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Reliable Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL wrote:

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Baltimore MD Roof Cleaning 410-482-4367 wrote:

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Roof Cleaning North Jersey(908)674-3392 wrote:

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I agree this is a positive step. But for those of us who do spend the $100 for membership, will people who dont pay still be able to access the information on this site?
I am happy to pay $100 for what I have and will learn, but I feel with that I should be able to access "privilaged" information. This doesnt stop hacks from learning how to clean roofs and then splitting.

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You are correct that it does not stop hacks to keep the board public.  The board is still public for now and decisions are being made of how to protect the information better.  We should have a solid solution by spring and many good concepts on how to do it are being discussed.

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Bill and all the other RCIA Board members please do not take this the wrong way, but I think you are not going about this the right way.  I am all for an association with dues and in fact I contributed $100 upon my certification.  It appears to me that a decision to collect dues was made without really having a plan in place to know if $100 per year is the right number.  Are by-laws written so members will know how the association will be operated?  Will financial reports be issued to members?  Will there be a members only section?  I'm sure I could come with other questions.

You state that a solid solutuon should be in place by spring.  IMO a solid solution should be in place before member dues are collected. 

Believe me I am all for a more organized association where members pay dues.  I just think the Board owes the members a complete plan before you ask for mandatory dues.

Charles

 

 

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Charles I have met you and know you are well intentioned in your post.  Please dp not take mine negatively either.  I will attempt to address your concerns.

This is were I know some people may not see that we are organized.  This is a start up and in order to solve some of these issues we need funding.  To move to a new platform other than Sparklit will require about $6000.  I personally am not going to put up the $6000, and neither should anyone else.

The forum is not what you are paying for.  You are going to have a chance to vote on industry standards meaning you will have a voice on the standards.  This is a fairly new concept in this industry.

Some rules are written and have been for over two years.  Search rules, it's the first thread.

More by-laws are in the works, but currently you have an executive board and a board.  The executive board votes to see what the board can decide on and is the governing body.  All decisions not previously decided require a board vote in a quorum of 4 to pass a resolution.  Long story short, new rules need 4 executive votes.

Financial reports may become available but we are forming a closed corp as we speak.  This is an education and standard writing community not an NPO. 

There will be a members only section were we vote on industry standards.

Remember folks, this is not just a forum.  The forum is honestly secondary to what we really do.


As for a perfect package.  Do any of you have a package that never changes??  All business, orgs, government etc change grow and adapt.  We are asking you to be part of the process.  Yes we could have put more in place first, but we have waited and have a lot in place already.  The board unanimously agreed the time was right.
I hope all of you who want to be involved can help us make it much better over time.  I did say by spring but much of it is being worked on right now. 

 

It amazes me what the administers come up with on this website........

kyfireman2004 wrote:

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It amazes me what the administers come up with on this website........

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5 posts and now your a critic. Amazing.

 

Baltimore MD Roof Cleaning 410-482-4367 wrote:

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gutterdog wrote:

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There are alot of questions and things to figure out and be fair about.

I paid $100 a lil after I got certified and have paid the $10 mentioned earlier. Would I be required to pay the $100 again? If so I would.

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People who recently donated their $100 will be retro rated in their first year.  If you made your donation more than 3 months ago than thank you for the donation, it helped get us to this point.

Please do not take this the wrong way guys, I have donated thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours and I also paid my new membership fees.  We offered a discount at the show as people are paying a lot to be at the shows.  All the efforts of those who donated are greatly appreciated, but they were donations, not member dues.

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 Bill you guys are doing a great job and my trust and faith is in you all. 


 Jan 1st. I'm dead in the water for about 3 months. And so are you. The credit card machine, and all the other bills keep coming, rent, ya know. Ins payments, Food, all the companies that have their hand in my back pocket.... WE just survive for a short time.

 I feel I've given back financially, and with knowledge to the RCIA. Chit guys using water and by hand to clean gutters. I can do 3 to their 1 and charge more, doing a better job! Now RCIA members can do the same! With roofs I've helped out alot of guys, as many of us have.

 I'm so happy to be a part of this. I dont speak so eloquently as you do. 

 If I dont feel comfortable paying the 100 Jan 1st. What would happen to me, here in the RCIA? Or do I fall into the retro thing? I made it to Tampa only for the RCIA. (ending up spending more that I should've!,  lol!!!). 

 I want to keep the hacks out of here too. Whatever decisions you Chris and AC make I'm behind it. - Mike

 
 

-- Edited by gutterdog on Wednesday 6th of October 2010 10:00:15 PM

-- Edited by gutterdog on Wednesday 6th of October 2010 10:04:31 PM

Just my two cents...

