How Do You Help OMAS?

[Travis L. Stevens]

I just wanted to start this thread as a way to leave a different thread on topic, but we really should give this thought. Even if nothing comes from it but self enlightenment. This thread originally started here for reference. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=802520

We all know that there are many ways to help our local clubs. From donating your time helping members, supplying your house as a place to hold meetings, bringing snacks, making a newsletter, sponsoring OMAS, and much more are very nice and all equally as important. But who takes it to the streets? Who makes a concience effort to see someone confused in a local fish store and tries to help them and even offer them to come to a meeting? Do you give them any information like a phone number to contact you if they have questions? Do you offer them to join the millions browsing saltwater forums such as Reef Central? How about giving them the exact link to the OMAS Forum?

Sure, the first, biggest, and most immidiate effects of doing some of the questions proposed above will be increased membership. And I know that we are not attempting to actively recruit members. But, in my opinion, our goal is to educate. From the young (*cough* PredatorPassion, Keckles, beakfreak *cough cough*) to the old (I'll pick on GLD since he has a good sense of humor and the current President ) and from the amateur to the advanced. And, since we have a good club, I'm sure the newly educated people will enjoy going to meetings on a regular basis. But how else would we make ourselves known and help new hobbyists not make the mistakes I did. Do you remember how you found OMAS? How about Reef Central. After all, it wasn't an OMAS member that informed me of Reef Central. It was a regular store employee. A guy from Pet Mart before they closed down. He used to do the fish section. From there, I stumbled on COMAS and was then directed to OMAS.

At the end of this thread that was specifically venting about a local retailer, I said

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6996674#post6996674 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis L. Stevens
We don't have to do anything directed directly at him. I respect his right to do business as he pleases. But our goal as OMAS members is should be to educate people about the hobby. And a well educated person often finds that Tulsa Aquatics often gives poor advice and information. Now, if we could find a way to educate the masses and not just our members, we can accomplish two goals. Increased membership and decrease the bad reputation that the saltwater hobby gets as being "hard" and "expensive" that a few stores and failed aquarists inadvertently give the hobby because of misinformation. Word of mouth is the strongest form of advertisement and one negative word is worth ten in positive. Therefore, for us to change this hobby to a hobby known as an enjoyable past time and help people not make discouraging mistakes, we need to work ten times as hard to debunk misconceptions.

How do you feel about all of this? Have you done anything lately for the club in the public eye?

 

[predatorpassion]

I agree with it... also people that go to tulsa aquatics and see the mans (behavior) and rudeness... use it as precedent to expect at other fish retailers... not everyone but some people might think that......

 

[phetish]

note: cross-posted here as well: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=6997171#post6997171

well, if OMAS has no intention of endorsing a list of "good" LFS's, then OMAS should not be considering a list of "bad" LFS's.

let the market decide who the good ones are and who the bad ones are.

Having said that, I agree that OMAS should be working toward providing good, solid information to the new people entering the hobby. you can't reach everyone, but you can make the group's existence known and anyone that wants help can use OMAS as a resource.

the question then becomes how do you make the group's existence known? in my opinion, the best way to do that is to partner with the LFS's. The problem there is that the LFS's tend to have love/hate relationships with hobbyist groups.

Several months ago, i started a thread asking what the LFS's needed to make the relationship workable between OMAS and the LFS's. I can't say that much came out of it.

I think that until there is a strong relationship between the LFS's and OMAS there will be a struggle on both sides. OMAS needs the LFS's in order to reach new members and provide good solid advice to hobbyists. LFS's need OMAS as a support group for the people in the hobby.

Here are a couple ideas:
1 - OMAS could offer to provide an in-store liason to customers. (i doubt this is an idea they would jump on, but it's an idea)
2 - OMAS could offer to provide a class to a store's customers on 1 or 2 Saturdays each month. perhaps a fragging class, or a sump/refugium class, etc. ( i keep hearing stores say they want to provide these classes but i've yet to see one do it... why is that? lack of demand, lack of resources, or lack of follow through?)

enough from the peanut gallery on the left coast...

derek

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Luckily, there has been a few classes that have happened in the past. I believe it turned out to be OMAS members only, but hey. It's a start.

