Padu, KY New Direction By Way Of Old Direction

Hey guys,
Ok, I know I'm posting this in the middle of a war but I thinks its way past time for me to get back on the ball. I do want to say that if I knew how passionate our non-costuming members still were about this club I may have paid more attention to the current direction the club has taken (or maybe not, idk) But your passion at least tells me that you still care about the club and I hope means you'll stick around it.

Ok, 1st and foremost I believe it would be best to split our costuming events with regular events, for several reasons:
1st, less problems with members feeling left out and I won't be tempted to say that?s our monthly event.
2nd, Our costume members need to have the option to come to an event where they don't have to troop and can relax and have fun with everyone else.
3rd, our costuming part of our club is big enough to have its own events, and it already has very capable leadership with Barbie and Darrell and the rest.

This will free up our club to have meetings at restaurants, bowling nights, parties, movie nights, etc... and I'd still like to do a Club day where we all come to work on dioramas, props, costumes, gaming, anything we want. We just lack a location for this so I am working on it as well. I would really love suggestions to be posted here and of course constructive criticisms on the club and me if you think you can help. There's already a thread for the negative comms so feel free to post in there as well, lol.

I know that this will not change over night but I think we can rebuild this, we have gotten to be very big, namewise, over the last year and we have several new folks who would like to join a club and I think we owe it to ourselves and them to give it a shot, I know I definitely owe it to you guys. And guys, I really hope I?m right about everyone coming out because I would hate for certain people to be on these boards just to stir the pot and have no intention of participating, cause that would not be cool.

I also want to say that I am changing the way I handle when other members organize an event. I?ve realized that if someone else runs an event I tend to step back and take a break and may or may not participate in the planning or the actual event. This is wrong of me and sends the wrong message. So I want to encourage everyone to plan an event IF you want to and I will totally support it and get behind it, I owe everyone that much.
Ok, post away, this is a new dawn and were going to have a great 5th year! Pv

 

Chris, your awesome!! I'm very impressed with how positive you have stayed in the middle of all this drama; keep on keepin on my friend. I'm excited to get involved with all of you guys.

 

I would also like to give props to every one involved in this for getting any of the threads shut down. I think we may have grown up a little.Do people still give props or is that a little dated?

 

Since early on in this club we have been told by other fanforces and outside costuming clubs, "you have costumers in your fanforce? uh good luck with that?" I never really understood where they were coming from. I thought we were a close enough group that something like costuming would not cause problems with our club. Well, we were wrong obviously. Certain members have made it clear they do not want costuming to be a prominate force in the club. That can be done and will be done. I can say that there will not be anymore costuming events posted on our ff forum by myself or other 501st members that I have talked to. Non 501st costumers it's up to you whether you post on the boards about anything costuming but know that you could always contact any of us directly if you felt better about doing it that way. Now I am speaking for myself and B, plan to come to any and all PIMPs events that sound fun to us. But if the club plans let's say, a Saga Weekend and want costumers to promote it. I can't say we will come troop that. You can't have it both ways. I don't see that being fair to costumers. Costumes have been the public image of our club for a very long time now. Whether some members like it or not that's what we are know for locally. As costumers, myself and others feel that our hand has been forced that we must change that for the club to continue although it will not be the club of days past.

(As much as I love our banner at the top of our forum do we need to change that to something generic. Is that offensive to our non costume members?)

 

I just want to apologize for some of the comments that could have been hurtful in the other thread. It does seem that we do more costuming events than anything else nowadays, but hopefully that will change. I wasn't trying to sound like I didn't want to hear about costuming as a whole - I think they can be fun and it brings positive attention to fanforce.We're a great group of people, I'm all in it for anything else we do as a group.

 

Let me start by saying that I have actually enjoyed these debates. until now. I felt that these debates were good because people who felt they were not important to the club were being heard.

Now I want to make sure I understand this. The club wants to offer more invilvement to all members, not just focusing on costumes. Now that costumes are not the be all end all, the 501st wants to take its ball and go home?

 

This is very sad to watch unfold. I watched it happen before with NAD.

You know, when Pacervader got this club started, everyone that came out - did so out of a love for Star Wars. Not out of a love for costuming, or a love for mini's. They wanted to be with other fans, who each had specific talents, interests, creativity and who simply wanted to sharpen iron with likeminds and enjoy the saga and everything about it with other rabid fans. We were awed by those who had costumes, those who could create, those who could make us laugh. We played games together, made dioramas and Gonks together and trooped many events that made kids and adults smile.

Did your lose that? Did you forget all of that?

I think you all have forgotten your first love. You have forgotten what brought all of you together in the first place - and now everything is become politics and infighting.

