"Virtual" chapter of the PFRA

[Lee Elder]

If it's going to meet on-line, why is there a need for geographic boundaries?

The definition of a chapter in the PFRA is a sub-organization of the PFRA that serves people in a specific geographic area. A virtual chapter that is all-inclusive of PFRA members is simply the PFRA itself but virtually. The PFRA needs to think about how to do more virtual things, perhaps an off-year virtual conference, but a virtual chapter is not the thing.

Where did you get the definition?

[RyanChristiansen]

The definition of a chapter in the PFRA is a sub-organization of the PFRA that serves people in a specific geographic area.

Where did you get the definition?

The only chapters the PFRA has or has had have been chapters that serve people in a specific geographic area. SABR chapters follow the same model. I couldn't find anything official in the bylaws, and so common practice/precedent provides the definition. Has an official definition been published that would override common practice and precedent?

[Lee Elder]

The definition of a chapter in the PFRA is a sub-organization of the PFRA that serves people in a specific geographic area.

Where did you get the definition?

The only chapters the PFRA has or has had have been chapters that serve people in a specific geographic area. SABR chapters follow the same model. I couldn't find anything official in the bylaws, and so common practice/precedent provides the definition. Has an official definition been published that would override common practice and precedent?

No and that's my point. There is no definition within the parameters of the PFRA. The SABR model has no bearing, since their bylaws are not ours. A virtual PFRA chapter COULD include any football fan with access to the internet from anywhere. The PFRA chapters in Buffalo and Philly do that now. They welcome visitors from elsewhere, they just don't get many.

[RyanChristiansen]

A virtual PFRA chapter COULD include any football fan with access to the internet from anywhere. The PFRA chapters in Buffalo and Philly do that now. They welcome visitors from elsewhere, they just don't get many.

Of course, any chapter would welcome outsiders and potential members to gatherings, but geography and travel naturally limit the reach of the gatherings for the Buffalo and Philly chapters, and isn't that a good thing in some ways? Should chapters compete for members by becoming virtual entities that are open to everyone, everywhere?

[Lee Elder]

A virtual PFRA chapter COULD include any football fan with access to the internet from anywhere. The PFRA chapters in Buffalo and Philly do that now. They welcome visitors from elsewhere, they just don't get many.

Of course, any chapter would welcome outsiders and potential members to gatherings, but geography and travel naturally limit the reach of the gatherings for the Buffalo and Philly chapters, and isn't that a good thing in some ways? Should chapters compete for members by becoming virtual entities that are open to everyone, everywhere?

I don't see it as good or bad. It's just two good groups of football fans. As for the streaming, I'm not sure the return on investment would be enough to make the effort worth it.

[JeffreyMiller]

Again, I must emphasize that the Buffalo (or WNY) chapter was set up to be regional, so members from Rochester, Syracuse, Erie, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Cleveland, etc. could join us. We have ALWAYS let it be known that everyone is invited. Short of sending the association chopper to pick people up, it couldn't be more open.

I would also like to state for the record that in seven years of annual gatherings, we have welcomed members from ten different states (New York, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington DC) and also zoomed a guest speaker in from Texas. I'd say we are pretty darned inclusive.

[Lee Elder]

Again, I must emphasize that the Buffalo (or WNY) chapter was set up to be regional, so members from Rochester, Syracuse, Erie, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Cleveland, etc. could join us. We have ALWAYS let it be known that everyone is invited. Short of sending the association chopper to pick people up, it couldn't be more open.

I would also like to state for the record that in seven years of annual gatherings, we have welcomed members from ten different states (New York, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington DC) and also zoomed a guest speaker in from Texas. I'd say we are pretty darned inclusive.

Agreed!

[Jay Z]

Again, I must emphasize that the Buffalo (or WNY) chapter was set up to be regional, so members from Rochester, Syracuse, Erie, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Cleveland, etc. could join us. We have ALWAYS let it be known that everyone is invited. Short of sending the association chopper to pick people up, it couldn't be more open.

I would also like to state for the record that in seven years of annual gatherings, we have welcomed members from ten different states (New York, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington DC) and also zoomed a guest speaker in from Texas. I'd say we are pretty darned inclusive.

Okay. I want to try and break through this discussion.

If a guest speaker can be zoomed in from Texas, could an attendee also zoom in? And if that, can more than one attendee zoom in?

Some of this just seems to be coming down to semantics. Like the definition of a chapter.

I have been a member for a long time. Love writing for the books. Written a couple of Coffin Corner articles, need to write more. Pay my dues, love the member content and the gamebooks. Been to one conference, would like to go to more but I'm a single dad and parenting or cost gets in the way most of the time.

What I hear is that people would like to meet virtually. I know that at one time the group went a long time without having conferences. I do not know if the officers of the group at the time were required to be able to meet in person. I don't know that now. I appreciate the hell out of everything that a lot of people do for this group to keep it going. But I am here for the content and the interest I have in football history and because people keep it running on a practical basis. I admit I am less concerned in the definition of a chapter and officer structure. Though I don't want the group to become chaotic, so anything that is needed there helps.

So would the Buffalo chapter be able to hold Zoom meetings that anyone could attend or speak at? Would someone be able to start a Seattle chapter if he or she doesn't live close to any other member? By meeting virtually? The main thing here is people seem to want to meet on Zoom or its equivalent.

[Ken Crippen]

Again, I must emphasize that the Buffalo (or WNY) chapter was set up to be regional, so members from Rochester, Syracuse, Erie, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Cleveland, etc. could join us. We have ALWAYS let it be known that everyone is invited. Short of sending the association chopper to pick people up, it couldn't be more open.

There's an association chopper? NOW you tell me.

[RichardBak]

Again, I must emphasize that the Buffalo (or WNY) chapter was set up to be regional, so members from Rochester, Syracuse, Erie, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Cleveland, etc. could join us. We have ALWAYS let it be known that everyone is invited. Short of sending the association chopper to pick people up, it couldn't be more open.

There's an association chopper? NOW you tell me.

Surprised you didn't know. Here's some members catching a ride to the Pittsburgh convention.

PFRA chopper.JPG (52.5 KiB) Viewed 1022 times