Postcard Exchange!

[Chickaflick 0]

I did on Friday! I sent you a PM. =)

[Canadiandggal 49]

Ok great just wanted to make sure you received it, sent it almost two weeks ago I think replying to your pm in a second.

[Pauley 2]

I need to write mine up and send it out today/tonight; apologies for the delay. Hopefully it gets there before August ends...

[antda 13]

Ok…I got the internet back on….And so, it’s back to posting on VJ…

As promised, here are responses to your posts…

Ashenflowers (and Everyone)-

Again, thanks again for posting the August list and for posting the complete participants lists.

As for participants who have dropped out…Sure there have been one (or maybe more…), but nevertheless that is still one person too many. And pretty soon if more people don’t receive their cards, it will be more than one person dropping out, and then the postcard exchange won’t exist anymore…which would be such a loss….So we might as well nip the problem of people dropping out now, before it gets out of hand….

And even after that one person dropped out, people still didn’t get their cards. So that goes to tell that that one person is not the problem, and there is another underlying problem and someone else or some other factor to blame instead.

In the end, is it better for a receiver to drop out because they didn’t receive their card, or is it better for a sender to drop out and/or to be forced out because they didn’t send their cards on multiple occasions?

At this point the list does need some updating. You or others might know and/or imply that it is an ongoing draw, but some others might not. Which is why we need to do some clean up, to actually figure out who is truly interested in participating, and who is not. For all I know, there could be some former participants out there that are unaware that they are on the list, and don’t even know about that. Which is why there should be a reminder and confirmation as to who is participating or not, and yes, do let them know that it is ongoing. And remind them too, that it is their responsibility to inform the coordinators as to if they want to participate or not..

How about something along these lines to also be written in the guidelines, as taken partially from your words: “It is everyone’s responsibility to inform the coordinators if you do not wish to participate in any given month, or to not participate at all. This is an ongoing list, and you will be put on the list every month, unless otherwise notified.” What do you all think?

And yes, a current “Are you in our are you out?” update e-mail (not in the thread, as messages sometimes gets lost in the thread) should be sent this time around in September, just as a quick reminder and an update as to who is participating or not. As well, this give an opportunity to invite/re-invite participants who would like to participate in “the new and improved VJ postcard exchange”…This is the job that can be left up to the next set of coordinators….

As for putting 2-3 people coordinating….Well, ‘two heads are better than one’ and ‘many hands make light work’, I like to think. And ‘one person can’t handle everything’, as you yourself as one person had difficulties with the exchange, and shouldn’t really expect one person to handle this on their own….So it would be ideal to find 2-3 people to help, especially if the postcard exchange will grow bigger and more people are participating…..

Anyways, whatever you decide to do with the postcard exchange, good luck with that. And yes, may the exchange

Ant

Kathryn41 (and Everyone)-

Thanks for the nomination, Kathryn…lol…

(and congrats too on being nominated as a chair of your committee that you were involved in for so many years…)

If everyone else on the postcard exchange is ok with it, then I don’t mind taking the responsibility of helping to coordinate it in the future….

As my ‘platform’ my goal is to keep the exchange: fun, fair, and safe for everyone that is participating. And I would like to see everyone happy in receiving and sending their cards. After all, what is a postcard exchange, without postcards?

Lol..So if the rest of the postcard exchange participants agree (and maybe you would all like to take a vote on this and be democratic about it….lol…). Then yes, I do accept the nomination….

I would though prefer to work as part of a coordinating team of 2-3 other directors/coodinators, especially if the exchange ever got to be too big and too many people, as I said before that ‘two or more heads are better than one…”

Anyone else interested in being a postcard exchange director/coordinator too?

However, at the moment, if it means saving the postcard exchange, to have one coordinator/leader/director versus not having anyone at all….Then for the time being I don’t mind taking this responsibility on my own if nobody else wants to coordinate with me.

I honestly do think that the exchange is worth saving, as it is and if it means I have to save it alone for the time being….then hopefully it will be worth it….

One more thing though…Is that if I do take this alone…I would have to start back up the exchange in October instead of September, as…

-This would give people more time to figure out if they want to participate in the exchange or not, and respond accordingly based on the confirmation e-mail

-This would give more time to invite new people into the exchange

-This would give people more time to shop for, make, and write their postcards (lol..no more excuses about being too busy to find cards…)

-This would give the coordinators more time to ‘clean up/’do housekeeping’ in regards to postcard exchange related issues, and for the ‘transfer process’ to be easier between Ashenflowers and the new coordinators…

Anyways, I do hope to keep the postcard exchange going for October and onwards….

What do you all think/say….Is the postcard exchange worth it?...

Ant

[ashenflowers 5]

All the contact information is now in the gmail account for the exchange. Once all of the new coordinators are chosen, please PM me, and let me know who to give the password to. That is all that would need to be done for the 'transfer'. Thank you.

I have nothing further to say on this topic. I won't be checking this thread again.

Edited August 24, 2010 by ashenflowers

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Hey guys =)

Yeah with my interview in a few days, I'm probably safer staying out of Septembers draw because I'll either be moving to GA or crying in my cereal because I was denied lol! Either way I'll hop back in for October with a new address!!

