anyone interested in a local marine club?

[FitoPharmer]

Thompson Okanagan marine aquarium society or T.O.M.A.S.

Goal: to provide a local forum to which: knowledge, ideas, help & advice, captive bread livestock, ordering goods and more to
help marine aquarium keepers in our area by lower operating costs and help our environment by fragging and breeding programs.
a semi-annual frag-swap for the Thompson-Okanagan region is my ultimate goal at the moment. where, when, and what haven't
been really considered yet, other then the specific goal to get one going hopefully BEFORE the end of this year. A forum to
which our society can use is the first goal. this is so arrangements for mass orders, pick-up's for people returning from
the coast, meetings/frag-swaps, adding new members, and more can all be made easier. a secondary goal is to either obtain
or start to build strong relationships with online and local retailers and wholesalers for greater discounts to our members.

intent: to allow local members to participate to any level they wish to:
get help or information from other local marine fish keepers (especially those with limited access to internet)
lower the prices and more choice of standard supplies and livestock from: group orders, pick-up's from the coast, fragging/CB ect.
Help protect the environment with: fragged corals, homemade LR and LS, captive bread specimens, and general awareness issues.
Make everyone's tank look better

some proposed ideas:
forum / post board
semi-annual frag swap
monthly local meetings
fragging program
captive breeding program
coast pick-up program
book sharing program
member discount card for certain retailers


if you are interested,have something to add, or like changed give me a PM or leave a post. I think this is not too far fetched of an idea. i would not mind getting together with local marine fish keepers even if its only 3 or 4 people to start with for 2 hours or so once a month. but i thought i would test the waters and see what everyone else in the area thinks of these ideas. so many times i wished i just asked people when i see them shopping the the LFS why are we getting gouged? lets just get a few more people and do a group order... i just thought having a place for old saltys to go to save big bucks, and have more selection. along with being a great place for noobies to start off for cheap couldn't be a bad idea. it seems to me that it only stands to grow our hobby in a very positive way.

[Telford]

Great idea...i think the challenge in this area is that our population is so spread out. Good Luck though!

[mseepman]

An interesting idea...but Telford is right...we're aweful spread out.

[Bugsy]

Mark,

Hi great idea for a group like this, we are quite small here in size but the Kelowna and area folks could certainly come to the meetings they can attend.

I think that if there were a few meetings in which people here had stuff to sell or trade as well as the Kelowna and area people it could be a great meeting.

I unfortunatley don't have alot to contribute with my little 1 gal pico but love the hobby just the same.

Hopefully there will be more people give their thoughts here too.

[Bugsy]

Oops my big mistake, I misread this thread and thought it was Mark wanting this group here in Vernon. Sorry about that.

My appologies again FitoPharmer

Amy

[tgoeujon]

sounds like a good idea. keep me posted

[FitoPharmer]

well in my mind i see local monthly meetings so to start:
Kelowna
Kamloops
Vernon
whoever likes can start hosting local monthly meetings and their house or whatever and spreading local awareness. these local clubs will combined, work together, and occasionally meet as the T.O.M.A.S.. the idea is getting discounts and such using our large member count. spread out we may be it still could represent a large chunk of money they could or couldn't be making depending if their store is willing to give discounts. the mass orders are also something that would be handled at the local level (i.e. Kamloops wouldn't mass order with Kelowna) however they might both use a T.O.M.A.S. discount card to get 10% off their livestock or something.

[brizzo]

I would be all for joining in!

[argan]

i would attend kamloops meetings

[phillybean]

I'd also join