Recent threads/ Experienced Diver

[TWIX]

I am qualified with other agencys( Assistant Instructor, Eanx ..) and was thinking of joining a local BSAC in my area( North West)
I haven't been completely put off, however I have taken the time to read :
Recent threads
Experienced Diver
all the way through and, from an outsiders viewpoint it shows a disjointed group. I am sure there are many positive sides as well. However my point is, I am sure many people similar to myself read these forums and are possibly put off joining a branch.
In the current climate of try dives etc, when these fora are an excellent form of free advertising I would have hoped to see a more encouraging front. I have also looked at the BSAC home page and site, which is good and will still make an approach to my local branch to discuss crossing over.
I just thought this may be interesting to some of you, who obviously have strong opinions(which is only right)as this is what a potential new members first encounter with the BSAC could be like.
I hope this doesnt cause a slagging match but I feel it fits in with some recent threads.

TWIX

[iainmsmith]

I am qualified with other agencys( Assistant Instructor, Eanx ..) and was thinking of joining a local BSAC in my area( North West)
I haven't been completely put off, however I have taken the time to read :
Recent threads
Experienced Diver
all the way through and, from an outsiders viewpoint it shows a disjointed group. I am sure there are many positive sides as well. However my point is, I am sure many people similar to myself read these forums and are possibly put off joining a branch.
In the current climate of try dives etc, when these fora are an excellent form of free advertising I would have hoped to see a more encouraging front. I have also looked at the BSAC home page and site, which is good and will still make an approach to my local branch to discuss crossing over.
I just thought this may be interesting to some of you, who obviously have strong opinions(which is only right)as this is what a potential new members first encounter with the BSAC could be like.
I hope this doesnt cause a slagging match but I feel it fits in with some recent threads.

Twix,

What you say is very valid. However, I would suggest that it would be completely wrong to stifle discussion about things that we believe BSAC could do better in the interests of creating a nice fluffy atmosphere with no disagreement. That being the case, one could make an argument for having a "members only" area where such discussions could take place. Indeed, I believe this is one of the projects that the IT team are looking into (Keith - please correct me if I'm wrong.)

In the interim, if someone is looking for an organisation full of "yes men", then I suspect they won't find one anywhere in any agency. Perhaps the main difference then is that BSAC are prepared to admit it.

Iain

[Philip Smith]

... one could make an argument for having a "members only" area where such discussions could take place.

I agree. Twix's message is not the first in that vein. The "Club Matters" forum really should be for members only, so that internal Club matters can be discussed freely in "private".

Philip Smith

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

Hi ?TWIX? (we tend to use real names on here, but no problem!)

Well first of all never believe everything that you read on the internet :-) It?s also human nature to complain about the problem bits and not comment at all on all of the good things. We?re far from being a disjointed group, there?s no ?them and us?, we?re all divers and all of us are working together for the same things ? the BSAC. That?s the really great thing about being a club, any of our members have a right to have their say and to be heard. With the exception of HQ (the BSACHQ user) we?re all volunteers as well, ordinary divers passionate about the sport and passionate about the club. That last bit goes for HQ as well, although they are our paid staff most of them are extremely experienced divers, members of the BSAC in their own right, who choose to do it for their job as well!

So you?re not seeing a disjointed group, what you are seeing is ordinary divers trying to improve THEIR club for them and for everybody else. Nobody is perfect, we?re certainly not, but we?re willing to listen and try to sort problems out. You don?t state your current agency, that doesn?t matter but if it?s a commercial agency I doubt whether they give you the opportunity to have your say on a forum, most of them don?t have such a facility. We?re an open democracy with all of the wrinkles and problems that causes, democracy isn?t perfect by any means but it?s a damn sight better then the alternatives :-)

So don?t be put off, local club life is very different to the national issues that we?ve been discussing on here of late. All clubs are different as well, they all have their own unique style as it is the local members who make their club what they want it to be. So please don?t be put off of approaching a local branch, they all have their own unique ?personalities? just as the individuals on here do. There is most certainly a place for you within the BSAC and we would love to have you on board, if you?re thinking of joining us then give HQ a ring if you like (0151 350 6200) or pop along to talk to us at the NEC if you want any of the crossover stuff explained. Visit a few of your local clubs, they would love to have you as their guest for the evening, you?ll almost certainly find one that suits you and your style of diving ? then it?s welcome to the BSAC!

I do take your point about the image that some of the more recent threads portray, I?ve made comments on it myself as have other posters. In typical internet style things can get a tad heated at times, that?s the internet for you, but we do try and be friendly and civil and we don?t really do flame wars (I wont let them happen). You may sometimes get the impression that we are all at each others throats, the reality couldn?t be further from that. There?s a good chance that there will be a face to face meeting of some of the main protagonist at the NEC, you?ll probably find us in the bar buying each other drinks and having a laugh and a joke whilst we discuss things rather than the stand up rows that you get the mistaken impression of here. That?s the way that it works, we?re all divers, we?re all friends really, we?re all in the same club and it?s OUR club.

