JSAS Auction Great Success!!!

[John M]

Today's auction - 3/11/18 - was a great success. More than anticipated, over 500 lots!! Had some big spenders. Standing room only. Food sold out - hard to believe ( usually break even, made $180 profit). 8-9 new members joined.
Too bad a couple of NJRC members couldn't attend to at least leave some flyers & Membership apps. There were some SW enthusiasts there. A missed opportunity.

 

[raccioppi83]

You could have been the spokesperson for the meeting? It is going to take everyone to build this forum back to its glory days

 

[John M]

You could have been the spokesperson for the meeting? It is going to take everyone to build this forum back to its glory days

I understand that. Maybe someone could have offered to ask me to pickup some flyers & membership apps to bring with me. One way to start building this forum up again was to have one or 2 other members other then myself there for support. Even just to stop by for an hour or two. I didn't think that was asking to much. There are NJRC members that live nearby in ocean & monmouth counties.

 

[Haus]

Didn't several members attend last month's meeting about saltwater, and if I understood the postings correctly, contribute to the presentation? Were there SW offerings at the auction? Looking on the JSAS website, I'd expect it was mostly FW and plants. Would be great to get some exposure to JSAS members--I know when I had a very involved planted tank I had very few resources to learn about SW, and had I more I may have made the jump earlier. And the reverse may be true too.

Interesting that on their links page on the website, the Atlanta Reef Club is included but NJ Reef Club isn't, lol. Maybe someone on the BOD can email them? JSAS Links

 

[John M]

Didn't several members attend last month's meeting about saltwater, and if I understood the postings correctly, contribute to the presentation? Were there SW offerings at the auction? Looking on the JSAS website, I'd expect it was mostly FW and plants. Would be great to get some exposure to JSAS members--I know when I had a very involved planted tank I had very few resources to learn about SW, and had I more I may have made the jump earlier. And the reverse may be true too.

Interesting that on their links page on the website, the Atlanta Reef Club is included but NJ Reef Club isn't, lol. Maybe someone on the BOD can email them? JSAS Links

Sw presentation was by 2 members from Jsas last month. There were no contributions for lecture from njrc members attending ( as far as I remember ) except maybe @ end during Q&A. I will talk to website chairman to include a link to njrc tonight at our regular monthly meeting.
I'm doing my best to get the bod's to meet & greet but remember jsas bod meets in person, don't do online meetings and with njrc bod scattered throughout state makes it a very difficult logistics problem.

 

[Haus]

That’s great. You’re right about the logistics being tough. It’s a very different challenge to have a state-wide group like this as opposed to a regional group on the jersey shore. Ive wanted to go to the past few meetings but they’ve been over an hour away.

 

[raccioppi83]

I wasn't intending on taking any personal shots, but it's as simple as telling people about the club and letting them know we have a site. Everything is done online now. I do agree that at big gatherings like this we should have BOD or someone step up and take the initiative to recruit new members at all times.

 

[Mark_C]

John,

Glad everything went well! Know this was a big deal for you guys and it sound like everyone had a good time.

Was unable to attend myself (and have been lying low) due to rwcovery froma surprise surgery last week (all is good now).

Assuming the nominations stay the same, We’re trying to pull the incoming BOD together a bit ahead of time so we have some solid plans to hit the ground running when the time comes.

I’ve kept tames with James (Perrinod) and plan on dropping into his place next weekend.

Hope all is well and gratz again.


EDIT

FYI for all. John is a senior member of the JSAS, a freshwater club. After learning of our club he arranged, along with the JSAS, to initiate contact with us so we could form a mutual friendship.

He graciously reached out to NJRC and attended the Hammington meet two months back offering us a prime spot in the Monmouth County Fair, which was not required. He also did work off his own back to open communication between the clubs. This was met by opposition from a few of our members. There has been no further info from the board regarding any plans that may or may not have been agreed upon. Our shortcoming.

Myrjon (and family) and I attended a JSAS meet last month at their invite (the entire NJRC was invited). We were asked to hand out brochures and info, which we didn't as we didn't have, and still don't have, any advertising materials. At RAP in the Summer we were actually rationing out brochures as we had so few. Materials have been redesigned and submitted, but there has been no info on carrying it forward to print. Our shortcoming.

JSAS's annual auction was announced, info was posted on NJRC, NJRC was invited and told to bring materials to pass out (didn't have), mingle, and have fun. No one showed. Our shortcoming.

John has gone above and beyond opening relations between the clubs, neither he, nor JSAS should be expected to advertise for us if we can't make a show for ourselves.

