IMA Website up

I can't say that I agree with the position that there isn't anything home mead makers can contribute to the framing of the organization. It really comes off as "let us get our professional organization off the ground and then when we need cash from subscriptions to this and that, or when we need the humble masses to up our impression rate on our adds we'll let you know".

I'm not saying this is what is happening but I think it's suicide to not include the home mead making crowd right up front. At this point you might as well change the name to the Internation Association of Professional Mead Makers as that would be more representative. Alienating a huge contingent of your supposed audience (or at least not letting them have representation) from the formalities pretty much insures they become second class citizens of the organization.

</rant>

-jb

Hey Jab,

My impression is that the IMA has to get it's collective act together before they include the general meadmaking rabble (you and I) because they really don't have an organization of note, or of record.

There are plenty of logistical tasks that they need to formalize at a professional/business/administrative/organizational/communications level that the average home meadmaker does not have to deal with on a daily basis. From a strictly formative basis, to me it makes sense for them to have a solid structure in place so they can put their collective "best foot forward" to the general public. From a business standpoint it also makes sense to begin with those entities that derive their income from licensed production of mead as a common set of stake holders.

I personally would be disappointed to see a half-assed effort from the professionals in the industry offered up to us as a representative assocation of professionals.

At the same time, the professionals need to bear in mind that we as the general mead making/buying public can make or break the organization they are trying to formalize simply by boycotting or putting the word out that it is a bogus organization. I agree that the home meadmakers input is very important/pivotal to the success of the IMA, and would think that they will be looking to us for input in the very near future if they want the organization to be really successful.

For my part, I'm content at present to take a "wait and see" approach to what the IMA will be and how it will be presented to us.

Cheers,

Oskaar

I understand. I don't think I ever stated that the entire non-professional crowd be allowed. My point was simply that everything up to this point really sounded like "once us professionals figure out what the feeble minded non-professionals can't, we'll show you want we decided you need" type of deal. I definitely understand the need for organization and a solid foundation. But I also know the need to have all participating groups represented from the get go. I realize Vicky that you are involved, and I think Dan is as well. That's great. Saying "If you are a professional step right up and help us with this thing" is great but the other side of that coin is essentially "If you aren't a professional there isn't anything you can bring to the table."

I guess it's wait and watch. Thanks for keeping us in the loop Vicky. And BTW, if the budding IMA is looking for some home brewers to round out the organization and rebalance the scales, for the love of all that is holy, don't pick me. My organizational skills are horrible. :-*

jason - trying not to be a pain in the ass...really, I am trying...

Hello all -- coming in late on this one . . .

Don't worry, the amateurs are already involved in the IMA. Vicky, Ken Schramm, myself, we're all home meadmakers. I don't know the bios of all the people on the committees, but I'd guess there's a few others of us non-pros involved.

The forums allow for a more organized way for committee members to communicate with each other and see what the other committees are doing. Up to now, we've been exchanging e-mail communications, but we don't know what's going on with the other committees. The new setup will help tremendously.

Vicky is still working on the IMA site -- it's barely in place, only a few forums setup, and there's lots more to work on. She's been tinkering with it, and the final form, how loose or how structured it's going to be, is still in the makings.

The IMA is started, but there's still a ways to go before it's fully operational. Julia Herz has been a big encouragment here -- I keep throwing these ideas at her, she listens patiently and sends a timely reply, saying this will work out but first we'll need to do this, this, and some of that . . . Brings me down to earth real fast. Heck, I've been proposing running surveys while the IMA is still only in the organizational phase. Julia's been good with the reality checks.

Putting together a viable nonprofit grass roots organization is tough work. Right now, because of the stage the IMA is at, there are only a few people actively involved, putting together the nuts and bolds of the organization. After that, the IMA is up and running, there should be much more involvement. Gotta be! Pamela Spence, the founder of the American Mead Organization, gave the whole thing up at one point because it was simply too much work.

A thought occured to me -- with Vickie involved with the IMA, you could just about consider the GotMead forums as an informal extension of the IMA, and mostly for the homemeadmakers, because of the make up of the demographic population that hangs out here. Maybe not officially, but in practice, definitely so.