I think it is a joke..

[COreefer]

I'm sorry but it has to be said. The way that other thread began is a total and utter shame upon this club. It was evident there was behind the scenes collaboration by an LFS owner and a not yet member of our reef club. This club has done fine in the format it has operated under for the last three years. Two people have put in a ton of effort and energy into this thing and to watch people take it for granted and for outsiders (one of which is a retail store owner) come in and attempt to hijack things is upsetting to me.

Like it or not, the rules we have now, are the rules we have had for many years, unquestioned by LFS owners until now. We have another LFS owner jockeying for position in the club leadership. Ridiculous...the premise, the first thing that we stated when we began this club was no outside retail interests. You disrepect that to the point in which some have and my wrath is to be dealt with.

Look, Robert quits, one day and the next there is this bombarment of BS. You want to know why he decided to get out??? Due to crap like this...the reef club should be fun and for Robert and I it is becoming anything but fun. We have been asked to make an exception so that an LFS owner can attend the meetings...never should an organization compromise its principles for one individual. It's not in the best interest of anyone to do so. If we had allowed this sort of thing to go on, right now this reef club would be run by Mr. Aqua or RMRC (sorry but I have no need to elaborate right now). There are many good people in our reef club, but there are also those who believe they are entitled, and again that is utter BS. No one is entitled...things are earned in this life, my friends.

In the coming days we will be looking at solutions to this problem...however know this, those who have pushed this agenda have not endeared themsleves to anyone in this club who has put the blood sweat and tears in to ensuring its success. I don't understand how one LFS owner can collaborate with a woman from Idaho (through massive hyperbole) and try to hijack things over night; thus causing this massive uproar. This is precisely why we chose to remain seperate, free of retail interests in Colorado Springs. This club wasn't built by sponsors. The sponsorship is a brand new thing and yet we have maintained turnout anywhere for 12-22 people over the last year. We have a roster of nearly 40 people, whose main purpose is to further the hobby, and not their own personal agendas as two or three have in recent days.

To the Haj, I say this...you have been given opportunities to come to meetings, yet you not attended a single one; further your ethics have come into question with some members of the club. To Lyn I say this, your assertions made in the other thread were completely off base and agenda driven...it is plain as day what your intentions were, and as I stated earlier, you have not got off on the right foot with many people. Sure a few may agree with you, but do you really think it was your place to come out and publicy question/criticise something you have not been a part of? To Keith I say this, what you are doing as an LFS owner is a positive thing for this community...however, you are an LFS owner. To sit there and stir the pot with our not for profit group is questionable business practice IMO. By not respecting our rules and trying to question and impose yours again IMO is highly questionable, especially from the stand point you have taken by basically blackmailing us that you may revoke your sponsorship because you are not considered by us to be a hobbyist. That is one of the most childish tactics I have witnessed from the view point of this reef club. You say you have other issues...what other issues do you have? It's not your place to judge how we make descions or complain when you aren't included.

In sum, we had a pretty good thing going lately, with momentum gaining, funds gaining, etc...in the coming days we, meaning those of us who took the initiative, and put the hard work into starting and maintaing this will be meeting to determine the direction of our reef club. Right now I cannot say what that direction is...it could be elections after the first of the year, totally new leadership, etc...who knows. All I know is that I am spent. It is garbage that people barely or not even affiliated with us come in and start to criticise the organization which has worked fine until now. An organization that has helped countless reefers into the hobby, an organization which has given everyone a platform for discussion, trading, networking, etc... You have no idea what this club has endured or what the consumers of this town have had to endure. Additionally, failing to recognize the efforts some of us have put in is reprehensible IMO.

That's it for now...it needed to be said, sorry if you didn't like it. Because to me, principles are more valuable than any sponsorship or any single member.

Good day

Eric

 

[The Haj]

To the Haj, I say this...you have been given opportunities to come to meetings, yet you not attended a single one; further your ethics have come into question with some members of the club....

Actually I did go to a meeting at Joe Turners house were I met Paul for the first time. Quite suprisingly that was the meeting that made me somewhat disturbed and was the last I went too. I had quit following the board for awhile. However I had begun interest in the scmas after reading some interesting post and would to have liked to become more active in the club.. So as far as someone not having testicular fortitude to tell me what is going on with the ethics ordeal so be it. I have tried to contact you via off the forum but got no response.

 

[COreefer]

I don't know what was disturbing about the meeting at Joe's. That's the way our metings typically go (well except the drinking that went on that day). the folks participating don't seem to have a problem with it. The dynamics of the rc can't suit everyomne's needs, that is impossible.

BTW, I remember you stooping by Joe's not to attend the meeting, but to pick up frags or drop something off...you were in and out in about 10min.

 

[The Haj]

That is true if you want to know more please contact me via p.m. I do not having a problem with drinking heck I might of even had a frosty if I did not live 35 40 miles away.