How sad.

This is not new to any fanforce that has a 501st garrison or a specific clique of people who are only interested in only one aspect of Star Wars fandom. It's human nature to feel excluded, left out or ostracized if your particular likes and talents are not as prevalent and welcome as others are. PIMPS was not started to be an exclusive costuming club, but neither was it intended to be simply a gaming club or a once-a-month bowling night club. It was a local Star Wars club, encompassing everything about Star Wars fans that we love, and love to share. Well, at least we did at one time.

When people forget what I call the 'trunk of the tree' this is how divisions along talents and interests spring forth.

The rules of such clubs like the 501st - often become a line of demarcation and separation of members one from another. But that happens only if you let it and allow it to happen.

Is that really what you want?

I'm not 501st - my costume is not all that great - and probably one step up from light-in-the-loafer boots. But I like to troop when I can. All of your excellent costumes take away the shortcomings of mine and it is a blast to troop together and I would hate to think that if I'm not 501st - that I cannot troop with you, or that 501st cannot troop a PIMP event. That's divisive and should be rejected. I don't care what the rules are. The PIMPS began here first. We all came together long before the 501st planted it's flag among us - and there IS NO REASON why both non-501st and 501st cannot come together and co-exist together as PIMPS.

The truth is - the costu

 

I don't think that is what tkytrooper meant, wil. We are and probably always will be contributing and participating members.

 

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Anyone who knows B and I know thats not the case. And with saying that we are excited to have events where we can do more than troop. Be just fanclub members, just hangout and talk all aspects of anything SW. That aside we are also active members of a club that embraces costumeing. If I attach a name to the club I am trooping an event for what do you think I am going to say? The one that wants costumers or the one that doesn't? Basicly if I am trooping an avent I am doing it as a 501st member not a PIMP. This is not my decision by choice but I feel was forced on me by non-costuming members of PIMPS. It shouldn't look like it is the 501st who are pulling away from PIMPS cause it is that we are being pushed away. Wil I'm not taking my ball home because I'm mad, I'm taking it home cause I feel the club has asked me to. If I am wrong by those who have complained about costumeing and costuming events feel free to speak up.

 

I honestly think that there can be a balance between costuming events and other events in the fanforce. Our costuming has put us on the map- there's nothing that can take that away from us. If people think that there's too much trooping events, let's just have other events. Like I said in the post before I edited it, I'm still proud to be in this group, for what it was, what it is, and what it could be. Let's just see if we can turn things around.

 

Where are you reading this?

Forgive me for making an assumption if there were things said and done outside of the forum here in regards to costuming, but I don't read here that anyone who isn't into costuming is pushing 501st out of the club to only troop with the 501st. Are we reading too much into some of the griping going on? I think the common gripe from non-costuming members was that they felt left out of PIMPs if they were not into costuming, not that they want you to limit your trooping or only troop with the 501st.

I don't read that at all.

There's a failure to communicate here somewhere.

If it is accepted that costumers in the 501st can only troop at 501st events or only as 501st - then PIMPS will go the way other clubs have gone.

I suppose if that is what the members want - that is what will happen.

 

OK lets jump ahead 1 year. Lets say we are a 501st squad. Lets say SW:3D is hitting theatres nationwide. Lets say Lucasfilm has asked the 501st to troop all theatres possible. We would obviously be at Ky Oaks and it would definitely be a 501st event. Does that mean when Michael shows up as The Emperor(which is probably 501st good right now,maybe a face application but I'm not sure on the Palpy stuff) were gonna pull him aside and say you gotta go? NO!! Its a freakin movie theatre. Open to the public anyone can come and go as they please wearing whatever they want. I would say 90% of 501st events are in a public place and therefore open to the public. I say the membership requirements are to protect the 501st from Calvert City Vader whackin a little girl in the back of the head or sexual predator AT AT driver from takin little Timmy to the bathroom for a God knows what. I don't want to troop with people I don't know. I would gladly welcome anyone currently in the club to troop with us. I see this division as more like when a cell divides to create a greater organism than when mommy and daddy split up. I'm glad to have a SW club where I can just be Darrell and not TK8049.

 

I think you're missing part of the point. Why can't you be both Darrel and TK8049? What's wrong with that? You costumers just took offense and read things not as how we wanted to point it out. I honestly think that splitting the group like this would really cause a bigger divide in the fanforce than you think.

 

holy shoot! I'm probably the newest member of the PIMPS and I have paid every club due that anyone asked me to pay. When I come out to any club event, I want everyone there... everyone that I've ever met that is involved with our club. Joe, Matt, and even Jeff. I don't care if you're 501st, 502nd (lol, I got it Bubba) Rebel Legion (yay) or just a fan. I want you all there because we share a common interest which is Star Wars.

