# Herp Societies



## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Are the Herp Societies we have providing us with the right features and benefits?

Do they serve their memberships' well?

Do they take enough political interest?

Do they keep their members adequately informed?

Do they charge too much?

Do they charge too little?

Are incentives really required?

What do you or would you consider an ideal membership: in so far as what do you 'really' want a society to provide you as a member with?

Rory


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I don't really have much to do with our local herp society.

They charge a membership yearly and hold a meeting once a month locally where people can go to chat and regularly have speakers on.

They also do a lot of fundraising for our lcoal children's hospice by way of public open day shows, school visits etc and I know that the man who heads it all does a lot of work alongside the RSPCA for our area by taking and advising any reptile rescues.

Their website is very basic and seems, of late, to have more links for desktop icons and such than it does reptile related info - their forum section is proctically empty also.

I am a keeper who, due to my husband working long hours and my kids being young, doesn't have much of an opportunity to get to meetings - especially when they don't start till 8pm! 

I would happily pay membership fees to help if I thought they were dealing with political issues though and supporting the powers that be with them but this is not something that has ever been mentioned on thier site or anywhere else.

I approached them last year to seek support form them in organising a reptile event for the North of England to be told that they would not support it as they didn't want anti's being drawn to the area and causing problems for thier public shows which raise cash for the society and for charity. They felt it would be unsuitable to hold an event locally as they cover all the bases for such things themselves.

This is not the response I expected in all honesty - I would have liked to have the support of them to hold a proper, above the law event with educational areas and the chance to bring keepers form further afield to the area and widen the network a little.

I know within a society everyone has thier own view snad opinions of how things should be and what is PC and what is not - I would rather join somewhere that is going to fully support the hobby for everyone though and not just protect it's own little corner of the country.


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## t-bo (Jan 26, 2005)

TSKA Rory Matier said:


> Are the Herp Societies we have providing us with the right features and benefits?
> 
> * Do they serve their memberships' well?*
> 
> ...


I joined the FHB for a 2 year period, about 3 years ago... maybe 4 years ago.

I kinda expected newsletters, information... something... *ANYTHING*!! 

All I got in those two years was 2 homemade laminated membership cards. I wanted to know what was going on with the hobby, the new legislation we were fighting, what good we were doing as members of the FBH, just something a few times a year just to let me know I still exist apart from the subscription being pulled on my paypal account. It doesnt need to be much, but I think members need SOMETHING back so they know/feel part of the "society".


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

*Excellent insertion*

Hi T-BO

Good, strong and valid points

Thanks

R


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## captaincaveman (Nov 6, 2006)

I'm still working on that list rory:no1:


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

*CC*

Hi CC, 

I know you are, and you are doing a bloody good job.

Thankyou again

R


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

Ive not joined any for the reasons T-Bo listed. They do too little or what they do, they dont let members know.
I dont want to join something that just leaves me in the dark.

To answer the one question I can of yours Rory, yes, there do need to be incentives to join.
Even if its just a bi monthly newsletter letting you know whats happening out there. We dont need to know every step that an organisation is making to act against legislation but it would be good to be informed about which legislation we need to be concerned about.
It can be filled with junk about various animals, caresheets etc and doesnt need to be a 3000 word essay on 'what our society is doing for us'.
It would at least give the impression of something for your money and prevent people from thinking that they are paying a fee for nothing.


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

*a Big*

Thankyou.

Again Tops, l thank you for your contribution and the addition of your slogan, which is really quite catchy.

Rory


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

I must say, its quite hard to put together a fully informational newsletter each month, we do a quarterly one and apart from the odd artical, its always the same people who submitt anything.

Same with the shows we do, the odd change, but year in year out, its the same people who attend.

Outside of the committee, theres probebly around 5 or 6 members who volounter to help sometimes, thats out of something like 80-90 members !

A society is formed by us keepers and needs to be supported by us keepers, not just chuck a small membership fee at them and expect them to change the world !

We ask at many meetings, what type of speaker they would like, and the answer.. a deafing silence ! 

There is so much more I could say, but simply, its been said before !

Its just such a shame that those who do get involved, and they all know who they are, only have 24 hours in the day like everyone else !


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

ah well lets give up then?


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

Tops said:


> ah well lets give up then?


You see, thats the point, giving up and not getting involved is what is happening right now.

In another thread, there are comments about piled high cricket tubs full of leos with no room to move and how thats not right .... but still shed loads were sold !

I read many people saying 'ah wish there was a show closer to me'... how many miles will an _anti_ travel to a demo?

With these shows, clearly the law states they are to be hobbist meetings, not commercial breeders, yet some stalls are so in your face as commercial breeders.

Everyone has a part to play, and should support local societies.

I do however agree that as things stand, some of the 'big' feds seem to be lacking in coming forward, but again, there are not that many willing to put themselves and familiy at risk from the antis.

Thats the real story, we are worried about some views about viv size and the right to sell our offspring, yet we are fighting with those who think nothing of digging up bodies, firebombing, trespassing, theft, vandalism, assult... the list goes on.... the thing is they make the most noise and are heard first.


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

*True*

Some valid points PJ.

However, now is the time for this industry to start making some louder noise, to show those that oppose that we too can be heard.

But we should try not to walk directly into the cannon fire at times.

R


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

I've been looking into joining a society or group. But to be honest. I don't know if any have caught my attention yet.
At the Basildon show i'll be tailing fangio to see what the society he's rejoining has to offer.

