On Sat, Mar 25, 2006 at 07:08:44PM -0000, Jeremy Oneail wrote:
> Should there be a membership fee? Websites dont get done by magic or
> for free. Then there is paperwork involved... I'm thinking that a $20
> a year fee should be inplace. That would also get you access to
> members only areas of the soon to come website and an online
> newsletter.
>
> Now the question comes about commbattants. Should non members be able
> to compete in NAACL tournaments? If they do, do they get a ranking? If
> they dont have a ranking would thier numbers still go towards actual
> members point totals?
>
> I'm leaning towards everyone competing in a NAACL tournament having to
> be a member. I think that will help simplify things, help support the
> organization and just make things easier overall.
>
> Comments and questions?
>

First off... thanks for doing something. Thanks for organizing, getting
things together and trying to get something going.

Now as to membership... I'd ask myself "Why am I becoming a 'member' of
this group? Why do I want to pay money into this thing? What do I get?"
and most importantly "What the hell is this group about?"

I'd have to suggest that whatever you think you want NAACL to be, to
start writing it down and setting some goals for the group. What do you
want to do with it? who's the target audience? And answering of those
questions as I mentioned above.

And you seem to be asking people for their opinions in that now.

What I've seen in the WMA community is that a lot of groups have
different rules because the leaders of the groups, small as they usually
are and generally led by one or two people, have an idea of what they
want their groups to be. I'm not saying this is either good or bad, but
it does seem to be how things are run in many of the small groups.

Perhaps a clearing house of info, a coordination center for what people
are doing, how people are training etc, would be a good focus. And
hosting the 'off-season' tournaments would be at least one good event to
hold. As so many of the WMA community is involved in something on the
stage and we rely on lots of good weather stuff, off season seems the
best bet.

I like seeing that you've so many forms on the 'list' (pun intended!)
for the tourney. Seems like everyone from the more traditional fencers
through to the full kit live steel noholds barred sparks a flyin' folks
can find something to do. Heck, even LARPers can play! :)

Given the right focus, I think that NAACL could become something very
good.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll (or more than you, we?) can do
with it. And after all, without some kind of group being involved in the
management of all of it, it doesn't really show much promise of becoming
more than another of the small local things.

Keep asking, hopefully more than just I will keep answering. :) Of
course, it's the weekend, so who knows who'll get this before the end of
the weekend.

j