P3D Re: How about a stereo club in the MPLS/SP area???

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Tom Martin for your thourough reply to my questions...
I would still like to know if these regional meetings are
financed in any way by NSA...

The VTCA example, I think proves my point:

>VTCA had over 350 members, and when the one person who had been running
>it for four years needed a break, no one stepped in to take over so the
>group folded. A local group is no different.

I think it is different.  My point was that a stereo club is *not* the
work of one person only.  If you look at stereo clubs like Chicago,
Detroit, Hollywood, etc., you will not find one name behind their
operation but many names that have taken turns.  Of course, these 
clubs are well-established for a long time.  But there are other
examples of recent clubs too.

>I have attempted to organize a stereo photography group in my local
>area, and could not find enough key people who were willing to commit
>the time. 

Asking people ahead of time can give misleading impressions.  Before
we started the Cleveland club, Jim and I were determined to do most
of the work.  We only contacted one more enthusiast in the area who
said it was OK with him.  So, we started a club based on 2-3 people.
I have no intention of being a President, or doing most of the work
for a second year.  And I bet you others will step in because they
have seen this thing working and they like it!  You'd be surprised
on how smoothly the responsibilities can be passed from one person
to another once the operation is in place.

>I would like to be proven wrong on this, but that evidence isn't there
>to support it.

You will never know until you try it!  Doing what you are doing now
is very important and worthwhile.  But is sounds like VTCA...
one person's work. When you step down, this thing will be over.
This is the difference with a club.  Other people are trained to
take over and will take over when their time comes.  There are many
stereo clubs in the USA, some of them rather new.  I doubt that they
had better conditions when they started than those found in the MPLS
area right now.

-- George Themelis


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