOT:
Adventure Club SA is NOT a dating or singles club. Married couples are welcome and pay the same rate as a single.

Adventure Club SA does not have any religious or political affiliations. We strive to make all people feel welcome in the club. We discriminate against no one in any way.

ACSA is NOT a non-profit group. We are a business that provides a service paid for with members' dues.

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How long has ACSA been around?

Our first event was on March 6th, 2002.

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What are the club demographics?

ACSA members come from a wide variety of races, backgrounds and careers.  Our average age is around 38, with about 90% of our members falling in the late 20's to mid 50's age range.  Club members are about 56% female, 44% male.  About 90% are single, and about 10% are married couples.  Married couples receive a "2 for 1" membership.  Many of our members have children.

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What are the benefits of joining Adventure Club SA?

ACSA provides you the opportunity to explore San Antonio and the surrounding area with other people like yourself who are seeking fun and adventure.  You will be able to try many things you've never done before, and discover places in the area that you never knew were there.  Whether you are a longtime San Antonio resident, or arrived here recently, ACSA is the best way to meet new people and explore new places.  All in a fun and relaxed environment.

We often get group discounts on many of the activities we participate in.  When you have 10 or 20 people all going to do the same thing, it's usually less expensive than if you went by yourself.

You will be able to see the profiles of other members and communicate with them via the website's messaging system.  In the Activity Partners forum on our Message Board, you can find others to do activities with, even if there is not a club event scheduled for your desired activity.  You can subscribe to any activity forum that interests you and receive a notification email when another member posts a reply to that activity forum.  For example, you can subscribe to the Tennis forum and post a message that you want to play tennis after work tomorrow, and everyone else subscribed to Tennis would receive an email about your posting.

You will also receive discounts at numerous area businesses with your ACSA Member Card.  To see the current list of businesses offering discounts to ACSA members, go to the Member Discounts page.

Through the American Outdoor Adventure Network, your ACSA Login Name & Password gives you access to the websites of other participating clubs that are using the same GoClub website package.  You'll essentially have membership to six clubs for the price of one!

Also see our Benefits page.

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How many members are there?

Our membership fluctuates seasonally, but it is usually between 300 and 400.

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Is my credit card information secure?

We use Capital Merchant Solutions and Verisign, two of the most trusted financial companies, to handle our online transactions. These companies use secure servers, and your credit card number is never made available, even to club management.

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Is my member data secure?

We understand the need for privacy. ACSA will never share information about its members with anyone for any reason. Your member profile gives you the option to display some of your info to other members of the club if you wish to, but no personal information is ever accessible by other members.

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Can I get a refund on my membership dues?

ACSA does not refund membership dues once they have been paid. However, you may transfer any unused portion of your membership to the person of your choice for a one-time fee of $15.

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What do my dues cover?

ACSA is a "for profit" organization. Your ACSA dues get you access to the ACSA interactive web site featuring the ACSA events calendar. Only members have the ability to see the full details for every event including times, places, maps, directions and contact information. Members can RSVP for events on the ACSA site as well. Most ACSA events are for members and their guests only.  We strive to host at least one event every day so that you’ll always have a lot of diverse events to choose from. We do the planning and organizing; you just show up and have fun!

Your dues help to cover the administrative costs of planning and executing the events on the ACSA events calendar, as well as other typical costs of running a small business.  Salaries, advertising and marketing, internet service, website costs, office expenses, accounting fees, legal fees, phone, gas, voicemail, P. O. Box, etc.  At some events we provide food and/or refreshments at no additional cost to you.

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Are the events free?

That will depend on the event. Some events may require the purchase of tickets or incur some travel costs. Most events are free or at a reduced cost. We tend to get some pretty good group discounts on popular events. Some events are totally free other than what you decide to spend, like a happy hour at a local nightspot, for example.  If there is a cost for an activity, everyone pays his or her own way.

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Can I bring a guest to an ACSA event?

Guests are always welcome at ACSA events! We feel the more the merrier is always true, so bring a friend.

