Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seds-l
Date:         Fri, 6 Nov 1992 12:20:47 PST
From:         "(John A. Wright)" <wrightj@CHESHIRE.OXY.EDU>
Subject:      IDM (Re: Dave)

>It is well understood that if IDM risks a loss, we will not
undertake it.

If handled badly, yes.  But I'm conviced that we have some experienced
people in SEDS that can make IDM sucessful.

>further damage our reputation.

Further...??  We still have the rep of "harmless little space cadets"

>We are working on consistent Nova.  What we need to do is have firm deadlines,
and if it needs to go out, it goes out, and an articles that are late arriving
go in the next issue.

The deadlines have been firm, the funding has not.

> IDM will detract from new chapters.   I feel that if the funding costs make
it cheaper for a group of people to form a chapter in name, they will do it.

I don't agree - and the benefit of getting a chapter going is still there -
if there are more that 4 people on IDM, forming a chapter is cheaper.

We will encourage *all* of our IDM's to form chapters.

>can keep them up to date on what possibilities exist for
STUDENTS in the space field

Yep! :)

>If we get three-five people at a school signing up as IDMs, we can give them
each others numbers, and try to convince them to start a chapter.  IDM is a
method of attracting new students to SEDS, without necessarily demanding a lot
of their time.

Exactly! :)

>This project makes us just like NSS.  I don't know enough about NSS, AIAA,
or the other space groups to know about this.  However, we do have one thing
that sets us apart:  we are all students.  We need to play this fact up.


Well, in the sense that our organization is make up of chapters and IDM's.
But you have to keep in mind that SEDS is still a chapter based organization
made up of *students*.  NSS was the conbination of two organizations, SEDS
has always been one.  MOst of the mess with NSS is because of the merger.
NSS doesn't know if it's a chapter based or a membership based organization
(probably the latter for those people at the HQ, probably the former for
the die-hard L5ers...)  SEDS will not turn into an NSS because we have clear
goals and are on ou way toward a business plan (we know where we're going...
sorta:)

>These articles also show the following:  "Look at all of this neat info you
find out about from guest speakers!!  If you form your own chapter, you can get
this type of info first hand!"   This type of article, balance with SEDS board
news, and updates on SEDS projects and star-gazing parties, etc.  will make a
great magazine.

Yep...this is the stuff we need :)

> IDM centralizes too much power.

Power?  What Power?  The "power" to put out Novas and serve the chapters
and IDM's? :)  The Board and chapter council still have all the power
they have always had over funds and policy.

>Money will now become more important than
chapters.

We need the money to service the chapters and make them feel important :)

>Just reading the Nova does not encourage action by students.  This is true,
but even without IDM we have chapters and chapter members who are doing little.
They go to the guest speakers, eat pizza, listen to interesting ideas, and use
it as a break from their studying, but that is it.  Probably the majority of
most SEDS groups are like this ... they like the idea of space, but don't have
the will to devote a lot of their time to it.  Fortunately, most of our
national board members are not like this, but it does not mean that this
attitude does not exist

Exactly.  You can't force people into action no matter how hard you try
(and certainly not with the Nova...unless we get a REALLY inspiring article :)

The Nova does not discourage action and it educates its readers about what
other students are doing and what's going on in space.

>In MY OPINION, IDM
will cannot hurt SEDS

If managed correctly, yes :) (and there's a good chance of that:)

>IDM does hold the possibility of helping SEDS

Hmmmm, Dave...did you forget about the money which could fund expansion, etc? :)

>We currently have the manpower
eager and willing to qwork on this projects, and if that manpower goes away
(gasp ... surely not by graduation from their schools! :) they SEDS can vote to
kill this project at that time.  But for right now, I think IDM is a good idea.

The Nova doesn't have all the staff it wants yet and building the NOVA machine
will be a job starting after Sunday :)  Thanks for being a gear in that
machine Dave =)

>So lets hear the other side, or get on with the vote, and lay the validity of
doing this project to rest.

Vey cool idea :)

REmember...the votes are dues on Sunday =)

John
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