Showcase Winners Publication

[MichaelAngelaH@aol.com]

Hi All,

I have been reading the "discussions" about the showcase for the last several 
days with confused amusement.  Why are we wasting time arguing about this?  I 
thought the idea of the showcase was for members to show off their best 
stuff, to pick the best of the best, and for the AGA to use the photos to, 
basically and admitedly overly simplisticly, advertise the organization and 
increase membership.  Any way which we can do that is great, be it PAM, AFM, 
Aquarium Heute, PFK, TFH, FAMA or whatever.  The advertising for the AGA is 
FREE!  You can't beat that.  Their deadlines are irrelevant.  The 
personalities (of their editors) may be annoying, but they are irrelevant.  
If they choose not to publish, that is up to them, not us.  Get whatever we 
can published whenever we can.  Period.  Let's not forget we are ALL 
VOLUNTEERS and all have lives that don't include the AGA.  Whenever something 
gets done is soon enough, as long as someone is working on it.  The AGA will 
not die if we don't get something published in the next issue of XYZ 
publication.  This is a hobby, not a matter of National Security.  

As to the current discussions, infighting and petty bickering is the quickest 
way to destroy the backbone of any organization, and the AGA is no exception. 
 Let's stop all of this NOW, before that happens!  I think that getting the 
bylaws done should be our top priority.  That will define who can and who 
can't do what.  No more bickering about it.  And then work out an annual 
budget, so everyone knows what can and can't be spent without arguing over 
every penny.  And making this "job" much easier for all of us.  No one wants 
to go to "work" everyday and get "beat up" by his/her fellow workers over 
every little detail.  If that continues to happen, most likely the "beatee"  
will just stop "going to work".    As a volunteer organization that depends 
on our "workers" for everything, we can't afford to loose anyone.  

Take care and stay warm (the windchill here is -2 F at 10:00 am!).

Mike