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Hi everyone -- Now that things are finally settled
with Dave and PAM (I'm having our lawyer draw up a simple MOU) I would like to
move on to two other issues --
1) AGA's relationship with Amano and Aqua Design
Amano
2) TAG -- how we beef it up to help fill the void
left by the demise of PAM
Don't know how Erik wants to handle this -- if we
need a formal motion I move that 1) we offer Amano the relationship described
below and 2) That we establish a Publication committee, with the Editor of TAG
being the chairperson of that committee, and that the Editor be a paid
position.
Here are the totality of my thoughts
below.
AGA and 1) Amano and 2) TAG
In response to what went on at the convention two weeks ago I
am putting together this piece as a way to stimulate and clarify our thoughts
about 1) AGA’s relationship to Aqua Design Amano Co., Ltd. (Amano) and 2)
TAG
AGA and Amano
Amano made it very clear that he would like to work closely
with AGA.
We need to make a proposal to him, the outline of which we
discussed at lunch on Sunday, and it would look this way.
- AGA
will upgrade TAG to having at least some color pages, with an issue every 3
months religiously
- Every 3 months Amano
will send AGA a number of articles, with pictures (the number to be determined
with Amano).
- AGA
will have the articles professionally translated into English and it will be
included in each issue of TAG as a special “News from Japan” or “Amano Corner”
section
- In
exchange for the articles every issue AGA will give Amano 2 pages of
advertising for Aqua Design Amano and its products and services.
- AGA
will offer Amano products for sale – starting with the smaller ones that can
be handled and shipped easily like planting tool kits, additives, CO2 bubble
counters and the like. We need to work out the fine details of what the goods
would cost AGA landed, and what we could sell them for.
TAG
In order for things to work out with Amano we need to get TAG
on a track of coming out regularly every 3 months, and we also need to upgrade
the quality of Tag significantly. While we may not be able to make Tag into the
quality that PAM was, Dave’s PAM experience can help give us some education.
My initial thoughts on TAG are:
- AGA
needs to establish a Publications Committee, which committee would establish
an annual budget for TAG, including how much color we can include
- We
should enlist the services of a new editor, and we should pay the editor. The
editor will be the head of the Publications committee
- Consider paying a small
amount for articles ($25 or $50
-- paying ridiculous amounts was part of the downfall of PAM) we could
have a contest, with cash prizes, for the best article and the best photo.
Runner up prizes could be free attendance for the next convention, free
membership etc.
- Try
and get some folks to write regular columns for TAG – say, for example, a
Beginner’s Column (perhaps written by Mike Hellweg, Tom Barr, ???)
- Solicit advertising –
perhaps have a subcommittee of the publications committee that deals with
soliciting advertising, etc.
- Consider the idea of
having a plant sale arrangement (put together orders from FAN once a quarter
or so), which was talked about a few years ago. Only available to AGA members
through TAG.
David
David Lass
ForPower Inc.
"Transforming data
into information"
978.463.4074
www.forpower.com
Villa SunScape
3
bedroom 4 bath luxury vacation villa on beautiful St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin
Islands
781.581.1788
www.villasunscape.com
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