RE: AGA Contest

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

Jack,

Thank you for your comments concerning the Proposal I submitted to the AGA
MC for the AGA International Showcase & Contest of Aquascaping. If I may, I
would like to address the few concerns that you raised -

> 2.    I suggest that we waive the entry fee for AGA members.  We really
> need to start demonstrating to
> our membership that they receive benefits other than TAG (I have
> received several comments/complaints
> regarding this lately).  It seems to me that this is worthwhile, even if
> we spend $500 to $1,000 to promote
> and run the contest.  After all, we should be spending our treasury to
> benefit our members.

Members of _all_ organizations grumble about receiving value for their
membership fees. The _value_ that members receive from the AGA should flow
from the fulfillment of the organization's goals, not from the occasional
"freebie" thrown out to them. This event can benefit AGA members by truly
meeting the stated goals of the organization:

(1) to disseminate information about aquatic plants.
(2) to study and improve upon techniques for culturing aquatic and bog
plants in aquariums and ponds.
(3) to increase interest in aquatic gardening.
(4) to promote fellowship among its members.

By displaying planted aquascapes along with other types of aquascapes, this
event should show how much more beautiful a planted tank truly is and widen
the interest in aquatic plants. The aquascaping information which we shall
request from each entrant and display on the web site will help hobbyists
learn better technique. The whole event should raise interest in aquatic
gardening and the event will promote fellowship among ALL hobbyists, members
and non-members alike.

We had many, many, discussions surrounding the issue of entry fees and
whether AGA members should receive preferential treatment via either a lower
entrance fee or the waiving of entrance fees altogether. There are pros and
cons for each argument, and I think that we discussed them all. I realize
that the final decision on this remains with the members of the management
committee, but as the chief author of this Proposal, I would like my views
known to the entire MC.

A _lot_ of work went into the planning of this Proposal. It is _not_ the
work of a single individual but rather the collaborative effort of many
individuals, some members of the AGA, but most who currently are not members
of the organization. Perhaps through involvement in such a venture, they may
join in the future. I don't think however, that the "perk" of free entry
into an event of this kind is likely to sway anyone who is considering
joining that they should do so. Or, for that matter, that a "perk" of this
type is likely to cause current members to remain or renew their membership.

This event was planned to further the "hobby", not as a perk for the AGA
membership. It flows directly from the stated goals of the AGA,
specifically:

(3) to increase interest in aquatic gardening and
(4)to promote fellowship among its members.

The organization is the perfect sponsoring vehicle, primarily due to it's
International membership and the fact that is independent of any commercial
endeavor within the hobby.

This event has the potential to become an annual or bi-annual event and to
grow much larger than the initial round, limited as it is to a maximum of
300 entries (due to our fears of being swamped and overloaded with work). I
would like to see it set up and run in a manner which enhances the work of
the AGA and not as something which acts as an on-going drain to AGA
financial resources.

While the Budget is as detailed and finely tuned as we could make it, it is
at this point only an approximation of what we _think_ it should be. We are
going to have to go through at least one permutation of the event in order
to see how accurate our predictions were. I think that both Karen and Erik
can attest to the fact that I worried intensely about producing a Budget
that was realistic while at the same time as accurate as possible. There are
no hidden costs which should come out of the woodwork to bite us once we are
underway, and if you read the notes which accompany the Budget carefully you
will see that it may cost considerably less to run than envisioned, should
the prize donors offer to give us Gift Certificates and/or Credit Vouchers
rather than actual equipment which we would have to pay to ship throughout
the world.

Were the AGA MC to approve this Proposal with the provision that AGA members
get to enter gratis, unless there is a limit placed on the ratio of AGA
members / non-member submissions, we are likely to get a fully members-only
event, something that was NOT envisioned by me from the start. There are
MANY potential entrants who are NOT members of the AGA, or who may have
never even heard of the AGA. The entry fee has been kept to a very modest
amount, specifically so as to not act as a deterrent or impediment to
potential entrants.

Going without entrance fees for AGA members would also mean hitting the AGA
treasury for a sizeable amount of money. Unless the AGA is prepared to
provide the financial backing for this in future years as well, at either
the same or an increased financial level, I would hope that the MC think
long and hard before requiring that it be structured in a manner which is
guaranteed to cause it to be a money losing venture right from the start. It
would be very difficult to host an event that is free one year but then
requires an entrance fee in future years.

As it is currently structured, the event should pay it's own way with a
subscription of approximately 50%. Should we receive the full 300 entries,
it should realize a modest profit, which would flow to the AGA treasury.
This money would be the AGA's to do with as it sees fit, but I would like to
think that if this first round is a success, that the next time we do this,
it could count on AGA support as well and the surplus from the first year
could be applied to the costs of the second year. Eventually, this could
become a non-issue as far as being a "cost" item for the AGA, as well as a
very valuable beacon to the entire hobby for the AGA and it's work.

> 3.    Can I still enter if I have Karen photograph my tanks?

As long as it is YOUR aquascape which is featured in the photographs, we do
not care WHO took the pictures.

Again, I would like to thank you for the time it took to review the Proposal
and hope that you will continue your support of the project.

Yours truly,

James Purchase
Toronto


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