Fun Poll #18

[ree123]

This is going to be a 2 day poll for the day before and the day of our National Presidential Election.

As US citizens we have a right and duty to exercise our right to voice an opinion of and for our leadership and the direction(s) that our government will take us.

I know we have little participation among our forum users when it comes to our club polls, so I was just curious how many of our forum users will be voting on a National level.

Again,....All forum users may participate in our fun polls, not just club members.

[ree123]

I would also like to use this thread to remind several of you that your club memberships have expired with the Fall swap/meet we had last month.
You know which ones you are, and if you can't remember, please get in touch with me or check you personal e-mail or PM, personal messages within your forum. I sent each of you a reminder.

I want to emphasize to all of you, that although I know some struggle with money and funds more than others, that your membership fee is what is used to advertise with, pay for our swap/meet location, and provide us with some funding that has and is going to continue to be necessary to attract some of the speakers we have in mind. I would like to invite an ACA Chichlidaphite to join us in the Spring, but it requires capital. There are several names I believe you all would like to invite, but again, it requires money and you all showing up to participate @ our swap/meets.

I always hate to be the one, or one of a few, to bring up money so often, but it is necessary for the growth and survival of the club and this forum.
If you want this club, your club, to continue, WE MUST HAVE YOUR SUPPORT IN MONEY AND PARTICIPATION !!!

We have numerous folks who log on to our forum each week, but never say a word in posts. No questions, no comments, no votes in the fun polls, no complaints, no compliments, no.................

I have placed a statement under my user name and in the block to the left of all my posts that says,...............
"PARTICIPATION is the key to your forum and club !!! "
If you all don't encourage each other to participate and pay your dues, this club is gonna go away.

I don't want that !!!

We began the BAP or Breeders Award Program, with a few members spending many hours creating it and we have no participants to date.
We started a picture contest and it has gone by the wayside.
We suggested some members bring a group of fish as fry to a swap/meet in bags of 4 or 5 and spread them out among members for 6 months until the next swap/meet and bring them back to compare growth and color and have a winner, with a prize. No participants.

You all tell me,...........what do you want to do !

I will support it if you are gonna support this club ! This is your club (mine too) and I want success, but I can't succeed with just a few of you !!!!

Sorry to be so grim, but I am just typing what I am feeling, and just wondering why we have 280 forum members and over 50 club members, and no one is doing much of anything.
Are we all that set in our own lives and our own budgets, that we want to let this club go away ?
If so, may I remind you that I am your primary leader and advocate, and as your President, if that is what you all want then so be it.

A club, any club, cannot function if there are only 2 or 3 or 10 participants.
Churches, civic organizations, private clubs, etc... all face this same delima.
This choice is up to each of you.
Not me.
I will lead you all where you want to go.

I eagerly await some of your responses.

In total Respect to each and every one of you !!!
Rick Easterly
MCAA President
aka ree123

[ree123]

I apologize ahead of time if my post above is offensive to specific ones of you, but I do feel that what I have typed is true, and a long way of asking you all of your individual intentions and desires for YOUR club.

To those of you who have continued to participate, post, attend swap/meets, pay your annual dues, etc...
THANK YOU

I am asking the rest of ya what you all want.

There are sooooo many cities and towns w/o fish clubs, and we have one !!! I want it to stay alive and continue to grow, but it takes you all to do that !!!

You all !!!!!!!!

[davidtcb1]

Rick makes a great and simple point above: Many cities/regions don't even have an organization like we have. We are fortunate enough to have one and have the opportunity to build it up together! I hope everyone who can, will renew their membership. It helps to build a stronger organization, advertise our club further and make for bigger and better swap meets/get-togethers!

BTW, I tried to early vote twice and the lines were so long I had to leave. Good sign! Hopefully I can get in Tuesday!

[ree123]

I've thought of 2 more ways to provide example of PARTICIPATION for y'all.

If you have watched the weather channel or news over the last week, you are aware of the devastation left behind from Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast part of our country. Folks in towns all over up there, many I am sure are not highlighted in the news, are pulling together for a better and more prosperous future for their communities. They have found ways to Participate with each other for the betterment of all

And,....think about the long airing show on TV called "The Price is Right." It has survived many years because they have fun and give away stuff that folks want. Folks participate.
Our club is similar in that we ask you to participate on the forum and @ the swap/meets and in return you get something.
Friendship, socialization with fellow hobbyist, good deals of fish and dry goods, fun, and pride.
To name but a few.

We do ask you to provide $15 per yr. to support our group, but then the folks that go the taping of "The Price is Right," are investing their time and gas money to get there and be a part of the show. Many even buy various shirts to be a part of the show, which is an expense for them too.

If the show, "The Price is Right" had no audience, it would have failed long ago.
You all are the audience and must participate to keep things going for the MCAA.

[jon carman]

You can't count a forum member unless they are logging in daily. We are about 15-20 strong. That isn't a bad thing. We just need to grow off of that. Of the 15-20 strong, most have Hung in there through thick and thin. We have lost a few of our most involved to an out of state move, work, or other unforseen event. Some even broke off to start their own.

That said, we have to have a reason for being other than just people that like fish. If we have two great swaps and auctions a year, I would be content with that. All else can be done online until we have the numbers to warrant more.

So the officers will come up with some incentive and we will plan to make the next swap a can't miss event.

[ree123]

More voters ? Here and/or for our USA President ? And other local votes pertinent to each of you ?

FYI...25 of you as forum users/club members have logged on to our forum since I placed this poll yesterday.
and,.......... only 5 have voted here or expressed your intent.
Why not take just a moment to participate !!!

[ree123]

Even if you are not voting for a USA President today, you could take a second to vote here in your club poll.
I included an option for you to cast a vote of no vote/no intention to vote.
Others don't know how you vote here, only totals, so please participate.

[ree123]

Thank you to the 6 of you who participated in this MCAA Fun Poll !!!

My observations were that 28 forum users/club members logged on to our forum during the time this poll was open, and that this thread was looked at some 80+ times, although many of us could have looked at it more than once.

This is just over 20% of the above numbers in participation.

I continued to be disappointed in the participation of our users, as I don't understand the nature of the reason(s) why there is a lack of the same.

Maybe this was a touchy poll for many of you. I hope that is the reason.
I will place another more fish related soon.

Let me remind you though................when you cast a vote on this forum in a poll, others forum users/club members cannot see what your vote is, only that the line you choose changes its length and the %'s change. Your votes remain confidential.

I am greatly hoping for increased participation with the next poll, which again, I will make specific to fish.

-----------------------------

[ree123]

The officers and I continue to discuss plans for the Spring 2013 swap/meet already, but it requires you all to make all this forum and club a success.
Since we all know participation is so important, won't you reach out to fellow members you already know and send them an e-mail or PM and ask them to return to chat with us ?
Or,....invite someone you know, but has never been on our forum, to join us !
We need for every one of you to be doing this actively and frequently !!!!!!

We are all an important part of the dynamics of our club !!!

[ree123]

And,....
finally in this thread...............

No matter if you voted in our Presidential election or not, or for whom you voted,.......................

Congratulations to our USA President re-elect for the next 4 years, Barack Obama.

May God bless the USA !!!