Better yet--if I volunteer to pay your dues, Gill, will you just join
the TSA and stop writing really long email messages that clog up my
inbox?
Diana
On Dec 17, 2009, at 8:28 PM, Linda Palit wrote:
Why do I get the feeling you have decided this many times, and many
years ago?
And does this mean we are taking this discussion off the list for
awhile?
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of Gill Edigar
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 4:11 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Texascavers] Why join TSA?
The question has come up before: "Why should I join the TSA?" The
statement has been made: "If it weren't for The TEXAS CAVER there
would be no reason for me to be a TSA member." Both questions are
destined to be asked again--and fairly soon, I think.
Yet way before publication of The TEXAS CAVER was taken over by the
TSA a couple of hundred Texas cavers were quite enthusiastic about
joining--with no real material premiums being offered. What made
them do it? What was the attraction of the TSA in their lives to
make them fork over hard cash for absolutely nothing they could hold
in their grubby, muddy hands? What is it that would make you do so?
Was it just the camaraderie of sharing a social link with other
cavers? Was it the sense of responsibility to the caver community to
share and help solve common problems--problems of educating you and
other cavers about proper landowner relations, of safety
considerations, of learning or improved methods of cave surveying,
of learning about new caving equipment or techniques, of taking and
sharing photographs with other cavers, to find out about new caves
to explore, to create a list of cavers to go caving with, to attend
projects, to have an audience for telling one's caving adventures
around a campfire, to attend the convention to hear talks about
caves and caving gear and cave science or get laid, or just a desire
to be a joiner? What was the Texas Region and later the TSA
providing to cavers that lead them to join the TSA without a hard
copy of anything other than a membership list? In order to try to
get to the heart of that matter, I want to ask Texas cavers to
answer that question themselves--and send me and the TSA Chairman
your responses.
Why are you a TSA member? Or, why are you not? What, beside The
TEXAS CAVER, does the TSA provide for you in the way of goods and
services and warm fuzzies and how might it make caving better for
you--or worse, or not at all. Let's have some information--brief or
in detail. We're sensitive to your emotions about TSA and Texas
caving as well, so please include information about your feelings.
The time will come, soon I hope, when the TSA will need to answer
the questions, "Why should I join the TSA?" and "What has my
membership in the TSA got to offer me as a caver?" Hopefully a long
list of reasons to join the TSA will be generated by this request
and it can be handed to those who want to know, or explained in
person. What would you tell a new caver who asked you those
questions? Remember, The TEXAS CAVER should not be considered an
option in this poll.
Along the same lines it would be good to know the reasons that
several of you haven't joined or don't want to join the TSA. If that
were known perhaps something could be done to address those
shortcomings and make the TSA more attractive. Or, what would you
like to see the TSA offer or undertake that it is not doing now?
As a current non-member I would like for you as a member to convince
me to join again--sell me on the TSA and its merits and its benefits
to members. Or, you can tell me why I shouldn't. I want to know.
Please take the time over the next couple of holiday weeks (I'll be
in Mexico caving) to send me your reasons--for or against joining
the TSA. It's information that could be valuable to the future of
Texas caving.
And while you're at it be sure to cc: Mark
<[email protected]>
so he can have the information for future use by the TSA and the
Texas caver recruiting program which I'm sure they will be
interested in starting.
I'll compile your answers and see if the pros outweigh the cons and
hope to see you at the convention and renew my membership and write
up a summary for The TEXAS CAVER to publish and all the cavers of
Texas to see.
Thanks in advance for your help and enthusiasm,
--Ediger
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)
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