Hey guys!!!

[jessiesgrrl]

Hey!!

I just wanted to post a thank you to the folks who have come over to the Maine state reef site (www.clubswam.org) to see why I haven't been here the past few weeks. I still love ya, I am not going anywhere- I just was fighting commercial interest involvement in our club.

It is really sad for me to see the club go down like this, but I resigned as President effective last night because it had gone too far. I was getting phone calls at home from local fish stores who wanted members censored from posting anything negative about their experiences with them, and the LFS wanted to be able to vote in club elections and policy decisions. And the commercial interests just wouldn't back off on the site- they feel like they own that club, and they are not afraid to post that they feel so in public. It got very Jerry Springer.

Now that I have resigned, I will have way more time to be here!!!! And frankly, I like it that way. I think I am going to found a new ME state reef club that is commercial interest free. Wooohooo!

:D
Laurie

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

You Go Girl!!!

 

[TyreeUM]

ha I always thought that club was a joke anyhow, good luck with your new venture laurie!

 

[surfn]

wow, i read through some links on other sites about what was going down...just crazy.

sounds like some power hungry people got involved and wanted to use bribery/political pressure to influence how the club did business. which is just BS. you did the absolute right thing by backing out.

now...this may just be a rumor...but what is all this talk about a lawsuit? on what grounds?

 

[Azurel]

Well either way you have support here with out the drama......You did the right thing and relieving yourself of that headache....

 

[gflat65]

Yeah, we've been lucky not to have any of that. We get the occasional straggler who raises hell in our forum on RC, but they usually move through pretty quickly. The only sponsorship issues we had were early on when one LFS thought the other LFS was running the club (at the time, they were not friendly with one another). I hate to hear that so much work went into something that some power hungry PITA just has to destroy. I am a firm believer in local clubs because it helps educate so many people (without something to sell). I was very instrumental in the MTRC club and plan to work on a new club once I get to Montgomery, Al. (not much down there in terms of LFS', though-one big place, but little else). I hope everything works out for you, Laurie.

 

[vetteman]

we thought you didn't love us anymore..... or you were too buzy on Uber for us :lurk:

 

[jessiesgrrl]

LOL, Nah, I love you guys- I'll always be here. Just sometimes I get my attention yanked somewhere for a week or so against my better nature of coral gabbing on several sites. :D

Basically, several folks started SWAM roughly ten years ago. With the exception of three of them, they all now own LFS or AMPs in Maine and have refused to stop voting in elections and influencing club policy to the point that you really can't get anything done unless they approve of it. The LFS and AMP members also will not allow members to post about any negative experiences in Maine LFS without getting flamed for being bad people. This while they attest they want the club to remain "neutral"- so if you posted something negative about a LFS they would come behind you inthe thread, yell at you, and then make up nice things to post about the LFS to make the htread "neutral". The club couldn't keep new memebrs because of it, and they were down to 7-10 consistent people showing up to meetings every month. This while the LFS members only came to those meetings where they could bid on cheap corals and take them away from nonLFS members. It was awful.

WHen I made the thread about the commercial interests needing to get out of club policy and voting, the LFS started calling me at home and threatening me with litigation for slander, etc. It was the most base human behavior I have ever gotten to se in a club. One even told my 6 year old daughter who answered the phone that she wouldn't have house if her Mommy wouldn't shut up. This in conjunction with a PM from the Vice President (Also an old member but not a LFS owner) that I "wouldn't like what (I) got" if I didn't "stop and let go". They are truly like the Maine Sopranos version of the Fish Mafia... LOL

I also nominated a really nice girl in our club for an officer's postion on the board- and I immediately got calls and PMs that I was trying to "stack the board" because she wasn't an old member. She's been in the club longer than I have been, and they elected me President.

