The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Jeff, I didn't realize until just now how much your avatar really looks like you—just put a mustache on it and it's uncanny.

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Yes, I know. My avatar looks like me too. That's enough. Stop laughing.

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

One thing to make clear on my letter to potential advertisers, that was sent to vendors other than the traditional R/C submarining vendors we all know, such as Mike's Subworks, Kassel Plating, Otw, to name a few. These vendors do know about us and do occasionally place paid advertising, and are very supportive of our club with vendor booths, raffle donations and specials at our annual regattas.

[jefftytoo]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Pete:

Truly EXCELLENT ad solicitation letter! Very impressive. Touché. Also, much appreciate your being on the same page with me about potentially running free ads for vendors till they make some money...and THEN charging them for the privilege.

JeffL:

Just to be clear, old friend, I didn't mean to imply there'd likely be no S.C. without a *printed* SCR -- only without an SCR of some sort. A distinction of some note. (Though you obviously know what my personal preference remains.) It's just that you've gotta get SOMEthing unique and of value for paying your membership dues.

Love the dapper new look to your avatar. You should keep and use Pete's version. ;^D

JeffP

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Hi Jeff,

I was hoping that was what you meant! The 'something of value' is a very important point we all need to keep in mind.

re: preference - roger that!

Oh, and I swiped a copy of the modified logo that Pete did. I'm thinking of possibly using it too.

-Jeff

[Guest]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Re advertising.

If you're going to consider giving free advertising space, then perhaps the vendors could/should offer something back.

For instance, place a unique number or code on the advert in question. If this is quoted at the time of ordering, then the vendor gives a discount.

This does one of two things- it allows the vendor to gauge how many sales they are getting through the advert, it's also a perk for Sub Committee members.

My personal desire to see an electronic alternative for the SCR is aimed chiefly at the international membership, which I see shrink on an annual basis. American members have the option of cheaper postage, which is denied to international members.

The increase in rates last year cost a couple of members in the UK alone, which might not seem much, but it did make a difference.

Regarding content of the SCR, and diversity etc. the only way I believe an accurate picture can be gained is by holding a census of all members. It's likely that many will not bother to fill it in, so perhaps an incentive could be an automatic entry into a raffle for all submitted census forms.

My personal belief is that the majority of members are interested in R/C submarines, especially the more active members.

[raalst]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Re publishing

I am convinced the following approach is worthwhile investigating :

a) (paying) member publishes an article in our new website http://s181686668.onlinehome.us/joomla/
(have a look but be warned it will NOT render all that well with Internet Explorer yet.
use firefox if you have it.this website is not finished yet)
check out the articles on that page. note the pdf logo in the upper right corners.

b) the newer articles are printed into PDF files right from the website (one per article)

c) the PDF's are joined together into one PDF file automatically by a tool (example http://www.accesspdf.com/pdftk/).
it can also be protected up to a level. a front page, ads, back cover, index etc can be added by a volunteering human.

d) mail PDF to email-biased recipients (if they want that in addition to visiting the website, ..)
this can be done with a free mailing list service.

e) have some company print and then mail the PDF to paper-biased readers.
need to find such a service

Pro's and cons as far as I can see

CONS ]http://s181686668.onlinehome.us/sc.pdf[/url]

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Everyone one has offered good ideas and good suggestions but no one has step up and grab the bull by the horns and said they will be managing editor and run the show.

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

One more con to a web produced SCR: The photo resolution from PDFs made from the web would look terrible in a printed piece.

[dietzer]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I have some suggestions regarding the managing editor position:

1) Change the constitution so that the editor of the SCR isn't required to be part of the executive committee. The editor has enough to worry about without worrying about tackling the other problems facing the SubCommittee. Also, being part of the executive committee may be partly what's turning people away. Had I known that being editor automatically put me on the executive committee before I volunteered years ago I would not have volunteered, period.

2) Get two volunteer editors if you can and let them trade off. One does March and October, the other June and December. This would go a long way in fighting the burn-out the editor faces, and two could trade off based on work loads and vacation times if they wanted to. I know this seems impossible when you can't get a single volunteer, but it might help people step forward if they knew they didn't have to own the magazine for the whole year...?

3) If you can't get volunteers to become editor(s), then do #1 above and hire one. This may force you to go electronic to save on costs, but it's better than losing the SCR. I agree with JeffP: no SCR = no SubCommittee.

That's my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth.

Carl

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

[quote]I have some suggestions regarding the managing editor position]


OK who will sign up if it were a paid position and had nothing to do executive committee, just put your name below.

Myles

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

[quote]

I have some suggestions regarding the managing editor position]


OK who will sign up if it were a paid position and had nothing to do executive committee, just put your name below.

Myles

Well I guess I will have to start looking at professional editors so we can maintain the professional appearance of our magazine, you know what that means.

1) we will most likely have go all electronic to cover the expense of a professional editor.
2) we mite have to increase the membership dues to cover the cost of the professional editor
3) the cost of postage will be going up again in the near future so this will be another cost we will have to deal with.

sorry to be breaking all this bad news to you, but this seems to be what you as members want, since you have no interest in participating as a managing
editor in order to help keep your magazine alive and the cost of your dues down.
I have to make the next best choice and that is hirer a professional editor and pass the cost onto you.
Pete, Jeff and myself have asked for your help repeatedly and you have all sat there and said let someone else do it, so you have no one to blame but yourselves
for any increase in your dues.
People when I took this office I said I would let you know exactly what I was doing and what I was thinking well I am keeping my world to you, Now only you can
make a difference it is your choice.

Myles

[steveneill]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

That's a shame. I doubt I'll ever read the SCR if it's electronic. It just looses it's luster. Maybe just let it go all together then and really save some money. Let the web site be enough and move on.

Increasing membership and getting a non print magazine looses it's luster as well. And will be so to many paying members.

Don't get me wrong I know how hard it is to produce such a good quality magazine as SCR. And it costs lots of money SC just doesn't have anymore. And it's the only one of it's kind. But it creases to be just that in electronic form. Just another Internet thing.

Gone are the day of, "Look honey my model made the cover!" Its just not a magazine. It's just an extension of the web site. A hassle to download and an ink and time reader if you want to print it off.

And for contributing writing articles and it's not even in print? Not likely as much.

So adding more to the website, keeping the dues the same if you have to do it would be my thought. But charging more to get less IMHO...well...

As it is you can pay less(or free) at other web sites and get much of the same information about building submarines right?

I don't know the answer here either. Really I don't. It's a tough one.

And Carl IMO SCR ceases to exist in electronic form. If you can't hold it in your hand. It's just gone.

Steve

[thor]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Guys,

Lets be patient here. I don't think we are talking about abandoning the printed copy. I think what is behind this is an effort to keep the costs down for our members that do not reside in the US. These guys are getting hammered with a cost that is MUCH higher than the domestic rate. We need to come up with a way of accomodating them. They are a very important segment of our membership....If we don't do something for them, we will certainly lose the non-United States membership...

[steveneill]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

OK Matt. Got my fingers crossed.

I know this is a big problem and the solution is a tough one. I haven't offered much of an alternative because I really don't have one admittedly so. I would just hate to see the only model submarine magazine in the world disappear from actual print.

Steve