With being on afternoons at work they were always impossible for me to get to. Now that i'm on days, my son has had soccer and now baseball on thursdays, two more weeks of that then I'll be able to get there…
The drive to lansing has nothing to do with why i can't get to them…The drive doesn't bother me…..
How about entertaining the idea of moving the meeting to a different
gander every month? rotate the areas of the meeting ❓ Maybe more people will show up on average if its closer to them once in awhile?
Generally, folks prioritize activities/events within their schedule in advance. I always "pencil in" on my desk calendar and computer at work the MMA meetings so that it's already on there and I won't double book. I suppose some people who have children's activities to contend with make those dates a priority and that's understandable. But, I think it comes down to what do you really place value on. There are some people who NEVER make a meeting. They must not place much importance to it as everyone knows where and when they're held with a reminder and preview in the newsletter.
Last night's meeting featuring Will's (in depth) presentation on Thornapple Lake was VERY worthwhile. Basically, I found out I am typically focusing often in the wrong area (West end) with the wrong color lures for the most part. Since I like the food at Tripper's and enjoy a couple beers during the meeting as well, I find the time relaxing and the information VERY useful. The fact that my wife enjoys attending with me is a bonus. Those of you that don't attend would find the company friendly and open to your comments. Last night while I was out of the room momentarily, Helen purchased the raffle tickets and one was a winner that gave me a large Jake in a color I didn't have. So, that was nice. Even though I have fished at Thorn 6 times atleast I learned a lot about the lake last night and feel more confident about my next time on the water there.
Please take my advice. Come to the family picnic and fishing outing on the 25th at Charlton Park (Thornapple Lake). You'll enjoy the commaraderie. Perhaps then you'll see why those of us who attend the meetings regularily do so.
I don`t think anything is being done incorrectly.The meetings are informative,fun,chance to win something,and you get a little CLOSER to the club core.
I guess I`d rather be fishin.And I don`t want to drive an hour after work and drink beer and drive home.What`s the difference between fishin murray driving 45 minutes and fishin…….hmm.
I like the idea of the meetings…but maybe more in winter/early sprind(Dec-March).I don`t know….I would probably find some reason to miss those too…weather,roads,hangover…etc..
I think it`s maybe time to think of a new chapters concept but not actually doing it yet.Let`s say the west michigan guys meet at stinsons,house,schultz,kingfishers,etc..
Midland guys meet at bombas,dans,etc..
Lansing guys are welcome wherever,about the same drive north or west,meet at lemays,chucks.
LSC guys meet at chads,phils,or with the lansing guys..
Northern michigan guys form there own posse,etc…
Meet once a month at someones house,have food,grill/munchies,etc
Then maybe have only 2 or 3 strategic planning meetings with everyone,hopefully 40-50 people…heck there`s already how many inc.members/forum registered people 70-100.
At those meetings,make it serious….maybe like some kind of round table deal in a banquet room,with just water(maybe whisly too..lol..),voting,ideas,arguing,agenda stuff?????????
I`ve been thinkin about this for awhile…not a break from MMA…just a different feel….6-12 people meeting at a house….havin fun.
A little more….your my friend/friend slash thing……not really like driving 2 hours,not really getting to know someone and trying to cram in business and still trying to talk muskies…
I don`t know?????????
All I know is you can`t come to my house…LOL..LOLOMA 
💡 💡 💡 💡
DU :twisted:I also think maybe a saturday evening or sunday evening would be better..like being able to fish still in the am…maybe like 5pm to whenever….we have daylight now until sept….who knows I`ll probably change my mind tommorrow and move to Wisconsin….
I went to like the first two ever meetings…skipped a couple years,went a couple,went to a banquet,missed a banquet..see a trend…
Wishy washy flakey old wisconsin fisher fart whisky buzzard loving Dave
Obviously distance is an issue for some of us, I was not aware that the meetings were anything but business. Perhaps if we had a preview of the agenda we could input our thoughts and discuss them on this board, then the collective information could be presented on behalf of those too far away to attend. Obviously I could be there if I made it a priority but it is several hours away and normally during the week. If there were an off season "work session" That was to be a serious three to four hour meeting on serious topics with no regional or emotional bias I would certainly make an effort to attend. I would like to be involved in the club at a more biological level and have an input as to certain aspects of the clubs mission, but I certainly claim no right to tell people from afar what they should or should not do. In the future I will take a more active role but I currently do not have the time to give. (Before anyone razzes me understand I work full time and do 12 to 15 hours per semester year round so I really am short on time.) The bulk of the membership is obviously to the south of the state but I believe that the future must include the northern reaches as well if the club and the musky fishery is to prosper.
