Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seds-l
Date:         Sat, 7 Nov 1992 04:52:51 EST
From:         "(Amy Marie Houts)" <houts@PSS.FIT.EDU>
Subject:      ID Memberships

Thanks Irwin for telling me I'm not boring.  On that note, I will
prove I'm verbose and jump into the ID Membership debate.

Greg Miller
Curtis Malasky
Jason Weible
Kate Hagerty
Hampton Black
Kristi Dietz
Sabrena Norman
Heather Crawford
Anne Gibson
Dee Burch
Randy Steck
Tracy Peters
James Olson
Paula Christensen
...
	These are just a few of the names of people whom I have
personally tried to help start SEDS chapters.  They were all
space enthusiasts and highly motivated, but were unable to
start SEDS chapters.  In some cases, there was no space interest
at their school, and in others, the school did everything in its
power to undermine their efforts.  After awhile, they simply gave up.
Every one of these individuals would have joined SEDS as an
individual member (and still might), if at the time we had offered
this option.  David Bush started a highly successful chapter at
Florida Southern College, but ask him sometime about the trials
and tribulations of attempting to start USF SEDS.  In the event
that a student finds himself/herself spending all free time trying
to salvage a struggling SEDS chapter, one can empathize with the
fact that not everyone is willing to start a SEDS chapter.  In fact,
even the most enthiastic individual cannot start a SEDS chapter
without support from the school.

	I support Individual Memberships, because it gives these
students a chance to be involved in SEDS instead of being
completely excluded just because they couldn't start SEDS
chapters.  Unlike NSS and Planetary Society, we can encourage
active participation by these students via SEDS-L and SEDSNEWS
and encourage them to interact with members of a nearby SEDS
chapter. I believe that Dave said he has a friend at Purdue
who wants to start a SEDS chapter-- as it turns out Curtis
Malasky, who was a highly active member of Riverview High
School SEDS is also at Purdue.  Curtis didn't want to
start a chapter by himself, but with one other person to assist,
the chapter could have already been going.  By categorizing
ID memberships by region, we can help coordinate student efforts
to start chapters by getting motivated students in contact with
one another!

	Not everyone wants to start a SEDS chapter, but it has been
my experience that a lot of people want to join and become active members.
Having started three SEDS chapters, I have seen students become absolutely
terrified at the thought of having to lead a meeting, and yet, when
asked to coordinate speakers or write letters, these members were
invaluable.   I implore everyone to consider the idea that individuals
are what make the SEDS organization, not chapters.  Chapters themselves
are made of PEOPLE, they aren't just these giant bureaucratic
organisms that mail in dues each year (speaking of which the
FIT start-up dues are in the mail Lisa! :^)).  Debbie Smith
just announced a space art contest; there is no reason that
an individual member couldn't help coordinate this contest
if his/her interest were space art -- that way Debbie and
Adrianne aren't having to do all the work.  SEDS-L does
not consist of SEDS chapters expressing views, it consists of
INDIVIDUALS making a difference.  As long as we are all working
as a team, what difference does it really make if we are a member
of a local chapter, or an individual member?

I would like to suggest the following for ID memberships:

1)  Send the individual members chapter starter kits and
strongly encourage them to start SEDS chapters at their
respective schools.
2)  If for whatever reason they can't start a chapter, send them
a flyer explaining E-mail access and try to help them obtain
INTERNET access through universities in their area.  By subscribing
to SEDS-L and SEDSNEWS, they may decide that starting a SEDS
chapter isn't such a bad idea after all.
3)  Send the individual members a listing of "nearby" SEDS chapters
of which they could become an "Adopted Member."  For example, UAH
SEDS could even adopt members in Kentucky.  By corresponding with
an awesome SEDS chapter that is working on projects like SEDSAT,
students in other states might become motivated to visit the chapter,
and eventually use their "Foster Chapters" as a model and inspiration
to start chapters at their schools.
4)  Maintain accurate records of individual members.  If three
individual members (or even two) are living within 30 miles of
each other, it might be worth it to get them in touch with each
other.  In fact, we could send out a listing of individual members
over SEDS-L and twice a year in the NOVA.
5)  Give bigger discounts on Conf., etc. to SEDS chapter members.
Individual members could qualify as chapter members by listing
a "Foster Chapter" with whom they have been in correspondance.
Also, this would allow us to have more non-student members who
would become another source of funding.
6)  Only SEDS chapters would have voting rights --- not individual
members.  There again, by joining a "foster chapter", the individual
member could become a working part of that chapter, and possible
benefits might include the "foster chapter" offering to assist with
starting the ID member's new SEDS chapter.

In the late 1800s the Union of Concerned Scientists determined that
if a train went faster than 80+ mph, the passengers would die.
Prior to Chuck Yeager, many people believed the sound barrier
couldn't be broken, and that it was stupid to try.  Imagine telling
someone in 1949 that we would land on the moon in 1969.  To
paraphrase Jackie Cochran "To lead a life without risk is
tantamount to death." Compared to these other risks, SEDS ID
Membership seems quite petty as a "risk."

I think we should give CalSEDS a chance with the ID memberships since
they are so eager to give it a shot as long as:

a)  they can keep a reasonable budget and not go into debt (recent
figures have shown that this is more than feasible)
b)  maintain records --- we can all take a lesson from Dave on
maintaining chapter lists, etc. --- each year as a chapter decides
to handle ID memberships, this is a prime consideration!
c)  if it is a complete failure and appears to actually be
HARMING the SEDS organization, we simply cancel the program after
one year.  I seriously doubt this will happen.  Even if
we only had one individual member, as long as it didn't make
SEDS bankrupt to send him/her a NOVA, we would be best off
continuing the program.

I think the benefits of ID membership far outweigh the risks, and the risks
to begin with aren't serious enough to significantly harm the SEDS
organization as long as the situation is dealt  with within the first
year's time.  CAN WE PLEASE GIVE THIS A CHANCE?  The Space Art Contest
I initiated last year failed miserably, but Debbie and Adrianne have
figured out a great way to make that project succeed for this year.
We can't become afraid of trying new ideas --- again, I implore everyone
to at least consider trying ID memberships for SEDS.  The worst
thing that I can see happening is that we may have to send everyone
a letter at the end of the year saying "sorry, due to operational
expenses we will be unable to continue our ID membership program this
year."  This won't happen to begin with, and the BEST thing that
can happen is that SEDS will become an even stronger, more diverse
organization.

Of course, the biggest benefit is that SEDS won't have to frantically
lay down new cables to handle Amy message traffic on the Net.
*This is a point to consider, folks!*

Anyway, I need sleep and I need to take another Benodryl seeing as
I'm still having a bad allergic reaction to some seafood I ate
last night (watch out for iodine)! Sorry for this rambling, but
I hope I've been at least partially coherent (though admittedly,
not concise) in my opinions on SEDS ID Membership.

Take care, and (yawn) good night everyone!  Thanks for putting up
with me!

Ad Astra!

Amy :^):^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU