All,
I'm thinking about attending convention in three weeks. My reasons are several but most important is that I want to become more involved in USMS and I figure the best way to find out how/what/when/where is to attend convention.
Does this make sense? Would it be worthwhile?
Paul
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 from a different level? In other words if you don't like the food your 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 forgo a USMS membership if it was not required by the club of 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, I don't mean to give offense.
But I do think that criticizing the organization is tantamount to criticizing those who participate in it. Nothing is wrong with criticism, sure.
But what I am reacting to was the sense I get from both you of you that (a) USMS isn't serving its members and (b) serving at the national level is not worth the effort. The latter is a defeatist attitude: if USMS isn't serving its members then how will that change unless people are willing to make the effort for it to happen? I don't think it is a "cop-out" to say that.
The examples I used were: USMS Swimmer, the web site (and content like "Places to Swim" and the fora), online registration and Top Ten. All took vast effort to implement and maintain but only the last is overtly and completely geared to the competitive swimmer.
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 from a different level? In other words if you don't like the food your 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 forgo a USMS membership if it was not required by the club of 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, I don't mean to give offense.
But I do think that criticizing the organization is tantamount to criticizing those who participate in it. Nothing is wrong with criticism, sure.
But what I am reacting to was the sense I get from both you of you that (a) USMS isn't serving its members and (b) serving at the national level is not worth the effort. The latter is a defeatist attitude: if USMS isn't serving its members then how will that change unless people are willing to make the effort for it to happen? I don't think it is a "cop-out" to say that.
The examples I used were: USMS Swimmer, the web site (and content like "Places to Swim" and the fora), online registration and Top Ten. All took vast effort to implement and maintain but only the last is overtly and completely geared to the competitive swimmer.
