Two weeks ago I sent out an email seeking to find out where the boxes were. This is what I've learned:
GREEN BOX: I received the Green Box (1st circulated overseas) late last week and will forward to Eric on the Eastern list later this week.
WHITE BOX: Jim Burbank sent the WHITE BOX to swapmeister John Martinez (Western list) in late July. Has anyone seen it since? Wes Wada and Russ Morris should follow John. Have either of you received it? If not, it would appear John still has it.
RED BOX: On 28 Aug 2003, Jimi Genzling reported that he sent the RED BOX to Central lister Rix Benson in early July. Rix didn't respond to my email so I don't know where this box is right now. B J Jacquot and Don Ordes are next on the Central list. Have either of you received it?
BLUE BOX: Harmen Boshuis reported on 8/24/03 that he had given the BLUE BOX to Overseas lister Steve Murphy two weeks earlier. Steve didn't respond to my email and I don't know where the blue box is right now. Ashley Strutt and Graeme Callendar are next in line. Have either of you received it?
DonO suggested a self-tracking system a month ago and it makes a lot more sense than me sending out these sporadic inquiries to the whole list. I've pasted DonO's suggestions below and ask that everyone follow them so we can keep track of the boxes with minimal time and effort. I'll still post a periodic report as to the boxes' locations to keep everyone up to date.
I'll post a copy of this to the Perps email list too. Sorry for the cross posting.
Regards,
Roger Cotner
Interim Perp Swapmeister
Grand Haven, Michigan
On 12 August 2003, DonO wrote: Perps Swappers,
I think we are on the perfect medium for tracking the perps swap boxes with minimal effort, if you ask me.
1. Setting up a file pocket for 'Perps Swap' would be an easy move for all of the swappers.
2. All swappers get an email of the list of who signed up and their addresses- save it in the pocket for reference.
3. When you ship whichever perps box, post to the vfb that so-and-so is the recipient and the date you shipped it. If you want to add what you took and put in, that's fine too. The recipient is thus notified to watch the shipping and can put this email in the new pocket. When you get the perps box, post to the vfb that it is received, and the date, and how long you expect to keep it. Then post again when you ship it. All of the swappers can save the progress emails to the folder, especially if you are close in line for a box to come your way.
4. If the subject line always has the theme "Perps Swap Progress", no one will be bothered, as the posts will be spaced out and easy to delete if you're not in the swap. Posting to the vfb will hopefully motivate everyone to be prompt.
Advantages:
1. The system is self-tracking, and no one person has the duties to manage it- we all have a life.
2. If someone drops the ball, it's easy to see where the box is. If the mail system drops the ball, we know where it was dropped, also.
3. The only persons that need to watch the progress are the next ones in line, so the trail is 'policed'. They can raise a flag if the swap progress falters, or contact the person ahead of them.
Just some thoughts- I've seen one box, and have no idea when to expect another.
Any comments? I know I have some cool new flies to put in the next time the box comes around.
One extra idea, if no one minds. Have a section of the box for display only flies- not to be removed. I have quite a few 'technique' flies I'd like to circulate, but if they don't make it past the next swapper, no one else gets to see them. Photos could be taken, etc., but these flies have to move on. That way I could put 6 one-of-a-kind flies in and all could use them as patterns, if desired. I could circulate a mouse, stonefly, shrimp, flex-o fly, McFlyfoam fly, Awesome Hair fly, etc., and all could see them. Others could do the same with their more intricate patterns.
Any comments on this idea?
Maybe this would rejuvinate the interest in the swap, too.
DonO
