I'd like some ideas what all of you (membership) would like to see or have meeting wise, frag shows, hang outs etc.
Please list below topics and activities.
Please list below topics and activities.
Just curious what about in person meetings could be tough? Is it because we have members from all over MA, RI, NH, etc? I haven't been to a meeting in many years but I recall them being spread out so that different meetings were more accessible to different members.In person could still be tough, but I thought the virtual tank tours were cool
Availability of venues. We've had a hard time as most everything is booked throughout this upcoming November.Just curious what about in person meetings could be tough? Is it because we have members from all over MA, RI, NH, etc? I haven't been to a meeting in many years but I recall them being spread out so that different meetings were more accessible to different members.
I was more referring to an in person tank tours vs virtual. Would be a lot to coordinate and also get people willing to open their homes up to a bunch of people.Just curious what about in person meetings could be tough? Is it because we have members from all over MA, RI, NH, etc? I haven't been to a meeting in many years but I recall them being spread out so that different meetings were more accessible to different members.
I have a big idea for the club.
What if we used our non-profit status to provide a scientific grant to a scientist looking to research coral? There aren’t too many coral research papers that deal with hobby-specific species like LPS. Most of the body of knowledge seems to be focused on reef-building species like porites and staghorn, not so much euphilia or mummy-eye chalices.
With the resources of our member population, BRS could start a fund that fuels broader knowledge for the whole community. We could even form a group of experts to select research proposals. If it goes well the first time, we could try to grow it into an annual thing.
Alternatively we could start a scholarship for budding coral researchers.
I love the idea of pursuing some kind of relationship with the new england aquarium personally. I would love to know the details of the former agreement (if any) and what we may be able to potentially do with themI like the grant idea in theory, but in practice, it's easy to underestimate the cost of research. I am an experimental biologist and I would be happy to discuss more, if it would be beneficial.
I LOVE the scholarship idea. I also think it would be amazing to work more closely with some of the marine science magnet schools in new england. Everyone who went to FFM was probably as blown away as I was by the facilities at their highschool. @fitch4 may have some ideas here.
There are also a few members who maintain reefs at the schools where they or their partners teach. It would be cool to facilitate this as a club, with members donating frags, for example.
I know we just had a meeting up north, but another great and super cheap venue is Endicott park in Danvers. They have a big pavilion that can be rented for half a day for like $70. Weekends this summer are filling up, but perhaps still possible. Maybe a summer bbq.
As for a meeting topic, I've noticed there there have been a fair number of members who are interested in breeding clownfish recently. I think it would be super cool to get someone with deep knowledge of fish breeding to give a talk. I'm sure people would learn a ton.
As for a virtual tank tour, I would like to nominate Ben @luu78, who always seems to have something unique going on in his systems.
I'd also like to throw out the idea of an education focused 1 day symposium. I don't know if this club has done this in the past (try as I might, I still can't figure out what BRASS stood for). When I was a part of the Chesapeake Marine Aquarium Society, we did an annual symposium and had speakers come in to give talks about stuff. I'm dating myself, but Leroy Headlee, Joyce Wilkerson, and Martin Moe were some of my favorite presenters. We held the meeting in a suburban hotel and it was an all day event. There was a frag sale and swap at the end of the day, and a raffle with various prizes.
I would also like to raise the idea of renewing our engagement with the new england aquarium. I gather that we had a relationship at one point, but I don't know the details. CMAS used to do monthly meetings in the empty Baltimore aquarium on Sunday nights and it was incredible. We had the whole place to ourselves. I think they let us use the space for free.
@scavdog has been in contact with NEAQ and some of the marine schools.I like the grant idea in theory, but in practice, it's easy to underestimate the cost of research. I am an experimental biologist and I would be happy to discuss more, if it would be beneficial.
I LOVE the scholarship idea. I also think it would be amazing to work more closely with some of the marine science magnet schools in new england. Everyone who went to FFM was probably as blown away as I was by the facilities at their highschool. @fitch4 may have some ideas here.
There are also a few members who maintain reefs at the schools where they or their partners teach. It would be cool to facilitate this as a club, with members donating frags, for example.
I know we just had a meeting up north, but another great and super cheap venue is Endicott park in Danvers. They have a big pavilion that can be rented for half a day for like $70. Weekends this summer are filling up, but perhaps still possible. Maybe a summer bbq.
As for a meeting topic, I've noticed there there have been a fair number of members who are interested in breeding clownfish recently. I think it would be super cool to get someone with deep knowledge of fish breeding to give a talk. I'm sure people would learn a ton.
As for a virtual tank tour, I would like to nominate Ben @luu78, who always seems to have something unique going on in his systems.
I'd also like to throw out the idea of an education focused 1 day symposium. I don't know if this club has done this in the past (try as I might, I still can't figure out what BRASS stood for). When I was a part of the Chesapeake Marine Aquarium Society, we did an annual symposium and had speakers come in to give talks about stuff. I'm dating myself, but Leroy Headlee, Joyce Wilkerson, and Martin Moe were some of my favorite presenters. We held the meeting in a suburban hotel and it was an all day event. There was a frag sale and swap at the end of the day, and a raffle with various prizes.
I would also like to raise the idea of renewing our engagement with the new england aquarium. I gather that we had a relationship at one point, but I don't know the details. CMAS used to do monthly meetings in the empty Baltimore aquarium on Sunday nights and it was incredible. We had the whole place to ourselves. I think they let us use the space for free.