What would you like to see change?

[Sanjay]

One of the reasons for having a club was to be able to get people from all parts of PA together at least for a few events in a year.

This would basically provide you to meet with others in the area, and in your immediate area. Once you have developed the connections and made friends there is nothing stopping people from regionally meeting among themselves. It does not have to be a club sponsored meeting. People can locally get together, trade frags, sip a beer or two. NCPARS provides you with the networking needed to do this. After a few of these, you will find that you all have each others corals.... and will need other people from other regions to trade with. This is something that NCPARS has the capability to do. Create an event that attracts large number of people - even from neighboring states, giving them a chance to trade with people outside thier region. This becomes very clear once you start looking at declining rate of trading going on when the same people attend every frag swap.

If the members want local NCPARS sponsored meetings, I guess it could be done. The club could allocate X amount of $s (may be as a function of the number of people attending) to cover some meeting expenses - eg. snacks and drinks, and regionally people can meet monthly if they like. But really, I personally do not see why you need NCPARS to do this. NCPARS provides the infrastructure, what and how you use it up to you. I have made enough friends and contacts through NCPARS that in fact now I do not even need to go to a frag swap to trade corals. I can do it directly with people I know, and the corals they trade with me you won't even see at the frag swap


NCPARS should really be doing things that go beyond what small individual groups can do. In my mind that should be the function of NCPARS. Everyone wants to see - "What is in it for me ?" But really the question is "What is in it for us collectively. ? "


With this objective, here are some of the things that I see NCPARS doing

- Building network of hobbyists in PA
- Education and spreading the knowledge of reefs. Examples of which are
1) putting up aquariums in schools so the young can have easy access to knowledge,
2) bringing in Speakers,
3) Demonstrations and workshops

- Activities of direct benefit to members - like group buys. These done through the local vendors that support the club


As far as I know, the BOD has at every event tried to promote and work towards this. While the frequency of activities and long response times can certainly be questioned and improved on, there has been a lot of effort done to put into place an organization that is structured, ethical and responsible, and operate within the US laws and reporting requirements.

Fizz, Mal, Scott, Brad, Mo, Bytor, Jon have put in a lot of work to build a strong foundation, which is now in place, and will allow the new BOD (whoever is on it) to further advance the club.

I have to admit that I have been the least active BOD member, and am embarassed to admit it.

In the end its all a hobby and you have to enjoy it. Everyone has other jobs, work and family that takes precedence.
I do not think I have the time or energy to contribute to the BOD anymore. I am just glad to see that there is finally some interest from members who want to contribute.

sanjay.

 

[zooqi]

Well said again Sanjay.
Sanjay you have been good support and active as everybody else if not more. You have given the club a speech at no expense. You have given corals, money, time, your house to make this club start. You have helped with sponsors. You have helped with speaker and hosting him at your place. You have and you have and you have.. and I can go on and on. Many people from other clubs, surounding areas come to our meetings even if it says North Central PA. The name PA REEF CLUB was not an option as a respect to other clubs who I did not want them to feel we are taking over the whole state. We have good communications with other clubs and we all share members.

 

[shimmy_yaz]

Yeah I can definitly see your point there sanjay. Like I said I dont care either way.

 

[ByTor]

Well said Sanjay... My thoughts totally!!! I'm just not so great at putting them to text....

 

[Barney121]

I think there can be both a lot of centralized stuff, and some local meetings, as Sanjay put well. The overall club should easily be able to provide a membership list and place for people to meet 2 or 3 times each year for swaps etc. Then, if there are enough people in some area that want to do local meetings, then great. We provide the info, and the "locals" run from there. So there's no conflict there. I think my only earlier point was it might be hard to have a huge, full club meeting monthly. But when I think about it, we probably don't need to.

Carto, we discussed at great length whether to change or keep the NCPARS name, for all the reasons you mention. Because of some suggestions we would be "imperialistic" to claim the name "PA Reef society," (as Mo said) and because NCPARS had some name recognition, we decided to stick with NCPARS.