Also Kathryn! You are so terribly adorable! Thank you for sending me a card for my missing one in June. Not necessary but completely thoughtful and appreciated!! How sweet of you and thank you!!

You're welcome, Chickaflick .

And where are you planning to move to in Georgia? If your schedule works out, the VJ members in and around Atlanta are invited to meet up together for a potluck lunch at Noah's Ark (it's kind of like a rehabilitation zoo for wild animals rescued from bad situations) in Locust Grove, about 30 miles south of Atlanta on Saturday, September r18th. If you are anywhere near the area by then, we would love to have you and your sweetie join us.

Oops - just saw your timetable - you're flying into Atlanta on the 17th! Well, hehehe, you are still welcome! My husband and I live just south of the airport - wave out the window as your plane is coming in for a landing because you are probably almost directly over our house at the time.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Chickaflick 0]

What a kind invitation! Thank you!

We are settled up in LaFayette, GA anyway! Thats 2 hours from Atlanta anyway so a little far for dinner! I'd love to meet other canucks down there- makes home seem a little less far away when the going gets rough =)

[Kathryn41 3,205]

What a kind invitation! Thank you!

We are settled up in LaFayette, GA anyway! Thats 2 hours from Atlanta anyway so a little far for dinner! I'd love to meet other canucks down there- makes home seem a little less far away when the going gets rough =)

Ah, my husband tells me that is pronounced Lafate . It is a ways north of Atlanta much closer to Chattanooga, actually but in some very beautiful country! Joel and Karen also live north of the city but east towards the Carolinas rather than at the Alabama/Tennessee border. You can also get together with any Canadian Vjers who might be living in Northern Alabama as well as Tennessee so you've got a large area to draw upon.

We'll be having other get-to-gethers so no worries about that!

Good luck at the interview and safe travels. (Still wave when you're landing, though!)

[Chickaflick 0]

Yes, Lafayette is in beautiful land! I adore it up there. I used to livein Cumming just off Lake Lanier and work in Woodstock, but I prefer the country!

[antda 13]

Kathryn41-

Since you nominated me, in a previous post...Then I nominate you too....

To be part of the Postcard Exchange coordination team.....

Especially more so, since you've been a great help on VJ on the moderating team, and in the exchange (for example, in going out of your way to send replacement postcards), and in your experiences on previous other committees work......

Anyone else want to be part of the team?

Let's all work together to make this happen!

Any other nominations?.....

Ant

Edited August 26, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thanks for the nomination and your kind words, Ant, but I am not in the position to accept. I barely have enough time to keep up with all of my responsibilities as it is. Moderation on this site consumes a phenomenal amount of my time - more than a full time 40 hour work week - and I am also a moderator on two other sites, albeit they are much less active than VJ. I actually need to find less things to do, not more .

Thanks for the nomination though . I am happy to keep sending out postcards every month both my own and for anyone else who ends up short.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Kathryn41

[sdw 10]

Thank you so much for the replacement July card Kathryn. It was a nice surprise as I wasn't expecting another one. The picture is beautiful.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thank you so much for the replacement July card Kathryn. It was a nice surprise as I wasn't expecting another one. The picture is beautiful.

You're welcome!

[antda 13]

Thanks for the nomination and your kind words, Ant, but I am not in the position to accept. I barely have enough time to keep up with all of my responsibilities as it is. Moderation on this site consumes a phenomenal amount of my time - more than a full time 40 hour work week - and I am also a moderator on two other sites, albeit they are much less active than VJ. I actually need to find less things to do, not more .

Thanks for the nomination though . I am happy to keep sending out postcards every month both my own and for anyone else who ends up short.

Kathryn41-Sorry to hear that you decline the nomination....

Nevertheless, I understand that you are busy too...

And despite that, I hope to see you still in the exchange as a participant too...

As for sending extra postcards to those who are ending up short, you probably don't have to worry about that anymore, as with the new exchange, hopefully all the participants will be responsible to send out their cards, so there won't need to be replacement cards at all...(which means less work for you, unless you want to send extra postcards still)

Ok...So on that note...Again, anyone else interested in being part of the postcard exchange coordinating team/committee?

All nominations are welcomed!

Let's keep going on with the postcard exchange!

Ant

Edited August 27, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Kathryn41 3,205]

As for sending extra postcards to those who are ending up short, you probably don't have to worry about that anymore, as with the new exchange, hopefully all the participants will be responsible to send out their cards, so there won't need to be replacement cards at all...(which means less work for you, unless you want to send extra postcards still)

I did just want to say that there wasn't any one individual deliberately shirking their post card responsibility so I don't really see how the situation is going to change by a change in management, unless you intend to ride shotgun on everyone to see if they have/haven't sent/received their postcards. I think everyone is responsible, generally, and the reasons why postcards weren't sent wasn't from a lack of responsibility, rather from an excess of other responsibilities. If one or two people were routinely failing to send their postcards, that is one thing; an occasional oversight or even getting lost in the mail is something totally different.

Regardless, I have a goodly supply of postcards and I am happy to send them out if it turns out that someone is running 'short' - or heck, if they even just want another postcard - the reason doesn't matter to me. It was never 'a worry' and it was never a concern that it even be recognized or anything said about it - if I could have been anonymous, that would have been fine too. I like doing it so am happy to keep doing it .

Edited August 27, 2010 by Kathryn41