Membership update

["O'leary, Jack" <joleary@col-col.com>]

Just a quick update on a few things ...

I was able to set up a small AGA booth at the NEC Annual Convention near
Hartford, CT, using Karen's posters and a selection of back issues of TAG.
I wasn't actually at the table for any significant length of time, but quite
a few of the membership applications were picked up during the weekend.  So
we maintained our presence there ...

I have caught up with all of the backlog of membership mailings as of
yesterday.  Tonight I catch up with back email.  I logged in a whopping 70
new memberships, received during the last 2-3 months.  Extrapolating that to
280 a year, doesn't that exceed 25% new member rate to maintain the size of
an organization?  I haven't counted the renewals yet, but it seems like a
very high percentage.  What is particularly pleasing is the high number of
multi-year subscribers - less work for me and Bob!

Almost all of the new memberships came on the web page form.  Guess we can
thank Al Gore, the Inventor of the Internet! ; )

The vast majority of new members provided email addresses.  I have added a
line for an email address to the renewal form, and a significant number of
renewals responded.
Email can be a blessing, or a curse, but it will be helpful in contacting
members regarding renewals etc. without spending money on postage.

Best of all, I have found a local person who is willing to help me out.  He
doesn't have computer capabilities, but he can help with the new member
response mailings, and with renewals.  Karen knows him - it's Bill Curtin.
He was very active in the hobby in the past, and is getting back into it.
He's ditched the cichlids and has set up a wonderful planted tank, which
will probably win our local Home Show, durn it!

Lunch break is over - back to work.  Hopefully tonight I will read and
respond to all AGA-related email, including MCM mailings.  It's better for
MCM folks to reach me at this address, since my home email box is stuffed.
Someone subscribed my home address to a mailing list for which I received
HUNDREDS of single messages a day, for the better part of a week, and I
still have to clean them out without trashing anything important.  

- Jack O'Leary