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Southeast cp society

  • #61
Well, wonderful ideas! I've been thinking about the "chapters" or whatever you want to call them, and I have decided that we should definitely go with the new idea, ie one big organization that has a web page/forum and newsletter, but that it shouldn't really be divided as such. Maybe find out what areas have the most, and establish central meeting places there, but that's about it! More of jlechtm idea, more independant! I would like it though if it wouldn't get toooooo local, as it destroys the idea of the SECPS! Maybe we set up to hubs for where we think the most people are, and a headquarters (that really does nothing) Then everything else could be handle locally, but the hubs could have meetings twice a year (larger than the local ones, obviously) and the Headquarters maybe an annual meeting, something big, like the NECPS is having! They got Black Jungle Terrarium Supply to host them, and have a bog walk, meeting, sale, silent auction, speakers, and big discounts at the store. We could do this once every year or two (I'm going for two, unless there's a lot of interest), so it doesn't get old. The hubs could have meetings one/twice a year, like having a silent auction, picnic, sale, speaker, or something like a christmas plant swap, etc. Then everything else would be left for the locals like jlechtm said. I agree, and this hadn't occured to me before! I like the idea of a forum with a main folder, and sections for the groups! It could be as specialized as you want! Woderful websites ptfreelander, I think you're going to be on the website deign with kirk and wesley! http://www.geocities.com/ptfreelander/webdesign.html I like the first one! Does anyone know how to design a good forum likew we mentioned? If so, we need one!

Thanks,
Craig
 
  • #62
We could just continue to use Terraforums if no one knows how to build one.
 
  • #63
Hi Everyone -

I wish you the best with your new society. I'm from the NECPS - our society is about a year and a half old.

As for logos....we waited until a year later and then our president, John Phillip Jr., made it into a cool contest where the winner gets a CP gift certificate and the first item of anything made with the logo for 2 years.

When we first started, we were not sure how often to meet. We tried once a month - and it has been great! Everyone really looks forward to the meetings, and lots of people show up every meeting. We haven't had meetings in the summer months since many people are busy - if we did I'm sure folks would still show up. Our group has made lots of money from member donated plant sales at the meetings - members can choose to donate all proceeds or a split - like 50:50 member/society. We don't have a mailed printed newsletter yet - it's an email version which works well. John Phillip Jr., also had the great idea of a monthly "Outstanding Plant" award voted on by members. Winners get a very nice certificate and the plant picture goes on a special section of the website.

It was a little crazy, but really really fun & exciting when we had our first NECPS annual Show last October. Our group was just 10 months old at the time. We had 3 professional CP vendors, NECPS contributed plants, and a ton of plants on display. For our first show, it was a great success and we drew visitors from 5 states! It seemed like everyone who came also walked out with purchased plants.

It's nice to know what your members specialties are too. We are very lucky to have a real Cephalotus expert in our ranks and our members have learned a lot from him. Everybody oooohhhhs and awwwwws when he brings in a plant for display. I never thought too much about it, but people just love the big flytraps I grow. I have given 2 presentations on growing them and things that I thought were sort of common knowledge many people were very interested in. So, find out who is good at what, and have a little talk/demo at each meeting that members & newbies can look forward to.

Post your meetings as many places ( like garden centers ) & web forums as possible. A lot of people read the GardenWeb forums - even though they may not post replies.

You guys can see some of the events and meetings and photos we have had from our website, www.NECPS.org

Let me know if I can be of more help!

WildBill
 
  • #64
Thanks, WildBill.  Any advice you can give us is great, because your society is already so successful.  What you said in your post is good to think about.

That said, anyone on here who is interested should post what their "specialty" if any is.

I would say mine is Sarracenia, but that's probably because they grow so well in this part of the country (natural habitat basically).

We could use a Heliamphora expert.  Growing them in the southeast is a huge challenge, and the ABG has an incredibly technologically-advanced greenhouse that cools to 55 - 60 degrees at night in the middle of the summer.  Surely they can grow in the southeast relatively cheaply.

Look at that - I've already started the kind of content that could be part of the SECPS.

We need to get moving on this project!
 
  • #65
I don't have time at the moment to read everything here completely, but a just browsed through what has been said and had some thoughts. Pardon me if i repeat what's been said or misinterpret.

Important things that have made the NECPS run smoothly:

1- A president with connections to local park, botanical, outdoors societies and people, etc.

2- A group of elected officers with well defined duties. In the unlikely event of a major disagreement this will minimize damage.

3- A regular income due to member dues (i think dues are a good idea, incidentally. Anyone is welcome to come to meetings, but to get in on special things that come along, one has to be a dues-paying member), and some kind of silent auction/raffle on member-donated plants. You'll want to have a budget of somekind so that you can kick things up a notch in the future when, for example, you'd like to bring in a noted speaker and need an honorarium.

4-An attempt to make meetings organized. I mean to have a specific list of things that happen at each and every meeting. If meetings begin to decay, attendence will drop.

Hope that helps.
 