Paid membership dues for an organization (any organization) isn't just a good idea, it's vital.
Certification should cost money.
Certifications should be more in depth than they have been.
I've been saying that from day one.

Certifications should also come with a welcome pack, an actual certificate, and some accountability should you go out there and use the RCIA name but not the RCIA methods.

To have someone govern these things costs money. Hence, dues.

A forum whether in person or on the web is just that. A forum.
It's a think tank, a place for idea exchanges, a place to "talk it out".
Forums allow Roof cleaners to be, Roof Cleaners who are, and potential customers to share info and ideas. This is a good thing.

However...

All training, industry secrets, and info of the like need to be hidden from the general public.
This should happen immediately.
It's as easy as password protecting the threads/subforums/etc. and only giving out passwords to paid members.

Moderators can do just that "moderate" what is posted where and keep it from chaos until the new "system" is in place.

I'm all for paid dues, but not until some solution is made to protect what we are building from the lurkers who will be our competitors with our hard earned information.
You can't stop it totally, but you can plan to do something to make it harder on them.

You can put me to the task of helping in that area if you'd like.

Also, in my humble opinion, all previously certified RCIA members need to be updated as to what the new "standards" are. If they don't comply, then they loose their certs, plain and simple.

Many are certified only due to post count and we all know that. I know a plan is being worked on to correct that. I'm just making my statement publically.

All must comply to certain regulations, especially safety.

Not that I'm anybody around here, lol. But, there's my two cents... take it or leave it.

Reliable Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL wrote:

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Bill and all the other RCIA Board members please do not take this the wrong way, but I think you are not going about this the right way.  I am all for an association with dues and in fact I contributed $100 upon my certification.  It appears to me that a decision to collect dues was made without really having a plan in place to know if $100 per year is the right number.  Are by-laws written so members will know how the association will be operated?  Will financial reports be issued to members?  Will there be a members only section?  I'm sure I could come with other questions.

You state that a solid solutuon should be in place by spring.  IMO a solid solution should be in place before member dues are collected. 

Believe me I am all for a more organized association where members pay dues.  I just think the Board owes the members a complete plan before you ask for mandatory dues.

Charles

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I agree with Charles.  I would like to see this become a closed forum if I am going to pay more.  Too many lurkers are learning our trade and not contributing. 

PWNA used to have a bullentin board, but it was closed to outsiders.  That is what I would like to see.  Are we in this for only SEO, or are we going to become a real organization like PWNA.  I understand Chris Tucker's logic about SEO but there are other ways to achieve that without giving our secrets away for free... 

 

Matthew wrote:

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Just my two cents...

Paid membership dues for an organization (any organization) isn't just a good idea, it's vital.
Certification should cost money.
Certifications should be more in depth than they have been.
I've been saying that from day one.

Certifications should also come with a welcome pack, an actual certificate, and some accountability should you go out there and use the RCIA name but not the RCIA methods.

To have someone govern these things costs money. Hence, dues.

A forum whether in person or on the web is just that. A forum.
It's a think tank, a place for idea exchanges, a place to "talk it out".
Forums allow Roof cleaners to be, Roof Cleaners who are, and potential customers to share info and ideas. This is a good thing.

However...

All training, industry secrets, and info of the like need to be hidden from the general public.
This should happen immediately.
It's as easy as password protecting the threads/subforums/etc. and only giving out passwords to paid members.

Moderators can do just that "moderate" what is posted where and keep it from chaos until the new "system" is in place.

I'm all for paid dues, but not until some solution is made to protect what we are building from the lurkers who will be our competitors with our hard earned information.
You can't stop it totally, but you can plan to do something to make it harder on them.

You can put me to the task of helping in that area if you'd like.

Also, in my humble opinion, all previously certified RCIA members need to be updated as to what the new "standards" are. If they don't comply, then they loose their certs, plain and simple.

Many are certified only due to post count and we all know that. I know a plan is being worked on to correct that. I'm just making my statement publically.

All must comply to certain regulations, especially safety.

Not that I'm anybody around here, lol. But, there's my two cents... take it or leave it.

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I will take it and work with it bro.  You have a lot of the right things in mind here.

Sounds Good Bill. Thanks for that leed! She is verry Happy!

Hey Bill I know you`ve put a lot of blood,sweat & tears in the RCIA forum & I`ve got your back. What the organization does will be for the best interest of us all. Kipp