Thanks, Bill, for your long time membership, service, and support! Thanks, too, for mentioning the Honey Creek refurbish. I had forgotten about that. Have a safe trip to Mexico and Feliz Navidad! Mark
________________________________ From: speleoste...@tx.rr.com [mailto:speleoste...@tx.rr.com] Sent: Fri 12/18/2009 6:29 AM To: Linda Palit; Gill Edigar Cc: texascavers@texascavers.com; Alman, Mark @ IRP Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Why join TSA? I'll keep it short. I'm a TSA member because: * Caving is a life-long interest of mine, so I support my statewide organization * I am a member of the NSS, and the TSA is a region of the NSS * I like it that funds are available through the TSA for worthwhile projects such as: - Punkin and Deep Caves - Monetary support of the ICS - A grant to refurbish the Honey Creek Cave tower to make it safe again * I like receiving the Texas Caver. There aren't many caver newsletters other than it in Texas. Bill ---- Gill Edigar <gi...@att.net> wrote: > Well, I have my own reasons for supporting the TSA for 40 years, but I was > hoping to develop some positive reasons that other cavers join the TSA. I > already know why I belonged and will again, but I have had a hard time > getting other cavers to tell me why and what they would tell new cavers were > good reasons to join. Many just stutter and stammer and can't think of any. > Others have given me perfectly good reasons--which I will share as soon as I > feel I have enough. > > And, ugh, this is a totally different topic, Linda. The other one has been > put to bed for a while. It is a positive thread designed to help the TSA > accomplish its goals. I think it's really important for people to think > about all sides of the issues rather than just blindly supporting one or > another view. Having adequate information surely can't hurt. And, besides, > I'm just curious and have talked to several other people who asked the same > questions. > > On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 8:28 PM, Linda Palit <lkpa...@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > > > Why do I get the feeling you have decided this many times, and many years > > ago? > > > > > > > > And does this mean we are taking this discussion off the list for awhile? > > > > > > > > > > > > *From:* bgillegi...@gmail.com [mailto:bgillegi...@gmail.com] *On Behalf Of > > *Gill Edigar > > *Sent:* Thursday, December 17, 2009 4:11 PM > > *To:* texascavers@texascavers.com > > *Subject:* [Texascavers] Why join TSA? > > > > > > > > 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 > >
