Hello, I am quite pleased to find the Maple Society. Now please pardon my sarcasm, but although I'm ready to join *right now* I have no idea why I should. I checked under the 'benefits of membership' to find they are "Coming Soon!". Well, until I know what the benefits are, my membership is also "Coming Soon!" I'll be checking back. Darrell
It's being worked on. I've sent out an email to the folks who can supply me with the info, but they are on vacation. I can see where you're coming from, but the tone isn't necessary.
An explanation of sorts. I asked the questions in the thread below so many of us would know what to expect from becoming a member of the Maple Society. I personally know most of the answers I asked but I asked the questions as if I was asking for someone else. I was hoping that members themselves would chime in and tell the rest of us how the Society benefits them. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=3330 It has been my experience, that when people join a group, forum, club or an affiliation, that if the prospective member comes away with a feeling that being a member did not live up to their expectations that they will not remain a member very long. I had that same thing happen to me with two antique Art Glass clubs that I joined last year. What I was told by friends in the clubs that would happen certainly did not and I refrained from rejoining them this year. On a personal note: I am the guy that has probably caused the most trouble in this Maple forum. I have made some comments about Society members in a generalized fashion that can be construed to be curt in nature. I would not ever criticize the Society itself and the reason why is because I will be a member of the Society some day. Yes, I plan on being one of them that I have subtly criticized for not doing enough to help solve some of the problems in the past regarding Maples. Knowing full well that none of the current day members had anything to do with the derision of the past. They are not to blame as a Society or as individuals. The difference between me and others is that if asked to help I would gladly work on the areas that to me and a few others were issues of the past, whereas many people will say they will help and then we never hear from them again. I will put my money where my mouth is which may be good and it can lead to consternation but no one can say it is not that I do not care about Maples or the people that constitute helping make Maples an integral part of our lives. As a past web designer and still technical support for various individuals online, I can accurately state that all affiliations online experience some kind of growing pains. Certain things take time and usually if we are patient enough we can expect to see advancements occur in their due time. I would rather wait for a year or more rather than see pertinent information be posted online about a Society or a club that was rushed or was not totally correct. Jim
