Gill, I'm a current TSA, TCMA and NSS member, as well as member of 4 grottos.
I didn't join the TSA because of the newsletter, and the same way with the NSS or the others. I enjoy the newsletters, but that's not why I'm a member. I joined all of the above organizations to help them monetarily, because I believe that they do good. They all help in small and large ways to promote caving, help with restoration projects, educate and special needs (WNS for example). I'm a proud (and vocal) caver that tries to do his part to help. Charles On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 4:11 PM, Gill Edigar <gi...@att.net> wrote: > The question has come up before: "Why should I join the TSA?" The statement > has been made: "If it weren't for The TEXAS CAVER there would be no reason > for me to be a TSA member." Both questions are destined to be asked > again--and fairly soon, I think. > Yet way before publication of The TEXAS CAVER was taken over by the TSA a > couple of hundred Texas cavers were quite enthusiastic about joining--with > no real material premiums being offered. What made them do it? What was the > attraction of the TSA in their lives to make them fork over hard cash for > absolutely nothing they could hold in their grubby, muddy hands? What is it > that would make you do so? > Was it just the camaraderie of sharing a social link with other cavers? Was > it the sense of responsibility to the caver community to share and help > solve common problems--problems of educating you and other cavers about > proper landowner relations, of safety considerations, of learning or > improved methods of cave surveying, of learning about new caving equipment > or techniques, of taking and sharing photographs with other cavers, to find > out about new caves to explore, to create a list of cavers to go caving > with, to attend projects, to have an audience for telling one's caving > adventures around a campfire, to attend the convention to hear talks about > caves and caving gear and cave science or get laid, or just a desire to be a > joiner? What was the Texas Region and later the TSA providing to cavers that > lead them to join the TSA without a hard copy of anything other than a > membership list? In order to try to get to the heart of that matter, I want > to ask Texas cavers to answer that question themselves--and send me and the > TSA Chairman your responses. > Why are you a TSA member? Or, why are you not? What, beside The TEXAS CAVER, > does the TSA provide for you in the way of goods and services and warm > fuzzies and how might it make caving better for you--or worse, or not at > all. Let's have some information--brief or in detail. We're sensitive to > your emotions about TSA and Texas caving as well, so please include > information about your feelings. > The time will come, soon I hope, when the TSA will need to answer the > questions, "Why should I join the TSA?" and "What has my membership in the > TSA got to offer me as a caver?" Hopefully a long list of reasons to join > the TSA will be generated by this request and it can be handed to those who > want to know, or explained in person. What would you tell a new caver who > asked you those questions? Remember, The TEXAS CAVER should not be > considered an option in this poll. > Along the same lines it would be good to know the reasons that several of > you haven't joined or don't want to join the TSA. If that were known perhaps > something could be done to address those shortcomings and make the TSA more > attractive. Or, what would you like to see the TSA offer or undertake that > it is not doing now? > As a current non-member I would like for you as a member to convince me to > join again--sell me on the TSA and its merits and its benefits to members. > Or, you can tell me why I shouldn't. I want to know. Please take the time > over the next couple of holiday weeks (I'll be in Mexico caving) to send me > your reasons--for or against joining the TSA. It's information that could be > valuable to the future of Texas caving. > And while you're at it be sure to cc: Mark > <texascav...@yahoo.com> > so he can have the information for future use by the TSA and the Texas caver > recruiting program which I'm sure they will be interested in starting. > I'll compile your answers and see if the pros outweigh the cons and hope to > see you at the convention and renew my membership and write up a summary for > The TEXAS CAVER to publish and all the cavers of Texas to see. > Thanks in advance for your help and enthusiasm, > --Ediger
