Jemima
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Post by Jemima on Apr 13, 2013 23:27:52 GMT
excellent work fred and thank you so much for doing it all
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Post by Jemima on Apr 13, 2013 2:18:32 GMT
Thanks Fred maybe Matts offer to forward the links might go some way in helping him to take a re-think. Gotta be worth a try at least
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Post by Jemima on Apr 12, 2013 19:38:50 GMT
Yes please
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Post by Jemima on Apr 11, 2013 23:56:33 GMT
Put a smiley on the end and it all turns out right <---- see lol
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Post by Jemima on Apr 11, 2013 22:58:11 GMT
And thanks Jemima. I'm on the downward slope now. Nope your over half way to finding out you have done it and beaten the ciggys at last
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Post by Jemima on Apr 11, 2013 22:36:20 GMT
I'll try and be at the meeting - but been told that if you dont have a webcam it's hard to be included and the text is too small to read - hopefully they'll have changed it by Sunday - however even if I am there if one of you will recommend me it'd be appreciated - too shy to stand up and volunteer lol Oh jeez I forgot bout the webcam, gonna have to look presentable now lol I'd be happy to recommend you if your def intrested Ratfinkz
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Post by Jemima on Apr 11, 2013 20:47:50 GMT
Over half way now Lobey
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Post by Jemima on Apr 11, 2013 18:49:03 GMT
Just a couple of quick ideas/thoughts. Is the organisation registered as a charity, that not only lends a level of credibility but has some welcome financial implications. How close an eye are you keeping on the FDA etc, they have a track record of affecting outcomes in other countries, Canada for instance, while failing to prove their flawed points at home. The various legal battles going on elsewhere have a potential to hurt us all globally. Nope it doesn't seem they are registered as a charity. quote from Rolygate the chairman "An EU consumer association is being formed, the members are UK, Germany, Holland, Denmark so far. " However I'm guessing like most things these things take time to organise. As the owner of ECF forum as well Rolygate has quite storng ties to the American market and their situation as well. In order to cover costs you need to have the visibility. Whoever runs ECCA should be known to us because he's active in the media, active here, gets quoted. Only person I know like that is hifistud. I'm not going to contribute to the costs of someone if I don't know who he is, what he thinks, how he thinks. If I opened a "send hifistud out of the country" fund we'd get him to Brussels, no worries (New Zealand with any luck...). And of course we should have been invited to Brussels for meetings, but if we weren't already talking to them - politicians, researchers, even bureaucrats - then no, I don't suppose we were. The chairman is quite well known if you use ECF at all ? Rolygate is the owner of that forum. I think how much the main committee members are on other forums also leads back onto money and finances again. As long as the committee members have day jobs to earn a living, they will never be on all forums frequently. That's where the forum reps come into it, faces members know and can speak to as often as needed. I am tempted to agree with the hifistud bit but don't tell him I said that Herein lies a problem - 2 of my 3 MEPs in the North-East do not appear on that webpage. Fortunately, Martin Callanan, MEP, (Conservatives) Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (Member) is currently against the ban. I shall be emailing the other 2 (Fiona Hall - Lib Dem, Stephen Hughes - Labour) post-haste. This certainly seems to be something that ECCA could run with, and even promote an email/postal campaign or something? I did search for this list on the ECCA website and was quite surprised I didn't find it, I would of though that it would be something they would have listed themselves and then marked out the ones to cajole a bit more I would be interested in volunteering for ECCA also, I've noticed they want a photographer, this is something I am good at when I get my proper gear (Nikon DSLR) out. I could also have a go at being the treasurer. Atm I feel VTTV are doing better at campaigning than ECCA, but I am prepared to stand behind ECCA if they pull themselves together and start working with us. I think most of us would be happy to get behind them if they start being a company we can get behind, know what is going on and start visibly fighting for our right to vape. Your quite right, they seem to be. Will you be coming along to the meeting on Sunday to volunteer as the photographer or do you want me or Mark to recommend you ? fred I'll try to save you a cake
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Post by Jemima on Apr 11, 2013 0:45:49 GMT
