2009 Cedar Rapids / Iowa City Area Trustee Position

I would be willing to do it, but I would definitely need a helper/secondary trustee come April after I have my baby. If someone else with less on their plates wants to be the *main* trustee, I wouldn't mind being the secondary one. We certainly need someone in our area, as I know there are many reefers around here and it would be a shame not to have any events here this year......

 

I put my name in the hat on the thread that JB already started about the same topic close to 4 weeks ago.

 

I guess, I will throw my name into the mix for this.  As I really want to see the club succeed and the CR/IA area have another year of great representation and events.  How I could live up to Steph, I don't know, not even sure it is possible.

However, I do think I could put some good things together for the area, oh and almost forgot my campaign platform.  FREE BEER!!!!!!

HA HA, LOL.

 

Sweet, sounds like we have multiple people that want to help out in CR.

In case there ends up being a vote, what would you "candidates" like to see happen in our region next year?

-JB

 

I thought I stated what I stand for FREE BEER!
Just kidding, LOL!
There are several things I would like to see, I don’t know so much on a local level but more on a club level.
1st: I think we all saw this past weekend that our club can compete with other clubs as far as reef events are concerned. I would like to see this year’s board and trustee’s to begin focusing on next year’s event ASAP.
I would like to see a GIRS oversight panel appointed for next year’s event. I would also like to see groups formed from every region to support this effort.
I think each region could contribute to this even if your region is not hosting next year’s event. Each region could take a responsibility item for next year’s event. Broken down in a logical organized way, something like as follows:
- Speakers and topics
- Raffle donations and organization
- Facilities procurement and hotel reservations
- Vendor and seller sign ups and organization
The only reason this one went so well was the tireless work of a few people. We should all be contributing to these events. After all they are for our club, so each of us has a duty to support the event and do something to make it better each and every year.
2nd: I would like to see more regional events. When it comes to this hobby even if you have been doing it 25 years you can still learn something from others and even more important you can help teach others. With that I believe that there should be at the very least a CR/IA GIRS event monthly. With the great community of reefers we have here in the CR/IA area, we should be supporting each other more. I learn new things every day in this hobby, this would go a long way to bringing this community closer together and facilitating the flow of idea's. I would really like to have a social type event and a instruction type event each month. This would only serve to strengthen the region and facilitate better reefing amongst all of us.
3rd: This is something that could be done regionally or club orientated. All of us have purchase wild fish or corals. I would like to see this club start an annual type of event where the proceeds go to an ocean based charity. Something to give back to the ocean what has given all of us so much. This could start as something as simple as a raffle held in the malls across the state.
I have even thought a couple of times that a foundation that reefers could give coral frags to for replenishing devastated reefs would be a wonderful idea. As a reef aquarium club we have a duty to make others aware of issues faced by the world’s oceans and doing something to help solve the problems.
4th: I would like to start a GIRs chat discussion once a week on a given topic (example additives, coral propagation, fish care, ...). The discussions would last for 2 hours one night a week. This is more for the benefit of newer people to the hobby. It is hard to get good information especially from people you trust in this hobby. Everything that I read, I manage to find a counter argument to it by someone. So it gets to the point of who do you trust? However, I have seen many of your tanks and know you better then Joe blow on reef central that I feel more comfortable taking advice from you then from them.
5th: I feel that the club and the hobby would benefit from some display type activities. Most of the population out there knows about fish tanks, but reef tanks this is not the case. Most people have no idea that corals can even be grown and flourish in an aquarium. The only reason I had heard of them is that I had a friend back in North Carolina who had a reef tank (well not really and eel and an anemone and a few softies) even then I did not realize the extent of what could be done today until I started research the topic. I would like to bring this to the attention of the public. Granted reef keeping is not for everyone, I often wonder my self at times with my quick satisfaction attitude if it is right for me. However, I would like to get it out there and give others the information they need to determine if it is right for them. More exposure means more members, more members means bigger and better activities, and a better club base.
Now I know you are all say WOW, what a lofty agenda of goals. I realize that these are not all do able in one year. However, we can look at them together decide where we want to go and what we want to do, we could also start laying the foundation for the items we’re not going to do this year. So they may be accomplished later in another term. Remember the only things outside our reach are things we are not willing to do!
Remember, Jeremy for President…!
Just kidding Jason!

 

That's a pretty good agenda Jeremy! I am really anxious to get our 2009 trustees in place so that we can start talking about stuff like this.

-JB

 

Congratulations to Jeremy as the lead trustee and Caleb as the supporting role for Cedar Rapids. We are confident you will be an asset to the continued development of the Cedar Rapids area.

 

Congrats guys. Let me know if you ever need a helping hand to do some grunt work or something. I'm always willing to give a few hours of my time and help out where I can.

--AJ

 

Thanks, thats greatly appriciated.