Thanks KirstenK

[aztbs]

Wow - I was about to be amazed that I was gone for a week and there was a three page thank you thread for all of kirsten's efforts........ and then I read it!!

Kirsten's tank was an inspiration to me from the beginning and she was one of the first people to make me feel welcome back at Round Table pizza. I won't forget how nervous I felt the first time I walked in to a restaurant with a cooler to trade mushrooms with strangers. Thank you kindly for all of your efforts, Kirsten.

[hermanx7]

Kirsten you rock. You have done an amazing job making frag what it is today.

[Ron1955]

I sure hope that Kersten realizes the impact she made on all of you that know her and have met her for I have not as of yet being new here. It is however quite apparent the character that she is and the loyalty the club has and the appreciation of all that she has done for everyone. A special person to run a thread this long and going still for at least she knows this now and realizes that a job that may not have been as appreciated in the open at the time was more than appreciated by all in here it appears. I do hope that I am able to have the honor to meet you sometime at a meet.

[KRASHPD]

Thanks for all the hard work Kristen! You did an amazing job and were the best anemone I've every seen

I like FRAG the way it is. The meetings are fun, informal, and usually a great time.

[CCall]

Kirsten thanks for always welcoming us at FRAG. You always make everyone laugh.
Thanks for all the hard work.

[chetm2]

Kirsten your a sweetie and thanks for the great job you've done with Frag. I was around when maybe 8 people showed up at Round Table (mike tang, mojodeli, greg) a lot has changed since then and I'm glad it has.

[Doglover_50]

I'll join the "Thank you Kirsten bandwagon." It is certainly a noble wagon to join. Without ever meeting me (I'm not part of the EAST COAST WEST COAST THING here--I'm from the North Side-Flagstaff), Kirsten supervised me through lots of PMs in what I can only describe as an IV push of a 1/5 of vodka to my new pre-owned tank--with great success in abolishing problem nitrates!

I've only made one FRAG meeting, and my visit time was dampened by a broken moving van, but so many people were very generous helping me with 1,000 odds and ends I needed for my 1,000 tanks.

So despite my lack of Pranksters FRAGxperience, my online FRAG experience has been almost universally positive (sans a few trouble makers telling me to shut my sarcastic pie hole), and Kirsten is one of many extremely helpful individuals! So thanks to her, and otherwise....perhaps if FRAG ain't broken, don't fit it!?

[kgouso]

Wow....This thread seems kind of like a new reef tank (I guess)


It started off with great intentions (every Newbs goal right).......had a bad cyano outbreak due to Kirstens leaving the FRAG sandbed....all the other critters started to freak out about thier future (future of FRAG) and dump a bunch of amonia...some macro algea tried to step in and make everything clear...but instead just created a huge load of nitrates.....looked like it was heading for a tank crash... then..........Kirsten stepped in and did a 30% water change....and its back to the origonal great intentions....

From one Newbs perspective....Its a good thing (from what I have seen) that FRAG and PROP both seem to have farily deep sandbeds.....(if you get my drift)

Edit: Now I have a reason to say thanks to Kirsten also (since I have not met her yet)....so

THanks!

[Roll221]

Originally posted by aztbs
Wow - I was about to be amazed that I was gone for a week and there was a three page thank you thread for all of kirsten's efforts........ and then I read it!!

Kirsten's tank was an inspiration to me from the beginning and she was one of the first people to make me feel welcome back at Round Table pizza. I won't forget how nervous I felt the first time I walked in to a restaurant with a cooler to trade mushrooms with strangers. Thank you kindly for all of your efforts, Kirsten.

I was about to say the same thing. That first day I drove 2 1/2 hours to my first meeting (from Sierra Vista); Kirsten was the first one to come up and introduced herself to the "new guy". She must have made a good impression as I did that 2 1/2 hour drive about 15 times in two years.

I am only going to say one thing about the thread and it has already been said but I will say it anyway. A formal club will not work, it has not in Tucson and in my opinion will not work for FRAG. Just keep what is obviously working the same and just all agree to disagree, then get in your cars and drive 40 mins across town to the meeting!

Ed

[Helfrich’s Chic]

WOW how did I miss this thread! LOL. Not good.

I read through and saw that a few people would like me to step up as the next "Frag Hag". Here are my thought on this.

