[TheForge] NJ Fairgrounds - Attn: Phlip

[Kathy]

Gee Phlip,
What's the problem? You simply get a regional organization to plan the thing,
and as soon as your idea starts looking promising the board will barge in and
take it over :-) 
Mikey

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Saint Phlip
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 7:34 PM
To: artgawk at thegrid.net; Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] NJ Fairgrounds - Attn: Phlip

On 2/28/07, Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer <artgawk at thegrid.net> wrote:
> Hey Dan;
> Respectfully. the board got boxed. If they could have solved all
> the problems as in the past, there would be no discussion.
> These are smart, sincere, well meaning folks  who have given us
> years off their lives. Cut them some slack please.
> They honestly asked for our help. We asked for more info.
> Dave offered a taste, indicating that it isn't as simple as we
> have presumed.

I realize that, too. Thing is, if Dave's negative attitude is typical
of the Board, then that's a prime reason why we aren't having a
conference in 2008. "No way we can do it, so no way it can be done".
Well, despite this, I am going forward, and seeing if I, knowing
little of the specific details they seem to be bogged down in, can
find a way to do it. Yes, I'm quite well aware of Tom Clark's efforts-
I'd like to meet that man, because he's got the sort of "can do"
attitude this effort needs.

Thing is, though, Dave's "taste" is only coming when he can use it to
tell me it's impossible- and several of his "impossibilities" I've
addressed in previous posts. OTOH, getting the information I need to
start figuring this out is like pulling teeth. But, as long as he's
giving me information when he's giving the negatives, I'm going to
take his lemons, and forget the lemonade, I'm going to make lemon
frappe ;-)

> Stop overlaying psychic/emotional flack on the problem.
> Gather all the info possible, shed the emotive obfuscations, and
> we will all poke at it till damn well it cooperates.....pf

Unfortunately, there IS emotion involved, but I'm reminded of one of
those annoying sales slogans I got bombarded with back when I was in
sales:

"Direct your thoughts,
Control your emotions,
Ordain your destiny."

I seriously believe we're at a fork in the road, folks. If we quit on
trying to get a conference set up, than we've taken a big step down
the road towards letting ABANA die. Granted, that's no real disaster
in the Grand Scheme of Things, but it will be a serious inconvenience
later, when we rediscover that a National Organization has its
definite uses. I realize ABANA isn't perfect, but I'm hoping its flaws
are fizable. I'm wlling to try to help save it, but if the negatives
I'm getting are typical of the attitude of the entire Board, I'm
wondering if it's worth doing. They asked for help- I'm trying to give
it- starting with a suggestion they poll the membership, and find out
what WE want in a conference. Yet, I see them taking no steps towards
doing that, or anything else except saying it can't be done, as
expressed by Dave.

I'm telling you right now, that it CAN be done- but if the ABANA Board
isn't interested in taking positive steps towards saving itself,
perhaps it shouldn't be done. The only reason I'm still trying is
because Clare said she's interested in at least looking at other ways
to do things. I'll take her on her word, but I need to see a few words
of encouragement, too.

-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.
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