My idea would include business cards. As silly as it sounds. I'll meet people that are interested, and I have no formal and professional way to give them information about a particular club. To me, it seems like they think "Oh, just a little 'treehouse club'." when I just jot down information on paper.

 

[phetish]

I must have missed those classes. I haven't seen one happen yet.

were those OMAS classes for members?

derek

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6997363#post6997363 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phetish
I must have missed those classes. I haven't seen one happen yet.

were those OMAS classes for members?

derek

This was a while back. I don't think that you were a member yet. Eric was president and it was held at Ultimate Reefs. It was about fragging. I scored a Monti digi frag that evening. Shortly afterwards my goby knocked it over and buried it. But that is a different story. Now, with George as president, a lot of our meetings seem to be taking a direction of a classroom like structure. A lot of information is being thrown out there.

 

[phetish]

if i understand you correctly, then these were OMAS sponsored classes for members that took place in a store.

what i'm talking about is working with a store and doing a session or 2 on a saturday afternoon, where anyone in the store can just watch and see what it's like to frag a xenia, monti, acan, or whatever. (i'm just using the frag topic for now, but any topic can suffice)

with the right person doing it, it can be a show and educational.

perhaps the store could provide the colonies to be fragged and give away the frags to customers who registered while they are there.

it sounds like a win/win to me. OMAS gets recognition, an opportunity to meet people, and provide education. the store gets a reputation for being different, accumulate customer info (registrations for the give aways) and possibly some sales out of the deal.

anyway, that's how i envision it.

derek

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6997732#post6997732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phetish
if i understand you correctly, then these were OMAS sponsored classes for members that took place in a store.

what i'm talking about is working with a store and doing a session or 2 on a saturday afternoon, where anyone in the store can just watch and see what it's like to frag a xenia, monti, acan, or whatever. (i'm just using the frag topic for now, but any topic can suffice)

You understood right. I was just stating that we have had similar things happen. Hey, it's a step Your idea though sounds great. I don't know where the funds are necessarily going, but maybe holding some of it back to buy a mother colony of something that is easy to keep such as a colt coral. Sadly, that is slightly off topic.

Though, I'm always interested in hearing what the club could do as a whole to help out. But what can you do as an individual? What have you been doing as an individual?

 

[phetish]

personally.... i've helped a coupe people get started - one salt, one fresh. i even brought one to a couple meetings as a guest.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6997906#post6997906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phetish
personally.... i've helped a coupe people get started - one salt, one fresh. i even brought one to a couple meetings as a guest.

:thumbsup: I love it! I've seen a few Oklahomans while browsing the forums that I didn't recognize. I usually shoot them a PM with a pre-apology if they are current members or already knew of us. But I link them to OMAS, COMAS, and SOMAS respectively with a little information. It seems a few members have even joined

Heck, my sister just yesterday had "scored" a little 10g tank and said she was interested in starting up a fish tank. She was thinking freshwater, but I might be able to convince her to go saltwater. Especially since she just recently came back from Jamaica. I think she has saltwater fever. And I'm just feeding it I'm waiting for an email from her to see if that is something that she really wants to do. I pretty much have something already set up for her if that is the case.

 

[seamommie]

I love the business card idea. I spoke with someone in an LFS a couple of weeks ago and while I suggested attending a meeting and checking out RC, a business card would have been a great way to reinforce the conversation.

Also, to the credit of the LFS, in my case Ultimate Reefs, multiple employees suggested that I check out both OMAS and RC. They are the reason that I am an OMAS member and that I read these boards. Is there a way that we could do a poster to hang in the LFS to attract attention and encourage participation. I love the idea of a demonstration/class as well from time to time.

Just my .02.
Lisa

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7002837#post7002837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seamommie
I love the business card idea. I spoke with someone in an LFS a couple of weeks ago and while I suggested attending a meeting and checking out RC, a business card would have been a great way to reinforce the conversation.