1. I am honored to do so

2. I will have to have help from the community to accomplish this and keep it going in he great direction KK has taken it to.

3. While I understand the concern for a change of venue.... "if it aint broken why fix it." What I mean by this is when I was on the board of DMS we had a huge room 3x the size of Pranksters, a large school that we met in. It was a somewhat centralized location and we still didnt have very good turn out. Personally I love Pranksters. I AM a westsider, basically Surprise....I drive a HUGE truck that costs lots of $$ to fill... It takes me about 40 min give or take... BUT I still make that drive and spend the $ and time... WHY? Because of our awesome group thats come together here.
Honestly I think moving the venue would really cause this group that KK has worked so hard for to really fall apart to some degree. Pranksters is a little cramped at times but hey isnt that a GOOD thing? More frags to go around They have great food (try the 1/2 pound burger ) and ice cold beer. I dont see why we would want to change whats working so well already. Just MO.

4. Dues. Now this is where things get messy. TRUST ME, dues are VERY hard to deal wth and its near impossible to organize. Lets be real, how many people would NOT come if they had to pay $. There are lots of students in our club and people that dont have money to just blow, Im one of them LOL. First someone has to organize the cash. This in itself is a major task. Then the group has to decide on what the dues are used for, this is NEVER a unanimous decision. NOW with that being said, here is a good example of how DONATIONS not DUES could benefit the club.
I talk back and fourth to Bob Fenner and I have been trying to get him to come and be a guest speaker at FRAG. This would be a fantastic time to have DONATIONS not dues, to help pay for his lodging and his time. I dont know how many of you have met and hung out with Fenner but the guy is AWESOME, has fantastic information and puts on a killer slide show. In this instance I can see us all pitching together as a reefing community to have some come out and give us a great presentation. I would love to get others to come and speak as well, its always a great time talking with people who have been in the hobby for such a long time.

5. PROP
You all have to agree that PROP is amazing! I have been in the hobby a long time and until I found PROP there was very little in the way of LE corals for any reasonable price. Dont forget these are reefers, not in it for the big $ but in it for the health and growth of the hobby. They spend COUNTLESS hours fragging, mounting, testing water, buying new bulbs/equipment, ALL of this for the groups benefit. Personally I love PROP and hand it to them for all that goes into supplying all us locals with some REALLY nice stuff.

All in all KK has done an amazing job running FRAG. She was also the first one to greet me as well into FRAG, even thou I was in a little trouble with RC LOL!! Lots of hours go into this, as most of you seem to know. Can you even imagine only 5-7 people in FRAG? LOL I cant. I love bumping into people at FRAG turning around to say oops sorry about that and then peeking into their containers to see what they got! Anyways a HUGE thank you to Kirsten for all the hard work she has done, and I would have no problems stepping up and being the FRAG hag.

[badfish]

Originally posted by Helfrich’s Chic
WOW how did I miss this thread! LOL. Not good.

I read through and saw that a few people would like me to step up as the next "Frag Hag". Here are my thought on this.

1. I am honored to do so

2. I will have to have help from the community to accomplish this and keep it going in he great direction KK has taken it to.

3. While I understand the concern for a change of venue.... "if it aint broken why fix it." What I mean by this is when I was on the board of DMS we had a huge room 3x the size of Pranksters, a large school that we met in. It was a somewhat centralized location and we still didnt have very good turn out. Personally I love Pranksters. I AM a westsider, basically Surprise....I drive a HUGE truck that costs lots of $$ to fill... It takes me about 40 min give or take... BUT I still make that drive and spend the $ and time... WHY? Because of our awesome group thats come together here.
Honestly I think moving the venue would really cause this group that KK has worked so hard for to really fall apart to some degree. Pranksters is a little cramped at times but hey isnt that a GOOD thing? More frags to go around They have great food (try the 1/2 pound burger ) and ice cold beer. I dont see why we would want to change whats working so well already. Just MO.