We do enforce a couple of guidelines in the interest of fairness to all members. Members will take priority over guests at events where space is limited. Members bringing guests to an ACSA event are responsible for that guest's behavior and any damage that they may cause.

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Can I bring my kids or pets to an event?

That depends on the specific event. Not every event is kid or pet friendly. Each event will say whether or not it is.  Sometimes events are designed specifically for people with kids, and occasionally pets too. Please remember that members are responsible for any damage their kids or pets may cause, and ACSA assumes no responsibility for any injuries. ACSA may ask a parent to sign a liability waiver on behalf of a child attending certain events.

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Why do married couples pay the same as a single person?

About 90% of our group is made up of non-married people. As we don't want to be mistaken for a "singles club" or "dating service" rather than an activities club, we have given an incentive for married couples to join our group. It makes one decision, rather than two, if they wish to join.

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How do you define a married couple?

If the state of Texas considers them a married couple, then we do too.

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If we're engaged or living together, are we considered married?

No. We had to make this distinction because if we allowed these exceptions, someone would want to join with their roommate, their friend, an acquaintance, etc. We don't want to start down that slippery slope.

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How many people attend the events?

Attendance at events can vary widely depending on a number of factors,  such as how long the event has been on the calendar, the type of activity, the event leader, the number and type of other activities scheduled on the calendar at the same time.  On average there are usually 10 to 30 at most of the events.  A house party will get many more attendees than a skydiving outing.  It is up to each Event Leader to set their own minimum and maximum attendance.  Our largest events are 100 to 150, and there are typically a dozen or so events each month above 50.  Sometimes there are only a few attendees, which can be better for certain types of activities.

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How many events do you have each month?

We typically have around 60 to 70 events and activities scheduled every month.

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Will there be people in my age range at the events?

Depends on what the event is, where it's at and who is leading it.  Some events draw a younger crowd, some draw an older crowd.  We have event leaders in their 20's, 60's, and all ages in between.

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I'm not really into athletic stuff, are there social events too?

The majority of our events are social events.  Even some of the outdoor activities are more social, like picnics and bonfires.  There are plenty of athletic opportunities.  However, if you consider dinner, a movie, happy hour or a house party adventurous enough, there will be more of those events scheduled than you'll have time to attend!

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I'm a beginner, will the adventurous activities be too difficult for me?

Most of our members are beginners at most of the activities.  The majority of our adventurous outings are geared towards those who want to get out and try new things but lack experience and don't know where to start.  We have plenty of advanced and more adventurous outings, but if you are not exactly an adrenaline junkie, you'll find plenty of things to do that are just your speed.

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How do I know if I’d fit in with the group?

Our  members come from varied backgrounds and all have different interests.   You end up meeting the people who like to attend the same types of events that you do.  Since you sign up for activities that pique your interests, you are certain to find others at those events who are much like you.

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What if I am shy around strangers?

We have many members who were just as shy when they first started.  All it took was for them to take the first step.  You get out of it what you put into it.  If you're willing to reach out halfway, you'll end up making some great friends.  We've seen many of our shyest members come totally out of their shell and some of them have even become Event Leaders.

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Will I make friends to socialize with outside of the club?

Many friendships develop in the club and reach out in all directions.  Not only do you meet other members, but on many occasions you meet their friends who are guests at events.  Many of these friendships last for years.  Since ACSA has only been around since March of '02 we can only speculate, but a lot of these will most likely be lifelong friendships.

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Will I be able to find others to run, bike, play tennis, etc.?

In the Activity Partners forum on our Message Board, you can find others to do activities with, even if there is not a club event scheduled for your desired activity.  You can subscribe to any activity forum that interests you and receive a notification email when another member posts a reply to that activity forum.  For example, you can subscribe to the Tennis forum and post a message that you want to play tennis after work tomorrow, and everyone else subscribed to Tennis would receive an email about your posting.

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Is this a franchise?

No. ACSA is an independent business. We do things the way WE want to. Our goal is to provide the best variety and quality of events for our members at a reasonable price. We do have other groups we associate with and share the technology, but we are not a franchise.  They are our affiliate clubs, and form the American Outdoor Adventure Network.