But, if someone wants to formalize a smaller group or a different regional group, we did put in the bylaws a clause that specifically allows for affiliate clubs to be formed with a link to NCPARS, which would give them nonprofit status. It's totally an OPTION and is voluntary for other groups, it's a benefit NCPARS can provide to anyone who wants it. We added that clause because we thought, since we have taken the time to become incorporated and non-profit, others might not need to go through what turned out to be a long, slow process. So even though it might seem odd for "SE PA Reefers" to be an affiliate of the "NC PA Reefers", it's now easily done to get the organizational benefits. We left the details of affiliate membership to be worked out by the board of directors, so the exact procedures don't have to go through a long process and be approved as amendments to the bylaws.

 

[Bill King]

I'm agreeing with Sanjay here.

I've been a member of the PMAS club for 10 years. We meet every month. Every member has every coral grown in that 40 mile, in my case 90 mile area. If you want something different, you have to travel, or hold a large regional frag swap. The all Ohio swap is coming up. Swappers come from Ky. In. Mi. Pa. lots of new stuff, once a year. To do that more often, you would just increase the area of reefers with the same animals.

There is nothing stopping groups of guys getting together & swapping frags. If that is what this is all about.
But to put on more than 1 big/well done/ well attended show a year is too much work for the effort for a small spread out club like ours

I attended the Long Island Reef club's annual shindig..do they use
that word in Long Island?, last weekend. It was a great meeting, well planned , well attended, educational & fun.

It was also a lot of work to produce for I'm guessing a small group of people.

People traveled from Mass., Conn. Pa. Upstate NY. & probably many more. Crazy reefers will travel long distances for a quality show, but there is a limit to how many times.

As a founding member of NCPARS, I joined the club to do my small part ie. $24 dues to help spread the hobby. I think we as a club should be putting more effort in this direction. The Part Mo is playing with the kids is way more important to the welfare of our hobby than more meetings/frag swaps a year.

Just my rambling thoughts. I'm only here for the beer. But I'm in for the duration.

Bill

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

the problem i see is that there are MORE reefers in just lehigh valley(and that # is growing rapidly lately) interested in ncpars than there are in the previously mentioned central pa towns.....i realize the club doesn't HAVE to ablige us easterners, but it seems it would benefit the club, and isn't that what its all about??

Seems one swapo at PSU and one in Lehigh Valley wouldn't be too hard to arrange?

 

[bmkindig]

hey matt,
trust me i will try to get a meeting close to our area and i am presently working of a organizing things with a couple of people but is to early to do anything yet

 

[Murph72]

OK gentlemen, I do travel to the Lehigh Valley for Something Fishy. I have family there due to marrying a Lehigh Valley native. However....and here's the big However....I'm getting a little perturbed by reading all the "we're going to bring it to the Lehigh Valley" posts. I, too, have a long way to travel to go to PSU. However, many people traveled much further than that to get to swaps. Are we going to tally the crowd, average the mileage and find a central point to meet now? Or are we stuck with the "We have more members so we win" mentality?
Brad, if you're trying to gain votes by telling us your plans to move the club to the Lehigh Valley, it's not working with me. The point was that it was "NC"PARS...it doesn't take a geography major to figure out the Lehigh Valley isn't exactly living up to that "NC." Just because the location is close for some members, does that mean the "original" founding members that are from NC are SOL? I'm not even one of them and I have a problem with that line of thinking.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

NO ONE EVER SAID - MOVE NCPARS TO LEHIGH VALLEY!
READ carefully and you'll see that Brad said he was trying to organize "a event" as in one, in the lehigh valley.
All anyone around here is trying to say is, "there are alot of reefers in the area that have joined ncpars and since we count just the same as anyone in central PA, we are hoping for a little consideration....is that so much? Seriously, relax.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Sanjay.....on a side note i just want to thank you for all the work you put into the spectral plots! Awsesome job!!
I know its been out for awhile, but never thanked you

 

[Murph72]