 

[The Haj]

COreefer you have a pm

 

[Mustang394]

Eric,

You decided to attack me in an open forum, while I choose to talk with you in private. There was no need for you to pull my comments to you into an open forum.

So let me say this. I was not blackmailing you with sponsorship, I was asked by one of your club leaders to sponsor your club. As a person and business owner I believe I have a right to know what the club is about and what it represents. After all my name is on the line as well. You want me to send you new members to your club with my blessing but I know nothing about you or what your club does. And I dare not ask for fear you will twist my questions and make them public.

You say I have issues? I believe my term was questions. Like clarification on what you want from us as a sponsor. Things I didn't think needed to be made public unless you choose to discuss them with your club members.

As for not repecting your rules, where are they? If I can't ask you how am I or anyone else to know what they are? I asked you questions in private you turned my words around and brought them here.

As for trying to push my agenda on you or anyone in the club or working with someone to push an agenda? I didn't even meet her until last night which by the way was after she posted her question. Let alone know if she was or wasn't a member of the reef club.

Your right about one thing I and my wife have decided to stop sponsoring the club. But it is because of you and your personal agenda and politics. Not the general feelings of your club members. I will not have my name or my stores name associated with any entity that openly bashes people in public on unproven accusations.

I did not start the other thread nor did I have anything to do with it being started. Like I said to you in a private message you don't know me. You been in the store once and didn't even introduce yourself. I don't think we even talked to each other, then maybe I did but I would not know it, I have no idea which of the 6 or 7 club members that were in the store that day was you.

You have some great people in your club, and I truely wish you all the success. I will continue to support any hobbiest who walks into the store or PM's me. But if asked about YOUR club I will pretend to have no knowledge of it. I believe that is as fair as I can be when the president of a club openly accuses anyone of wrong doing or hidden agenda when they absolutely no facts to back it up with. IMO to continue to support you and your club (not the individual members) would be the ultimate in poor business ethics.

I have seen you lose one member who I don't know, seen you call another hobbiest a fly by night poster, because you didn't like what he said, and accuse another of collaborating with me to upset your club. Anyone who truely knows us, knows we are more about futhering the hobby than making a living form a store. Your total lack of concern for the people who make up your club and poor treatment of those wishing to join is the sole reason we will not sponsor you, until such time as the club becomes a place that it truely a place for all hobbiest (not LFS) to come to for help and advice, regardless of if their personal opinions are the same as yours or not.

If you truely don't care as you stated about losing members and sponsors than that is truely sad.

 

[COreefer]

Keith, this isn't new...we have been going around in circles for sometime. Numerous occaision the club rules pertaining to LFS's have been posted or PM'd to you. I get the feeling you feel entitled to certain things which you are not. Politics on my part?? hardly, I have putr a ton of work into this as ahas Robert and from day one this club met and set up, we established rules, Rukles number one is that we were to remain free of retail interests in this town. We laxed that rule at one point and did what you are requesting..we allowed a LFS owner to attend metings. With in two meetings he was trying to turn this club into an outlet for a retail business. Ask Robert about this. That's why the rules are black and white. No after talkig to Eric and a couple others we decided to relax these rules, as a compromise of sorts to allowe LFS's to come by invite. You didn't like that, and you made posts (the only LFS in town mind you) and you PM'd me.

I really don't have much more to say, we have made the rules plain to you and at every turn you have not respected them by calling them into question. Your approach to this has been to focus on the individual rather than helping the club...we still have solid sponsors, so losing one who hsn't given back to the club is not going to kill us. You say we expect you to send us members...for what purpose I ask you? We do fine without you sending us members...that isn't the premise of the sponsor/club relationship which only you out of all of our sponsors has a problem with how we do things.

 

[Misfit6669]

I was going to stay out of this thread but I did enjoy reading it. Same old Eric, very entertaining stuff and I love seeing the typical Eric spin. But then I got a few PM’s from down there asking me my take. And this is it.

Wow more “Drama” and guess what, Eric, you are in the middle of it AGAIN. Why is that Eric? You can’t blame this one on me or my hidden agenda. I think that’s the phrase you like to use, hidden agenda. I know you have accused me of having my own hidden agenda in the past. You went after Kip’s hidden agenda, after Del’s hidden agenda and I don’t think you have even met him. I know you have bashed heads with Joe in the past, probably a good chance you used the hidden agenda in that debate also. These are 3 of the most standup and nicest guys I have met in the clubs. Oh hell, screw the clubs, these are 3 of the coolest guys I have had the chance to become friends with. I can understand bashing heads with me, I can be an arse and I am not afraid of you but these guys are good people. However, the list goes on and on, I have lost count of all the folks you have had nasty transcripts with over the years. And now you have this whole new round of hidden agenda stuff going on. Whenever somebody has a thought that isn’t exactly what YOU see is right, you throw the hidden agenda card out there. The club should be call Eric’s Southern Colorado Marine Aquarist Society, like it or get the hell out. And that’s what I did for the most part; I went up to Denver to attend most of their meetings. Hell I was even willing to drive up to Fort Collins to be “part” of a fun club. I did still attend a few CS meeting and I made a few friends while being down there. But I realized early on it was Eric’s club and very few were willing to stand up to him so I just kept my mouth shut. Ok, I kept my mouth shut for the most part

I really don’t care what direction Eric’s club takes, I just want some people to know the history, at least part of it from what I remember.