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I could do some of these activities myself, why should I join ACSA?

Isn't it more fun to do things with friends?  At each event you attend you'll see friends you've made from past events & meet new members. There are parties at member's houses & travel that you might not try on your own. It's just more fun to have someone with whom to discuss a movie after you've seen it or enjoy good conversation over dinner.

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I have a physical disability, may I attend events too?

We do our best to help our friends with disabilities to enjoy our events, and most of our events are very accessible. Some events would be tough to access, such as hikes, kayaking, biking and so on. If you have a concern, please let the Event Leader know. They will do as much as they can to accommodate you.

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How much does it cost to join? 

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Can I come to an event before joining to check it out?

Monthly club Meet & Greets are open to the public for exactly this reason.  There is usually a hike each month that is open to the public as well.  Check the "Events to Watch" section on our homepage to find out when the next Meet & Greet or Public Hike is scheduled.  There are also occasionally other events that are open to the public as well.  Any event that is open to the public will be listed as "OPEN TO PUBLIC!" and included in the Events to Watch column.  Click on the event to see the details and directions.  If you would like to attend one of our events that is open to the public, please click on "Non-Member Registration" while viewing the event details.

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What are my membership payment options?

You may join with a credit card for instant access to our website, with any of our membership plans. If you prefer, you have the option to mail in a check. This will take a few days until access is granted, as we need to receive the check and activate your account manually.

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What is the cancellation policy for event payments?

Depends on who the payment is to.  With payments to ACSA for events organized by the club owners, cancellation on or before the payment deadline will get you a 100% refund - no questions asked.  No fees will be charged either. After the deadline, we must sell all of our spots and then find someone to buy your spot in order for you to get a refund. If you are able to sell your spot, please let us know for bookkeeping purposes.  Some Event Leaders collect payments directly for events they have set up.  In those cases, it's up to the Event Leader to set the policy.  Sometimes payments are made directly to outside third parties, and they will have their own cancellation policies.

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Are all of the events organized by ACSA employees?

With such a huge number of activities on our calendar every month we'd have to have a whole lot of people on our staff!  The majority of our activities are coordinated by volunteer Event Leaders.  They are regular members who set up events in exchange for free membership.  The club owners organize about 15 events and activities out of an average of over 80 on our calendar each month.  These events tend to be the bigger production events and trips.  Some club owners of similar clubs in other cities and states arrange all of their own events but only offer about 20 or so each month.  With so many different people enjoying so many different types of activities, our Event Leader arrangement allows us to offer our members a much wider variety of activities to participate in.

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How do I become an Event Leader?

To post and lead events on the ACSA website, you must have been an active member of ACSA for at least two months and must have attended at least 8 events. In addition, you must have a profile with a photo, and have your email address displayed with your profile. You must also attend a New Event Leader Training & Orientation. All of these requirements must be met before your website status will be changed to Leader and you are allowed to begin submitting events.

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How many events must I lead to get free membership?

For every two events you lead you will receive a month of membership credit.  If you lead more than 2 events during a one month time period, you will only receive membership credit for 2 events in that time period.  Events that require more work, organization and logistics such as overnight trips or chartering a bus are worth more.  Some “preferred” events are worth more as well., at the discretion of the ACSA owners.

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Are there other ways to earn free membership?

We have a few other members who earn free membership by helping us out with some of our events and various other duties.  We also sometimes trade membership for services such as graphic design work, marketing efforts, etc.  If anyone joins the club and lists you as their referral, you will receive a free month of membership.  If you sign up another business for the Member Discounts program, you will receive a free month as well.  If you recruit one new member or sign up one new business per month you can maintain a free membership indefinitely.

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What is the American Outdoor Adventure Network?

This is a network of participating clubs who are using the same GoClub software.  The members of each club can login to the websites of the clubs in the other participating cities and attend the events in the other cities.  Currently this includes clubs in Austin, Dallas / Ft. Worth, Houston, Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego.

If you can't find an answer to your question, send us an email at administrator@adventureclubsa.com.

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