THE TURKEY'S GETTING FAT... (A Gift Idea)

[oldecapecod11]

THE TURKEY'S GETTING FAT...

The turkey may be getting fat but I am not concerned about tossing a penny in the old man's hat.

I am thinking more about Christmas.

I encourage a couple of lurkers here (maybe more than a couple) and have decided to give at least one a first-year membership to the PFRA. (Who knows? Maybe we won't suffer the anticipated 30% loss of members?)
Doing this in the past seemed practically impossible unless one aggravated the dickens out of Ken so I refrained. I gave him enough grief with my own name changes, etc.

Anyway, my thought is to do it thusly.

Send the appropriate payment to the office of the Treasurer and include the name of the recipient only - with his mailing address for renewal purposes.
The recipient can later select whatever e-mail account he wishes to use. In fact, we have never exchanged an e-mail - simply talk on the telephone. Remember those things?

Then...

Register the Member with a password and enroll him similarly at the Forum.

Send this data to my friend and advise him to change whatever he wishes.
(This is the part that seemed almost impossible at the old store but seems doable here.)

Once he is operational and sees what is available, it will be up to him to renew.
(I am sure he will. The guy I am thinking of never lets a notice go unpaid.)

So, if any of you have ever done this - in either capacity - please share anything that might make the process easier.

Frankly, we seem to have staff people to do everything including counting bottle caps so I am surprised - very surprised - we do not have some sort of "Membership Director" or some such flamboyant title?
That seems to make sense - especially for an outfit that suffers a 30% loss?
We could have a form or process for buying a "Gift Membership / Subscription" and it just might work?

Hey!
How many gifts are you going to buy that cost only $35. or less?
Not very many.
Even the old carton of cigarettes stand-by is well over $50. and nobody admits to smoking anymore.

What an easy way to take care of a bunch of those on your gift list - and - they will think of you all year through...

HELP!

Thank you...

[oldecapecod11]

JOIN / RENEW PFRA

The PREVIOUS message was posted some time ago no one opted to respond. Is a PFRA Membership as a gift a bad idea?

An answer to that message would be a matter of common courtesy so tomorrow an open letter to Roy Sye will be posted since a reply is a different thread indicated he has a concern for membership and is aware of its status.

In the meantime, this concern is for RENEWAL.

An attempt was made to renew via the website and there is NO OPTION for RENEWAL.

It simply requests information to "JOIN PFRA" (which will come later as a Christmas gift.)

So, can anyone advise how we can renew on-line - or - must that be done via regular mail?

Regular mail is not a problem if the matter will only be made known.

Thank you.

[Mark L. Ford]

You raise a very good point, and I'll bring that to the attention of the Board about making the renewal process easier, as well as a change in the display. The way renewals have been addressed in the past is that our membership coordinator sends out emails, in December, to everyone whose membership is about to expire, along with the information about where to send the check (this time, to Guilford, NY) or to charge it with Pay Pal. Memberships that are activated between now and the end of the year will be valid through the end of 2015.

[Veeshik_ya]

The membership renewal process is a little confusing. Would be much easier if, as suggested, it could be a accomplished via the website with the click of a few buttons.

[Ronfitch]

THE TURKEY'S GETTING FAT...

The turkey may be getting fat but I am not concerned about tossing a penny in the old man's hat.

A ha'penny will do ... just sayin'.

But to part of your post, Olde. One can no longer lurk here, at the forum at least (they can look around the site, but we don't know who the lurkers are).

The old forum was open to be read by all. One could even join the forum and post and participate without joining PFRA.

The ONLY reason I joined PFRA is because one day I was looking for some information about something from the NFL past and the web search brought up a forum thread (which included the answer, but so much more). The more I poked about the openly-public forum, the more I liked it and started coming back to read more, created a forum account and then joined PFRA. Does anyone know if the CC (in .pdf form) are included in basic web searches? My gut says no.

I am not a researcher or writer or historian, but am am interested in the history (I find myself less and less interested in the current NFL). Given the lack of interest the league and mainstream sports media has in the NFL before 1970 (in some cases, 1970 is considered ancient history), this group and the forum are the standard.

[oldecapecod11]

by Mark L. Ford » Thu Oct 30, 2014 9:17 am
"You raise a very good point, and I'll bring that to the attention of the Board about making the renewal process easier, as well as a change in the display. The way renewals have been addressed in the past is that our membership coordinator sends out emails, in December, to everyone whose membership is about to expire, along with the information about where to send the check (this time, to Guilford, NY) or to charge it with Pay Pal. Memberships that are activated between now and the end of the year will be valid through the end of 2015."

That reply is no reply. Both issues have been circumvented.

A "membership coordinator" is referenced but there is no listing for such?
Was he in the loo and forgotten when the list was made? Or, did we just run out of red shirts?
The "Main" page has been scoured and no membership coordinator has been found?
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Professional Football Researchers Association
257 Joslyn Road
Guilford, NY 13780
President - Mark L. Ford
Executive Director - Chris Willis
Vice President - Roy Sye
Secretary and Media Coordinator - Lee Elder
Treasurer - John Grasso
Publications Director - Mark Durr
Assistant Executive Director - Andy Piascik

Now... things that are brought to the attention of others seem to die a death of disappearance.

