"Time was there would be club rosters published twice a year in the Bulletin, one around December that would be useful in sending our riding buds Christmas/Hannukah/Kwannza/Pagan Celebration of the Solstice cards.
The last one in print was in August, '04, and that is the one that is available online.
So much for sending greetings to newish members. ""Newish members"": those would be the ones celebrating Hannukah/chanukah/hanukah."
Why no club roster in print and only an out-of-date one online?
Tue, 12/13/2005 - 11:34pm
Thu, 12/15/2005 - 11:26am
#1
It is a disgraceful state of affairs
Richard,
I agree it is a disgraceful state of affairs, and if it was down to me I would fire the person responsible. That would be me.
I did actually state the reasons why the roster has not been published in the December bulletin, but I will repeat them here.
To cut a long story short, I frankly have not had the time to produce it, but let me give you the background.
Earlier this year, the board took a decision to only produce one hard copy roster a year, to save on expenses. The original idea was that it should be produced in mid-year, which would have had all of the new members who joined in the first three months of the year, including those who came to the club through the SIG program.
By the time we agreed this, summer was virtually upon us and I considered that September would be a reasonable time to publish it, as everyone would have returned from holidays and be less likely to miss it. However, a technical issue with the data prevented me from publishing it then, after spending several hours trying to convert the data into a useful form manually, which turned out to be an exercise in futility. The problem was not resolved until late in September and too late for the October bulletin.
In the middle of October, I brought my near five-year freelance journalistic career to an end by taking a full-time journalistic job, which turned my scheduling upside down. I have been in the middle of a very steep learning curve with the new job and have been travelling and working long hours with it, and it has been all I can do to bring the bulletin out on time. And, as I am sure you will have seen, the December issue was a very slim one, indeed. And not from a lack of having material to publish.
I readily confess to my abject failure to bring out the roster. It does fall to the bulletin editor and I apologise to you and to anyone else who may have used it for the purpose of sending holiday cards to others. I consider my first pirority is to get the bulletin out on time each month and I haven't let the club down on that score.
I can tell you the roster will definitely not be published with the January 2006 edition. However, it will be published in the first quarter of 2006. I am sorry I cannot be more precise than that right now. And I will produce another, more up-to-date one, in September of 2006, with a view to sticking to that timetable from then on. I figure that the money we have saved by not producing one at all in 2005 should mean we can afford to produce two in 2006 annd then produce one a year, thereafter.
So those are the reasons for the lack of publication of the roster in 2005, they are not excuses.
Thu, 12/15/2005 - 1:28pm
#2
Good luck in your new job and for doing a fine job with the bulletin.
Don't let any of this get in the way of your riding.:-)
Thu, 12/15/2005 - 6:30pm
#3
I second Herb's comment. (nm)
Fri, 12/16/2005 - 5:05am
#4
Thank you!
My thanks to Herb and Hank for their kind words, which are much-appreciated. I've not been on the bike as much as I would have liked in November and December, but not because of the bulletin and the roster. I've generally avoided working on either during weekends, although I'm going to have to break my rule for the January edition.
I think my next ride will probably be the Polar Bear's Ride on New Year's Day, but I don't think I'll be taking a dip, unless we get a fluke high of 75 degrees.
Fri, 12/16/2005 - 8:34am
#5
it is a disgraceful state of affairs
Perhaps the solution is to find a member of the club, with the requisite skills, to prepare the roster, and then send it to Dandy/Boro Park for printing and insertion in the next bulletin.
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 6:37am
#6
We are exploring this possibility
Since this thread started, there has been some discussion by e-mail among board members to try and bring about a speedier resolution, which includes getting in some additional help to do this. Unfortunately, we are too far into the production cycle of the January bulletin for it to be completed in time. Sorry.
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 7:31am
#7
we are exploring the possibility
The roster is a separate piece from the bulletin, inserted in the bulletin. Why can't it be accomplished for the January bulletin?
Sun, 12/18/2005 - 5:23am
#8
Because it goes to press on Wednesday
With all the goodwill in the world, the bulletin goes to press on Wednesday and will be mailed out on Tuesday 27th December. If we are to expect Boro Park to print it in time, they will also need it by Wednesday. I have somebody who has volunteered to look at the file, but that is no guarantee that they can do it in time, unless of course you wish to volunteer. You appear to have time on your hands.
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 7:49am
#9
you have no debt to the nycc...
...except to try to contribute your spare time. some nycc members are very critical - borderline abusive - when it comes to the nycc editor position. some people expect so much for so little. maybe that's why it's evolved into a hotseat position that nobody wants. the bulletin looks better than ever. let the whiners step up and help fill the gaps that they're complaining about.
don't let the bastards wear you down...and like herb said, don't forget to ride your bike.
:)
don
former (x3) editor
Thu, 12/15/2005 - 2:47pm
#10
directory on-line
The web site is a phenomenal piece of work. It shouldn’t be that hard to create an on-line directory that members update themselves. Members can be cued each renewal time to check their listings and make updates, that way the responsibility falls upon each member and not an overworked volunteer. It's clear that everyone connected with club endeavors works very hard.
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 9:46pm
#11
How to keep the roster current w/o a bit work by the editor
I am near illiterate in all matters relating to computing and computers, but, as is said in legislatures, I wish to associate myself with Ed Somebody's suggestion, above.
For example, can the NYCC website not contain a server edition of, for example Now Software's Contact (5.1) > PDF whereby everyone could enter his and her own data with a block be put onto it
1) Barring one from altering someone else's entry.
2) Requiring the entry of a valid Member Number so that non-members could not be listed.
It does seem a sufficient, even overwhelming percent of club members are online so perhaps, with only negligible sacrifice, the roster could be restricted to online access and forget the printed version altogether.
Sun, 12/18/2005 - 5:27am
#12
Unfotunately, I can't answer the question
Richard,
I certainly do not have the technical knowledge to answer the question. But, even if it was possible, it would not provide a solution in time for January. However, I believe the contributors to this thread have probably given us the basis for a discussion at the next board meeting with a view to resolving this problem.
Anthony
