North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[John S <swim_at_svc@yahoo.com>]

Jerry,

I take exception to the last paragraph of your response below.  I used to be 
a NAFEX member.  I have also been long term unemployed and can no longer 
justify the membership fee as a result.  Yet the free listserve has let me 
remain in contact and, I believe, has helped to recruit new members to the 
organization.  Now the on-line forum excludes me from full participation 
which is OK, but please do not try to disrupt or destroy a valuable listserve.

To suggest that my participation on the listserve is destructive to NAFEX or 
to suggest that NAFEX members who respond to questions on the free listserve 
is destructive to NAFEX is shortsighted.

There are bigger issues, such as Interest Groups that have no activities or 
do not respond to NAFEX members inquiries.  These are tough times for many, 
including organizations.  Let's not turn inward and become self-destructive.  
I hope to be in a position to rejoin some day.  NAFEX should maintain a 
stewardship for the topic and move away from cliquishness.

John


--- On Sat, 12/17/11, Jwlehman@aol.com <Jwlehman@aol.com> wrote:

> From: Jwlehman@aol.com <Jwlehman@aol.com>
> Subject: [NAFEX] NAFEX question
> To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 12:14 PM
> 
> >   Now that NAFEX has been fragmented,
> how does a potential new member
> > >join?  If a potential member attempts to
> join, will he be directed to the
> > >new listserv or to this one?
> > >
> > >Jim Fruth   
> 
> I forwarded Jim's question to NAFEX President Dr. Ethan
> Natelson and here 
> was his response:
> 
> I would not agree that Nafex has been fragmented, but
> simply put into a 
> fiscally responsible position.   Nobody is forced to join
> or participate in 
> 
> any particular social network and whether one joins the
> original list 
> serve, 
> which is not under the control of Nafex, or the
> newly-created one, which 
> is, or neither, is their choice.       
>                
>               End 
> quote 
> 
> Many organizations such as NAFEX, NNGA (Northern Nut
> Growers Assoc.), state 
> nut grower organizations are experiencing great membership
> decline. These 
> organizations were established by growers for growers with
> common interest to 
> share information. NNGA celebrated their 100th anniversary
> two years ago. 
> Membership has declined by about 75%, NAFEX isn't far
> behind. The main reason 
> is massive amounts of free expert information made
> available by the 
> Internet, FREE. The motivating force for paying any
> membership free has changed 
> from obtaining information to social comradery. 
> 
> Maybe 10 years ago at a NAFEX board meeting someone (prior
> to Dr. Parmar) 
> said any organization that doesn't have a web site will
> fall by the wayside. 
> NAFEX has had a web site for years. It has often been
> suggested POMONA be 
> published entirely on the web site. Most people will not
> voluntarily pay for 
> information by joining when it is available free. The free
> Internet is the 
> downfall of many special grower interest organizations. Not
> many will pay for 
> the cow when they can get the milk for free
> 
> Smaller associations such as MIDFEX (Mid America Fruit
> Explorers) in the 
> Chicago area and INGA (Indiana Nut Growers Assoc.) have
> done better due to the 
> physical nearness of their membership. Scion swap meetings
> and grafting 
> demonstration meetings for example promotes purchased
> memberships. 
> 
> INGA membership has been fairly steady at 300 due to
> membership interest 
> meetings and the very low cost of membership, $7.00
> annually or $100 for 
> lifetime membership. Half of INGA members have purchased
> Life Time Memberships.  
> 
> Every subscriber of this free LISTSERV who elects not to
> pay for membership 
> contributes to NAFEX decline. And every time we paying
> members answer 
> questions on this net we also contribute to the end of
> NAFEX. This situation is 
> the by product of the free information age similar to the
> US postal service 
> demise.  
> 
> Jerry Lehman  
> Diehard paying NAFEX member since the mid 1980s.  
> 
>     
> __________________
> nafex mailing list 
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subscribe, unsubscribe, change your user configuration or
> find out more about the list here:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/
>