Public meeting opening Wakulla: Thurs,Jan19th 7pm

[graepaep]

You can completely disarm an Enemy by becoming their friend.

What if some of the cave divers supporting the opening of the spring joined the Friends of Wakulla and helped them on some projects? It might give us an open ear to whisper in.

[Skorpiov]

If we joined in great enough numbers, we could change the leadership. Democracy... What a concept.

[Superlyte27]

I'm pretty sure the NACD, NSS, and IANTD have more cave diving members than Friends of Wakulla. That would be funny if we all joined.

[Skorpiov]

http://wakullasprings.org/membership.html

Actually, not to be funny, but as has been mentioned, we have a lot of the same interests. In fact, the NFSA Interpretive Trail could be a great project, I would be willing to donate to if done in Wakulla. Didnt look like thy have done anythying other than train some guides. A self led, documented Trail could be a great addition. If enough that lived close, or could donate funds got involved, we might make very good "Friends of Wakulla".

Anyone think its a bad idea to join?

You guys are going to get me excited and I'm going to have to move there.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I know the Friends of Wakulla were supposedly a pretty big factor in getting things together for the Sally Ward bridge(bridge over the run from Sally Ward) on the little 6 mile hikey/bikey trail they have at the park.

[RN]

I think it depends on who you mean the opposition is. I was talking to the tall guy who is a city councilman (he stood up and spoke that he was in favor of us diving towards the end of the meeting) who stated to me that there were more people that really had no idea what diving is, than there were against it, their main opposition was that they had been told that diving would be bad for Wakulla, and it was divers that had told them that.

I think that Don has an excellent point with the honey and vinegar comment.

Bottom line, we aren't vandals or thieves and won't be chasing Manatee's with scooters, or filling the parking lot with loud music etc. Once the Friends of Wakulla get to know us, we help on some of their projects, they will wonder how they got along without us.
(If we do this right anyway)

On edit:
My point is, do what is necessary to get in there, accept restrictions with the idea that if we are the good guy's we say we are, then we will become friends with our opposition and they will lobby for us to relax any restrictions. I've seen it before, BIG argument that motorcycle road racing was just WAY too noisy where I used to race in my younger days, we agreed easily to no engine running for any reason until after Church was over, soon some of the congregation would come out after Church and watch us race, and some of the Racers even attend services. Ended up I'm sure that the little local Church would have fought against closing the track, whereas they had been trying to get it closed. You can completely disarm an Enemy by becoming their friend.

I agree with this. Showing them what we are about is the way to do it. But just asking them what would be acceptable isn't going to change much with many of the opposition.

What if some of the cave divers supporting the opening of the spring joined the Friends of Wakulla and helped them on some projects? It might give us an open ear to whisper in.

Already been a member for a few years. Haven't seen many projects in that time. But with enough cave divers joining maybe we can get some new projects going. Even with the average age of a cave diver being in the 40s-50s, we're still much younger than the majority of Friends I saw at the meeting and could easily handle projects that require hands on muscle. This is in no way intended to put down any of the Friends members, but it did look like the average age was in the 70s-80s and I wasn't seeing many of them capable of hauling steel cylinders around.

[a64pilot]

I'll help, but I'm not much of an organizer type, but I do good grunt work

[Kelly Jessop]

What if some of the cave divers supporting the opening of the spring joined the Friends of Wakulla and helped them on some projects? It might give us an open ear to whisper in.

The Friends of Wakulla do some great things,and I highly encourage membership and participation in this organization.

[wingman]

The Friends of Wakulla do some great things,and I highly encourage membership and participation in this organization.

I was a member and have rejoined as of a couple of weeks ago. Bill

[Superlyte27]

Can we post the membership application process here?