Re: "Tom Brennan" <brennans@ix.netcom.com>: AGA Membership check and Order...since January 98????

[Neil Frank <nfrank@mindspring.com>]

I do not think this problem is entirely Jack's fault. Even if Jack
processed the membership check, the new member may have had the same gripe. 

The AGA has never had a policy to acknowledge receipt of the new
memberships (at least I don't think we do). Jack has repeatedly asked the
membership committee for help in sending out information for new members. I
suspect that the help was not forthcoming.  In the old days, when the
system was running smoothly, a new member would get their TAG within a
month or two and the number of complaints would be minimal.

With the current situation, even if Jack had sent an acknowedgement, the
new member would not have received anything else. In fact NO AGA MEMBERS
HAVE RECEIVED ANYTHING SINCE JANUARY. I have repeatedly said that I have
been sidetracked with personal things which have kept me from the latest
TAG. I have suggested that someone send out a notification and to tell the
membership of the situation... to tell them about other happenings.... book
s for sale... CDs for sale... whatever. I guess that nothing happened. Has
anyone thought about the possibility that TAG will not come out for a while?

Now that I am getting caught up, I find it difficult to put aside the "fun
things" and get down to the mundain business of putting out a newletter. As
many of you can imagine, it is much easier to read and respond to email
than putting out a newletter. It is also easier to play on the internet; to
read the APD; to respond to questions; or even to write articles.  Maybe
even be a couch potatoe, or change some aquarium water. There are lots of
things to do.

Maybe you can call it "burn out," but once I got out of the routine of
putting out the newletter every 2 months like clockwork, I find it
difficult to motivate myself to get down to business. (Ok, maybe it was 3
months every so often during the last 9 years). In fact, I find it VERY
difficult to accomplish this task when it appears that the AGA work load is
not uniformly divided. It is especially difficult for me to admit that I
have fallen down on the job when I have an eager new volunteer (Marge
Anderson) bitting at the bit for me to send her some material to work on,
so she can HELP me with the magazine. Unfortunately, it is not sufficient
just to have a helper. It takes work to take advantage of this helper. For
example, I got a photoCD from Erik Olson from which to pick the next cover
picture for TAG, but I have not had time to do this. I could ask Eric to
help.... but he is in the Amazon with Karen.
Fortunately, I was able to get together enough steam to take a stack of
reprint articles that Dorothy was kind enough to send me over the months,
to the office place and get them photocopied. I sent them off to Marge and
hopefully she is still enthused and will start to convert them into TAG
format. What is disheartening is that for the entire 4 months that I have
been inactive, I have not received a single new article for publication.
What does this say about our organization? 

I will now get off my soapbox.... but I have to admit, it felt good.

Neil
"It is not good to take mother nature for granted."


At 09:19 AM 3/29/99 EST, you wrote:
>Hi Everyone,
>
>       This is a SEVERE problem that needs to be solved NOW.  I suspect
>that while Jack has the interest to do the job, that he does not have
>sufficient time to devote to the job to do it properly.  I hope he will
>be gentleman enough to keep the position until we find someone to replace
>him. Incidentally, the last membership moneys were received around and
>processed on January 23, over 9 weeks ago.
>
>       With deep regret and great disappointment, Bob Cashin.
>
>--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
>From: "Tom Brennan" <brennans@ix.netcom.com>
>To: <nfrank@mindspring.com>
>Cc: <rcashin@juno.com>, <krandall@world.std.com>,"Dave Gomberg"
><gomberg@wcf.com>
>Subject: AGA Membership check and Order...since January 98????
>Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 23:01:35 -0500
>Message-ID: <00df01be7998$dbc6a090$75c3b8cd@rd3128.dynamic.tasc.com>
>
>Dear Frank,  R. Cashin, Karen and Dave:
>
>I have repeatedly tried to reach Jack O'Leary about my letter (below)
>that
>included a check to continue my subscription, a book and a poster to no
>avail.  I also tried to contact Jack through Dave Gomberg and asked him
>forward his email address or to contract Jack to check on my
>subscription/order since he runs the bookstore and I had no email address
>for Jack.  Dave instructed me to contract Jack again the same way I did
>(originally by letter), offering no help nor any indication of how I
>could
>reach Jack.   I sent another letter (below) asking when to expect my
>book/poster order.  No response..???
>
>Could someone please look into this for me and get back with me.
>
>
>Best Regards,
>Tom Brennan
>brennans@ix.netcom.com
>703-366-3300
>
>
>============================================================================
>===
>
>
>
>
>
>Copy of letter sent to Jack O'Leary:
>
>January 27, 1999
>
>
>
>Jack,
>
>I hope it?s OK to include some items from the bookstore with my
>membership
>check?
>
>Check included is for:
>
>$15.00 1 year subscription TAG, 1999 (I have not received the Nov-
>Dec 1998 issue of TAG yet ??)
>$15.00 Book - Dennerle's System for a Problem-Free Aquarium
>$10.00 Aquarium Plant poster (Guide to Aquarium Plants)
>$40.00 Total
>
>Thanks
>Tom Brennan
>6395 Yates Ford Road
>Manassas, VA 20111
>Brennans@ix.netcom.com
>(w) 703-366-3300
>
>============================================================================
>==
>Copy of letter sent:
>
>
>February 26, 1999
>
>Jack just a follow up to my letter (below) of January 27, 1999.  I have
>not
>seen the book or plant poster and also have not seen my canceled check?
>Did you get the letter below along with my check and have you forwarded
>on
>the order for the book and the calendar to Dave Gomberg yet?  Dave has no
>record of receiving the order from you yet?
>
>Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated
>
>
>Tom Brennan
>Brennans@ix.netcom.com
>703-366-3300
>
>
>
>--------- End forwarded message ----------
>
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