AGA

["Ken Guin" <kenguin@homemail.com>]

Well, things seem to be slowing down a little. I would imagine that James is
hard at work on the new website and most of the rest of us are licking our
wounds from the recent battles.  While, I don't want to stir up anything
new, I thought I would take this lull in the fray to ask a question about
the AGA. If this is too far off topic James, please be gentle with me, okay?

Once upon a time, I was an AGA member, but I really don't remember when or
for how long. I guess I could go back to my old copies of the TAG and piece
it together, but it isn't that important. In any event, while reading all of
the posts on this list over the past few weeks, I often got the feeling that
there were some seriously disgruntled former AGA members amongst us. I also
know there are some current, loyal members who have often defended the
organization (I got chastised by one who mistakenly thought I was
disrespecting the organization).  And, of course, I think James P. has a
healthy respect of them as well.

I guess I am in sort of limbo about the organization. I do know that while I
was a member, the TAG was often not as big as I wished and it was often very
late arriving. But then, so are some other magazines that are published by
hobbyist organizations, (specifically, Discus and Cichlids groups). I always
rationalized that you have to put up with such things because of costs,
volunteers, etc

I would imagine that the real reason I didn't rejoin was that I was never
reminded that my subscription was about to run out. Just to be sure that I
hadn't signed up for three years and forgotten about it, I emailed the AGA
to ask if I was still a member. After hearing nothing, I contacted Karen R.
and was able to find out that I was no longer a member. The AGA person who
responded, told me that he only has membership records going back as far as
last month???? I am sure this person is a volunteer and I believe he is new
as well. So, I was not too disturbed by this. Should I have been?

One of this list's members commented that she thought she was a member
because she sent in her membership fees in January. However, she added that
she had never heard anything back from them. So, she was not really sure if
she was a member.  I have heard others wondering out loud if the
organization really existed, or whether it just a phantom organization .
Does anyone know for sure? Karen, if you are back in town now, could you
give us some information that might ease some of our fears here? How about
you Erik? Should I wait until I get my first TAG? Will that explain all of
this to me?

>From all that James has written about the AGA sponsoring the
Showcase/Contest, I have the feeling that the AGA is alive and well with a
wonderful reputation in the industry. I am in no position to question that.
I would really like to think that there is an AGA and they are out there
doing constructive things for the hobby. However, from what I have heard on
this list, I am beginning to wonder about it. Does anyone have any
information that would shed some light on this situation? Does anyone know
how many members there are? Are they sponsoring other events, etc., etc.

If no one else is concerned, and the little rumblings I have been detecting
don't really mean anything, so be it. I think I can live with it.

Ken Guin
AGA member (and, as right now, not sorry I rejoined for three years)


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