Also, to the credit of the LFS, in my case Ultimate Reefs, multiple employees suggested that I check out both OMAS and RC. They are the reason that I am an OMAS member and that I read these boards. Is there a way that we could do a poster to hang in the LFS to attract attention and encourage participation. I love the idea of a demonstration/class as well from time to time.

Just my .02.
Lisa

If I could only do that up here at work since that is what I do all day, but Budweiser won't let me (And for good reason ) Ultimate Reefs does have a little poster. I had asked about it once back in the day. Shane explained it, but it must not have clicked with me.

 

[phetish]

i'm not going to try to speak for shane - i wasn't there and have no idea what he said.

but i will say this: OMAS can't just go asking stores to do this or that without offering something in return.

i have an interest in sociology and the behavior of groups/individuals. the LFS's and OMAS are both centers of influence. each can influence their members in different ways, and the groups may overlap, but they do not overlap entirely.

RC is another center of influence.

my opinion is that leveraging these centers of influence are going to be far more productive to all involved rather than an individual trying to contact individuals.

i guess another question to ask is what is OMAS trying achieve? increased membership? to what end? increase membership dues received? why increase membership? what is the goal?

i'll put it out for everyone... in a seperate thread... http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=806265

Derek

 

[scott0615]

Well......................I'll probably tick some of you off with my next sentence. For that, I apologize in advance. I've read and heard a lot of good ideas from members of this club, yet when it comes down to putting a good idea into action everyone disappears.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7008007#post7008007 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scott0615
Well......................I'll probably tick some of you off with my next sentence. For that, I apologize in advance. I've read and heard a lot of good ideas from members of this club, yet when it comes down to putting a good idea into action everyone disappears.

It doesn't offend me at all. It seems to be true to a point. We, OMAS, has been taking baby steps. I've heard how this club started, seen it in its middle years, watched it grow, enjoyed it slowly progressing, and see the light in our future.

Unfortunately, you came in at one of our high points. So, when we back off just slightly, it seems like a huge step back. Greg and I joined at the same time; a wonderful evening at Hideaway Pizza December 2004. You can ask him how we are slowly advancing. It seems like we are currently taking two steps forward and then one step back. But, progress is progress in a club with relatively few participating members.

Unfortunately, I'm quite limited in time, money, and location. Therefore a lot of my participation is often limited to just meetings. Luckily, I can help the group by being a liason to COMAS and even SOMAS thanks to Paul (captbunzo).

 

[keckles]

How do you help OMAS?

The spread of useless, unhelpful information and unnecessary, sarcastic posts making fun of Greg.

 

[dustin Combs]

I agree this has been entertaining but we are here for reasons that deal with OMAS. Let's focus on the people that are dropping by the forum and were wanting to join and no doubting to join. We are here to help not hinder

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Keckles, :lmao: Why does this not surprise me?

Dustin, I'm a little lost there. Was that "let's focus on the people that are dropping by the forum and wanting to join. And now are doubting joining?"

 

[dustin Combs]

trav,

people that are non members that are reading this form that may want to become part of omas read this daily. They see nothing but bashing and slandering of other members, LFS's etc. Let us stay focused on the goal to GROW not to run off by this nonsense. Maybe no one wants to help because of all the garbage that gets drug into the forum. JMO. I would love to help, donate or pass what little knowledge of reef that I know to start those individuals that want to learn learn.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7008459#post7008459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dustin Combs
trav,

people that are non members that are reading this form that may want to become part of omas read this daily. They see nothing but bashing and slandering of other members, LFS's etc. Let us stay focused on the goal to GROW not to run off by this nonsense. Maybe no one wants to help because of all the garbage that gets drug into the forum. JMO. I would love to help, donate or pass what little knowledge of reef that I know to start those individuals that want to learn learn.

I understand. And I see what you are saying. That's why I made a new thread to discuss how individual members help OMAS on their own time? Or if they do. I tried to leave out the gossip and finger pointing. It all started in a finger pointing, venting thread. But I'm trying to address this in an unbiased, serious attitude.