In answering the thing about how far Anti's are willing to travel. I think i would be willing to (i'm not an anti btw i love my reps Lol) travel at least 100 miles for a meeting or herp show. I'm hoping to going to the Birmingham show in October or so i've been told. Partly to see whats available there, partly to see other members who i wouldn't have otherwise met. but also just to socialise with other rep owners, breeders. 

I wouldn't need incentives to join a society. I just would want to know what i could do to help keep the hobby alive. Also be informed on what kind of change the society i'm a part of is trying to do!

The main reason i've found that alot of people don't like or are scared of reps is because they don't understand. they've not held or even seen a reptile in the scales. Since i've become a keeper of reptiles so many people, including alot of my family, have held a reptile for the first time. And only one of them gave the same reaction as when i told them i was bringing one of my snakes or lizards down, that was partly because he was nearly killed by an adder in France Lol. Everyone else seemed fascinated and their whole view on reptiles changed. 

But yeah. We need societies to make people aware that reptiles aren't man eating animals. they aren't evil.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

most of them have herping trips around here. i belonged to two groups years ago. with one, we'd have a big convention at a college, listen to dusty, research presentations for a couple days and then go herping and party with a bunch of scientist, Phd. types. that was the FUN part!. watching egg heads get drunk while still wearing their pocket protectors!:lol2:


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

mmm, now we seem to be moving towards what a 'real' society should be..

a group of like minded people carrying out activities they are interested in....so the society is what you, the member, make it !

We committee members can only guide the society, lay on events we think everyone will enjoy, but in the end, our members have to join in. the horse and water come to mind.

Of course , a federation is different, has different aims and goals. Often its national, so members cant meet monthly. So they have to have other ways of encourging membership, and these have to be tangible.


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

TSKA Rory Matier said:


> Some valid points PJ.
> 
> However, now is the time for this industry to start making some louder noise, to show those that oppose that we too can be heard.
> 
> ...


I fully agree rory, and you know my thoughts on the 'cannon fire' as far as i am concearned, to hell with them, but its not just me, its family and _if_ i get probs, _will_ that harm the quite good I hope I am making, even if only on a small local scale?


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

purejurrasic said:


> mmm, now we seem to be moving towards what a 'real' society should be..
> 
> a group of like minded people carrying out activities they are interested in....so the society is what you, the member, make it !
> 
> ...


Do you have regular meeting Purejurrasic?
Well i just voiced what i thought a real society should be.
To be honest i wouldn't be willing to join a society who didn't aim to do the majority of what i viewed a society to be about.

The societies i've been looking at lately (due to it only being recent that i wanted to join one) have been local, or within 50 miles due to the meeting thing. To be honest i'd be willing to drive 100 miles. But wouldn't if the meeting was just for a drink.


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

Yes trice, every month we meet, normally around 30-40 of us, adults and junior sections, have a talk by some one, a chat with each other, pass on info, arrange public display shows etc.

Its all quite informal, and fun most times, but thats the meeting, the committee meetings can get pretty heated at times ! lol


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

you gotta have fun with herps. after all we're not handling nuclear weapons! i enjoyed humpin through the woods, catching herps, having cook outs and throwing wood on the bon-fire. it's not all about arguing about substrate or temps. it's a hobby. have fun with it and a little fellowship i say.......that's my two cents:lol2:


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Mind if i come join one of the meetings, see what it's like sometime PJ?


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## Fangio (Jun 2, 2007)

purejurrasic said:


> Yes trice, every month we meet, normally around 30-40 of us, adults and junior sections, have a talk by some one, a chat with each other, pass on info, arrange public display shows etc.
> 
> Its all quite informal, and fun most times, but thats the meeting, the committee meetings can get pretty heated at times ! lol


Same with ERAC also.






Trice you're welcome to join ERAC for the first meeting without joining up to "get a feel" for the club. I'd recommend it personally. Through the club I've done talks/displays/trade shows/conservation work/Trip to Dutch snake show + Rotterdam zoo/behind scenes visit at london zoo with a talk by Mark O'Shea among many other things. As I say i'll introduce you at the Basildon show and leave it up to you to decide


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Yep. I can't wait for the show. I am tagging along with you to see what they're all about. lol


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi Trice

Your very welcome, but TBH, we are much the same as ERAC, and they are much closer to you. It would be much easier for you to get more involved there than at ESRAS, simply due to the distance.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

HABU said:


> you gotta have fun with herps. after all we're not handling nuclear weapons! i enjoyed humpin through the woods, catching herps, having cook outs and throwing wood on the bon-fire. it's not all about arguing about substrate or temps. it's a hobby. have fun with it and a little fellowship i say.......that's my two cents:lol2:


That sounds better but if we were to go herping in the UK we wouldn't see much!

I dont fancy joining any society at the moment. I joined the FBH and got a membership card and nothing else even though they said on website you would get newsletters etc. I then joined the IHS which to be fair was ok you got thar Herptile magazine which is good but never really had anything of interest in for me personally. The one thing that puts me off about any society/group is you always have the people who want to be a legend in their own lunch box. I cant be bothered with the whole ego thing alot of people in the whole hobby have.


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

*So....*

The concensus so far is that perhaps all is *not lost* with societies, but more needs to be concentrated on by the societies themselves?

A society can only do what its membership allows and the membership can only make this happen for the society?

Politics is a way forwards but not to drone on about it, but in a members eyes, supply sufficient information in order to allow the membership to feel that they are informed?

Incentives are not an absolute must, but if payment is going to be 'tagged' then to receive a value for your money?

Rory


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