Orlando, FL Aug 10 Meeting

Okay. This isn't meant to be negative but I'm missing something here and need to understand what's going on. I just don't get the confusion and I've had several people mention this to me via the boards and PM's. We post every month the meeting location, time, and day. The meeting is usually on the South FanForce page listing as well (at least a week in advance).
(http://fanforce.net/usa_south/) (and has been for like a week and a half)
It is also usually on fanforce.net main page

If there is confusion email/PM/contact myself or Lord_Gita. We are the two City Reps for the club. Other regular members like Thumper, Delaya, SeaTrooper, Sandy and (just to mention a few I know come pretty regulaly) the rest usually have a good idea of what is going on with meeting times and locations.

We've also been meeting the second saturday of every month. We have since December. The only thing we keep changing is the location. Next month will be in Melbourne. See the Thread Sept Meeting for details.

As for the webpage I like the idea of having a place where we can advertise our group and post pictures and give a history of our group. However, IF there is confusion out there, how will having yet another place of information going to help? Especially if it has to be continually updated every month.

Opinions, comments and discussion is welcome here. I just don't get what is going on.

 

some of us are just real lazy and we want the supreme chancellor to show up at our house the day before and tatoo the day and time and a map on our butt....thats all



I mean is that really too much to ask?

 

With the Supreme Chancelor's endulgance I can get a tattoo gun and spen a couple of daying in O-Town Tattoing butts. I've been meaning to practice my peircing technique also so I can bring down some post-it notes and a staple gun if anyone would prefer that.
Kidding.... in a way.....

 

sorry you missed it. The upcoming webpage will help, but remember you can always find at least one thread about upcoming meetings right here in the forum.

 

Hey I actually made the meeting I just thought the tatoo method would increase our numbers and make meetings really interesting

 

If people think we are going to being doing free tattoos we are going to have more folks than we know what to do with at the next meeting........... cool........

 

This seems like the perfect chance to demonstrate why Art and Darryl are officers in this group and why I'm not ... Unlike Art, I do mean to be negative.

In short, WTFO???

This seems to be a recurring theme and I'm not sure why it occurs in the first place. Art, Darryl, and Stef make great efforts to post activities well in advance. Claiming there isn't a notification system is dead wrong. Even a periodic check of the board will give you all the necessary details at least several days in advance. Art did practically everything but hire a skywriter to advertise the downtown meeting. He posted this last meeting several times. What else do you expect the Orlando officers to do?

Bottom line of my rant - check the board before you complain. Notices are always posted there. If you haven't taken these basic steps then, IMO, you unfairly insult the Orlando officers by claiming that you have tried to participate and were left out because they didn't supply information. They do a lot to ensure there isn't any "confusion".

Sandy

 

My appologies to everyone with less than 20 posts who are new to the board.
Okay I am going to suggest something constructive here.
If you are now to the board and would like someone to mentor you to the nuances of the Orlando FanForce PLEASE post either here or the Newbie thread and some of you OLD GUYS out there volunteer to guide them on their way.
I'll take the first one to PM me.
Now before my esteemed colleages rant launche and all out flame war, again, I would like for every one to know that this is indeed a public forum, and there are people out there who get a good laugh out of the when WE get going.
Buzz

 

so does that mean no tatoos?

 

Ask Lum about Tatoos Ia.

Thanks for the comments Sandy. <g> We have been trying to get everyone involved. I've posted at our Florida Tech Sci Fi club though noone responded. I'm looking into finding a "method" to post to the students of UCF. Any UCFer's (and that's not a bad term) got any ideas on the best method? School paper? Flyers? What not?



Art

 

fliers are always good..and a meeting on campus is even better I could arrange this

Ia

 

I thought you needed a good number of students to be able to have a meeting on campus? Find out some info on it and let's discuss it at the Sept BBQ if you'll be here. Otherwise just email me. Thanks!

Art

 

I'll tattoo ya Ia. You'll be my first ever!!!!!!!
Does the I'm-Doing-Something-Funky Dance!!!!
That was a map on your butt right? or was it someone elses?
I wouldn't mind coming out and looking around UCF for a meeting. Like you suggested it would be a great place to scout filming locations.

 

Check out the new header and footer for the board! It shows the next event in every thread! This should REALLY cut down on confusion! Art

 

Buzz nudged me ... I thought about it ... I come back sheepishly. Apologies if I came across earlier as anything more than my own cheerful self.

I'll focus on Rebel's main point and my concern in a more positive manner.

The only other way I can think of to communicate what happens in the group outside of the board posts and new web site are to construct an e-mail alias. My problem with this is that (1) it soon becomes lumbersome and (2) these things are generally ineffective and sometimes create more confusion as the moderators believe that people have been informed when often only their old e-mails have been informed. I think notices on the board and summaries on the new web site should be more than enough notice for any event.

I'll simply ask others to refrain from pointing the finger at the Orlando Fanforce organizers until they've taken reasonable steps to gain information themselves.


