:claps: :claps:

I want to add so that people know, I am not trying to be confrontational on this. Seawolf and I have had this discussion before, we are just on opposite sides of the coin...

Clearly technology has provided a new kind of club, to say the regular members of S-B.com arn't participating in a club would be absurd.

Given the diversity of the participants, the openess and the easy and non-threatening nature of the conversation, I'd even wager that an individual might get much more from an online "club" than a traditional one. Just don't expect a cuppa at 2am :gu:

I'm not saying the traditional club is dead, and this is the way of the future...but you know what I mean.

Back when I was on the Iowa State Karate team, you had to be a black belt to fight in some large competitions. If you weren't yet but were good enough to compete, Master Pak would simply make you one for the day. It really wasn't that big of a deal...

If the purpose of the event is to raise money, it makes no sense to exclude when there would be so many simple ways to allow ad-hoc clubs that are following a specified set of rules.

-spence

I agree. We are, certainly in spirit and by the dictionary's definition, a modern iteration of a pretty open and inclusive "club". We are not a replacement for the traditional club, in fact, we actively encourage participation in "brick and mortar" clubs and support these clubs as well and do not wish to impede or supplant them.

Just a new way of doing the traditional "club"...

:claps: :cputin: :claps:

john - i also want to state, as you did, that i am not trying to point a finger at sb or be confrontational. i am just making points as a tournament chairman.

these are some of the issues that continue to come up. it's just that if there are loopholes, people will use them. i've seen it. i always tried to close as many loopholes in any of my tournaments as possible to avoid these types of situations. as basicpatrick stated above, more could be done to make clubs prove they are ligit clubs. i have been around the mda for years and have heard first hand and second hand about all the issues, complaints, arguments, etc., from one person or club. i just remember those and see if i start to hear a trend. the "controversy" w/ sb entering the tournament that one year happened after the previous year and before the next year's tournament. i just brought these issues i commonly heard to the mda chairman and gave some suggestions about how to handle it. oh, and you'd be surprised by how very few participants the clubs that i know actually have fishing for them.

i agree with you john that sb is a community. but, my point was take those of us on this site out of the picture and look at it from someone that doesn't really know the site. to them, it's considered a website. how do you prove to them you are a club or community? does it hold any weight to these people? also, the same can be said for some fishing clubs as you mentioned. most do very little outside their little community inside those doors. many probably are not involved in fisheries or ROW's/access.

i also do not want you to think i am telling you to do all these things to get sb to that next level. there should be some here are willing to take these bulls and run with them, with your approval of course. there are many here with plenty of qualifications to do these things. i just think sb is ready to make that jump.

oh, and the fear thing, that was just me talking some smack! if you can talk it, you better be able to back it up.

Did you notice the little faces - it is called a sense of humor