Hopefully situations like this, and many others, will be a thing of the past as the club begins to push forward and grow over the next year's time.

JMHO,
Mark

 

[MadReefer]

Glad the turnout was great. I completely forgot and would have been great to bring my grandson. His family has a 10g FW tank and would have been nice thing for us to do together.
I have him almost every Sunday and its hard find things a 6yr old is interested in.

 

[John M]

I wasn't intending on taking any personal shots, but it's as simple as telling people about the club and letting them know we have a site. Everything is done online now. I do agree that at big gatherings like this we should have BOD or someone step up and take the initiative to recruit new members at all times.

No problem. It was a hectic day other than food I'm responsible for coffee, decaf, hot water urns, sound system , photography ( will eventually have make them into a montage with music). I did mention jsas was sharing booth with njrc @ mcf and told them the online forum address.
Ii will try ( as of right now not positive ) & make the meeting in a couple of Saturday's and bring some copies of the mcf application and other info.

 

[ecam]

@John M, @Mark_C


Thank you for creating this opportunity to expand the NJRC’s reach. Hopefully we can take advantage of this opportunity

 

[John M]

John,

Glad everything went well! Know this was a big deal for you guys and it sound like everyone had a good time.

Was unable to attend myself (and have been lying low) due to rwcovery froma surprise surgery last week (all is good now).

Assuming the nominations stay the same, We’re trying to pull the incoming BOD together a bit ahead of time so we have some solid plans to hit the ground running when the time comes.

I’ve kept tames with James (Perrinod) and plan on dropping into his place next weekend.

Hope all is well and gratz again.


EDIT

FYI for all. John is a senior member of the JSAS, a freshwater club. After learning of our club he arranged, along with the JSAS, to initiate contact with us so we could form a mutual friendship.

He graciously reached out to NJRC and attended the Hammington meet two months back offering us a prime spot in the Monmouth County Fair, which was not required. He also did work off his own back to open communication between the clubs. This was met by opposition from a few of our members. There has been no further info from the board regarding any plans that may or may not have been agreed upon. Our shortcoming.

Myrjon (and family) and I attended a JSAS meet last month at their invite (the entire NJRC was invited). We were asked to hand out brochures and info, which we didn't as we didn't have, and still don't have, any advertising materials. At RAP in the Summer we were actually rationing out brochures as we had so few. Materials have been redesigned and submitted, but there has been no info on carrying it forward to print. Our shortcoming.

JSAS's annual auction was announced, info was posted on NJRC, NJRC was invited and told to bring materials to pass out (didn't have), mingle, and have fun. No one showed. Our shortcoming.

John has gone above and beyond opening relations between the clubs, neither he, nor JSAS should be expected to advertise for us if we can't make a show for ourselves.

Hopefully situations like this, and many others, will be a thing of the past as the club begins to push forward and grow over the next year's time.

JMHO,
Mark

Thanks Mark. Appreciate the compliment and the summary of several points. I understand when a club has some problems and continues to try to solve them in order to grow. It can be very difficult at times and frustrating. NJRC is having its growing pains. Up until 20 months ago jsas always met in freehold but then had to relocate for far too many reasons which I won't go into here. We moved about 17-18 mi. further south where we meet now. Because of this move we lost about 1/3 of our members. *Freehold we were a averaging 35 to 45 per meeting and also did well with our fall & spring auctions. At the present location we were down to 25 people - some months less than 20 - mtg & auctions were only so so in turnout.
Our club president James P. really did his best to persever along with some of us "old timers" to turn things around . Last month's SW topic I think was the turning point. We had 41 people show including njrc members - on a SW topic no less! go figure. And Sunday's auction was one of the biggest & most successful one's we ever had . Even last night's general meeting with stormy weather we had 32 show up! As I stated in the beginning I understand some of what your going through. I'll try to help out in anyway I can to help grow this wonderful club.
Sorry for getting up on my "soapbox".
Note - I talked to our website person - Jeff - and he will provide a link for njrc on the Jsas website within the next few days.
Wow its late!! Going to bed!!

 

[John M]

That’s great. You’re right about the logistics being tough. It’s a very different challenge to have a state-wide group like this as opposed to a regional group on the jersey shore. Ive wanted to go to the past few meetings but they’ve been over an hour away.

I live about 50min away from Jsas mtg place so I hear you about travel time. But for me I don’t mind traveling . I also belong to Bucks County Aquarium society which meets in Pennsylvania - just over the deleware - that is 43mi. each way on Thursday nights and again for bod mtgs. Travel times a' bitch - 1 hr 40 min to get there,