Summary of the Priority-Based Lottery

Background

Our membership is increasing yearly, resulting in a decreased probability of being selected in the lottery. Many long term members have not won a date in many years or have never won.
During the 2023 AGM, a motion was passed directing the Board to explore options to renew the lottery selection process and explore a priority-based option.
A committee was formed and its recommendations were considered by the Board.
The priority-based lottery was approved by a vote held at the 2024 AGM.

In simple terms, provided you enter the lottery every year, the longer you have been unsuccessful in the lottery the greater your chance of being drawn and getting a date.

Members who have waited longer will always be drawn before those who have had a cabin booking more recently.

The model is priority-driven. Priority is assigned to members correlating to the number of successive years in which they have entered the lottery without getting a date.
Each year, names are first drawn from among those in the highest priority group.

Once all those from the highest priority group have been drawn, drawing continues at one priority group lower.
Drawing continues in descending order through the priority queue until all dates have been awarded.
Within each priority group, drawing is always random.
If you are unsuccessful in the lottery your priority increases and you move to the next higher priority group for next year’s lottery.
Those who were drawn and awarded a date return to the priority group 1 for the next year’s lottery.
If you are drawn but none of your requested dates are available, your priority increases and you move to the next highest priority group.

New members start at priority group 1.
If you have not won the lottery in 2 successive years, you will be in priority group 3.
If you are awarded a date, you will return to priority group 1 in the next year, provided you renew your membership.

Over time, all members have the same chance of being drawn, provided they renew their membership annually.

The initial priority pools for 2024-25 will be created based on the previous two years' draw results. This will enable the system to be effective as soon as possible.