What a koi club can give back to the community?

[koiczar]

Quote: Originally Posted by jnorth Wouldn't we all. Personally I think coercing a club to do volunteer work is ok and all but volunteer work is something you have to personnally want to do. I suppose asking people to bring a toy for toys for tots or clothes for the local homeless shelter for the annual club christmas party wouldn't be a bad idea.

Santa Clara Valley Koi club did that for 4 years. Why it stopped I don't know but it's was very well received by the Fire Dept.

[mitten]

The local club here has fostered a small private school, contributing yearly, and is even helping with college tuition for one of the students, now that this one excellent student has outgrown the high school. They also send money to the KHV program. There have been other organizations they have helped, too. This is all funded by the annual pond tour. Yearly totals are thousands. And this sure ain't California.

The club has a straightforward message about eliminating rocks in the bottom of the pond, but many members still keep salt in their ponds for the winter while the waterfalls run. Michigan---winter wonderland--- running waterfalls. Bottom drains are exotic. Four feet is really deep.

Mickey the windowman

[aquitori]

I feel that a non-profit organization should give back to the community. I know it is one thing to be touchy feeely, but holidays are slowly around us....I would like to help this coming holiday season by making a challege to all ZNA Clubs in the US to see whos club can come up with the most toys for tots this Christmas. I will take this as an action item for my ZNA Norcal Club. Jim thanks for the idea, I hope my ZNA SoCal friends will do the same this coming holiday season. I hope Jim can do the same with his ZNA Potomac Club too.....

Tony.

[Bern]

We support the 'Special needs' school where we hold the koi show by particpating in their fund raising activities and holding some of our own.

e.g. www.koi-clubs.com/SouthEast/school2.htm

rgds BERN

[bekko]

Our club participates in some Japanese cultural events which are both entertaining and educational. We operate with a bare minimum of dues and do not try to accumulate money so there is never any excess to donate to charities. Maybe we should adopt a highway or something.

-ste veh

[jnorth]

Quote: Originally Posted by aquitori I feel that a non-profit organization should give back to the community. I know it is one thing to be touchy feeely, but holidays are slowly around us....I would like to help this coming holiday season by making a challege to all ZNA Clubs in the US to see whos club can come up with the most toys for tots this Christmas. I will take this as an action item for my ZNA Norcal Club. Jim thanks for the idea, I hope my ZNA SoCal friends will do the same this coming holiday season. I hope Jim can do the same with his ZNA Potomac Club too..... Tony.

Hmm that sounds like a challenge. I'll be sure to bring it up to the officers and see what they think .

[johnsmith]

Interesting. Kinda the old Japanese ZNA way. Most people don't realize this but ZNA was once looked at like a type of Lions club or Mason's association where good works were part of the purpose of the club. Installation of ponds at old age homes, maintenance of same was a common pet project. Later that was modified to be volunteer care takers of public water parks and local koi attractions at museums and universities. A very specialized volunteer force. Made perfect sense.

Today, most people join clubs to see what they can get out of it for their dues paid. More of a consumer or transactional mentality. Anyone who has been a show chairman knows how hard it is to get volunteers to help set up and especially take down the koi show. People have no problem giving money or making gestures of kindness, but time is guarded jealousy in this hectic world and the old tradition of donating time is very hard to come by these days.
JR

[Bern]

Too true Jim.

Many is the time I have heard phrases like "I've outgrown the club" etc over the last few years. When I have replied with comments like "Then now is the time to put something back" the responses have varied from looks of horror to pity. However, that is no reason to give up trying.

Koi Shows are another area/opportunity to raise money for needy causes. At this years South East show (www.koi-clubs.com/SouthEast ) there was a static display about a sponsored climb up Mount Fuji (by a local hobbyist-come-purveyor of mail-order dry goods) in aid of a Breast Cancer charity as well as a stand selling donated second hand goods by another group of hobbyists from the Koi Quest forum raising money for the AKCA KHV Project (they raised £1,022). The club donated the space and furniture.

I view Web-forums as a Cyber-Koi Club and over here several have their own pet charities. Koi Quest has the AKCA KHV Project, Koi Chat has a breast cancer hospice as theirs and the amount raised has passed £15k

We can but persevere and spread the word.
Amen brother.

Bern

[johnsmith]

Bern, you are wise in this game my friend!

I can see and do understand the comment about " I've outgrown the club".

after learning what they need to learn and maybe getting caught up in 'people stuff' I can see some wanting to 'move on'.

But your response is brilliant. When one thinks the club was all about oneself and one's own collection its hard to respond to the their comment as to them, it says it all- end of the road. But your response says, the fun ( and some heavy lifting) has just begun and now You have a responsibility to help others the way we helped you! Its that whole 'pay it forward' concept.

I don't reject the idea of collecting toys for poor kids. Kinda sweet. But honestly there is enough 'missionary work' to be done within the club itself. Suffering koi in awful pond environments or kids who don't get new toys for Christmas- kind of a weird choice , eh ?
When you have a core group of say 30 individuals who are on top of the koi thing then maybe it is time for an outside the hobby project to get involved in? Until then, there are STILL only 24 hours in every day.

[KoiCCAPW]

Quote: Originally Posted by koiczar Santa Clara Valley Koi club did that for 4 years. Why it stopped I don't know but it's was very well received by the Fire Dept.

Well, let's do it again this year! I think it's a great idea! Maybe the Santa Clara club and the Norcal ZNA can have an informal contest as to who can collect the most toys.
Mike, or Tony, you guys coming to the board meeting this thursday? Let's get them to do it again!