Reef club

[Michael J Cherubini]

Awful turnout. Thank god I didn’t pay money to this forum lol

With the exception of 3 ppl, Everybody I would like thank is not on this.

(Mod edited to remove inappropriate images....Family friendly please)

 

[duke62]

With the turnout we had I can’t see it being a club. More like a hang out. Guess people don’t want to have something amazing in the area for local reef keepers. Going to try and hit the closer LFS to put flyers at their shop. Maybe we can get some new members. If not I’m all out of ideas

 

[mets17127]

As a guy that got into the club after its heyday, I think personal meetings are difficult to have so frequently. The site’s best function is Q and A, sales, and hooking up to trade. Maybe bimonthly allows for people to grow things out, plan ahead, etc...

 

[duke62]

We had monthly meeting at LIRA with a healthy crowd showing up every month. Only time there was no Meeting was the summer months. The reason is because every meeting was interesting with good speakers and a great auction. Only way we can do this is with membership. we need people signing up and bringing a auction item and a commitment to being part of a club. Making excuses not to be part of the new reef club because of what happened in the past will not help us. If we can get one turnout with 25 to 30 guys with a healthy donation for the auction I can start making this worth while for everyone. We can then put money into bringing a good speaker in.

 

[B-ridge]

I for one definitely think this has a chance to survive and grow. First meeting there was a amazing turnout. 2nd meeting not as many as the first but definitely more new faces at the 2nd meeting then the first. I wasn’t at the last meeting eventhough now I wish I would of went but if we could get a turnout like the first with the new faces who came to the second we’re easily at 50 people. Not including those who aren’t in this forum or still don’t know about us. I could see us easily being at 100 in the next 2-3 months

 

[amoore311]

Just my 2 Cents:

The club needs to grow organically before we are looking for speakers, taking dues, etc, etc, etc. You have to also look at the people who are showing up and the tanks they have. A lot of them are Michaels Service Clients or Beginners, they aren't necessarily going to have frags or really be into the reef club meeting scene yet. A couple of the old school guys like me and Stan have only just set tanks up in the last couple months. I'm not going to have corals to offer for months lol. Raffles and auctions are awesome, but we don't have to get into all that right away.

This is all part letting the club evolve into what we want it to be at its own pace. Keep it casual until we have so many people regularly attending that we have to do something about it. Then as we get more people we can add to the meetings with raffles, group buys, etc.

 

[duke62]

I hear what you’re saying but for what you are asking we may just go to a LFS and talk to guys walking in. If we want members to just show up we need to offer them them something to look forward to. Just having people come and eat will get old quick. People want to learn about the hobby. We have people who are just getting into this hobby that want to learn. I didn’t write that everyone needs to bring a frag. Guys who have corals that can be fragged it will help us out. To start a club you need funds. If what you guys want is a hang out just let me know. I’m trying very hard and a lot of time trying to make this work. I’m spending my own money to make up banners, flyers, cards and membership cards so if that’s not what you’re looking for just let me know. All my contacts said they are willing to come to us and give a talk but if the consensus is that’s not what everyone is looking for then I’ll stop. There is a reason why the old club didn’t get members every month to the meetings. I’m trying to fix that.

 

[amoore311]

The old club was fine, until one woman from Albany who though she was god gift to the hobby got herself and her friends voted onto the board of directors.... and then ran all the original people who got it up and running into the ground to the point they wanted nothing to do with it anymore. I was there and very good friends with the people she literally ran over, all to make the club a legit 501c Charitable Organization. That is why everyone stopped showing up, it got too political, too much red tape, and too much drama for a fishtank club.

We had speakers show up to meetings, hell some of them really big names in the industry. (Randy Reed from Reef Nutrition, Joe Yaiullo, Matt Pederson, etc.) We had a bunch of good sponsors that donated dry goods every couple months. And we had meetings monthly, some busier than others. People swapped frags, etc.

While you aren't going to gather a ton of quantity by just having informal get togethers like the first couple meetings, that is where you build your quality base of people who care and have the time to assist you in building the club up. As I'm sure you're finding out you can't do all that alone. And we simply do not have enough people who care enough, with enough time, showing up yet. Hell I wish I still had the free time myself to help out, but with two kids under the age of 6 my free time is worth it's weight in gold.

Just speaking my mind here. Not trying to stifle the work or efforts of anyone or hurt feelings. I'm just pointing out more people than you think might be interested in the casual approach to the club and meetings at least for now.

 

[duke62]

Well what you’re describing is what my goal is to do. But I need the help of at least 25 guys this year to join the club. We get that and 10 to 15 frags for auction we will have something special. Just give me a chance and have trust that I’m trying to make this everything all ya reefers are looking for.

 

[mattdg]

Bummed that I missed another one. I can't commit to once a month, but definitely a handful of times per year and bringing a frag or two to support.

Question... is there an email list that I didn't get around to signing at that first meeting?