Seeing as though you're the one using all CAPS, I'd say you're the one fired up. What I'm saying is that I've now read several posts, mostly by Brad, that have said that he intends to bring the swap to the Lehigh Valley which is where he resides. This, to me, sounds more like a plan to get things handier for himself. I'd just like to know what he's going to do for the organization. I'm sure moving things to the Lehigh Valley might get him votes in the LV, but that certainly isn't all of us. I haven't heard his other plans for the organization as of yet. Since this was all that he was boasting, I'm hoping there's a bigger plan.
Your post about having more reefers in the Lehigh Valley ignores the fact that two of our most knowledgeable and original members would then have to travel farther. To me, those two members, are the biggest asset we possess in NCPARS. The knowledge of Mo and Sanjay combined would attract new reefers looking to acquire new information. Why move the event further from them and closer to the new people that need their knowledge?

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

just one event...have the others @ PSU or Leesport.
brad has been around a long time helping reefers out, so i would give him a chance....you'll find he is a good guy with good intentions. You're acting as if he's saying, "i am trying to move the whole club to the Lehigh Valley for all events."

Obviously Sanjay and Mo are GREAT resources of info and experience and they have personally helped me before.
They are a super asset that we are all lucky enough to enjoy

I just think that with as many reefers as there are in the valley that they would be considered an asset as well, but i guess i am wrong in your mind?

**i just capitalized because i felt you were not understanding what was actually being said.

 

[Murph72]

Brad may be a good guy, but I've only seen his posts reflecting this "bring it to our backyard" mentality. I'd like to see his other ideas.

How about instead of just saying, "We'll meet in State College this swap and in the Lehigh Valley the next" we look more towards moving the swaps around the entire area. We should look at where our members are located and try to move swaps around that geographic area instead of sticking to one or two areas. For example, I've seen posts from people in the Wilkes Barre/Scranton area. I would imagine that the New York and New Jersey reefers might be more inclined to come if we had a swap there, for example.

It's not that reefers in the Lehigh Valley are not appreciated. I, for one, think Todd from SF would be a great person to have at an event. However, I don't think that those are the only important members. I also don't think that because a location has more members they should have the events closer to them. I find this especially true since it is more inconvenient for the original cluster whose idea NCPARS was.

Also, I do understand what you're saying, but I just don't agree with your logic. Btw, caps is seen as a way of screaming at a person in writing. It's seen as a form of aggression. You may not want to use it unless you truly mean it. I didn't really think from my end that communication had broken down and that we had to result to yelling.

I do really think we need to think about what the original members had intended. I also know that Mo is too sweet to say that moving the swaps further away from him is a hassle. I just think we need to keep their best interests at heart since I guess I still see this club as originally their baby. I also don't want to take the chance that we will alienate them and lose them from the club. That would be a travesty.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

no one yelling...just typing

things do change and people and businesses and clubs react and change with it.....which is what i think has started recently on these boards.

and i still don't think you got what i was saying....because i never made reference that the reefers in the lehigh valley were any more important than anyone else, just "as" important.
So why not extend an olive branch?
-people in the poconos are 45 min. from lehigh valley, so that is not much of a drive at all, or we could hold it between areas. Either way much nicer for all of the easterners to not have to drive 2-3 hours. And like i said, just one event this year...didn't think that was asking a whole lot?

Happy Reefin:smokin:

 

[bmkindig]

hey guys settle down,

i said closer to the lehigh valley for 1.

also i have had ncpars events in the area and it has been about 2 years since there was a swap around here.

i'don't intead on buying votes i think all the work i have done for the club should speak for it's self. between group buys organizing swaps, getting donations..........

i have been saying for a while i want another event in this area and i have meet serveral people that are really close to where i live and i would be happy to go to the reading area to.the bod has talked about holding events in the lessport area.
i personally think the whole idea of ncpars is to be a traveling club.
i have not had much time to finalize my plans since alot of my time and effort has been into remodeling my house and this is nothing new.for anyone that knows me well this has been a plan of mine for about a year now.it's just mentioned more..

i have support of good people (mo for 1) and i just resently decided that it was time to step up and run for president.i'm always willing to listen to people with ideas and i'm always throwing out ideas(some good some bad)if you search my posts you will find that i usually try to "really"the troops about 2 monthes before a swap.and try to start organizing things.if you don't think i'm the best person for the job don't vote for me.i wouldn't be sour but i think the club needs what i have to offer.you are more then welcome to run agianist me but how many people have the time and energy to spend on running a club.i'm a restaurant manager for a living so i have knowledge of deligation and i can see the stress that is caused,wears people down.

