Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sadly Sylvia, I think some of the response you posted on your community forum ...particularly the point that at some time the proposed association "morphed" from a US association into an "international" proposal... and aspects of the charter, may raise concerns... rightly or wrongly.. as to the motivations of the principals... and an opportunity may be lost to form a "broad church" so to speak...



I'm uncertain as to the timing of when the proposal may have "morphed" into an international association... but there must have been a point at which that decision was made... and frankly, I think it should have immediately been presented to the worldwide aquaponics community... and input sort accordingly...



I'll have to check through the threads, and I'm happy to stand corrected... but to my knowledge... no such indication was posted on any of the aquaponics forums... most certainly not here in Australia... and like myself, those that may have been aware of the forthcomng conference and proposed association would undoubtably have presumed that it was a proposal for a US association only....



And in that, I feel that both yourself, and Murray have erred, and many potential members will feel slighted....



The sudden announcement of the charter... while it may have been slated for announcement and have occurred by pure coincidence at the time of some discussion of such matters on the Australian forums... followed by the principals immediatley posting "endorsements" on Murrays forum... will no doubt raise even more suspicion, particularly amongst those prone to conspiracy theories...



I'm aware of the past difficulties, perceived or actual... between both yourself and Murray and Joel at BYAP...



However the fact remains, that the BYAP forum is the oldest and largest forum worldwide, and has a membership that is truely international... to date, absolutely no posts, (other than that which I posted), have made any reference to the proposed "international" association.. or the charter...



Many members of the BYAP forum in particular, and no doubt others even on Murray's forum... will feel "slighted" that a proposal for an "international" aquaponics association was never revealed, and input sort.... and undoubtably many will see the relationship between yourself and Murray as being one of mutual self-promotion... and question both your motivations and intentions with regard to the formation of this association...



Regardless, I don't feel that everything is necessarily "lost"... and with a degree of transparency... and some amendments to the charter... many may come to embrace it...



I'm currently drafting a series of "motions", and accompanying reasons in support of such... that I'll post in a document format in this thread shortly...

A quick google search will show about a dozen AP associations. So if we need one can't we just use one of the many that are already there and free.

Sylvia has stated that I have banned discussion of the association on the BYAP forum. And also that I "should step forward rather than throw stones at the idea."

Has anyone here been told they can't discuss anything? Have I said one word on this subject to anyone? How could I step forward when I have known nothing, and how can I have thrown stones without uttering a word? This seems to be an interesting mix of cheap tabloid media and school yard politics. But as with tabloid media, it works to an extent doesn't it? It has created discussion, and as they say, any publicity is good publicity.

Just to put the record straight, no one has told me anything about the forming of this "association" before, I have not had any discussions with anyone about anything to do with it. I found it a while back on-line and said to Faye that I thought it was a marketing exercise and I've given it very little thought since then, and my opinions haven't changed.

Rupert functions as the junkyard dog for both BYAP and PAP.

Rupert functions as the junkyard dog for both BYAP and PAP.