Eric, didn’t you work at a LFS and attend meetings? I’m sure you will come back with the “I was only an employee” take. But everybody knew who was running the salt water side of things. Trey was a really nice guy but he was limited with his SW knowledge. The best thing he did was hiring you to get it in the right direction. You know a ton about the stuff and how the business should be run. And from what I recall, you did a very good job with it. It was your baby, to say. You put together a few group buys that a lot of us really benefited from. Those were freaking awesome and I am glad you did that. You did all this while attending meetings and being a very active participate in your club. From what I saw, you were able to attend the meetings WITHOUT pushing Exotic Tropics down our throat. You followed your own rules and I give you credit for that. Why do you feel no other folks associated with LFS’s can? Is it something only the great Eric can do? I know you are terrified of having a LFS run your club and you should be. They should be separate for the most part. But it seems like your club was asking for a relationship with the LFS’s through the sponsorship thing you guys setup. I know Jon would attend the Northern meetings and it worked out just fine from what I saw.

I could go on but I need to start enjoying my only day off and get ready for a move to the Balt/DC area.

Brian (hidden agenda) Misfit.

 

[COreefer]

Wow Brian...bravo. For a guy who hasn't attended a meeting in two years and lives 3000 miles away you seem to know an awful lot, or so it seems...

As far as Trey's buisness is concerned, I did work for him; I'll make no bones about it. However, I did not have a vested interest in his business, meaning there was no investment on my part and I was there more or less trying to help a friend than gain. As for connections to the club and Trey's business, you said it yourself, there was zero connection. I in no way shape fashion or form benefited or profited from the reef club, hell at the time we probably had all of 5 people attending meetings. Did you get that??? To take it a step further, since I stood nothing to gain, I saw the opportunity with Trey to help others in the reef club by doing group buys at pennies on the dollar compared with every other LFS in town and even on the internet (because at the time there was major price gouging going on in this market and setting up a group buy with Trey is no different than setting up an onluine group buy). Again, did I mention I had zero financial interest in Trey's business??? It wasn't my business so any profit made went into Trey's pocket not mine.

Brian I'm glad you have chosen to affiliate yourself with those mentioned about...it sure as hell doesn't help their credibility. Wasn't you, at the first meeting you attended who had threatened to beat down one of our members??

Why I even give you the time of day is beyond me, other than to clear the air on your assertions. No one has said an LFS employee cannot attend or whatever...it is those who stand to profit from the hobby who are in question(and even then we had made a compromise to allow those to attend by invitation). That's the only reason I give a guy 3000 miles away the time of day. I would say today, of all of the people who attend meetings, 5 have met you.

One other point, as for this being "Eric's" club, well there have been two people involved from the beginning, Robert and I. And between Robert and I we have made joint decisions. Aside from that a year ago we had meeting of 5 people who made decisions as a collectivist group. So as for your assertions of this being MY club, you are completely wrong. Sure at times I have made the call on certain things, but it was at a point when someone had to make the call or watch things fall apart. Even today, this issue with the LFS's there was compromise, with Eric, with Robert, and with Todd (that's why they backed me up in the original thread). Murf wasn't looped in because it appeared as though he was on his way to Alabama for good.

Why am I in the middle of it you ask, because that is my job for now...we are meeting next Friday, 5 of us who will decide what to do in terms of the future. Many times I have tried to turn my duties over to others; however, no one has seemed commited to working the way Robert and I have on this thing. Maybe now, with some funds, and some direction, someone will step up and take the bull by the horns.

Brian, your agenda isn't hidden, it is very explicit, you have had a grudge against Robert and I for a very long time (actually since the first meeting you attended), and it's sad that even while living 3000 miles away you still want to interject yourself into something that has nothing to do with you.

 

[Misfit6669]

Nice spin buddy, something else you have always been good at. Keep up the great work with YOUR club.

Take care
Brian

 

[COreefer]

Now I know where some of the things I hear about originated, because in your posts you seemed to use some of the exact words I have heard from others.

Nevertheless, there will be a meeting next Friday night with Murf, Robert, Eric, and Todd. This club doesn't belong to me or any other one individual. It has always functioned as a group effort and will continue to do so. It still perplexes me as to how an issue with an LFS, and a brand new member can mushroom like this (with even Brain chimming in). What's more important here...appeasing 1 LFS or keeping the momentum of great turnouts and quality presentations going??

If this was my club as brian suggests, why then had I made arraingments to turn it over to someone else before all of this went down????

 

[Agu]

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