Poll: Should we be one chapter or multiple?

[jclaudii]

I started this pole and will probably do a few more in the coming weeks to make sure we are getting everyone involved and on the same page. If you've read any of my other comments I am really for a one chapter in our state instead of breaking it up, but that is why there is a pole. With as small as our state is, meaning you can drive to almost any spot on a tank of gas, I would think we could try the one state one first. Even if we have to use skype to "conference in" another group that met somewhere more local to them.

Please leave some feedback on why you voted the way you did. Thank you.

[eatatjoz]

I'd prefer to have the entire state participating in one ZS chapter with separate groups and projects that helped their own community. I don't really care if it's for habitat for humanity or picking up trash on a highway. To me, the more people that participate the better. The thing is... There has to be participation!

I'd rather not exclude Jonesboro or Crossett because we have NWA and Central Ar. The entire state can provide and benefit from this association.
If we decide on state-wide then our February information will be useless. That will still keep us on schedule for a March state-wide meeting, but officers will need to be decided again and both north and central community may need to re think our projects that were scheduled for next month.

[TheAntiAnti]

I feel that it would be easier for everyone if we had seperate groups because it would make it really hard for some of us to participate as often as we want. I know that here in NWA there is so much availability for getting a lot of work done. I know both areas (Central and NWA) have the resources needed to work seperately and efficiantly. Not that we can't meet up every so often and have a large event, I just feel that we can get a lot more good work done if we work independently. And isn't that what this is about? Helping people? Not about.. publicity or what numbers look good. More people can be helped and more things can be accomplished if we are two independent groups.

We had already discussed and agreed that we were happy with having seperate groups. I don't understand why, after we have already started working on both groups, had meetings, and started organizing our charity events, we are taking steps backwards.

//Tyler//

[FlatlinesUp]

if we are going to have one state organization, but have multiple smaller groups that act independently, only getting together once in a while, I don't see the need/reason or advantage to having one large state group.

Advantages of individual groups:
1. they survive/fail on their own
2. meetings/work projects are local
3. control of the group/decisions are based on that groups wants/needs
4. as a state we can still get together 1-4 times a year for group pooling of resources/projects/events
5. if you don't like one group, you can always join another

State group advantages:
1. Larger number of people on the rolls
*that's all I can really think of as an advantage other than more folks "possibly" showing for an event (but see #4 in individual advantages)

I don't really see it as any type of conflict or competition, but more along the lines of convenience for the membership to have local meetings and local officers. Anyone from any part of the state is welcome to come to any of the meetings and join any of the chapters IMHO


so, I'm for individual/multiple chapters and think it's great that AR has enough interest to field multiple chapters. I'm also definitely for having statewide meets regularly (quarterly?) for the chapters to get together

[magdelaina]

Ditto @ FlatlinesUp

[Dresden]

FYI, we already started a statewide chapter... more specifically, mostly just NWA, but for the entire region, oklahoma, south Missouri, ect...

didn't work... why pursue a failed strategy instead of something new?

Chapters can only work if they are relatively close knit. Ask other inactive chapters what happened to them, I'm sure you'll get the same advice.

[jclaudii]

Then I would likely join all the chapters so I could show up on an event if I wanted to or at least see what is going on. I mean after all it would be free (besides original zs membership)

[eatatjoz]

Being that I have only been here for a year (unlike most of you) I don't have first hand experience like Dresden has with the past chapter.
If the larger south central area failed then I will relent on my vote and go with several small chapters. One of the issues that I considered when voting was "strength in numbers". If this has turned out to be a failure in the past, there is no need in reviving a structure that will probably fail again.

The central folks have already planned out its intentions, and it looks like NWA has too. Separate Arkansas areas are fine with me, but I'd like to at least see a consolidated ZS .004 with sub chapters and keep all of Arkansas under one grouping in the forums. If there's something that I can do in NWA to help out when I'm of no use to central, then I'd rather drive a few miles than be useless to my chapter. Likewise, if there is a chance that NWA decides to have a meeting at Pea Ridge and I'll be in the area, I'd rather not be counted as absent for the local meeting while attending NWA. (especially if I become an officer).

I may be asking too much here, but wouldn't it make sense to keep updated on all of our state's intentions and not be regulated to central without penalties?
I'd be much better at welding up wheel-chair ramps than I would cutting plywood.

My decision has been made in that I made no decision.
With that said, I think flatlinesup has a great Idea for quartery meetings (preferably non-compulsory), but want the whole state easily accessible under one forum.
Clear as mud?