4. Dues. Now this is where things get messy. TRUST ME, dues are VERY hard to deal wth and its near impossible to organize. Lets be real, how many people would NOT come if they had to pay $. There are lots of students in our club and people that dont have money to just blow, Im one of them LOL. First someone has to organize the cash. This in itself is a major task. Then the group has to decide on what the dues are used for, this is NEVER a unanimous decision. NOW with that being said, here is a good example of how DONATIONS not DUES could benefit the club.
I talk back and fourth to Bob Fenner and I have been trying to get him to come and be a guest speaker at FRAG. This would be a fantastic time to have DONATIONS not dues, to help pay for his lodging and his time. I dont know how many of you have met and hung out with Fenner but the guy is AWESOME, has fantastic information and puts on a killer slide show. In this instance I can see us all pitching together as a reefing community to have some come out and give us a great presentation. I would love to get others to come and speak as well, its always a great time talking with people who have been in the hobby for such a long time.

5. PROP
You all have to agree that PROP is amazing! I have been in the hobby a long time and until I found PROP there was very little in the way of LE corals for any reasonable price. Dont forget these are reefers, not in it for the big $ but in it for the health and growth of the hobby. They spend COUNTLESS hours fragging, mounting, testing water, buying new bulbs/equipment, ALL of this for the groups benefit. Personally I love PROP and hand it to them for all that goes into supplying all us locals with some REALLY nice stuff.

All in all KK has done an amazing job running FRAG. She was also the first one to greet me as well into FRAG, even thou I was in a little trouble with RC LOL!! Lots of hours go into this, as most of you seem to know. Can you even imagine only 5-7 people in FRAG? LOL I cant. I love bumping into people at FRAG turning around to say oops sorry about that and then peeking into their containers to see what they got! Anyways a HUGE thank you to Kirsten for all the hard work she has done, and I would have no problems stepping up and being the FRAG hag.

Right on sista'!

[Y-DesygnGuy]

Originally posted by Helfrich’s Chic
I would have no problems stepping up and being the FRAG hag.

Tag your it!

[tropoasis]

Just read the thread.......

Cheers Kirsten

A definite Thank you!!

The 2 reasons I drive all the way from L.A. every month (twice a month now maybe..) are:

1) Kirsten..... who has always made me feel welcome

2) The way FRAG is currently structured..... which is NOT AT ALL REALLY. Of the MANY clubs I visit regularly on my Road Trips, I would have to say that FRAG is my favorite, I have come to think of it as my LOCAL club, definitely the most friendly and FUN. Not having dues, officers and such is very refreshing to find in a large club (which this has become in the last 3 years I've been attending.)

Once again, I echo everyone's feelings and say a heartfelt THANK YOU KIRSTEN!!!

Hope to continue to see you at the meetings.....

Frank

[jasonh]

Originally posted by Helfrich’s Chic

1. I am honored to do so

Thank you!

They have great food (try the 1/2 pound burger ) and ice cold beer.

Heck yeah they got good food. Good prices too.

4. Dues. Now this is where things get messy. TRUST ME, dues are VERY hard to deal wth and its near impossible to organize.

I bet.

Lets be real, how many people would NOT come if they had to pay $.

I still would, provided it's reasonable and you don't get charged at the door in addition (like some other groups in other areas I've been reading up on). But that's just me

Then the group has to decide on what the dues are used for, this is NEVER a unanimous decision.

This is a very good point.

NOW with that being said, here is a good example of how DONATIONS not DUES could benefit the club.
I talk back and fourth to Bob Fenner and I have been trying to get him to come and be a guest speaker at FRAG. This would be a fantastic time to have DONATIONS not dues, to help pay for his lodging and his time. I dont know how many of you have met and hung out with Fenner but the guy is AWESOME, has fantastic information and puts on a killer slide show. In this instance I can see us all pitching together as a reefing community to have some come out and give us a great presentation.

Good idea. I personally think charging a small admission fee for something like this would be reasonable to help offset those costs as well.

I would love to get others to come and speak as well, its always a great time talking with people who have been in the hobby for such a long time.

Agreed.

5. PROP
You all have to agree that PROP is amazing! I have been in the hobby a long time and until I found PROP there was very little in the way of LE corals for any reasonable price. Dont forget these are reefers, not in it for the big $ but in it for the health and growth of the hobby. They spend COUNTLESS hours fragging, mounting, testing water, buying new bulbs/equipment, ALL of this for the groups benefit. Personally I love PROP and hand it to them for all that goes into supplying all us locals with some REALLY nice stuff.

I personally haven't gotten anything from PROP, but I have seen some very nice things up at the auctions. I for one applaud the people who are willing to grow out the PROP corals in their systems with no reward but knowing they're helping to propagate the hobby further.

