Well here goes a long post..
I hope someone will actually read it, rather than just scanning for disagreement points to bash on later in the replies below it!
First, Thanks Shiveley...
Second. muttley101, We all know who your comment was aimed at, were not blind, and we're not stupid. (So please don't treat us as such.)
HOWEVER,
Yes; I have not always have this philosophy and view. My views on this subject have changed VERY much in the last month or so..
You can thank our club PR person for brining this to my attention.
Third, There is nothing stopping people from posting negative things, There are no rules about it on RC or Club Rules that prohibit it.
This is a free and open forum, however you may notice that RC has designated it as the " Marine Aquarists Roundtable of Sacramento (MARS)" That means in my view, it somewhat belongs to the members of MARS.
Forth, kdblove_99, When CRS opened, there was a HUGE backlash here on this RC forum, because the owner had apparently done something "allegedly", and there were some major outspoken people here who were talking about boycotting the store before it even opened!!
I was the only person on opening day waiting at the door for it to open, I spent a good 2 hours there and not a single person, let alone club member came on that Sat to the grand openeing, I belive due in part to the HUGE negative posts here on RC about the owner.
I'm very glad the club was able to patch things up with CRS, and we now have a GREAT relationship with that LFS, and it is a GREAT LFS!
If left unchecked, a few people on RC would slowly destroy every positive contact we have as a club with our LFS's, Until the club was left with no LFS's that liked us, and even mentioning you were in the club would get you laughed at all the way out of the store! (YES, that happened recently at one of our LFS's to a member!!!) Is that what we all really want as a club?
Here's what it boils down to; negative posts big or small, can, will and do, explode into massive bashing on this forum. Always have always will, people take one small comment like "they shorted me $0.10 on change" and turn it into "The worst LFS anywhere!!! Don't shop there!!!)
What this means to the club....
Without LFS's on board and helping our club, here's what goes away..
1) Discounts that help us all afford this hobby.
2) Raffle Prizes that make the raffles fun, AND bring in money for the club to operate and throw parties like the garage sale with FREE FOOD AND DRINKS. If you think your small yearly membership fee covers ALL the stuff MARS does, THINK AGAIN!!!
You all saw what happened to the raffles when they had very little in them, they sucked, no one bought tickets, and as such the club lost money buying items for the small raffle that not even enough people bought into because it had nothing good, and we didn't even break-even on the small stuff we did buy.
So if LFS hate us we get; sucky descent raffles, new members that come to the meetings and don't have as much fun, and we lose money as a club, so it's a tripple whamy on the club.
(Bad raffles for paid members, less new members, and an operating loss.) How is that good for anyone?
3) Great speakers, yes some of our speakers are LFS owners or previous LFS owners. If we don't have good speakers or good raffles why would people come? Yes I know some just come to meet up, but that reason alone will not sustain a club our size for very long. I know I would only go to about 1/2 of the meetings if there was no raffle (To speak of) AND no speaker on a subject..
That's just me perhaps but, that's how I see that it works..
4) Connection to product vendors, The LFS can offer a lot when it comes to knowing who to contact at a particular manuf. (Bruce may not always be around for us
)
So when the club wants to do a group buy or something it will be harder to hunt down contacts and get a good relationship with the people there. I'm sure if one of the larger stores told a manuf. "Hey so and so from MARS is looking to buy xxx can you help them out?" Will go a lot further than you just calling up the Manuf. and saying "What can you do for us?"
So to wrap things up; post what you want on here, there's no rules (Except RC's Rules)
But personally I don't want to be in a club that gets mocked when I go into LF Stores, a club that has sucky raffles, or has no discounts, or has lame (or worse) no speakers at all, every month, or a club that has no unity, or care about the places we buy our most prized possessions to satisfy our unexplainable desires to have the ocean in our homes.
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So it's your club; not mine.
Do what you will with it,
but I feel that it's very delicate and if care is not taken it will not be around for all to enjoy. If there is no club to share corals with what have we done to help with conserving the reefs? How many trades would go on without the club at the center, matching people up with each other? I have to belive A LOT more of us would turn to LFSs to buy corals and fish that were NOT tank rasied, without this club.
This will / (Should) be my last post on this subject.
I have said my peace, flame away..(Hey it's your club do what you want.) 
. i've never seen it poppin like it is right now.