How do you mean work the forums giles ? It looks to me as if this forum has a lot more posts about campaigning etc. than ECCA's does. I don't see many comments on such posts saying, for instance, what ECCA is doing or thinking about whatever is being discussed. As an example, MarkS post about Chris Davies wanting opinions about ecigs - thanks for posting it Mark - has ECCA contacted him? Did he reply? The ECCA sub-board here has had a flurry of activity this month, before that, nothing since November (other threads about campaigning come in daily). Did ECCA do nothing that they can tell us about in those 4 months? ECCA's own forum has so few posts that I for one didn't try to put anything there because I doubted if anyone much would read it. If someone just used the other forums as a source of material to refer to in ECCA's then that would help. So, by "work the forums" I mean respond to campaigning posts in them, report on things relevant to those posts, take actions that could follow from them (e.g. has ECCA write to any of the MEPs we've reported responses from? If not, why not? If so, did they reply? Has ECCA responded to any of the adverse news articles reported? Disseminated any of the good ones?). And use the sub-board to tell us what ECCA is doing. I feel pretty jaundiced about ECCA (and I doubt if I am alone). So, for instance, when it comes to money, I'm not about to pay any (or support any proposal that costs me any) until I see some evidence of activity and a clear statement of what the money would be spent on. Ah right I thought that was what you meant but wanted to make sure A large part of the blame for a lot of that lies with me. I would make the posts about upcoming meetings and receive very few replies if any. Some but not many (1 or 2 usually) would attend the meetings I was advertising about and rarely did anyone ask for ECCA to help, even though I was trying my best to make everyone aware of ECCA and what they were about. When the AGM at last years vapefest was cancelled I asked a couple of the committee if they knew when it was to be rescheduled and no one did, so I waited. A lot of ECCA's hard work is carried out by Sam, Roly and Fiona and when they aren't available things get lax and the communication can be terrible. I would make posts on the forum and receive no reply's and ask questions and receive no answers, which was embarrassing to say the least, so I got very frustrated and didn't give it as much attention as I should. I also find it incredibly frustrating when people are posting on the ECCA forum offering to help and at the next meeting someone would say but we need more people to help us. None of this is an excuse just an explanation. Sam and Roly have both posted in the promoting, campaigning section of the forum with tips and advice on the letter writing but it will be buried under a mountain of excellent work by our forum members by now, again I could of brought this to the top and I didn't, mostly because a lot of it was being said better by members here . I have attempted to bring information to the forum from the facebook page and MarkS keeps beating me to it and also from the ECCA site and given links in this thread for those who want to join up at either location. I cant answer the questions in your first paragraph because I just don't know. I know ECCA was never meant to be a political/lobbyist group but that seems to be the way it's heading so I am hoping that a lot of stuff will get organised and decided at this AGM and then we can move forwards and get things rolling from there. Your def not alone in feeling jaundiced by ECCA, I have been feeling it as well, ECCA could do so much but the communication has to improve 10 fold because very few people (including myself who's supposed to represent you) have any idea what's going on, especially at such an important time. The facebook page is starting to make a difference already I think, but there's a long way to go yet. Your money is hard earned and if you don't think ECCA are deserving of it then you don't give them it, I know I wouldn't. If someone isn't doing a job properly I wouldn't pay them either. I do hope peoples confidence can be restored in ECCA as I do believe they can do a lot of good and I really am praying they don't prove me wrong!
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Post by Jemima on Apr 10, 2013 23:42:46 GMT
I don't think there is either of those things bipbip Maybe a welcome email with some quick info and links to good bits. Been that long since I joined I cant remember if there was anything like that lol I think they were doing a handout info sheet and hoping to be ready in time for last years vapefest, but some personal issues arose and there was no more progress made, least I don't recall it being made but I shall double check and hope im wrong
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Post by Jemima on Apr 10, 2013 23:08:04 GMT
Yes I can def do that, may take me a few days to get the info together and get replys etc though. If you really are keen on helping in some way come along to the meeting, you can sit with me if your shy or nervous. I bring coke and cakes usually Hopefully with some of the questions I will be raising we can get some answers there and then and get the ball rolling.