Anyways a HUGE thank you to Kirsten for all the hard work she has done,

Ditto.

and I would have no problems stepping up and being the FRAG hag.

Again, thank you

[moore_rb]

Originally posted by Helfrich’s Chic
here is a good example of how DONATIONS not DUES could benefit the club.
I talk back and fourth to Bob Fenner and I have been trying to get him to come and be a guest speaker at FRAG. This would be a fantastic time to have DONATIONS not dues, to help pay for his lodging and his time. I dont know how many of you have met and hung out with Fenner but the guy is AWESOME, has fantastic information and puts on a killer slide show. In this instance I can see us all pitching together as a reefing community to have some come out and give us a great presentation. I would love to get others to come and speak as well, its always a great time talking with people who have been in the hobby for such a long time.

Donations are a great idea.....

You're so smart....

[racecaraz]

I see many people saying that KristenK was the first to great them... I have not attended a FRAG meeting so I have not had the privilege.

However, the FRAG West meeting I attended it was you, HC, that greeted me... So it seems your a fitting choice.

[jasonh]

The first FRAG I went to was pretty packed by the time I got there...I don't think I got much of a greeting from anybody.

Then again, I'm kinda shy, so that coulda had something to do with it.

[kirstenk]

Once again....THANKS for the thanks everyone!!

kgouso.....I hope to meet cha. That post was wicked funny and so true.

Frank.....ya made me feel extra special that ya consider FRAG the best, most fun and your personal "hub" for reefing.

jasonh......gasp.... I missed one. Actually in the past few months as FRAG has grown so large, I have missed many a newcomer.

ADRIAN!!!!!

WOOT!!!

So glad you are stepping up. You will be fantastic and I loved your thoughts. Donations are a great way to raise funds for someone such as Fenner or for whatever purposes FRAG may need funds for.

For a speaker such as Fenner I would think that PROP would definitely pitch in financial support. Hope ya pull that one off.

YOU GO GIRL!!!

......might have to call ya the FRAG Mistress thou..........Hag is/was taken. LMAO

[evolust]

Thanks KK

[Fliger]

I would totally donate to see Fenner. That night he & Anthony spoke was great. A bunch of us went down to Mill and continued to drink. If you do the donations thing, my donation will be buying him beer for a night. That might be the biggest donation of all. Or was Anthony the drinker? Can't remember.

[dfreakonature12]

Just wanted to say thanks KirstenK! You were one of the first people to come up and introuce youself to my dad and me and made us feel very welcomed! You have answered all of my PM's and were just a big help to me! Thanks!!!!!!

Donald

[tropoasis]

I'll pitch in to get Bob to speak for the club...

If he needs transport, he can drive out with me and I stay in town that night anyway.....

Just a thought


(and you could come see us at MAX as well)

[Philwd]

MAX?

[Helfrich’s Chic]

Awesome, Thanks Rob KK and Fliger! I am excited and hope that I can continue doing the great job that KK has with FRAG. Thank you all for your support!

[Tasiamay]

Adrian ... Fantastic!!!! I'm very glad to see you step up to keep the legacy of FRAG going! You will be great!!

I've been a member of FRAG since 2003 - back when there 5-6 people at a booth in a pizza joint. I also remember when FRAG was about to fizzle out and KK did everything she could to bring it back. Now look where it is today.

I understand that with growth (and FRAG definately has) comes problems, but our's are very minor compared to other clubs of our size. I think everyone needs to take a moment to think about how lucky we are ...

1) We have a fabulous meeting place that hosts our club for FREE
2) This meeting place has great food & drinks at a very reasonable price
3) We have a great group of people that give out free frags & sell nice/LE frags for a great price
4) The people in our group are willing to step up and help out immediately if any type of problem arises (reef related or not)
4) ... and the list goes on and on

Due to the nature of the hobby, FRAG will continue to grow and will change ... just as the people in the hobby do. This change is natural and inevitable. Everyone has opinions and all those opinions deserve to be heard ... and none of those opinions are either "right" or "wrong" - they just "are".

The other thing to remember is that with a group our size, there will never be a "unanimous" decision. There is no possible way to make every single one of us happy. What we all need to focus on is the "middle". With a little compromise, we can go a long way and our group can continue to thrive & grow.