Hey, Jeff.  it's really cool to see a new 'face' in the JRA.  For far too long it's been dominated by superannuated know-alls (like me) who can't resist blowing their own trumpet.  I think at this stage of the game, it doesn't matter too much what we are saying, so long as we are talking.  A sort of courtship, really, of the new concept.  In early days of the JRA I spent a lot of time in the UK, for my sins, and got a lot out of it.  In the last decade or so, my birth country has come to be a bit of an irrelevancy, particularly since I gained NZ citizenship, and the fact that I've only been in touch with the JRA via newsletter, has made it much more peripheral to my life.  I am avowedly lazy, so being able to access stuff via the Internet makes it very attractive  to me.  And I like the fact that I can ask: what is a toff like you (USA Sail And Power Squadron) doing playing around with a Bolger Brick (aka my much-loved Skip?)  and anticipate an answer (even if it's only "it's none of your damn business" tomorrow rather than in 8 months' time!

Annie

Jeff McFadden wrote:I feel somewhat peripheral here but can't help but express my strong approval for the site and the reasoning that led to its creation. I was a member of the Association for two years some time ago, but even given the high quality of the newsletter, the cost/benefit ratio simply did not justify continued membership, especially given that so much newsletter content revolved aroud events in Europe, far out of my life. This format brings an opportunity for people in the US to feel like full members and participants. Less cost (LOTS less) and more value... what's not to like? Second, I found the static format of the old JRA site to be of little value. This software package has all it takes to become the foundation of a lively community. For those who might have noticed that I seem to be posting excessively, I'm mostly trying to fill the empty pages. Jump right in here! This new form will only work if it attracts wide acceptance from existing and new members. I for one hope it does. Jeff / Missouri / USA

Gavin Dalglish wrote:
We're just a few weeks into the launch of this new website, and will be reviewing progress soon in order to put together the basis for an Extraordinary General Meeting. The purpose will be to enable the whole membership to vote for both the website itself and the administrative changes that its existence could enable us to make in the way the JRA works.

Gavin Dalglish
Chairman

Jeff,

All your posts are most welcome. I wish that more members would take your approach. It is early days for the website, so naturally content is thin on the ground but there is some and it is growing. Thanks to members like you.

I hope that you will keep on posting. In time we will have a great deal of content and we want it to be accurate, meaningful and reliable. I believe we can achieve that because many of our members have a great deal of experience with the Junkrig, so mis-information will be spotted and corrected before it misleads people.

I like you am an overseas (IE. not UK based. I am currently in New Zealand) member of the JRA. In the past the News Letter was the only medium by which JRA members could share there knowledge but it was often (and for overseas members very) late in the post. Coupled to the fact that when cruising I often was unable to receive the NL at all, it led to me joining, dropping out and rejoining depending on whether I was currently cruising or not.

With the establishment of this website, those hassles should be a thing of the past. Being able to get the NL as a pdf, while not being quite as satisfying as having a nice freshly printed magazine in your hands, will at least give you the latest edition at the sametime  that every body else is able to receive it. The information in it will be up to date and therefor much more likely to be revalent to any problems that I might be facing. It is also a greener way to go and the correct thing to be doing, given current concerns.

Lastly, if I have a question or a problem, I can post my question in the appropriate forum and know that I will get a response from someone who will most likely have already dealt with that exact problem. Or if no one has yet exsprianced my problem, there will be many members with enough experience and background with the rig to advise me on possible solutions. In all cases it will no longer take me six months to a year to find out what others have done when confronted by the same or similar problems.

I urge you and any others who may read this post to join (not applicable to you) the JRA, it is no longer exspensive and there is a wealth of resources (that is growing all the time) that then become available to you.

Once you have joined, please post on the forums, ask your questions (and reply to those where you have knowledge to share) and share your experiences. In doing so we (all of us in the JRA) increase our knowledge pool and will make this website a better and better resource for everyone that seeks knowledge on the subject of Junkrigs.

