vancat

Zap, report please!

BTW- not sure if you will have a meeting in December in the midst of the holiday season- so my advice would be start planning/advertising a January date now.

Any chance we could do a weekend? You would probably get more people.
penny

Zapins

Cory - not too many people came this meeting. Probably because Thanksgiving and the meeting date were so close together, but it was still good fun!

Penny - the report: I gave a presentation on plant nutrients, other necessities for good growth, fertilization systems, deficiencies, and algae prevention. Perhaps I can give it again in the future if people are interested since it covered the essentials for our plant club.

As for the weekend meeting sure, no problem. I'd like to do weekend meetings, the only reason I haven't planned the meetings for the weekends is that I'm usually in Hartford until late Sunday night. We could hold a meeting in Hartford at Trinity College, I have access to a nice meeting hall over there. My only reluctance to that idea is that I only have 1 fish tank on campus so it might feel less like a plant club with only 1 mediocre tank to look at during the meeting (versus my house with 10+ different kinds to look at). But if that isn't a problem for people I'm fine with meeting in Hartford. It seems like a good number of people live up that way anyways. Maybe we could combine a trip to the Puppy Center and a presentation at Trinity in the third meeting? What does everyone think?

vancat

Sounds great. Trinity is way closer for me.
Are you going to skip December?

I see Jared came. Did Bailin make it?

Zapins

Nope Bailin didn't come, I think most of the people on that email list aren't getting my emails or at least they aren't replying to me by email (perhaps my emails are being deleted by spam??). Carl came too.

As for December... I'd like to do a December meeting, but perhaps its better to do early January as you said. I'd like to hear from people if they are interested in a December meeting and when is best.

jcran17

Everyone is doing very well, shrimp included. I found a male borelli this weekend so the female is much happier now. I am waiting for some driftwood to sink before I scape the tank. I will send you some pics once its finished.

Zap - As for December meeting, I'm in as long as I am still in town. It will be tough though because I head home to Tampa on the 18th and return the 27th.

khanzer22

I missed this meeting and I'm looking forward for the next... It would be nice to have the meeting again in your place to see your beautiful tanks... And I live in Stratford, so it's closer...

Texex94

I'd like to attend the meetings, but weekdays are really tough for me. If we decide to do a weekend, I could offer up my place if people aren't too opposed to driving all the way out to Colchester. I don't have many tanks going now, but have done several presentations to the previous NEAPS club and at other clubs around the region. Now that the AGA contest is over, I can devote some more time to my tanks and hopefully come spring, they will be presentable.

Zapins

I don't mind holding the next meeting here, in fact I would prefer it since as you said, my tanks are here and it would be nice to look at them during the meeting. The problem is, people tell me they are coming and then cancel just before the meeting. I'm not sure why it happens this way, perhaps it is the distance to come to my house? Perhaps it is just random change, I'm not sure, but I'd really like to get everyone together at the same time.

If we meet in Hartford we could meet on the weekend, perhaps Saturday and have an earlier meeting time from 6-8 pm. We could also all go to the Puppy Center and buy some things from their fish section. At least we will see more then one fish tank if we made a trip to the pet shop.

For the next meeting I have been speaking with the former Chairman of the American Livebearer Association. He has told me that he would consider making a presentation for us without charge. So, perhaps for the next meeting we can organize having him come. The only thing I am worried about is that he goes through all the trouble of coming out to the meeting and then only 1-2 people show up.

If there is some way to guarantee that everyone will show up then I'd be willing to ask him to come and give us a presentation. Otherwise we can either try again for my house or just meet up at the Puppy Center and then go to Trinity college for the remainder of the meeting.

Let me know.

Also, I'd like to be able to contact everyone by email or phone rather then have to chase everyone down on the various forums so if everyone could PM me their name, email address and phone number that would help me tremendously in organizing things.

vancat

I think your best bet(s) to get the best attendance are:
1. a Saturday.
2. Advertise date at least a month in advance.
3. Skip December. People are just too busy with holiday crap.
4. The place seems irrelevant (even though I'd rather drive to hartford than New haven) since some folks would rather the other way around.

My thoughts on people not coming at the last minute: it's much more likely people would blow something off when they are tired after a hard day at work (and a Monday at that).

just my 2 cents!
penny
i think you may have my contact info from last year....?

Zapins

Yes I think I have your email penny though your phone number might have gone missing.

I think you are right about people being tired after a work day. I'll try make the next meeting for Saturday. What time is best? Afternoon perhaps?

I'd also like to set up a website for our club apart form the various forums I've posted on. Does anyone have experience with web design? What is involved in keeping a website?