[velojym]

I'm fine with a state-wide chapter, with operating sub-chapters mostly due to the awkward nature of travel between the central and NW parts of the state.
Once I've gotten settled and can resume flying on a regular basis again, I could provide courier/transport service between the sub-chapters. In other words, if I'm flying to Springdale to attend a meeting, I'd be able to take on a couple of other members willing to share in the expenses.
If anyone else in the chapter is interested or involved in aviation, then I'd be tickled to integrate it into our activities. As most of us likely well know, small airplanes excel at getting emergency supplies into disaster areas, and key personnel *in* to the area.

...but that'd be a whole other thread.

[Dresden]

I'm fine with a state-wide chapter, with operating sub-chapters mostly due to the awkward nature of travel between the central and NW parts of the state.
Once I've gotten settled and can resume flying on a regular basis again, I could provide courier/transport service between the sub-chapters. In other words, if I'm flying to Springdale to attend a meeting, I'd be able to take on a couple of other members willing to share in the expenses.
If anyone else in the chapter is interested or involved in aviation, then I'd be tickled to integrate it into our activities. As most of us likely well know, small airplanes excel at getting emergency supplies into disaster areas, and key personnel *in* to the area.

...but that'd be a whole other thread.

You can't really have "sub-chapters"... all chapters are already 'sub-chapters" of the core group that formed years ago in St. Louis. It's thier organization, and the structure they have put together is already in place.

[Fenris]

Oh come one Frank, I do believe he meant "unofficial" subchapters, y'know, chapter-houses and such, right Velojym?

[velojym]

Yeah, pretty much. I mean groups of people who have easy access to each other and can meet a lot more often on a casual basis without making having to make a trip of it.
Maybe we can call 'em cells?

Maybe not, but I don't see a problem with calling a group ZS-004a... or no separate distinction at all. We know who we are.

[kinaisan]

Here here and all that good stuff

[Dresden]

Fenris totally called me out on this one but I never noticed until just now lol... I'm so on top of this forums thing!

[jclaudii]

I still think one is better than none...we are really a small state when you think about it! I'm still all for simple...I wish we had the numbers to make things interesting!

[Dresden]

Agreed

[jclaudii]

I got the ZS stickers on the Jeep now and I have had a few people ask and even one looked it up while I was at a geocaching event. I told him about ZS and he asked if this group did things like the geocachers do when they get to gather, I told him that the AR chapter needs all the help it can get and what the requirements were to get a chapter started. He seemed shocked that we couldn't do such a small thing and I told him I still watched our state's section, but not much has happened. Hopefully we'll see this fellow and a few of his friends on here in the coming months!

I still have the list of people who said they would join the AR-ZS chapter, we just have to do something as simple as a food drive, blood drive, etc and to my understanding it can be at several locations over our state!

[Dresden]

Please keep in mind that we do have monthly meetings and we are keeping up with events and drives and donations. To say that we are doing very little isn't accurate at all. Contact Magdelaina for more information, or PM me.

[velojym]

I still think one is better than none...we are really a small state when you think about it! I'm still all for simple...I wish we had the numbers to make things interesting!

Problem for me is the location of the "one" chapter. If it's in the NW area, some of us aren't really in a position to go there regularly... at least, not until I finish my flight training. Then we could split the rent on the Cessna... but that still ain't cheap. Driving there from here makes a short meeting into a full day trip just about.

[Dresden]

That's a problem all the central states have. It is true that some of us can't go to meetings or whatever, I only pipe up when someone starts saying that we do /nothing/. It's completely untrue. Not all of us can do everything, and nothing is official, nor does it need to be for people to be involved and have a good time, but what is done is far from nothing. There is things even one person can do by themselves that not only can be done in the spirit of ZS, but that garners actual ZS recognition. ZS Core does a great job making sure of that.

Also, keep in mind that we're a pretty tech savvy bunch... ZS as a whole I mean. You can be at meetings via vid conference, skype, any number of ways.

[velojym]

That'd be do-able, for me. I recently installed Skype and bought a much better cam than the one I had before.

[magdelaina]

A few people have contacted me about getting a video conference system in place for the meetings, we'll try to get that going by the next one. There's already a Vent Server set up for voice conference. Info Here.

[jwilson85]

im new here. not quite in nwa but not to far... what do we need to do to become active status ?

[Zen Chameleon]

im new here. not quite in nwa but not to far... what do we need to do to become active status ?

I'm going to assume...Start all over

If you havn't then read this: viewtopic.php?f=106&t=72419