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Re: [AGA-sc] Ouch



Wow.

Again, I'm glad this is off the general list, but he is right in many ways.
A little less than PC (what's new, it's Ray<g>) but MANY of the problems
could have been prevented if they had been willing to LISTEN to people with
more experience.

I also agree COMPLETELY, and have said it many times to many people, (in
fact, I gave this spiel on the bus home on Friday) that it is CRITICAL that
the "plant" hobby not become another "faction" in the hobby the way the reef
people have.  We all have more to gain by working together than by splitting
up.

Unfortunately, things aren't always clear-cut.  In Dallas, that group got
started, as I understand it, because there was no support from the general
club for planted tank enthusiasts.  Funnily enough, the same thing happened
in SF years back, and now, even though the Bay Area plant group still
exists, it has revitalized interest in plants among SFAS membership.  Now
they have been working together to bring great plant speakers to the Bay
Area for back-to-back talks.

I think the big difference with this group was that they didn't evolve from
a general aquarium society that wasn't meeting their needs, they were all
(or mostly) completely new to the organized hobby, and didn't want to accept
that there is an established "culture" and an expected way for things to
work in the organized hobby.  We can all learn something new from fresh
ideas, but it's also important not to throw out the tried and true.  What
has worked in the organized hobby has already gone through 50 years (in some
cases many more) of trial and error.

That said, it's important on any number of levels not to burn our bridges
with the GWAPA folks.  They didn't do a fantastic job, but they worked
really hard.  We don't have to worry about them doing it next year.<g>  So
we chalk this up to one more "learning experence".

Did we ever officially offer Larry a board position?  Is he on this list
now?  I think he is an important person to have involved in some of these
more private discussions.

Karen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erik Olson" <erik@thekrib.com>
To: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 3:04 PM
Subject: [AGA-sc] Ouch


> Keeping this off the MCM because I don't think it will do any good for
> Rick or Ghazanfar to hear.  But it is very important for us to hear.
>
> Guess I'll hear from Kathy about thow the phone call went, but this does
> seem to echo what I heard from others.
>
> I got cornered by the president of PVAS during the auction, and he told me
> that they (PVAS) offered to RUN their auction but were blown off.  The
> auction software was provided by PVAS, but picked up less than a week
> before the auction.  Nobody from GWAPA showed up at their highly succesful
> catfish convention the moneh before, except Ghazanfar who spent an hour at
> the auction.
>
> We're definitely going to have to reconcile this phenomenon of these
> upstart plant clubs being isolationists from the aquarium hobby as a
> whole.  There are two possibilities:
>
>    1. Learn to be part of the aquarium community, or
>
>    2. Do not rely on vendors or other sponsors that are associated with
the
>       larger community.
>
> OK, here's the forwarded mail:
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:48:04 -0500
> From: kingfish <kingfish@buffnet.net>
> To: Andrew and Alysoun <alysoun@msn.com>, Rodney Conway
<rodcon00@yahoo.com>,
>      David J Snell <David.J.Snell@trw.com>,
>      Emily Novotny <bowfishes@comcast.net>,
>      Gerry & Audrey Hoffman <gahajaja@starpower.net>
> Cc: Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>
> Subject: Greetings
>
> Greetings my fellow hobbyist
>
> First of all for those I have visited with this past weekend THANK YOU,
>
> I have alot of time to think about the events that took place this past
weekend at the Greater Washington Plant Society hosting the Aquatic
Gardeners Convention.
>
> Please remember we are all volunteers
>
> The exectutive of this convention should be ashamed of themself's for not
doing what they were told.
> Lots of folks express ideas to help make this convention a good one, well,
just the other side of the coin,
> It sucked in my book, The Executive of the Aquatic Gardeners ran there
asses off trying to make this a good even for everyone involved, MY Hats and
toes off to them Erik,Karen,Larry,Cheryl,Scott. as for the
> people in charge and you know who they are SHAME ON YOU!!!,
>
> I know alot of these hobbyist are also members of the Potomac Valley
Aquarium Society but they the Plant Club decided to host this convention, I
know they PVAS Members have offered Ideas and suggestions on how to host a
convention since they just hosted the 1st ever Catfish Convention and did a
outstanding,Great,Best Ever Convention in my book JOB.
> But I guess they GWPS knows everything. well if they fall on there butts
its there fault not PVAS, please get this through your heads, it was there
screw up.
> I know where there faults were and have been talking with the AGA
Executive about damage control. I have been working on the
Manuafacturers/Vendors, Don't worry it shall be corrected, I gave all the
vendors/manufactures gifts from KingfishServices and PVAS the Pint Glasses
they loved them, more that they got from GWPS. Most of you know all the
screw ups that took place please don't hold it against the AGA Executive or
its members. Some people just know everything and wanted to be called a
Convention Chairperson or persons. well they shall be getting the complaint
letters.
>   Pitty the Plants & Fish these Hobbyist keep. Dumb and Dumber, Curlie
Larry &  NO MOE,
> please keep supporting the Hobby.
>
> Aquatically Yours
>
> Kingfish  (a Friend of the Hobbyist & Society's)
>
> _______________________________________________
> AGA-sc mailing list
> AGA-sc@thekrib.com
> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/aga-sc
>


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