 

[bmkindig]

"I do really think we need to think about what the original members had intended. I also know that Mo is too sweet to say that moving the swaps further away from him is a hassle. I just think we need to keep their best interests at heart since I guess I still see this club as originally their baby. I also don't want to take the chance that we will alienate them and lose them from the club. That would be a travesty."


fyi,
I am one of those members as a matterr of fact mo was the 1st person to reply to my 1st post and we have grown to become great friends mo and i exchange phone calls just about weekly.i have always supported mo's projects and i have even traveled to pick things up for mo till he could get to pick them up.

 

[Murph72]

EAGLES,
I responded to your original statement which said:

"the problem i see is that there are MORE reefers in just lehigh valley(and that # is growing rapidly lately) interested in ncpars than there are in the previously mentioned central pa towns.....i realize the club doesn't HAVE to ablige us easterners, but it seems it would benefit the club, and isn't that what its all about??

Seems one swapo at PSU and one in Lehigh Valley wouldn't be too hard to arrange?"

The part where you are pointing out that there are more reefers in the Lehigh Valley than other central pa towns and that we would benefit by obliging your desires is what I responded to. The second statement about PSU and LV lead me to believe that these would be the two locations of swaps. Since our organization has already been more apt to pick locations and stick to them, it seemed more than likely that we would be heading in the direction of then being in these two every year.

I do understand what you are saying, but if you will look back it was my suggestion that the location should then be moved about the NCPARS area and not just to the LV and PSU. These two locations are probably pretty far for some people that are close to neither. The idea of moving the swap location goes back to Sanjay's suggestion. If we move the location we may appeal to reefers closer to our state boundaries. Since we want people with different corals to attend, this seems like the logical way to go.



Sorry Brad if you took offense, but I'd truly like to hear what you want to see happen with the club. I was a bit upset that the only offer you've given so far was to move the swap to your area. Perhaps I misconstrued this, but it's all that I've seen since you decided to run for election. I would have thought with your involvement in the club that you would have a whole long list of things you'd do if you got the chance to take the reigns. I do know what you've done for the club, but I'd like to know how your capacity as President would benefit the club, in your opinion. I guess I just want to hear your vision...as well as the vision of other applicants. You certainly are not expected to spit that out now without much thought, but I would certainly look forward to hearing it.

 

[Murph72]

Brad,
I was not refering to founding members, as I'd fit in that title too. I was looking at the original four as I remember it. Sanjay and Mo being at the top of the list since they are the two that were originally the most involved, to my recollection, with the idea of formally starting a club.

 

[bmkindig]

hey murph,
1)i'll answer any questions
2) for starters see my 1st post in this thread.
3)i truely support mo's work although i can't do the work he does.but i have driven out of my way to pick up corals for mo and donated thing to his cause.i have 3 kids and because of the love mo has for this hobby my oldest son has some nice corals in his tank.
4)i personal organize all the donations for raffles that have gotten us this far and everyone that has ever been to a ncpars swap can tell you that much. sincei was getting small donations for swaps prior to the officail ncpars days. (bye the way thank you for those gifts todd(from something fishy))

and i was a member prior to the"founding members" push to get people to become members.
there were 2 swaps at mo's house before ncpars had a name. and i was at both the 1st was in may of 2003 and the 2nd was oct 2003 then when we went from a gruop of 20 to a group of 80 we decided this was going to work.


i'm sure more will come as time goes by.
thank you for the q/a