If there was interest among the conclavists, certainly a response would have been posted when the first thread appeared.

Additionally, the question / idea of "Gift" memberships was suggested in a private e-mail a couple of months ago.
That too was ignored and without a response after it was supposedly showered with "attention."

Please, simple answers are best.

This is how to buy a gift: Click, click, click
This is how to renew online: Click, click, click
Most of our posters - be they Members or visitors - can read or there would be no need for a forum.

I must run off for a few fleeting hours but I will add to the questions concerning the "Gift" upon my return.
The lack of such procedures caused a bit of embarrassment last evening but you have not thrown away a potential member - yet.
Threads and Archives, for sure, but not a prospect.

[oldecapecod11]

by Ronfitch » Thu Oct 30, 2014 11:05 am
oldecapecod 11 wrote:
THE TURKEY'S GETTING FAT...
The turkey may be getting fat but I am not concerned about tossing a penny in the old man's hat.

A ha'penny will do ... just sayin'.
But to part of your post, Olde. One can no longer lurk here, at the forum at least (they can look around the site, but we don't know who the lurkers are).
The old forum was open to be read by all. One could even join the forum and post and participate without joining PFRA.
The ONLY reason I joined PFRA is because one day I was looking for some information about something from the NFL past and the web search brought up a forum thread (which included the answer, but so much more). The more I poked about the openly-public forum, the more I liked it and started coming back to read more, created a forum account and then joined PFRA. Does anyone know if the CC (in .pdf form) are included in basic web searches? My gut says no.
I am not a researcher or writer or historian, but am am interested in the history (I find myself less and less interested in the current NFL). Given the lack of interest the league and mainstream sports media has in the NFL before 1970 (in some cases, 1970 is considered ancient history), this group and the forum are the standard.
"Now, I want pizza."
- Ken Crippen

Ron,

I apologize if I seemingly ignored your post. I did not. I was editing my own and, when satisfied, hit the button and then saw yours.
There has been no exchange for a while with friends I have that "lurked" in the past so maybe they just gave up. Your explanation makes sense based on the sign-in requirement. Thanks for ringing that bell for me.

There are others in your category who were not as loyal or as grateful. There are people who have been working on other sites and for various media or have been preparing for publication. They join, gather what they wish, and depart.
I know of two such.
I am sure, however, we are not the only "Glencoe" on the internet.

I stay because I like it. I especially like some of the people - your footnoter among them. (I just don't understand why - and how - anyone could eat Chicago pizza. Read "The Jungle" - Upton Sinclair.)
Additionally, I would have very much enjoyed attending the meetings. It was the agenda that prevented that in three instances.
If I wanted stories about sweatsocks and personalities, that is available in the Gridiron Club of Boston. Three Heisman winners are members.
My preference at a meeting would be to learn and to try to contribute. That was not available. The Membership is dismissed and the conclavists make biased decisions without input from those they supposedly serve. Also, I can recall a Member offering to present a rather interesting paper. His request was ignored.
I made a request that a certain matter be one of the Topics. I never even received the courtesy of a reply. That instance took place prior to our most recent meeting.

I apologize again for being so brief here but I had to juggle another matter to reply. Your post warranted such.

I will look forward to your posts of plenty in 2015 and, God willing, beyond.
I haven't got a ha'penny: God Bless You!

Dammit !!! Now I DO want pizza...

[Ken Crippen]

Even though I am no longer a decision-maker in the PFRA, I can answer a few of the items addressed:

Roy Sye is the membership coordinator. It comes with the VP title as per the bylaws.

The PDF's from CC used to come up in Google searches. In the few searches I did before posting this, I am no longer seeing them. At least in the first few pages of the search results. We were first page before. EDIT: I just did a search for Cecil Isbell and the PDF link came up on the first page. However, since it is pointed to profootballresearchers.org and we are now using profootballresearchers.com, it is a broken link.

Forum settings can be changed by the admins (Mark Ford and I are admins). However, since I am not a decision-maker, I will not make changes without direction from the board.

I am a deep dish pizza guy, so there is definitely room for Chicago-style pizza. Nothing wrong with New York-style, but I do not like the paper-thin crusts. I will eat both. Now, you bastards have made me hungry.

[Ronfitch]

Now, you bastards have made me hungry.

And my work is done.

Seriously, though, this forum is important to me. I was lucky to find it and learn from all y'all nearly every time I log in.

[Veeshik_ya]

I think the fact people can no longer view the forum dialogue without logging in first takes away from the user experience.

I understand not everything will be like the old forum, but the lack of general posting activity since the new forum started should be a tip that something isn't working as smooth as it once did, and I think that's why. Hope the admins can make the necessary adjustments.

Just my two cents.