Chris, I think we have a different idea about community. You are also confusing a common business structure of an enterprise with the idea of community. In a lot of small communities, tango gets started through people pooling their resources to form non-profits. Officers are often elected as a legal requirement to share a balance of power. That is how things are often done in the States. Perhaps things are different in the UK.
What your describing as a community sounds to me like a commercial enterprise - like walking into a department store to buy something without any connection to the sales people or the store. I'm referring to a group of individuals with sharing the same interests. Here in the Midwest, as in other parts of the US, the sense of community is often strong with people caring about what happens. As such people emerge who care enough about their communities to want to do something to help it grow. These people become community leaders, often without even realizing it. In my case, I was simply the one assisting in classes, then sending out emails and meeting people, then acting as host at milongas and practicas. Thirteen years after taking my first tango class, I somehow wind up being the main tango organzer in town. What I've become is the main contact person for tango in Pittsburgh. I keep track of all events happening in the area and make sure others know what is going on. As such, we've been able to develop 4 different clubs and 4 music groups. Each of these 8 organizations have different niches, but it takes communication and planning for everyone to get the support they need. I don't understand what you don't get about this. Perhaps you're not terribly involved with your community, which is fine. I love my community enough to get really involved, enough to let my phone ring off the hook and let my inbox fill up with requests and questions. And I know my work is appreciated by the "thank you's" and small gifts people take the trouble to make for us. Perhaps to you, these things would mean nothing. To me, it means that people care and this is the type of community I have and hope to continue to be a part of. If you'd rather have your community be no different than going to the mall, that's fine. To each, his own. Also, thank you for your comments as they've allowed me discuss these issues to help others. I've gotten a lot of private emails since this thread started from different areas of the country. Trini de Pittsburgh --- "Chris, UK" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Actually, Chris, there are quite a number of nonprofits > with elected > > officials (presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries, > treasurers) who > > are all community leaders. Their memberships have > elected them to > > handle the affairs of the club. > > Um, that's not a community - it what comes from /lack/ of > community. > > Real tango communities don't have so-called community > leaders, and it > follows that so-called community leaders don't have real > tango > communities... > > ...hence their need to form clubs, hold elections and > bestow > important-sounding titles upon one another. You can tell > a real tango > dance community by the fact people would rather dance. ;) > > -- > Chris PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburghs most popular social dance! http://patangos.home.comcast.net/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
