Southern California Discus Club

[alcastro]

I am not to sure that I want to share what 20+ years of accumulated crp looks like in my garage, but I will need some input on planning after cleanup is done.
AL

[rickztahone]

I am not to sure that I want to share what 20+ years of accumulated crp looks like in my garage, but I will need some input on planning after cleanup is done.
AL

lol. 20+ years huh? That is quite a while. I'm game for whatever you decide bud.

Then we can have a huge meet at that Acapulco back yard of yours

[alcastro]

Thank you Rick I may call you on that , and thanks for the backyard comment, the yard is where my stress is forgotten .

[dkeef]

I would love to have a small get together....if my wife allows me. weekends are full time baby sitting times for me these days.

wish i had a large backyard tho haha. i do have 2 couch just enough for me LOL...

[John_Nicholson]

I wish ya'll would get this thing organized......LOL....I think a NADA show out west could be fun one day......

-john

[rickztahone]

You and me both John.

[FMA4ME]

Hoping to join a club here, last post was in January, so I'm guessing there's no club and no meets??

[rickztahone]

There are quite a few of us in this area, however, none of us seem to be organized enough to start a club lol. I would do it, but I am far from centralized for many. I believe there are more members further south from me.

[rdub]

I'd love to have a club locally. I live just east of Riverside.

Would have to be informative. Maybe guest speakers.

Bill

[dozercrew]

I would be there if we can get it going

[FMA4ME]

I would be there if we can get it going

Heey Chris!! Seems like we have lots of people, but still fairly spread out. Maybe clubs should form by countys?

[Spike Cover]

All,

Spike Cover here (Mission Viejo in So Cal). I'd like to join/participate in a discus club but only if it is focused on what I need and want. I'm a long time fish geek (70 years) and have been interested in discus for some time. I'm now almost in a position to actually do something about discus for real so I'd like to find an association from which I can benefit. I have been involved in Koi for 20+ years and am very active with that hobby (see www.KoiOrganisationInternational.org) and have observed what makes a club work and some of the things that cause it to fail. Here's the short version: People join a hobby club for two main reasons: 1. to learn (learn is the key word) how to enjoy the hobby better and 2. to associate with others who share their interest. The thing that universally turns people off and causes clubs to fail is what is termed "politics." This generally takes the form of arguments when people want to have it all their way. If and when this creeps in, it signals the end of the club or, at the very least, the loss of members.

I've found that the purpose of a hobby club is enhancement of enjoyment and there is virtually nothing involved that's worth going to war over. So I'm interested in participating if something forms that fulfills the two needs given above and actively works to exclude politics. BTW, I'm not just a taker and would expect to be an active contributor to a club.

Please let me know if and when anything happens with regard to forming a So. Cal. discus club.

Spike

PS, here's a little, possibly applicable, blurb that you may find humorous,

There are three types of people in the world:
Those who make things happen,
Those who watch things happen, and
Those who say, "What just happened?"

[rickztahone]

Hey there Spike! Congrats on your long history with fish keeping! Also, thank for adding your piece here as I see you are a long time member of our forum as well. The thing we lack in So. Cal is direction. We have quite a few members, but no one really ready to step up and take the reigns. I have thought about doing it, but it is simply too much work to be done to try to get things in place.

[Spike Cover]

Hey there Spike! Congrats on your long history with fish keeping! Also, thank for adding your piece here as I see you are a long time member of our forum as well. The thing we lack in So. Cal is direction. We have quite a few members, but no one really ready to step up and take the reigns. I have thought about doing it, but it is simply too much work to be done to try to get things in place.

Yes, I can see that no one wants to step up. I'm not inclined to volunteer to organize a club either but I would likely participate/contribute if someone else took the lead. Maybe a way to get started is to somehow (always a risky word) to collect those who would like to participate in one place (digitally), interact for a bit and see what develops. This may be a good place for that but maybe something like what used to be called a list bot (don't know if they still have such things) would be a better alternative. I really don't know. What we can conclude is that it's not working all that well here. That said, maybe there is just insufficient interest.

Spike

[Spike Cover]

Another idea: Hopefully someone more tech savvy than me can put up a poll that would see what potential members want from a club. The poll could ask such questions as:
Do you prefer

a digital club or
regularly scheduled in-person meetings, or
both?

What are you willing to contribute to a club:

Follow online
Contribute online
Attend meetings
Host a meeting
Give presentations
Contribute to a newsletter
Write articles for a NL

Hopefully you get the idea.

Spike