I do take the point made by others that perhaps now is the time for a Members Only section of our web site. That?s been on my ToDo list since I joined Council, they asked me to do it. We?ve got nothing to hide, the main reason that we want to do it is to protect the interests of our members, they are paying for all of this and they are entitled to have exclusive use of some of the things that they have paid for. There will still be a very large public access section, there is an awful lot that we are more than willing to share for the benefit of divers everywhere. But our members have asked for some things like a private forum exclusive to them, that is just one facility that we would like to give them. It is geek technology that has prevented us doing it so far, our web system is totally separate from HQ (one is in London, the other in Cheshire) and proving membership has been the tricky bit. But I am actively working on a solution, it?s one of those ?watch this space? things but we?re actually getting pretty close to having a Members Only section.

Thanks for the comments Twix, we?re always open to suggestion from anywhere as to how we can improve the club, we hope to have you as a member fairly soon now!

Kind Regards

Keith L

[TWIX]

Hi ?TWIX? (we tend to use real names on here, but no problem!)

My name is Ian and the name tag is one I use on all forums I take part in. It wasnt used to hide my identity.

Well first of all never believe everything that you read on the internet :-) It?s also human nature to complain about the problem bits and not comment at all on all of the good things. We?re far from being a disjointed group, there?s no ?them and us?, we?re all divers and all of us are working together for the same things ? the BSAC. That?s the really great thing about being a club, any of our members have a right to have their say and to be heard. With the exception of HQ (the BSACHQ user) we?re all volunteers as well, ordinary divers passionate about the sport and passionate about the club. That last bit goes for HQ as well, although they are our paid staff most of them are extremely experienced divers, members of the BSAC in their own right, who choose to do it for their job as well!

So you?re not seeing a disjointed group, what you are seeing is ordinary divers trying to improve THEIR club for them and for everybody else. Nobody is perfect, we?re certainly not, but we?re willing to listen and try to sort problems out. You don?t state your current agency, that doesn?t matter but if it?s a commercial agency I doubt whether they give you the opportunity to have your say on a forum, most of them don?t have such a facility. We?re an open democracy with all of the wrinkles and problems that causes, democracy isn?t perfect by any means but it?s a damn sight better then the alternatives :-)

I am currently with a commercial agency and of course your right, there is not way to voice your opinions. The ability to interact more and have a say is one of the reasons I am interested in joining.

So don?t be put off, local club life is very different to the national issues that we?ve been discussing on here of late. All clubs are different as well, they all have their own unique style as it is the local members who make their club what they want it to be. So please don?t be put off of approaching a local branch, they all have their own unique ?personalities? just as the individuals on here do. There is most certainly a place for you within the BSAC and we would love to have you on board, if you?re thinking of joining us then give HQ a ring if you like (0151 350 6200) or pop along to talk to us at the NEC if you want any of the crossover stuff explained. Visit a few of your local clubs, they would love to have you as their guest for the evening, you?ll almost certainly find one that suits you and your style of diving ? then it?s welcome to the BSAC!

As I said in my thread it hasn't put me off making contact with a local branch in my area(Blackpool)

I do take your point about the image that some of the more recent threads portray, I?ve made comments on it myself as have other posters. In typical internet style things can get a tad heated at times, that?s the internet for you, but we do try and be friendly and civil and we don?t really do flame wars (I wont let them happen). You may sometimes get the impression that we are all at each others throats, the reality couldn?t be further from that. There?s a good chance that there will be a face to face meeting of some of the main protagonist at the NEC, you?ll probably find us in the bar buying each other drinks and having a laugh and a joke whilst we discuss things rather than the stand up rows that you get the mistaken impression of here. That?s the way that it works, we?re all divers, we?re all friends really, we?re all in the same club and it?s OUR club.

I do take the point made by others that perhaps now is the time for a Members Only section of our web site. That?s been on my ToDo list since I joined Council, they asked me to do it. We?ve got nothing to hide, the main reason that we want to do it is to protect the interests of our members, they are paying for all of this and they are entitled to have exclusive use of some of the things that they have paid for. There will still be a very large public access section, there is an awful lot that we are more than willing to share for the benefit of divers everywhere. But our members have asked for some things like a private forum exclusive to them, that is just one facility that we would like to give them. It is geek technology that has prevented us doing it so far, our web system is totally separate from HQ (one is in London, the other in Cheshire) and proving membership has been the tricky bit. But I am actively working on a solution, it?s one of those ?watch this space? things but we?re actually getting pretty close to having a Members Only section.

Thanks for the comments Twix, we?re always open to suggestion from anywhere as to how we can improve the club, we hope to have you as a member fairly soon now!

I just thought you might be interested in how an outsider saw things.

Kind Regards

Keith L

All the best and safe diving.

Ian R

[Ron Evans]

If you are anywhere near Southport, we will be happy to have you come along on club night and meet the folks - a better way than reading what computer boffins write.

I joined our club because of such a vist, and four years later am Chairman of the Branch. (Help, get me out of here!!! (that's a joke).