Once again - lots of great feedback, and good ideas - thanks to everyone!
By the way, the reason you don't see me in here more often is that I'm only good for a couple of "brilliant" paragraphs every three to six months, and I really have to save those for my little column in Guitarmaker these days...
We do, and will continue, to work closely with the Lutherie forums... At least those that are interested in working with us. Lance, for example, has been terrific regarding shared ideas for mutual growth between our two organizations, while others view us as a competitor and possible threat to their very existance. I also believe there are still a few remaining trust issues for some folks, and that we have a lot of "proving ourselves" to do. These are battles we will fight on our own merrits, and I believe that, over time, as we introduce more and more consistancy and regularity, most of those few remaining walls will crumble.
News stand distribution is another question however. Most magazine distributors are not interested in "small" titles with highly focused content - it just doesn't pay the distributor to give magazines like ours prime real estate on a very competitive stand where HUGE titles compete for position and, if a few were to take that chance on us, the costs would be prohibitive when you consider that we would have to double or triple our current print run, on the off-chance that we might gain a few new members through news stand sales. It's simply not a "paying" proposition.
One of the differences not mentioned, between ASIA and GAL, is discussion exactly like this. I'll preface these next remarks by saying that I have great respect for Tim and their organization, and have been a member of GAL, on and off, for many years - there is no animosity between us anymore - at all.
There are, however, operational differences spawned both by ASIA's original concept of "Board and member run", AND by the fact that we are all volunteers who work for the membership as opposed to a salary - (which I may re-negotiate after the crunch of this last 8 months!
). While both organizations are technically "not for profit" corporations, our operation is transparent - our books are open, our policies are set by imput from the membership, and I have no problem, whatsoever, discussing our "inner workings" in a forum such as this. it's all out on the table for discussion.
That's not to say that GAL has some "hidden agenda", or that they're doing something they don't want you to know about - they don't, and they aren't. It's just that they follow a different business model. A good business model to be sure, but one that possibly allows for a bit less interaction from the membership.
If you're simply a "consumer", and prefer to let the organization do all of the work so that you may sit back and enjoy it - and there is nothing particularly wrong with that - GAL fills that need. If, however, you are proactive, and wish to be a real part of growing and maintaining an organization through participation and volunteerism, well, this was one of the original precepts ASIA was founded on. The original group that started this association didn't particularly "hate" the GAL, they simply wanted to have more of a voice in their association's policies and direction.
Now, having set my head out on that chopping block, I'll admonish you all to join BOTH organizations - it's all good.
We'll continue to work with Lance in any and all ways that we can find to mutually benefit both the community, and our organizations respectively, and I believe that ASIA and OLF have a lot of possibilities in front of them. There will be those who cry "favoritism", or "cronyism", but, their absence from the mix will only be due to their lack of asking to be a part of it, just as the absence of a particular subject matter or topic in the magazine will only be due to it's lack of submission. (How'd you like the way I worked that in here, Jim?)
ASIA is about participation. Write something, volunteer for something, take an active role in where we go and what we do. It truely is YOUR organization.
Bill
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