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A Reminder of What We Stand For


Origami

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It has recently come to my attention that a few of us may have, in our passion, forgotten just what this organization stands for and what we're about. If you don't know or don't recall, it's easy to find: Just click on "About WAMAS" in the blue ribbon at the top of every page. Let me copy it here for convenience's sake:

 

The Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarist Society, Inc. (WAMAS) is a 501(c )3 non profit educational society dedicated to the husbandry of marine life in a captive environment. Our mission has many facets:

  • To exchange information with one another, thus sharing our collective knowledge on successful husbandry of the animals in our care and promoting education on advanced captive husbandry practices.
  • To promote captive propagation and exchange of ornamentals within our organization and encourage conservation both within and outside of the aquarium trade.
  • To encourage public outreach through Internet presence and interaction with the marine aquarium trade.
  • To further our understanding of the oceans and ocean life by providing education on the current status of the world's coral reefs and ongoing research in the scientific community regarding coral reefs.

I've underlined key words in this mission statement: Exchange, Promote, Encourage and Further Understanding.

 

I understand that we are a community of passionate hobbyists and I understand that we find it difficult sometimes to watch what we think may be a train wreck in the making. But, I want to remind people that in these situations we have two choices that we can make: We can choose to be encouraging, reaching out and using the opportunity to educate and nurture; or we can choose to be discouraging, stifling the honest and well-intentioned questions of somebody new to the hobby and our community. In the first case, we have (with patience and understanding) the opportunity to respond positively and make an impact that might avert that feared train wreck. In the latter case, we may only succeed in driving somebody away, leaving them to navigate the hobby on their own and, quite possibly, fail in a way that none here would want. It's obvious to me, with just one glance at our mission statement, what our preferred collective response should be.

 

People come and go in this hobby. Our job is to encourage and make it a positive learning experience for everybody that they can grow from and share with others. Let's remember that and, as needed, review and remind each other what our Mission Statement says and expects from us as individuals and as a community.

 

 

 

 

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Great post, I've been seeing this lack of help to newbs and lack of sharing of information compared to years past and I've been meaning to post something.  Glad I'm not the only one...

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Thanks for the nice reminder, Tom.

 

But most of my best friends are a-holes. Not sure what that says about me. Maybe I like to be the nice one. Or maybe I just dont know myself that well, and I am running with a crowd just like me. 8)

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  • 3 months later...

Great post, I've been seeing this lack of help to newbs and lack of sharing of information compared to years past and I've been meaning to post something. Glad I'm not the only one...

Haven't seen it in comparison but as a relative newcomer to the group I have.

+1

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  • 6 months later...

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