  • #66
Yeah, I agree, we should get moving. I think that a website should be first I will get us www.SECPSonline.org! After that comes a forum to post our events and discussions at, and then comes the newsletter, with member articles and other contributions! Then we would maybe have an SECPS meeting, one of the big ones! So, lets get a website and forum first! I think I will get the domain and hosting in the next one or two days, just so we can start workng on it! Am I correct to say ptfreelander, kirkscoastal, and welsey will be working on it when it's up? If so, I don't know much about websites, so you'll be on your own there, except for design and suggestions, obviously! Thanks for your help! The Utah CPS gave me a good forum design program site, it's http://www.phpbb.com/, but I couldn't get it to work, uhhh, help? Mayb someone else can get it working... I think it's free, and it looks easy to set up, if someone could get it running! If someone could try, thanks!

I agree with ptfreelander and wildbill on the society! Great ideas!

Thanks,
Craig
 
  • #67
I agree that a Web site should be first, because once it's up we can direct people to it and then they may be interested in joining.
 
  • #68
Yeah, and then we could have more room to work on other stuff. Again, does anyone have something to contribute to a (for now) online newsletter? I think we could feature a members collection every once and a while, so if you think you have an impressive one, send us some pics and descriptions! (to my email) Would anyone like to design and/or be the editor of the newsletter?

Thanks,
Craig
 
  • #69
I believe jlechtm said he could publish one. I don't know what he can handle, but (Adobe?) PageMaker and Microsoft Publisher can both turn out decent newsletters, unless we want to make it online for now (as the NECPS does).
 
  • #70
I've come up with a concept home page for the SECPS, available here.

Please respond with ideas and thoughts.  None of the links work because I only designed the home page - most pages will look pretty much the same, and until a final design is chosen I do not want to make more than one page.

Alternatively, design 1 here could be used exactly as is (except, of course, for logo changes and such), if that's what is wanted.

I just need feedback, so if anyone has good ideas or criticism please tell me!
 
  • #71
like it! Maybe pages for info on the society, contact info for the webmaster, president, etc, maybe have a page for trade lists and SECPS sales, how to join (with a printable membership sheet), a page for our journal, a links page, etc. Other than that, I'd say we should put the logo design on it in the top/center, once we have the headquarters, hubs, etc figured out. Like the format a lot, just fill it with info on the site, awesome pics, a good SECPS forum, with sections for events, discussion, etc, and it'll be awesome!

Thanks, getting us hosting tommorow at crosswinds.net (pro plan)
www.secpsonline.org is what it'll be!
 
  • #72
If anyone has a great image for the mainpage, please link to it or email it to me.

Also, we need a mission statement. If anyone has ideas, post them!

A question for people from the NECPS - how much are your dues? I feel that since you are off to such a great start so fast, we should follow your model to an extent.
 
  • #73
Craig -

Crosswinds.net looks great. They will allow for easy use of information forms (i.e. people could join the society online rather than by printing out a sheet and mailing it or anything like that) and they have an in-house easy-to-use forum builder. I can't wait to get started!
 
  • #74
I think a web/e-newsletter makes more sense at this point.

I do quite well with Heliamphora, as does Angie Hall (Charleston, SC).

My specialty is Sarracenia, particularly natural hybrids. I'd be happy (at some point) to write an article/do a photo essay on naturally occurring simple Sarracenia hybrids.

I'm a writer by training, and I've written several CP-related articles ... for CPN, for the Italian CP journal, and for Grandiflora the (now defunct) Mid-Atlantic Gardening Magazine. I can probably help some (time allowing) with writing/editing duties for the online content.

BTW, I sent three potential main page photos to Patrick for possible use in the website. All are SE CP photos in the wild(S. flava (with fly) from the Green Swamp, Brunswick Co., NC, S. flava (with tree frog), Apalachicola NF, Liberty County, FL and S. purpurea venosa, Croatan NF, Carteret County, NC).
 
  • #75
The dues are listed on the website:
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Dues are $20/yr for adults, $10/yr for students, and $25/yr for families. Considering the wealth of contacts and knowledge, not to mention the incredible prices and trade opportunities for plants and equipment at society meetings, that is a steal!
Click to expand...

I like the webpage concept. I personally hate the XXXXXXonline way of picking URLs, though. It's kinda redundant to say that your web page is online. Just my own little peeve, though.

Obviously you have people at your disposal with more web experience than me, so your web page should be a great asset for you. It's nice to have a writer, too. That's one thing we're lacking.
 
  • #76
Sorry, I looked at the "join" page and didn't see them there (now I realize they are on a link) and so I assumed they weren't posted.  Thanks for quoting it!

I don't care for the www.XXXXXonline.com deal either, but www.SECPS.org is taken (you fortunately have www.NECPS.org).

Perhaps we should think about this for a few days?  We need a good URL idea.
 
  • #77
Maybe you could name it something based on the fact that your region is home to a significant number of CPs?

For example...
Sarracenia Homeland Insectivorous Plant Society   - SHIPS?

Hmm.  Maybe you better take a few days.
smile_m_32.gif


No apologies- if you didn't see it, it's obviously too hard to find. It's good to have feedback like that.
 
  • #79
No, it doesn't. It give me an error page when I click it.
 
  • #80
Not only that, but the domain name is available, and a search on Yahoo! for a southeast carnivorous plant society returns nothing.
 
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