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Post by Jemima on Apr 10, 2013 22:42:44 GMT
What sort of funds do you need to take the next step? I'm not very good at thinking of fundraising, and vapefest is a long way away, but I presume there will be collection buckets there, as long as the EU havnt banned them by then lol. The other option, but it's down to the forums, a 1% selling fee to be donated to ECCA in the classified sections. That way your avoiding vendors but getting a good revenue stream to. But again I don't know if the forum owners would buy into that. I'm just brainstorming here, and hopefully spark something else from someone Some excellent suggestions coming through, thank you everyone I'm not sure the forum could make it compulsory to donate anything to ECCA, Forums are run by volunteers usually and it might seem a tad unfair to staff and buyers alike to make it compulsory. Also very hard to supervise and lots of extra work needed by the forum staff who already do a huge amount for ECCA already. Just letting us have a dedicated area here and moderating it is a very generous donation already but this is just my opinion and if you want me to raise it at the meeting I shall! The collection buckets are an interesting suggestion as well and something that is def worth suggesting at the meeting, ty I'm thinking ECCA need not forum reps so much as area reps. One person can keep an eye on one post in ten forums, but can't get to meets out of their area. And a big problem as I see it is while its all internet based its still detached. If however there was a area rep in say portsmouth they could try to go to their local meets getting ECCA being talked about pick up some donations (I want a vaping pin I'll donate £10 to ecca for one) They could also perhaps try to do things like organise a group appointment with local mps. local hands on stuff like that. I guess maybe its impractical, I know I don't have time (or money) to do what I'm suggesting, but its an idea. I think the area rep is another great idea, often newer members come along to the meet ups or wander over to ask questions and can be given lots of useful information on all areas of vapeing including ECCA. They could also maybe report back in with any venues that allow vapeing a bit like the CAM-VIP map and those kinds of things. Pins, bumper stickers, t-shirts and other items could all be possible also with area reps. Any other items you can think of that could work ? I'm loving these replys everyone, feeling very inspired here Keep them coming!
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Post by Jemima on Apr 10, 2013 21:37:59 GMT
I'm not sure where ECCA's boundaries are in terms of numbers/funding/vendors. I understand ECCA want to steer clear of vendors backing or vice versa, so not to be seen as part of the industry. As someone posted, are there enough members to be able to email most national press and The Metro, maybe even The Big Issue may want to cover vaping. I'm not sure if this is a viable option or not? As far as funding, I think ECITA went to Brussels for the hearings, now was that just industry based? Or could ECCA have gone too? I'm not sure currently how much fire power ECCA have or what is needed to increase that fire power. It's not just what ECCA can do for us, but I don't know what we can do for ECCA. What skill sets are they looking for, or what type of members? I hope this is helpful, if it's already been covered elsewhere post a link and I will have a look. I think ECCA trys to stay away as much as possible from vendors, not cause they don't like them but it's supposed to be a consumer association. Having vendors donate funds etc could be seen as bribes if a customer has a problem with the vendor and the problem cannot be rectified 100% to the customers satisfaction. That could leave ECCA open to all sorts of problems. I will make a note to ask about the media campaign, if there is to be one (I know theres action on facebook and Sam is often on VTTV) or if there are contacts we can get in touch with ourselves and what should we say if we do. As with most things to increase fire power its money and man power, both of which ECCA is lacking. Honestly I have no idea what specifically if any special skill set they want or if they happy to have anyone ... they took me after all lol Again that is another question I shall ask Although I think they still need a treasurer So yes matt1988 very helpful ty
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Post by Jemima on Apr 10, 2013 21:25:36 GMT
Good question @ashmal I'm not to sure so I shall try to find out for you. How do you mean work the forums giles ? The new members welcome is a good idea, maybe all committee members should strive to do that as a minimum, specially if they belong to the same forum as the rep.
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Post by Jemima on Apr 10, 2013 20:53:51 GMT
Happy Birthday Djs
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