Re: Chris - some points to make...

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Posted by Lisa McCune on February 09, 2002 at 13:49:11:

In Reply to: Chris posted by Todd Evans on January 20, 2002 at 00:04:35:

: All in all, the society in general is suffering from a lack of input. Lisa has done a great job trying to keep the newsletter alive (from her own pocket) and the meetings are becoming less and less attended.

Thanks, but I have to set the record straight about something (to squelch any rumors)...

I do NOT pay for the newsletter from my own pocket and I wouldn't do the newsletter if that had to be the case - I turn my receipts in to John, and he reimburses me for every dime. Considering 45 newsletters for each issue at 8-10 pages each (two of which are in color) - that amounts to around $200 per issue and that's not including stamps! With 45 members and dues being $15/yr/family even at my current rate of roughly 1 issue every 2 months - that doesn't cover the costs - money from the shows contributes also.

As for being a great newsletter - it won't be a great newletter until other people contribute - I mean the member survey only garnered *2* responses!!! One was from Fred Bruckman, and one from a member who works nights, and we have never met.

Meeting attendance is a whole other issue...

: The only thing that seems sturdy is the shows.....Beyond Utopia helps out as much as we can, and Steve has really done a wonderful job.

You really think they are sturdy? I don't - they are just hanging on at the starter level - we need to bring in a wider variety of vendors, and need to get the word out by organizing and spending bucu bucks on advertising (which admittedly was the job that I had volunteered to do before work demanded the vast majority of my time (I mean - my Yule tree is still up!! I haven't had the opportunity to take it down yet!!).

Basically, I am not sure that the show even *can* progress to something better than it is now - without more member support in the planning and running of the show - we just need more people to throw at it. Our show *is* a good show for a start, but remember in our original plans, we wanted to create a Hamburg or Columbus type show, but with more education - more of a "show" than just a sale or swap. We have definite potential - we just somehow need to capitalize on it

I DO have lots of ideas and plans for educational programs, presentations, plus targeted advertising, and developing a standardized series of show flyers, signs, and ads - I just need time to implement them. Which was part of why I thought we showld have waited until the end of March or April to hold this year's first show... That and the other society has their show at the end of Feb. and the next one listed isn't until May. But since work has taken over my life for awhile, I have been cut out of the planning loop.
The general consensus lately is that ALL herp societies are suffering from our same situation. Even the Pittsburgh herp society has limited meetings to I believe 4 per year.

: Still, this is no excuse for my lack of haste in updating the website. I should have kept up with it monthly from the beginning, but seriously, I didn't even see all that much traffic on it when I was updating it......most of it was people that I or Steve told about it. Since puting the online application on there, I think we only got 1 new member, that we still have yet to meet personally. My point is that I could make a beautiful up to date (daily) website

The website is fine! - some more local herp links might be helpful (check out PHS's website links for some ideas, etc. and you can always copy some newletter articles onto the site if you want - but you have done an excellent job with it.

: and Lisa has the ability to make probably the BEST society newsletter, but when the morale of the society as a whole is this bad, what's the point. Lisa has agreed to continue to do the newsletter on her own time, which is very limited at this point. And I myself have been busy with unherp related things recently as well (planning a wedding) and while the site and the newsletter have the potential of becoming very important advertising and resourcing materials, most of us are concentrating more on what makes us money......the shows.........

Remember though that it isn't about the money, and we have to decide how the club should disperse that money - especially when only a few people are doing the work, and other members are not participating... However the money should not go to personal gain, either.

Oh and btw - congrats

Lisa

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: : All in all, the society in general is suffering from a lack of input. Lisa has done a great job trying to keep the newsletter alive (from her own pocket) and the meetings are becoming less and less attended. : Thanks, but I have to set the record straight about something (to squelch any rumors)... : I do NOT pay for the newsletter from my own pocket and I wouldn't do the newsletter if that had to be the case - I turn my receipts in to John, and he reimburses me for every dime. Considering 45 newsletters for each issue at 8-10 pages each (two of which are in color) - that amounts to around $200 per issue and that's not including stamps! With 45 members and dues being $15/yr/family even at my current rate of roughly 1 issue every 2 months - that doesn't cover the costs - money from the shows contributes also. : As for being a great newsletter - it won't be a great newletter until other people contribute - I mean the member survey only garnered *2* responses!!! One was from Fred Bruckman, and one from a member who works nights, and we have never met. : Meeting attendance is a whole other issue... : : The only thing that seems sturdy is the shows.....Beyond Utopia helps out as much as we can, and Steve has really done a wonderful job. : You really think they are sturdy? I don't - they are just hanging on at the starter level - we need to bring in a wider variety of vendors, and need to get the word out by organizing and spending bucu bucks on advertising (which admittedly was the job that I had volunteered to do before work demanded the vast majority of my time (I mean - my Yule tree is still up!! I haven't had the opportunity to take it down yet!!). : Basically, I am not sure that the show even *can* progress to something better than it is now - without more member support in the planning and running of the show - we just need more people to throw at it. Our show *is* a good show for a start, but remember in our original plans, we wanted to create a Hamburg or Columbus type show, but with more education - more of a "show" than just a sale or swap. We have definite potential - we just somehow need to capitalize on it : I DO have lots of ideas and plans for educational programs, presentations, plus targeted advertising, and developing a standardized series of show flyers, signs, and ads - I just need time to implement them. Which was part of why I thought we showld have waited until the end of March or April to hold this year's first show... That and the other society has their show at the end of Feb. and the next one listed isn't until May. But since work has taken over my life for awhile, I have been cut out of the planning loop. : The general consensus lately is that ALL herp societies are suffering from our same situation. Even the Pittsburgh herp society has limited meetings to I believe 4 per year. : : Still, this is no excuse for my lack of haste in updating the website. I should have kept up with it monthly from the beginning, but seriously, I didn't even see all that much traffic on it when I was updating it......most of it was people that I or Steve told about it. Since puting the online application on there, I think we only got 1 new member, that we still have yet to meet personally. My point is that I could make a beautiful up to date (daily) website : The website is fine! - some more local herp links might be helpful (check out PHS's website links for some ideas, etc. and you can always copy some newletter articles onto the site if you want - but you have done an excellent job with it. : : and Lisa has the ability to make probably the BEST society newsletter, but when the morale of the society as a whole is this bad, what's the point. Lisa has agreed to continue to do the newsletter on her own time, which is very limited at this point. And I myself have been busy with unherp related things recently as well (planning a wedding) and while the site and the newsletter have the potential of becoming very important advertising and resourcing materials, most of us are concentrating more on what makes us money......the shows......... : Remember though that it isn't about the money, and we have to decide how the club should disperse that money - especially when only a few people are doing the work, and other members are not participating... However the money should not go to personal gain, either. : Oh and btw - congrats : : Lisa

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