It is early days for the website (little over three weeks since going live) and we (David Tyler, Annie Hill, myself and others) are all working to bring to accumulated knowledge  of the JRA to the website. In due course, all the Nl's (News Letters) will be available in fully seachable and clickable pdf's. We will also create "Howto's" a repository of sail plans and many, many photo's.

We invite everyone who is interested in the Junkrig to jion us in making all of this happen.

We're just a few weeks into the launch of this new website, and will be reviewing progress soon in order to put together the basis for an Extraordinary General Meeting. The purpose will be to enable the whole membership to vote for both the website itself and the administrative changes that its existence could enable us to make in the way the JRA works. Part of the objective, as explained at launch, is to make it possible for more members to get involved in the running of the association. I have chosen to place this in the General Discussion forum to reach as wide an audience as possible of both present and future members

With the adoption of a more web-based system of communicating with each other, maintaining membership lists, collecting subscriptions, arranging rallies and exchanging ideas and news, the potential for more members to participate in the life of the association can be greater than before, as geographical location becomes less relevant and the need to organize and maintain paper records less onerous. There are opportunities for new  roles, such as webmasters, features editor, news editor, technical editor, forum moderators, and regional rally organisers, in addition to the traditional functions of Membership secretary, Treasurer, national Rally Organiser, R&D Sec, Hon sec and Chairman. Those traditional functions, too, could now be more easily undertaken than previously; nominations for every post will be invited for the next AGM , so new volunteers will be needed if the new set-up is approved by the membership - go on, get involved!

On the question of approval, while many very positive comments have been received about the new website, there are already some members who have expressed their misgivings about the apparent fait-accompli of trialing the website before seeking members' approval, and about the perceived threat to the printed newsletter. In answer to these points I would like to both explain a little and also offer some reassurance and a correction.

In respect of the website, it was felt by some that it was an initiative long overdue, and that the only way to gauge reaction from members - and potential members - was to demonstrate the possibilities by setting up a live trial, and then asking members for their approval. Investment in the site has been largely in man-hours, particularly by David Tyler and Paul Thompson - a job made even more taxing by the fact that two complete websites were actually set up in order to assess the function, practicability and feasibility of different software packages available. Rather than building a bespoke solution from scratch, it was felt that an existing commercial package and hosting provider would enable the site to be more easily maintained by members without specialist computer skills, as dependence on such technical expertise could limit their future participation and create an unhelpful dependence on particular individuals. I beleive that it will now be much fairer to ask members for their approval, as they have the real example before them to make a judgement and vote on the issue, including any new members who have joined - or returned to - the JRA since seeing the website in action. Your views on any of this are welcomed, on this General forum  or in the Members' section.

With respect to the future of the published newsletter, and indeed to the needs of members who either do not have access to the internet or do not wish to participate in the JRA via the web, I  understand from Robin that he is happy to continue to service the needs of 'postal only' members if the website system goes ahead. Around 80% of members currently registered on the site still wish to receive the printed version - as I do - so the viability of the format looks like it will be maintained. Again, your views are welcomed; while we knew that the newsletter had little or no value to some members, particularly the more far-flung or those wishing to engage in a more high-speed exchange of views and news, it is clear that there are still many who like to have a library of newsletters to hand when cruising and out of touch, or who just prefer reading a real live journal. With this in mind, I would like to point out that the statement 'no new postal members will be accepted' was rather jumping the gun and in my opinion, and of the Hon Sec, should not have been included in the missive sent out to members with email addresses; my apologies for any confusion. Again, your comments would be appreciated

That's it for the moment; the rather delayed newsletter is nearly ready for dispatch; I thank Fred Barter for his efforts despite his recent illness and wish him a good recovery. A meeting to frame an agenda for an EGM is planned by the Hon Sec, myself and members of the informal JRA 'committee' in early November so that the members' wishes can be ascertained and any necessary changes to the organisation proposed. I look forward to your continued support and contribution to shaping the future of the JRA

Gavin Dalglish
Chairman