Missdirected:
Oh no doubt, Tracy!!! We're just looking at ways to make it better for the Conchs as a whole! Believe it or not, we (the advisors) listen- especially when so many of the staff happen to call Florida home. Face it, our parent forum is probably the single most active regional forum on SB- with the added challenge of having visitors who may plan a trip that encomapsses 2-3 extemely different regions & types of dives. After all, we have the Atlantic, the Gulf, the Springs, the Keys... heck, I am preaching to the choir about our diversity!
We Conchs have been blessed with some of the finest diving in all of the US- no matter what kind of diving it is! So, it behooves us to work together...& that, sometimes requires a bit of compromise to come up with the best workable solution for Florida as a whole, while recognizing the needs of both the majority & the minority- no small or easy task for the advisors to accomplish. Give us some grace & credit to our attempts, please.
I know that it is sometimes lost in the translation how much we apreciate the energy of Tampa- just as y'all "Northerners" may not always recognize the more laid back attitude of us in the southern part of the state- we "Southerners" tend to run on island time & attitude a bit more
We in the south have to find a way to make sure our northern & visiting bretheren are comfortable with the way we do things while accomodating y'all "Northerners" & also our many, many visitors. Our approach is different but our goals are the same- we want to ensure that everyone feels welcome & joins us to dive- short or long term. Right? However we differ in our approaches, our common goal seems to be to promote diving & welcoming newcomers- both for the long term & the short term- with SB as the vehicle we all use to make our diving more accessable & enjoyable for all. IOW, we are not nearly so far apart as some might think. Will the assigned point of contact be Lisa? Probably not, although we are still working to identify that reliable source of contact for Florida & the Tampa club. Each & every mod has either assigned duties or life limitations to be considered & the advisors have to factor in considerations that y'all might not need to know about. Rest assured that we have the same ultimate goal- to continue to develop a community by, & about, diving that is inclusive of the majority of our members.
Hope this makes sense & clarifies things a bit.