Now that I have resigned, they are no longer even trying to look like they are having an election. They just said they were going to appoint whoever they felt was a good idea to the board- another old member. It is now literally run by the clear majority of the good ol' boy's club- I feel really sorry for our old Treasurer and PA Officer... they are the only non old guard left there and will liekly be worn down eventually. They are already having to lock threads all over the place. They posted this thread re: the appointments: http://www.clubswam.org/Forum/index.php/topic,183.0.html

I am deeply saddened by it. It is the worst reefer behavior I have ever seen, and I am deeply embarrassed to have been a part of it. I hope that any Maine reefers that want to have a home can come be a part of the Maine club I have gotten going on Salthub. It was very nice of Marc to have stepped up and offered us a home so we could reef in peace there.

Laurie

 

[jessiesgrrl]

Also Laurie, if you want to talk to us about things and not let everyone and their brother know about it, we can move it somewhere private. ;) Just give me the word. I'm kind of curious myself.

It's cool. I am actually glad at this point that folks who wish to avoid the LFS interests there now can see it out in the open and go elsewhere without being taken advantage of. IMO, God always has a plan for you- it just may not feel very good for awhile because it is helping others get to a place they need to be... Plus, I will never forget the personalities I came into contact with there- maybe I can use it to suss folks out in my field who are going to cause problems and derail it before they can get there.

:D
Laurie

 

[vetteman]

sounds like the Fish nerds never met someone like me :naka: If I showed up

at one of their meetings they would run home to their mommies :binky:

 

[gflat65]

Harassment, even to your daughters. I'd have paid several people a visit. It takes a lot to get me going, but once I'm going... That is just wrong. We had a vendor come into our forum and start threatening lawsuits when one person made some comments about him. I've never seen a vendor go nuts in public like that and will never order from him. To call your house and threaten your kids... I'd be hunting the punks out... Some things you just don't play around with. I guess they didn't consider that you could sue them for harassment (and actually have proof). The world is full of self absorbed idiots, though... I'm a little fired up now. So is the average age of these 'old members' 12?

 

[surfn]

geez, you guys have a charter?? and freakin' bylaws?? WHY?

every organization i've been involved with that has a charter and bylaws, they spent 50% of the time ******** about politics in the charter and bylaws, and how to go about doing instead instead of just freakin doing those things. people who run organizations like this are all talk, and less walk.

i dont see why people want to come home after a days work and be apart of something like that. its a total turn off. just a bunch of power hungry socialites. they are more concerned about being someone important with their click of people, and telling younger/newer members how they can/cannot do things than participating in the actual HOBBY part of the club.

 

[surfn]

I don't think reef clubs need to be all that organized. It's just meeting and having some beers and looking/talking about corals.

BTW, you coming to the club-zoa Charter and ByLaw meeting Al? :hammer:

only if theres free beer...and i can move to motion that we decide not to decide on anything. lol

 

[msman825]

I don't think reef clubs need to be all that organized. It's just meeting and having some beers and looking/talking about corals and trading with others

ant that the truth

 

[gflat65]

I don't think reef clubs need to be all that organized. It's just meeting and having some beers and looking/talking about corals.

BTW, you coming to the club-zoa Charter and ByLaw meeting Al? :hammer:

Ours are usually just that, with a potluck atmosphere:). Talk tank nerd crap and drink...

 

[jessiesgrrl]

LOL!

Yeah, I made the charter up so that we could have it on record that the commercial intrests needed to stay out of club elections and policy. I didn;t know at the time that they owned the club outright... :shocked:

The Salthub crowd basically is what you guys are describing- and it is fine there. I did get mad for a while, and then figured the best way to vote was with my feet. Looks like I wasn't the only one, either- at their Mar meeting, they had 7-9 folks show up, most of whom were commercial interests that never went to meetings, and probably won't go to meetings in the future after they figure they have won. They'll likely never understand how much that cost them in negative PR; and what it cost the club in membership that was actually interested in the club itself.

Laurie

 

[ecotoxlady]

Good to see you Laurie :D Sounds like this whole club thing was a mess!