Sandy

 

Wow first time I get a response from you, it's to tell me that you are part of the "we" which is basically telling me that although I attended meetings before you, that I must then if fact be one of them... the non decision making members.

Since you attend UCF, which is only about 10-15 minutes from me (most of that time sitting at lights) I would at least imagine that you'd understand it's a long drive for me, but I make it, without complaint and because I really enjoy the possibilities of what an organized club could accomplish.

A website would be nice so as to give sufficient notice and quick access to the information.

 

Everyone in this club is important! I went out of the way to try and make it so that EVERYONE could make it to the next event. I even volunteered to drive 3 hours round trip to pick someone up who couldn't make it because the person had no ride! Everyone who has come regularly to the club and who hinted at attending I talked to about the event in Sept. That type of thing will continue!!! This club is open to everyone and we will always try to be reasonable and accomidate everyone! We run it like that. Except for 1 or two decisions made by the City Rep, we have always voted on everything at the meetings and THAT is the way it will continue.
THERE IS NO SECRET CLUBS WITHIN THE CLUB. IT IS NOT COSTUMER (woops almost wrote customer. <eg>) VS NON COSTUMER. IT ISN'T TOY GANG VS NON Toy GANG. IT ISN"T THE COOL GROUP VS THE DULL GROUP. We don't have those!
Heck! WE don't even keep accurate records of who came to what meeting. You know why?!? Because it DOESN'T matter. If this is your first meeting or your 1000th it won't matter. Your opinion will be equally considered.
Second, we have people who drive more than 2 hours to get to the meetings. I live in Melbourne. It takes 2.5 hours for me to get there. Another lives in Titusville and it takes little over an hour from there on a good day. We have people from Port St Lucie and Jacksonville which is almost 3 hours away. They ALL give up a good chunk of the second saturday of every month to join us. Ironically enough, the most consistent people to attend the meetings are those who drive long distances to make it! And if they don't they usually tell someone they can't make it and why. I'd like to thank every member of our club who has come out month after month and supported us! (And to the parents who drive our junior members!)

As for our events...well, I believe that the information posted has always given us plenty of lead time and great information on how to get there. The new officers (Lord_Gita, Delaya, and myself) are all working hard to keep everyone informed of the events we have out there. We had a small problem at the beginning of the summer but that has been fixed and now that we have multiple people watching the boards for new comers and answering questions whenever they pop up I don't believe there is a problem.

 

RebelCommando,

Based on your response, I presume your comments were directed at me. Apologies if this is in error. If Buzz were looking over my shoulder he would caution me to be polite. Out of respect for him, I shall be. I do not live near UCF. I come from Melbourne, which is a more difficult drive than the one you face. I do not understand most of your complaints and personally do not think the ones I have heard are valid. To me, the evidence I've seen does not match your interpretations. I am not an officer in this club and will therefor respect those who are and will leave handling your concerns to them. Any further efforts I might make to address your concerns would be counterproductive and would likely create a hostile environment, which is certainly not my intent.

I'll defer to Art, Darryl, and Stefani.


Sandy

 

RebelComando, after I chill out a bit you're getting a PM.

 

Everyone chill out.

Here are a few thoughts from your friendly neighborhood RSA:

The City Rep and officers of Orlando have done a terrific job of keeping everyone informed of upcoming meetings. Announcements are made here and on the FanForce web site, and they are usually made at least one week in advance. And now, thanks to a new feature that I have access to, I can even post an announcement at the top of the Forum Header (see the pretty green and blue announcement above).

The leaders of this group have done their part by announcing the events, so the people who are interested in being a part of the club must take some responsibility in finding out about events. Read the threads in this forum. The titles for the threads about meetings usually make it quite clear that the subject of the threads are the meetings. If any of you are ever unsure about when the next meeting is scheduled, ask another Orlando FanForce member, or better yet, ask LordGoldenArrow. That's why we gave him those pretty blue colors.

I have a few more comments and/or suggestions:

1. Once you get your website up and running, post meeting announcements clearly on the main page. I know that some of you are already working on this.

2. Create an "announcement-only" mailing list on Yahoogroups. Anyone who wants to get meeting announcements can go there to sign up to receive them. If anyone wants info on how to do this, let me know. I can help.

3. Whether you live 20 minutes or three hours away from the usual meeting location, you are all important and make some sacrifices to attend meetings. Cut each other some slack. Relax. This is supposed to be fun.

What it all boils down to is this: The leaders of this group do a pretty darn good job of keeping folks informed. If there are ever any doubts, contact someone. Heck, contact me, if you must.

Now, everyone smile and be excellent to each other.

 

i would just like to say i like the new messageing bar at the top of the page and I think the officers are doing a great job

 

Yup, the people in this group have been very nice to me.

I was offered a ride when I had none, they put up with my cane, and always try to include me.

I'm going to be able to bring stuff for the BBQ.