2008 Convention

Paul and Doug, I applaud getting involved at the local level and it sounds as if your LMSC and its swimmers are well served by your efforts. In his Vision & Action Plan, Butcher points to the coach as the single most important person in the member experience and it is hard to argue. How much more local can you get than for the LMSC to support good coaching for everyone who wants it? All you have to do is look at the many views of Ande's advice/blog threads to see that there is a lot of hunger for such information, and I don't think it comes only from those who want to compete. But negative comments towards the national organization do a great disservice to many people like Rob Copeland, Mark Gill, Mary Beth Windrath and many many others who put in A LOT of time and whose efforts that directly benefit all USMS members. You act as if your LMSC is not beholden at all to USMS and it just isn't true. (And if USMS can and should serve you better, help make it happen.) Do you like USMS Swimmer magazine? This web site and the fora? Online registration? Top ten lists? The list goes on and it isn't just about competition. What's more, I really like the way Butcher writes in his document about how USMS can better serve ALL of its members (not just habitual competitors), and good energetic people are needed to make it happen, acting at many scales not just the local. Fine if you don't have the patience or mentality to contribute at the national level but don't denigrate the efforts of those who do by statements like "there are some good ideas that get implemented at glacial speed" (forgive the paraphrase, but that is the essence of the two of your comments). Chris, I have been very careful to be critical of the organization and the process and not the people so I take a bit of offense at your suggestion that I'm merely making "negative comments" and "doing a disservice" with my posts. The bottom line is that I pay to be a part of this organization and just as in any "service" industry I believe my dues allow me to be critical of the "product" which gets delivered if it isn't what I think it should/could be. And simply saying things like "get involved" if you don't like it is a cope out...so I should shut up and take what I'm given if I'm not going to join in the process? In other words if you don't like the food you're served at a restaurant go back in the kitchen and make it yourself? Not quite sure what your talking about with regard to an LMSC not being beholden to USMS...other than the (mainly) competitive benefits you cite what (other than a nice mission statement from the ED) is USMS providing the 90% of its membership? I challenge you to show me that the majority of those people would not forgo a USMS membership if it was not required by the club or facility they train at. Finally you use the word "denigrate" when I describe a process that I have participated in...interesting. So what have I described inaccurately?

Paul and Doug, I applaud getting involved at the local level and it sounds as if your LMSC and its swimmers are well served by your efforts. In his Vision & Action Plan, Butcher points to the coach as the single most important person in the member experience and it is hard to argue. How much more local can you get than for the LMSC to support good coaching for everyone who wants it? All you have to do is look at the many views of Ande's advice/blog threads to see that there is a lot of hunger for such information, and I don't think it comes only from those who want to compete. But negative comments towards the national organization do a great disservice to many people like Rob Copeland, Mark Gill, Mary Beth Windrath and many many others who put in A LOT of time and whose efforts that directly benefit all USMS members. You act as if your LMSC is not beholden at all to USMS and it just isn't true. (And if USMS can and should serve you better, help make it happen.) Do you like USMS Swimmer magazine? This web site and the fora? Online registration? Top ten lists? The list goes on and it isn't just about competition. What's more, I really like the way Butcher writes in his document about how USMS can better serve ALL of its members (not just habitual competitors), and good energetic people are needed to make it happen, acting at many scales not just the local. Fine if you don't have the patience or mentality to contribute at the national level but don't denigrate the efforts of those who do by statements like "there are some good ideas that get implemented at glacial speed" (forgive the paraphrase, but that is the essence of the two of your comments). Chris, I have been very careful to be critical of the organization and the process and not the people so I take a bit of offense at your suggestion that I'm merely making "negative comments" and "doing a disservice" with my posts. The bottom line is that I pay to be a part of this organization and just as in any "service" industry I believe my dues allow me to be critical of the "product" which gets delivered if it isn't what I think it should/could be. And simply saying things like "get involved" if you don't like it is a cope out...so I should shut up and take what I'm given if I'm not going to join in the process? In other words if you don't like the food you're served at a restaurant go back in the kitchen and make it yourself? Not quite sure what your talking about with regard to an LMSC not being beholden to USMS...other than the (mainly) competitive benefits you cite what (other than a nice mission statement from the ED) is USMS providing the 90% of its membership? I challenge you to show me that the majority of those people would not forgo a USMS membership if it was not required by the club or facility they train at. Finally you use the word "denigrate" when I describe a process that I have participated in...interesting. So what have I described inaccurately?