Kevin
sorry I left out the kalamazoo/battle creek guys,and probably sothern west michigan and ann arbor people…..Oh yeah the yoopers….lol
Just get your own little posse together and do your own thing on your locale of lakes,granted some people,bomba,schultz are going to travel the face of the earth in a week,you know who you are……..cave run,hit ovid a few days later,hit LSC on the weekend,o then maybe go back to LSC sunday if it was THAT good saturday!!!lol….musky nuts…..
example…kzoo guys meet at musky toms house,magnets,etc..
Grill out,shoot the crap,talk about there area lakes…….maybe after a couple drinks…maybe…maybe talk about what direction/thoughts.ideas,banquets,tourneys,they would like see happen..then…
Come strategic meeting time,that group brings there thoughts..
etc..etc..for each section of the state….
hmmmm….starting to sound like it could get ugly…lol..
Maybe a bad idea after all….
Maybe I`ll start my own musky club…lol..lol Hey Where is Fred anyway???
DU
Does anyone actually read their newsletter? All spring the meetings have been "no business" just fun, BS and a seminar.
Maybe they were too boring for too long and now nobody wants to attend.
I'm not pointing fingers (except at Dave) but we would like to know how to make the meetings better. We really thought the new format would get more people in the door on a regular basis.
Now, who's going to step up and work Fish Fest in July?
Dave I liked those ideas about the little possey in each area, but come on lets be realistic, we can't get 10 boats to enter a free contest where they don't have to drive anywhere except their home lake and just make plans to fish against another team on the same day, and a chance to win prizes
if they catch fish..????? Did I mention it was free? 
Bottom line is I think you'll always have the handful of people who want to be involved in something fun and cool, and more people than that who want to be wall flowers…. and i'm not sure how WE change that ❓
I really would love to be able to attend meetings at a regular basis or at all but, I just do not have the time. I have most Sundays off,mostly but not all and thats about it. Not to mention 3+hour there and 3+hour back rides. Like Kevin posted maybe a on-line post or chat meeting/pre-meeting to present ideas, opinions, proxy votes and the like.
DU -Any suggestions on where the "Northern Posse" could meet? Gaylord?, T.C.? Cheboygan? It's not like any of us even live in the same town. 😕 I guess we could all form our own individual posse. 🙄
Will, maybe you could do a closed circut video meeting or even a video confrence that could be linked to various drinking establishment across the state, it might up membership, just look what that club keno crap is doing.
Work keeps me away. Meetings later in the day on Friday or on Saturday night would work better for me.
First week of the month is usually my busiest if I'm in the office (I travel 40% mostly overseas). For the last meeting in June I was all set to go and leave work at 4:30 PM (I work near Hamtramack in Detroit) when I got called into a last minute meeting until 11PM. Its hard for me to leave work prior to 6:30PM at night during the week.
I guess I never really read the info about them in the newsletter. I usually work Thursday nights anyways, but I thought they were more talking about stocking, know the difference signs, legislation, etc and no offense but that stuff is kind of boring to me. I guess it is my own fault for not reading up on them, but I will try to make the ones I can from now on if there are seminars involved.
Honestly, I've never been to one of the meetings. I work quite often in the evenings, and that is one reason I don't attend. A big part of it is also distance, or more specifically gas needed to cover that distance. Same reason I haven't ever fished Ovid, and have only been to St. Clair once. I always try to attend a few outings, and definately hit the banquet. But I always know I am going to see a few freinds and I try harder to make sure those days are open. I don't have the same urge to attend those meetings… part of that may be because I haven't attended one yet.
Scott
"jasonvkop" said:
[quote="Will Schultz"]Does anyone actually read their newsletter? All spring the meetings have been "no business" just fun, BS and a seminar.
What newsletter (month) was this in?
This would have been a newsletter back in 2005.
I brought this back up to see if anything has changed. Being that MMA covers an entire state it is tough for people to make meetings – I understand that. What, if anything, would it take to get more people involved in the meetings?
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