I will not be trooping the telethon as Jedi Josh this year. I'll be there as my alter ego PJ the clown. I'm going to wear some costume to make those kids and adults happy. NOBODY cares if we are 501st or not. They don't care if our costumes are good or not. Now I understand why Barbie made the decision for rules and junk so we could get some more people to show up. She did it with the best of intentions.

I certainly don't want to see the club split into costuming and non-costuming, but I would like to see some non-costumers come up with some non-costuming events too. There are so many opportunities to troop, but I'd like to have that freakin' prop building day that we never had at Matt's. But Matt or someone has to head it up and organize it, not just mention it in passing or on the boards.

I hope to see everyone at the Christmas party. I'm going to try and be there for sure. I hope all this blows over because you guys are the coolest group of people I know, and we should hang out more often in general.

Got faith in you Bower! Success in 2010 or bust!

 

Spyder, pm sent.

 

I like you Spyder, you sound like your in this for the fun of it and not the other way around, well so am I. Once I get my TK Armor together and built then I say lets do some trooping and paint this town!!!!

 

Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right......

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you!

Where'd I put my knife? Cuz someone's about to lose an ear! lol

Ok, I may be coming in late to this bacta spill of a thread, but from what I can tell, all this really got started because a member quit the club, and that seemed to open the floodgates to the underlying problems here. Although he didn't give specific reasons, we all know that he was let down by his fellow costumers and noncostumers alike when he tried to get support to have events that, at different times, suited each of both parties. So we can all point fingers as long as we're pointing back to ourselves. We can all do better. If you want to be involved, find a way to be involved. If you want to troop, make it a point to troop events that others, even noncostumers, have facilitated, not just your own. And sometimes there have to be rules established to make an event work, but that should be few and far between. I think we all hope to have plenty of opportunities in the club to try all things. Yes, I do realize there are other things than fanfilms. And if so-and-so doesn't come to a particular get together for whatever reason, let it go and enjoy those who did show up. And if nobody shows up, then it's a sign of poor planning or there's lack of interest, but get over it and try something else the next time or just try again another time. And I will apologize right now that I can't grasp minis. I tried. Maybe if someone would be my Miyagi, I could be their Daniel-san and learn the game, but I ain't waxin' nothin'!

I support Bower in getting this club relaunched and I think he's trying to find a middle ground here for all of us. Let's all meet him there. I want to be able to hang or troop with everyone. (BTW, if anyone's a 502st here, it's me - lol - the 501st rejected me but I'll be trooping anyway!)

I think Mr. Lucas, if nothing else, tried to teach us that we are all human inside - and we all have sides of light and dark. A fact that could not be more evident than in the scene where Vader's mask was removed in Jedi. Most of us are very smart, and in our own ways, very talented people. And there are times when we can't stand each other. This is something we can't get away from as humans..and as a family of fans. We all have faults and are all aggravated at some point, but it's what's inside and what makes us turn back to the light side, that's important. Some of us have to change our attitudes, on both sides of this debate, and embrace your fellow Star Wars fans, if for nothing else than to enjoy all aspects of Star Wars together. Because there are no other fans like us out there! Remember where you came from. The love of Star Wars came first, before anything else discussed here in these forum posts. And look at what we've already accomplished as a fan force, even at times when most of our 501st members were still known only as Paducah Imperials.

The choice isn't to be 501st or a Paducah Imperial, a costumer or a noncostumer, a gamer or not a gamer, an artist or not an artist, a nerd or a geek, but to be a Star Wars fan or not, and if you decide that you are, no matter the percentage, then there is no reason not to be in and support this club and it's members - costumed or not. But there are also times for some to move on, and we all need to respect that as well. And there are also times you need to make a little more effort to show your fellowship with other members. It's how it is with a family, and I felt at one time we were all a big close-knit family, and I'd like for all of us to feel that again. If anybody doesn't want that then, by all means, you h

 

I'm an outsider from your fanforce (what used to be the E'ville jedi) and a member of the 501st. I had the pleasure of meeting most of you a couple of years ago at the Metropolis comic con. From what I could tell you were a bunch of organized, welcoming, and friendly Star Wars fans whether you were costumed or not. I understand what PV is doing and think he is going in the right direction. I hope you get things worked out by the next con where I hope to see you all.

 

I remember you Bro!! Hows it been goin? i just got me a couple of those BLOODFIN shirts off the main boards about a month ago. I think we'll be alright but we are gonna have to address some issues. If your not doin anything this weekend we would love to have you over for the telethon.

 

I have to work but thanks for the invite. Make sure to post pics.