Where is the money?

[boatbuilder1]

Wow I sall I can

Wow I sall I can think of this is the scaryest thing I have heard all year I am not kidding this really frightens me the thought of no subcommittee...................................... .......
this hobby is what brought about my starting a model building company. this is not where we want to go. is it really do we want to have nothing to draw on for help and chat an general fellowship. I have stayed away for sometime due to other interests and workload I am quite shocked to hear this news as I have volenteered to help several times but have not been called on for helpl. I know I am not the smartest nor weathlyest guy around but I am always ready and willing to help out. so here it is again call on me for help I will do what ever I can.

we all need to chip in to save this club and I mean that or we will watch it SINK right out from under us I have no problem with higher dues either we need to get a volenteer roster going asap IMO
so again Jeff ,Jim ask me how I can help or telol me wha tyou want

charlie

[bob the builder]

I don't see any way

[color=#000000]I don't see any way that anybody in the Executive Committee can TELL you what they want from you.

Everyone needs to evaluate their own talents and then let the SubCommittee know what they can do. Perhaps, if that doesn't work, the Executive Committee can post a "help wanted" section, with individual jobs up there that can be handled for them. I kind of like that idea, that way people can pick and choose which tasks their individual skills are best suited for.

Additionally, that format would eliminate the feeling of obligation that an extended position might entail.

What does everyone think of that?

Here is a sample list that I could think of (fictional, of course)]HELP WANTED:[/b]

-SCR articles]

[bradv]

Now *that's* a really good

Now *that's* a really good idea, Bob! In leadership roles, I've found that people respond much better to clearly defined requests such as the examples you've listed than to more generic calls like "we need more articles". Spreading the editing load amongst several people (eg. proof-reading as you've suggested) would significantly lighten the load upon a "co-ordinating" editor. I'd thus suggest it'd be more likely we'd have more people volunteering to help out in these smaller ways rather than lumping one per person with everything as is currently done. I suppose in the I.T. world this would be referred to as "distributed" magazine development

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all our past editors who have shouldered this heavy load in such an awesome manner and continually produced such a great magazine, which I also believe is the "heart" of the SubCommittee. But it's becoming clear that fewer people nowadays have the necessary time available to carry out these important duties with little help. I for one can say that I'd be more than happy to respond to particular defined requests, eg. proof-reading or sub book reviews, but would find it difficult to take on the currently-defined "Editor" role. Maybe we need to change with the times and use the web forum and current SC magazine issue to specifically request requirements for the next edition in this more decentralized approach.

Thanks again to Bob for your insight!

[JWLaRue]

(pardon me while I step

<sigh>

(pardon me while I step up on my soapbox. )

I *think* that I have been asking for help with the SCR for quite some time now.....across all aspects of the work to be done. I have in fact said that if there is some aspect of the work (writing, text editing, etc.) that you are comfortable with, we'll be glad to work with you. I'm haven't been real choosy.....any help on any of the tasks would serve to ligthen the burden.

Same goes for articles. Quite frankly, unless we are trying to do a specific 'theme' issue, I don't think it makes sense to try to restrict what the members may want to write about.

But the calls continued to go (for the most part) unheeded. I/we cannot make someone volunteer to help, we can only ask.

Okay, I'll step of the soapbox......

-Jeff

[sam reichart]

(pardon me while I step

<sigh>

(pardon me while I step up on my soapbox. )

I *think* that I have been asking for help with the SCR for quite some time now.....across all aspects of the work to be done. -Jeff

...only in every issue of the magazine, in your leading article...

["horridoh"]

I would also agree with

I would also agree with Mr. Larue! I don't like anyone that is saying {bad things} about the subcommittee!............"Nor" about the fine people-that have helped us all.......out in there own way!!! Many times over. I have been an Submarine person my-entire life! And I respect the like!! "You Kevin ," I can almost certainly say I don't like. And I'm also-"changing" My avatar!!!! I put mine up, because it reminds myself of all the {GOOD} U-boat crews, as well as all the American crews that "fought and died," for there countries! The most respected-of men. In my opinon! So jeef, 'Let, er' rip!!! Change my avatar-I will pick a more "suiting one!" That's for sure.....

[bradv]

I was actually suggesting instead

I was actually suggesting instead of a general, repeated "call for help" with a few examples mentioned (which I have of course previously noticed) that a list of specific requests be itemised similar to the format that Bob suggested. I believe that people would respond better to this clearly-defined break-down of SCR requirements, as their "workload" would be very clearly delimited. Importantly, particularly if this is posted in the web forums and updated when tasks are allocated, it would also show very clearly what remains to be done to get our great magazine published! This would provide, IMHO, a bit of extra incentive to volunteer For those not active in the forums, a regular section in each mag listing these exact requirements (as known) for the next would help too. Particularly if a theme is being considered, listing this in both the forum & mag would (I believe) encourage help from those with an interest in that area.

For example, for the next mag I'm quite happy to proof-read 2 articles and write 2 sub book reviews. If there's a theme, please let me know and I can choose appropriate books. I look forward to liasing with whomever our new editor turns out to be regarding this. I very much hope that the SCR continues to be as great a resource as it always has. I've had a few comments from non-sub guys on the professionalism of our magazine, which refelects directly on all the much-appreciated hard work done by its producers - a big thanks to you all

[PaulC]

Brady and Bob are on

Brady and Bob are on to something. It is my experience that the repeated, generalized call for help inside the cover of every issue of the Report, pointed out by Sam, tends to numb the regular reader to the need.

