OneReef
Reef Guru
I was reading the latest issue of Reef Hobbyist Magazine Monday on a plane flight. (I will be mailing it out to members when I get home). It was a nice coincidence that this issue coincided with my vision of what I want MARS to be, Andy help cultivate the path for its future. Like I have said before, it will be a fluid organization as we build, but outline in the RHM magazine, was a nice article entitled "Reef Clubs - Going Beyond the Frag Swap". It has several nice ideas that I would like to incorporate in the upcoming year. Here are a few:
-Promote Best Practices : This involves reefers with experience having access to online material, whether it being a new reefer being able to read an article written in our Newsletter by an experienced Society member on a hot or controversial topic, or the Society poracticing the best methodologies for reef keeping, easily accessible information and help for Marine beginners, and promotion of aquacultured fish and corals to help the hobby and environment.
- Promote Local Fish Stores: We have a vested interest in keeping the good fish stores in business, and educating members on which stores are best and explaining why, and supporting those stores. We want to promote their businesses that are an integral part of the reefing community. The stores can get our additional business and also help promote good and responsible reef keeping.
- Fund and Produce a Study : we can conduct unscientific studies of such things as solid carbon based dosing, lighting, etc, with 2 similar tanks and husbandry. We can help members make informed decisions on methodologies to support or reject practices and beliefs that are in vogue in the hobby today.
-Stay informed of Larger Issues - we can use sources such as our forum and our newsletter to stay up to date on the collection of wild fish and coral, and I. The wider world outside of our immediate tanks. We could use club monies to help keep good action organizations funded such as CORAL, SECORE, and CRF.
-Send Members to National Conferences : it is a goal of MARS to send members to national conferences such as MACNA to gain exposure to new methods of reef keeping, and report back to the Society with a write up or presentation on their learnings. I think we can send one or two people to one of these meetings through a lottery drawing.
-General Public Outreach: helping to educate the general public in marine care and general Reefkeeping. I believe that educating the public will help grow the base of marine enthusiasts and hobbyists. Instead of just getting the Society members to join that are currently in the hobby, we can grow the hobby by increasing the number of new participants in the hobby.
Avoid 'Old Member Syndrome': Often over time, members interest and participation levels become less enthusiastic, as they get tired of answering the same questions over the years, or see no new ideas or changes. Participation wanes, and valuable reef knowledge is lost. We plan to engage these important members and get them to take on bigger issues within the local reef community.
Those are just a few of the topics included in the article, and there are many other items to take on. As I learn more, I will post and also update the Society newsletter.
-Promote Best Practices : This involves reefers with experience having access to online material, whether it being a new reefer being able to read an article written in our Newsletter by an experienced Society member on a hot or controversial topic, or the Society poracticing the best methodologies for reef keeping, easily accessible information and help for Marine beginners, and promotion of aquacultured fish and corals to help the hobby and environment.
- Promote Local Fish Stores: We have a vested interest in keeping the good fish stores in business, and educating members on which stores are best and explaining why, and supporting those stores. We want to promote their businesses that are an integral part of the reefing community. The stores can get our additional business and also help promote good and responsible reef keeping.
- Fund and Produce a Study : we can conduct unscientific studies of such things as solid carbon based dosing, lighting, etc, with 2 similar tanks and husbandry. We can help members make informed decisions on methodologies to support or reject practices and beliefs that are in vogue in the hobby today.
-Stay informed of Larger Issues - we can use sources such as our forum and our newsletter to stay up to date on the collection of wild fish and coral, and I. The wider world outside of our immediate tanks. We could use club monies to help keep good action organizations funded such as CORAL, SECORE, and CRF.
-Send Members to National Conferences : it is a goal of MARS to send members to national conferences such as MACNA to gain exposure to new methods of reef keeping, and report back to the Society with a write up or presentation on their learnings. I think we can send one or two people to one of these meetings through a lottery drawing.
-General Public Outreach: helping to educate the general public in marine care and general Reefkeeping. I believe that educating the public will help grow the base of marine enthusiasts and hobbyists. Instead of just getting the Society members to join that are currently in the hobby, we can grow the hobby by increasing the number of new participants in the hobby.
Avoid 'Old Member Syndrome': Often over time, members interest and participation levels become less enthusiastic, as they get tired of answering the same questions over the years, or see no new ideas or changes. Participation wanes, and valuable reef knowledge is lost. We plan to engage these important members and get them to take on bigger issues within the local reef community.
Those are just a few of the topics included in the article, and there are many other items to take on. As I learn more, I will post and also update the Society newsletter.
. Hopefully we can help in this area. I am even moving forward on setting up a live webcast that people can chime in, ask questions, and participate in the case that they can't make a meeting. I feel digital media and platforms will be a big help to our Society. MARS might even start downloadable PodCasts, content for your iPad/iPhone/Samsung that has interviews, funny stories, and valuable information. The future is wife open with do many possibilities to grow and engage our Society members and the general public. Please feel free to message me any thoughts or ideas. 
