Life Without This Club

I'd like to start another topic here to bring forth some concerns.  Unusual (at least ironic) timing here.  As we approach our upcoming elections I'd like to re-emphasize something.  This club really needs members, a presidency, and volunteers willing to make it work.  We certainly do have one of the most active and largest clubs in the nation, and for that I've been very thankful.

Please read the announcement I'll post below that was sent to many people (including most club presidents around the nation).  The content of this will occupy a large portion of my next few days, as a sister club in Las Vegas is shutting down.

Adam

Too bad for them, but it sounds like this guy has a bit of a chip on his shoulder against the "Budget Reefer".

I think the fact that this club let's us learn how others have succeeded through inovative and often inexpensive means is one of the best things about it. Sure it'd be great if we could all buy the top of the line product right of the bat, but that's not the real world, and it doesn't sound like this guy has touch with it. (maybe it's true that LV hobbyists are different, *cough*Elitist*cough**huhmph*)

True also that frag trades are a great way to increase diversity, but the fact that I get to do it at $5-10 a pop is great. If I only added new corals when I could buy a $60+ specimen I'd be up to about 7-8 corals by now instead of about 40 differnet great corals.

and as far as "do it right the first time" Has anyone here done that yet? anyone? where's the fun in that?

Well my stance is this.  Regardless of what our club was meant to do, is doing, or will do in the future, we do have a great group of people who work to make it happen.  I'm not sure I want to get into what I think this club is about, I'll leave that for the next president coming in and the new presidency.
But in Vegas there are 4 (now 3) marine aquarium clubs.  Why?  It doesn't make any sense.  It is frustrating to see personalities cause such problems.  They have enough people, enough energy, but are divided into several clubs and can't just unite.  It would be like if we did have a Cache Valley Club, Salt Lake Club, Utah County Club. 

Keep in mind this Vegas club had been around about 8 years..... almost as old as our club.

Adam

I hope there is not some personality giving you trouble! We
could call Carl........

Is it too much work to do all you do? Is there a way we can
help more?

No, no problems here.  Things are great from my end.  Only two more months to go .
Just sharing some info as this is quite an unfortunate event.  It certainly makes me wonder what our club is about, or should be about. 

Adam

Well I guess I'll chime in ( it's my personality)

I have been the cheep frag guy. Sure SO WHAT ADAM  But I also paid for my membership before I attended very many meetings. This place was recommended to me from a friend. It was described as a place that was very helpfull and understanding to newbies. I paid for the knowledge I gained and will still gain. If nothing else membership is worth that. I think it is a very reasonable amount of money also.

I attend the cheep stuff auctions at the local FW society. they have meetings maybe every 4-6 months. They seem very closed minded and set in there ways, Have no websight and don't seem to care if they did. They are a bunch of old farts that seem to be richous in the fact they can do it.

But the people here are energetic and outgoing and very personable. sometime too much .

Thanx to the wamas. anything My 1yo saltwater knowledge can do to help let me know.

This club is taking off really fast. What are the plans to keep it on task? I don't want this to go away like vegas.....

This is the final attempt to convince the Aquarium Industry and educate the hobbyist and for everyone to clean up their act

Here in Las Vegas, they are substandard and as a tourist, not worth your time or your visit.

This web site is /will NOT for the hobbyist with the "Budget Reefer" mentality.

And on LVMAS's web site, www.lvmas.org, you can't miss Howard's name up at the top left hand side (part of the flash show).  And there's even a link to his personal site from the main LVMAS page.

I don't know Howard, but I think I can see why there might be some personality conflicts at play

I hope one of the splinter groups succeed in LV.  To me hobbyist clubs are about education.  An educated aquarist is good for both the Great Barrier Reef and the LFS owner.

WMAS means to me that in an emergency I know 100+ people who will give me advice and hopefully get me through the problem. WMAS means to me that once a month I can go to a structured (I know some may debate this) learning environment where I can learn something about a hobby I value greatly. WMAS means to me that if my tank ever cracks I know several people will come take my livestock while I twitch in the corner, and then return the livestock when the time is right. WMAS means to me that I have a large group of friends who will enter into dialogue/debate regarding almost any subject regarding SW/Reef tanks (and even other subjects), learning from other's experiences and knowledge. WMAS means to me that many people are looking out for each other, making sure you know that you don't always have to buy the most expensive item, that Rubbermaid works too. It is a community in the best sense of the word, and in our current world where most people don't have a sense of community, this group fills a void that is much needed.

I have learned a great deal from the members of this club. I have always felt welcome, even the very first meeting. Where else do people post invites for rock & sand expeditions and end up with a group of 10+ driving out to the West desert for the rest of the day?

Some of us are better than others at volunteering; some of us don't know what needs to be done. I would like to help out but I'm not sure what needs to be done and when. If we are need of volunteers we may want to look at posting what we need and see if people will fill in the gaps.

I know it is a sore subject for some; that some people think of the club as a place to get cheap frags. The frag meetings bring in people who normally may never show up to a meeting. If one out of ten people that show up for that meeting continue to show up and in the end help another person with some issue I would think that could be considered a success.