Re: Misc.

["James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>]

>Maybe if you tell me what you feel is unclear, I can try
>to explain it better.

I've been trying to do that for some time. Quite often in your posts there
is a large degree of ambiguity (at least to me). E-mail sometimes doesn't
lend itself to long winded explanations and without them things get assumed.
It's not a criticism of you in particular, I have noticed it in a lot of
forums that depend on long distance communication rather than face to face
discussion.

>Feel free to include that clause if
>you want to, it's your show.

It was _my_ original idea, but it is hardly _my_ show. This group has
demonstrated a good grasp of the idea and has worked very hard over the past
two months to make it _our_ show. And unless I'm mistaken, you are a member
of this group and here as an individual, not as the Chair of the AGA. I
would hope that you feel some ownership of the event by now. The details we
have arrived at as a group are much more than the initial idea. This is no
longer _mine_, this is _ours_.

While it is true that I have been setting the agenda and doing most of the
talking, that has more to do with trying to work things through in what
appears to me to be a logical, step by step fashion than it has to do with
ownership. Generally I have found when I stop posting, things grind to a
halt. If anyone else would like to do the summarizing, feel free. Whenever I
have left things out or forgotten points, I am usually quite willing to make
adjustments.

>No, you were developing a list of aquarium clubs, pet stores, etc. to
>distribute this stuff to.  As I've said before, _EVERY_ AGA member will be
>notified via TAG.  There is _NO_ cost to this contest for that.

Do you have a problem with our putting together a list of contacts who might
prove beneficial to us in getting the word out about this event? I'm not
contemplating sending out expensive glossy brochures to half the world. Erik
originally suggested a brochure - I asked the group in general about
possible costs for such a thing. I am not contemplating any "air drops" of
expensive brochures over North Vietnam. I am not working in a vacuum here.

As I said before, most of the volunteers here are _not_ AGA members but they
think that this event is a good idea and are willing to work at developing
it. They also seem to be interested in publicizing it beyond the boundaries
of the AGA. While I never posted it publicly, I did suggest to the folks who
are putting together the contact lists that getting e-mail addresses and
URL's was advisable. E-mail's don't cost much to send.

>Unfortunately, reaching those people could prove very, very, costly.

Hopefully, anyone interested enough in aquascaping will also read one or two
hobbyist magazines. I had suggested quite some time ago that we attempt to
get at least a mention in the editorial sections of as many magazines as we
can. And if you will review my "timeframe" suggestion you will notice that I
allow for the four month time lag in publication for information to hit the
news stands. This might be sufficient notification for the non-Internet
crowd. And it should only take a few e-mails to do it, as most of the
magazines have access.

>Again I will point out
>that this whole paranoid discussion is being held without the AGA
>management team having _any_ idea that it is taking place.

I hadn't realized that the discussion was getting paranoid.

>James, PLEASE let me know now if this is the way you want to go, so I can
>quit wasting all my time and effort on it.  I'm getting mighty tired of it.
> I _should_ be able to separate your pot shots at AGA from myself
>personally, but since I feel a strong sense of loyalty to the organization,
>I cannot.

Karen, I am _not_ taking pot shots at either you or the AGA. I am trying to
organize something here and there are parts of the details of the
organization that I am unfamiliar with - I have repeatedly stated that I
have no experience with fish shows. I have also asked you repeatedly to
share with us you own experience, as a member of the group, not as the Chair
of the AGA.

However, things do sometimes get said to the effect of "the AGA is not
likely to go for this or that". For our organizing of the event, that can
sometimes feel like someone is looking over our shoulder. For example, while
I never imagined that the AGA has an unlimited budget, I was surpised to
read from both you and Erik that the group was in great financial health and
should have no problem funding this event. More recently however, you are
sending out cautionary signals.

I have no intention of trying to make this cost a great deal of money. I
have repeatedly stated that the major cost will be postage. There _are_ ways
of suggesting that we choose a route which will prove less costly rather
than depending upon ME to always be the one to make the initial suggestion.

As you note about your own status with the AGA, I am only one of a number of
volunteers here.

I'm sorry that you feel like you are wasting your time, but I can't read
your mind, nor can I make my own any clearer on this point. If you have more
experience with setting up Judging Standards or working out Costs for an
event of this type, please set forward, as a member of the group, and
provide us with the benefit of your experience. Please don't wait for me to
suggest something which is not likely to meet with your approval and then
start shooting holes in it, unless you have a detailed, well thought out
alternative to offer. You _are_ one of the group after all.

>I think we need to put a handle on the costs before we can even guess at
what
>a reasonable entry fee is.

Very true - my $5.00 per figure was just something I pulled out of the air.
We are going to have to have a discussion of costs. If you notice, I have
asked Erik and others about the cost of several items along the way.

>Which is why I've hung in here as long as I have.

I hope that you can come around to the point of view of wanting to hang in
here because you want to help organize the event.

James Purchase
Toronto




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