Stolen Coral? at the Shop REWARD FOR INFO

[mcox33]

I was thinking maybe $15.00 ANNUAL FEE, and give out membership cards with the Paid Membership. Seems fair to me. Yet not so expensive as to make it hard on people. Maybe have a set # of Complimentary Memberships available, for those people who truely could not afford to join otherwise, that are given out each year. I am sure Barry and perhaps Ron would know who the most likely candidates would be. With their experience of waiting on customers and seeing who is buying what and how often.


Just my $0.02

 

[foxesreef]

That sounds pretty decent to me. Once again though, I am not able to attend too many meetings and so whatever is best for the club to grow and continue to educate many of us is good.

 

[phljess]

Come on, if someone could not afford a $30.00 annual fee they would not be in this hobby. I mean a fish or a coral by itself can easily cost that much.

 

[foxesreef]

True, but that membership card won't keep me up at night staring at it.

 

[rnhrtfan]

Phil I understand what you're saying about the dues and such....what I was refering to was more to carb's question of privitization his reply appeared to be saying if we privitized then it we should feel more at ease with strangers coming into our homes and such I don't feel a annual due would prevent someone who has the nitent to steal from stealing they will steal if that is their nature that's what I was saying.... as for the dues it doesn't really matter to me what is done with it...it is very nice to not pay one because like you said this hobby is expensive enough so why add a price where there isn't one now....but I would pay if that does in fact happen....one word of caution though...alot of people who donate things now for the swap may become a little more stingy (sp?) if a dues fee is assessed...I have held a fund raiser for a scholarship fund for 10 years now. in the beginning I had people donate time and drinks and stuff minimal cost (I thought) who didn't donate money to the cause. when they started donating money (on their own) the donated time and food items stopped. as if to say if I am giving you money you don't get my time or drinks.

 

[phljess]

Well, I guess that may be true but if you think about it if you get a membership your actually helping yourself. I would not look at it as paying a fee but as giving money so the club could buy stuff that everyone would like to use. Besides, who is donating? I know it has mostly been about four or five that usually donate most of every coral. I guess if people do not want to donate drinks, we could just go back to the way it was before when we did not have drinks or food. I really think if the club could generate a little bit of money it would help everyone. Also if it were private we could again offer auctions- Which is why I would like to see it go private.

 

[rnhrtfan]

I agree with you that would be nice..... not trying to be confrontational just playing devil's advocate....

 

[firefish2020]

I really think if the club could generate a little bit of money it would help everyone. Also if it were private we could again offer auctions-

We have generated money finally, talk to Igosalt she can give you specs on that, she has also bought more prizes and supplies with the money raised. We are building up so we can get things for the club, maybe not a generator and personally I wouldn't trust many with something that expensive anyway. You can expect many more great prizes. The newbies are getting spoiled in a way, when we started this club the prizes were small since then we have moved up to giving away Tunze products thats a big leap and thats exactly where I want us to go but we can never forget where we came from. We need to have better prizes to attract more people for these sales but that goes both ways, you members need to bring coral to the swaps, the more coral there is the more people we will see and bigger these events will get.

As for the auctions, it wont matter guys, you still have to have a licensed auctioneer and you can only have 4 per year. The only exemption to these rules are "churches and other fraternal non-profit orgs".

Also guys if you want to discuss this feel free but lets start another thread just for it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updates on this thread are coming soon.

 

[mcox33]

I agree phil should start another thread for this topic if it is to continue, but just let me say this. I would willing pay a $15.00 annual fee but would drop out and not get a membership if it were $30.00.
We started this as a free place to get information, not someplace to make money. Personally if I have to choose the coral or fish I want for $30.00 or a club membership, the club looses.

 

[firefish2020]

hmmmm yes well anyway, back to the investigation then?

 

[carb850]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11924412#post11924412 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rnhrtfan
Phil I understand what you're saying about the dues and such....what I was refering to was more to carb's question of privitization his reply appeared to be saying if we privitized then it we should feel more at ease with strangers coming into our homes and such

I don't think making a paying membership would make for a sticky hand free zone but I do think it would reduce the number.

 

[Tazbader]

All I can say is I had talked to Ron about this after the fact as I was unfortunately not around much that weekend when this happened. I would have to say that if I ever was witness to such an act at Barry's I would pretty much go postal on the culprit. Barry, Ron and Roger have all been extremely helpful to me personally in starting up my newest tank..... "giving" would be an understatement.
I think that anyone who really knows these guys and their kind nature for this hobby and Barry's shop in general would have to be quite the piece of detritus to do something like this, and I highly doubt this is the case. On more than one occasion I have got to play security in the shop and it is pretty much always some weirdo that is being watched.... people do reflect what they are. As I have now finally got to meet some more of you since the meeting, it only strengthens my thoughts that was an outsider.
Besides the regret of not being there and of course the loss of Ron and Barry's coral, I am saddened by the waves that this seems to be creating.... seeds of dissent if you will..... however minor......just saying my peace thx

 

[phljess]

I remember when we used to have the swaps at the shop and things would come up missing afterward. It really made me upset considering Barry allowed us to use his facilities for the meets. I used to be very open with who I let see my personal tanks and never thought a thing about it but now I will be very relunctant to have anyone in my house I do not know well.

 

[firefish2020]

I used to be very open with who I let see my personal tanks and never thought a thing about it but now I will be very relunctant to have anyone in my house I do not know well.

That's why I don't and wont do it.