Oh, alright. I offer to take over as Editor of the Texas Caver to free up Mark Alman, our TSA President, to focus on all of these more important TSA activities.
--- On Tue, 1/20/09, Don Arburn <donarb...@mac.com> wrote: > > And so, my fellow cavers, ask not what the Caver can do for > you - but what can I do for the Caver! > > > On Jan 20, 2009, at 9:57 AM, Gill Ediger > <gi...@worldnet.att.net> wrote: > > > At 05:38 PM 1/19/2009, Geoff Hoese wrote: > >> The TSA exists to serve the interests of its > members. > > > > Yes. But that's sorta like saying that motherhood > is a good thing. It's pretty much unqualified. > > > > There are a couple of sides to that argument, of > course. One is completely selfish; the other is benevolent > and fulfilling. > > > > Over simplifying here, I will say that one only > addresses the "What can I get for myself out of this > organization? Then gimme it!" What they have in mind > and what they get is pretty much an inanimate object in the > form of The TEXAS CAVER. Their dues and that tangible object > are related in their minds--one begats the other and vice > versa. That the TSA never does anything else for them (or > that they never expect for the TSA to do anything else for > them) is of little consequence. In their minds one is the > other. Aside from the pride and prestige of being a > member--for whatever that's worth--they expect little > more than The CAVER and infrequent (mostly non-caving) > events where they can see old friends, sit around a campfire > drinking beer, and telling war stories. Pretty exciting and > fulfilling, huh? > > > > Then there is the practical side of the "What can > the TSA do for me?" contingent. They are the ones who > are interested in the TSA 'making caving better for them > and, benevolently, other cavers,' not just sending them > a fancy publication. They ask several questions: > > How is the TSA working to solve problems caused by > new or independent or non-cavers that affect my access to > many caves? > > What is the TSA doing to prevent bad publicity? > > What is the TSA doing to encourage and promote good > publicity? > > How is the TSA educating cavers to improve cave and > landowner relations? > > How is the TSA promoting safe cave exploration? > > What is the TSA doing to educate non-cavers as to > the dangers of cave environment and ground water polution? > > How is the TSA reaching out to new cavers to > encourage them to join their fellow cavers in the TSA? > > What is the TSA doing to educate new cavers about > established techniques and equipment and all cavers in > timely advances in those fields? > > How is the TSA promoting the discovery of new > caves? > > How is anything the TSA is doing contributing to > making caving better for me and my friends and, even, for > cavers I will never know or come in contact with? > > In short, how is the TSA affecting my caving > positively? > > > > These--and more--are the questions that caver members > of the TSA could claim that the TSA ought to be responding > to for its members. In numbers there is strength and the > more caver-members that the TSA has the larger the caver > base and collective skills and knowledge and man power it > has to pursue its goals and purposes--all to the benefit of > each other and the various entities of the > 'association'--not just the narrow "me, me, > me" mentality of newsletter only members. And that is > something not so tangible as The TEXAS CAVER but much more > valuable as a service to cavers and caving in the long run. > The TSA--the Texas Region--was formed by cavers who strived > to attract all (or as many as posible) cavers into a > common-interest group which could better address mutual > caving problems (landowner relations, safety, training, > creature comforts) and increase a caver's sphere of > acquaintences within the caving community--again to > members' individual and mutual benefit. It was so > important that they wrote that into their first constitution > as a part of their goals and purposes. You can read that as > a benefit: more friends means more opportunity to go on more > trips to explore more caves and more and diverse knowledge > about caves and equipment and techniques and all sorts of > other intangible but significantly valuable perks that most > cavers would appreciate. That (or those) would seem to me to > be the sort of things that the TSA should pursue in order > "to serve the interests of its members". > Understand, for sure, that The TEXAS CAVER is an important > vector in that pursuit of those goals and purposes. It is > chock-full of excactly the kind of information that the new > and independent caver ought to be receiving from the TSA in > pursuit of it's goals and purposes--and those of our > fellow, but unknown, cavers. But if they don't receive > The CAVER, if they aren't attracted to join the TSA, how > will they know? How will that "serve the interests of > its members?" > > > > While The TEXAS CAVER is a valuable, tangible tool of > the TSA in the pursuit of its goals and purposes, it is the > intangible tools that the TSA provides (or should provide) > its members that give it the ability "to serve the > interests of its members" which, ostensibly, is the > pursuit of caving. So long as someone is still an active > caver it's the interface with other active cavers and > the mutual well-being of them all that ought to receive the > primary effort and attention of the TSA. To have all these > new cavers appear on the scene each year and not get free > copies of The CAVER and the included propaganda and > educational material and inducement to join is nothing short > of irresponsible for an organization that is mandated in its > constitution to serve those cavers and their goals. Those > several arm chair caver members of the TSA who are selfishly > interested only in getting their copy of The TEXAS CAVER in > exchange for their dues should understand that there is a > broader scope of responsibilities that the TSA has to its > active members and to those recurring new cavers and > non-members who have the potential to be contributing > members of the TSA and The TEXAS CAVER--in order "to > serve the interests of its members" more thoroughly. > Active caver TSA members should demand to get their fair > share of member benefits above and beyond The TEXAS CAVER. > Instead of "What can the TSA do for me?" the > question ought to be "What can the TSA do for Texas > caving which will in turn make caving better for me?" > > > > --Ediger > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com > > For additional commands, e-mail: > texascavers-h...@texascavers.com > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com > For additional commands, e-mail: > texascavers-h...@texascavers.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