I think the tendency for our membership, which is largely disconnected from each other, is to see the same appeal in each issue and assume that the need has been, or will be, taken care of based on the fact that the magazine has been showing up regularly, under the same circumstances, for years.

The flip side to recruitment is to put people to work when they do raise their hand and say, "I'll help." When a previous managing editor mentioned a specific (and desperate) need for article editors I did volunteer. But I was never given anything to do. This kills volunteerism almost as efficiently as overwork.

Obviously some new method of recruiting volunteers must be established. The old way has not produced the desired results. Fortunately, the current dire predictions for the Report's future has surfaced members who are willing to help. Hopefully, we can work together to get things organized to ensure the SubCommittee's future. But it will still take dedicated leadership to effectively utilize this manpower to accomplish the group's goals.



Edited By PaulC on 1094932531

[sam reichart]

What Paul said maybe correct;

What Paul said maybe correct; perhaps we've "numbed" the reader with the request for help, but my point is that Jeff has been having to ask for help/submissions as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, voluntary submissions of articles or volunteering your time to do some work takes more energy that just picking up the magazine when it shows up, opening it, and then reading it.

The torch needs to be passed. We've burned out 3 editors now.

[cadman]

Some comments from a non-member.

Some comments from a non-member. I build models. Cars,planes, boats, military vehicles or whatever I find that hits my fancy. When the Revell sub kit was announced I ordered two. One to attempt to convert to RC and the other for? As I was looking for info I came across this site. At first I was ticked off at the price of all the equiptment and made my opionion known. As I read the posts in reply it became evident why the prices were as high as they were. As I am retired and cannot afford $1000.00 for all this equiptment I will try to make my own. The questions I have asked on this site were for the most part answered quickly and with much detail. As I can I have ordered back issues of SCR and gleaned much info. There are many more questions I have but hate to take advantage of your good will so will most likely wait until I send in my membership this fall. (Yes a reduced price would be welcome but not necessary) What has been holding me back is I didnt have much intrest in sub history. Maybe a how to do it or model issue every other issue could be split with history issues. As yet I am still slowly working on my sub. Money issues are slowing me down. If I ever finish I would attempt to write an article but with my litimted writing skills it would require a good editor. Thanks for listening.

[bob the builder]

I'm still hyped on this

I'm still hyped on this "Help Wanted" section.

In my experience, most people require guidance, especially when what you're asking from them is not within their realm of experience yet.

By posting a help board with clearly defined tasks, each person knows exactly what's needed, can evaluate their ability to contribute, and then fulfill the task with guidance from whomever is in charge.

This "Help Wanted" board can extend beyond the needs of the SCR, if need be. Other tasks, such as producing SubCommittee ad material or setting up for a Regatta, could be posted there as well. Perhaps a "Task Manager" could be assigned (I volunteer) to make updates to a specific section of these message boards. Anyone in the Executive Committee who needs volunteer labor can forward the request to the Task Manager for posting to the boards (or perhaps we could have an open "Help Wanted" forum for anyone in the Executive to post to).

Implementation of this feature would be extremely fast, and the timing would be perfect, as it seems that we're extracting a pool of volunteer labor with Jeff's resignation.

[raalst]

I think the "help wanted"

I think the "help wanted" would work for me.
I think I would be able to proofread, although English is
not my mother tongue (but then again it isn't for
americans either

maybe we do not have to invent the wheel. I feel this
strongly resembles a workflow with a few
fairly drawn-out process steps (resulting in a SCR)
maybe we can utilize the tools the open source
community uses to build software with an unstructured
labor pool ?

[JWLaRue]

Okay....I'm game for doing this

Okay....I'm game for doing this one more time.

The principle need for assistance with the SCR is PageMaker lay-up services. The next need would be for text editing.

Ideally, would be someone who could be given all the raw materials (photos, text,etc.) and produce a finished PageMaker lay-up.)

-Jeff

[raalst]

If I buy pagemaker, I'm

[color=#000000]If I buy pagemaker, I'm $500 less rich.
- can we pass on a licence between us ?
- are there open-source alteernatives ?
(some guys at work seem to be able to
produce PDF without needing adobe stuff)
- what is actually required by the next step in the
process ? I assume that step would be the
shop making the actual SCR, do they require
pagemaker or just PDF or maybe even alternatives
like TeX or Word ?

while on the subject ]



Edited By raalst on 1095023133

[JWLaRue]

>>> can we pass on

[color=#000000]>>> can we pass on a licence between us ?

Not easily. As is typical for single-use software licences (these days), we are legally only allowed to have it installed on one system at a time.

But I would think that if we had someone who would be willing to do PageMaker lay-up on a very regular basis that the SC could afford to purchase another copy. (or two?)

>>> are there open-source alteernatives ?
(some guys at work seem to be able to
produce PDF without needing adobe stuff)

Good question....and I do not know the answer.

>>> what is actually required by the next step in the
process ? I assume that step would be the
shop making the actual SCR, do they require
pagemaker or just PDF or maybe even alternatives
like TeX or Word ?

The printer can take either the PageMaker file (and all the associated included files like the text, photos, graphics, and fonts) and then create the PDFs or we can send then the PDFs. Sending them the PDFs reduces our cost (at virtually no extra work on our end) and guarantees that what they actually print is what we want. (Sending them PageMaker can introduce some lay-up issues, especially with fonts)

They can take lay-up files done in PageMaker, InDesign, Microsoft Publisher, and Quark Express.

I guess the next obvious question would be]