[jasonh]

Originally posted by moore_rb
Hmmm. Desert Marine Society re-hash discussion: take 25 (or 26, or ten-million. I lost count after 3.)

I'm pretty middle of the road as far as discussions about this sort of stuff go, but I get defensive when I hear talk of "converting" FRAG into anything other than what it is....

DMS was a formal club. Elected officers, bylaws, dues, blah blah blah ad nauseum. The club has FAILED, and failed miserably, every time someone has tried to bring it back to life. The reason is simple, and it it is already being exposed (again) in this thread:

The "club" tries to be everything everyone wants. More centralized meeting locations, more guest speakers, more formality. More structure. Less Humanity. Less fun.

If any of you REALLY believe that's what the Phx reef keeping community wants, then why not go out and start another formal club and try to recruit members? Why is there a desire to trespass on FRAG's success at being nothing more than a successful monthly social gathering?

FRAG has grown from 5-6 people to over 50 per meeting in 4 years.

Was there ever 50 people at a single DMS meeting?

KirstenK proved that success is easy, just focus on getting people together and let the event plan itself. What she did was out of the goodness of her heart, not because anyone elected her, and she did it by standing on principle. She organized the meeting place, always made sure there would be staff to serve us, and that there would be room for our group. This whole thing about the west-siders being "left out" and having to drive farther has always been pure BS in my book. Kirsten did all the leg work getting a meeting place set up every month, and people have the audacity to get butt-hurt because it isn't closer to their house?

When Ryan tried to establish a regular west-side meeting to address the crying, everyone showed up to the first meeting, and then attendance went into the toilet.

Kirsten succeeded where others have failed; so someone PLEASE explain the logic to me in taking the failed practices of DMS and trying to mold the future of FRAG around them?

For the record. I love coming to monthly meetings and hanging out, having a beer, and talking with friends, just as I love standing up and yammering numbers and screaming "sold" every other month for 3 hours; but I will not pay a red cent in dues for that "privilege".

It's simply not that important to me.

I for one thank Kirsten for all her legitimate efforts in the valley reefkeeping community. I bet many of you would be surprised to hear that 90% of these efforts are outside the monthly meetings at Pranksters. She visits more newbies than any other local, and she is has been at every "Parade of Reefs" event.

Anyone who wants to promote successful gatherings of valley reef-keepers should benchmark her practices, instead of trying to twist and re-shape the fruits of her labor to meet your own perception of the "ideal" club experience....

Well said, and interesting for those of us that weren't here for DMS.