Fish, auction donations, and other stuff (fwd)

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

More fun reading.  My reply follows.

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 20:29:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Cichlidqueen <cichlidqueen@yahoo.com>
To: Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>
Subject: Fish, auction donations, and other stuff


Hello Eric, well here is the scoop, Art has over 20 different tetras from
South America.  The black neons are really nice at the moment so I thought
I would get some of those. They are .85 ea.  Or I could get 4 different
types of five each.  If there is something that you really like let me
know by Monday night.  I am picking up the fish Tuesday afternoon.

My coversation with Art turned out to be very interesting.  He was quite
bemused that I was actually getting fish for the club.  He told me that
awhile ago he used to sell to the club for fish of the month all the time.
Then the club started going to Africans Northwest all of a sudden. Which
made him feel rather put out since he had been supporting the club for
quite some time.  I told him that no one in the club now deals with
Africans Northwest.  So he is quite happy to supply the fish for the fish
of the month from now on.  Also he used to donate to the auction, but no
one has asked him in quite awhile. So I told him I would get back to him
with the cover letter and later pick up his donation.  He told me about 4
dry goods warehouses in the area that would probably like to donate to the
auction also.  Do you want me to ask them or is someone else already doing
that?

Since I have not been in the club very long I am sure I don't have the
whole story.  But this proves my point you need a lot of new people in the
club.  Then maybe a few will want to be on the board. New people, new
minds, new ideas.  You have the money for a small advertisement campaigne.  
Also a more serious and interesting speech about the club at the beginning
of the auction would be helpful.  The ones I have heard have been very off
hand and the speaker seemed not to really care if anyone there joined the
club or not.  And that is the one time of the year you have a large
captive audience.  Art is a really nice guy not pretentious. Obviously
someone dropped out of the club and there went that contact.

I am speaking my mind here because everytime I mention it at a board
meeting I get shot down before I finish what I am saying, so I just shut
up. And if you are not the right person to talk to then pass my message
on.  The club has around $4,000 and you all sit around and joke about what
are you going to spend the money on.  And now the auction is coming after
which you will have even more money.  Well to place an ad in the Seattle
Times is 12.00 a line.  If you placed one ad a week before each meeting
using 4 lines that would be 48.00.  Times that by 8 (no need to anounce
the christmas party) that would be 384.00 a year.  Now tell me again you
can't afford it!  You say you want new people on the board yet you all are
a cliche and don't accept new ideas very easily.  All of you are very nice
people and I like you all.  Yet I feel very frustrated in being able to
help out, no one wants to do anything different then what you have been
doing.  So things are stagnating and soon, maybe not this year or next,
but eventually there won't be a club.  And that would be a shame.  I have
been told by lots of different people in the industry that the fish hobby
is in decline.  So I feel fish clubs have some responsiblity to keep that
hobby active and interesting and alive.  We are not alone there are fish
clubs all across the country, what do they do to get new members?  Thank
you for listening.  Get back to me about what kind of fish you want and
the auction donations.  And please think about what I've said without
getting defensive.  I only mentioned because I do care.  Sandy


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