It's the bitter arse-end of February here in Manitoba. The weather is still bitterly cold, the wind is still blowing, the humidity is still far too high for comfort. The days of sunshine afford little comfort. Jeffrey and his wife are tired and dispirited. Susan says, "The climate here is adverse! It's adverse to the animals, adverse to the people." Worse than that, there seems to be some end-of-things influence in the ether just now. Things shutting down. Things coming to a natural and inevitable close.
I have to ask myself if this is the case with the Seppala Siberian Sleddog Project. It may well be so. It certainly seems to be so with its "official" arm, the W.C.A.C. After a disastrous dysfunctional period in which the then Secretary/Treasurer went off the rails, we went through a reorganisational general meeting, followed by a very taxing Board of Directors meeting. No sooner than we had caught our breath after that, the discord started again on the SSSD Project Forums, just as it did at this time last year (when a long and bitter exchange of posts about dogsled racing culminated in the exit of two members). One after another we have lost male "supporters" of the Project, who seem to go on some kind of testosterone jag, particularly in late winter (is it a function of the sun cycle?) and feel that they have to confront and challenge the ageing Alpha male.
The Seppala Siberian Sleddog will never make it as a breed without a healthy support system. An extensive infrastructure of knowledge bases and information exchange has already been set up, the most visible parts of which are SeppalaWiki, the Forums, and Sleddog Legacy Online newsletter. I've tried to interest others in working on the newsletter and the wiki. Responses have been lukewarm and transient. Nobody is seriously interested. Nobody wants to do the work. After two years of inaction by the previous W.C.A.C. Secretary, who said he wanted to develop a site for the organisation, an attempt was finally made to farm out the project of developing an independent W.C.A.C. website, as well as the production of Certificates of Identification for SSSD stock. Another half a year saw no tangible results there, and during the above mentioned Board meeting both jobs were handed back to me.
As I was busy developing a W.C.A.C. website with one hand, whilst formatting FileMaker Pro to generate Certificates of Identification with the other hand, another Forums firestorm erupted yesterday after I posted a short account of the current state of those projects, with the current Secretary flaming me on behalf of the man who couldn't or wouldn't get these jobs done. I blinked, felt a sort of inner awakening, and suddenly wondered, "Why am I bothering to do these things?"
People want a W.C.A.C. website -- or say they do. They want Certificates of Identification for their SSSDs -- or say they do. So far, though, I've seen only one other person (apart from my wife who already has her hands much too full) willing to work co-operatively to the best of her ability to help bring such things into existence. One such person is not enough to keep an organisational structure for an evolving breed in existence.
I could continue to attempt to wear many hats and to do everything for the infant evolving SSSD breed. But why? As soon as I let my own hand fall from the helm, the entire infrastructure would crumble for want of experienced people to keep it going. (Just as the bulk of information about the breed would quietly disappear the day my own computer died; just as the Project website would disappear the day I stopped paying Bluehost fees. There isn't -- never has been -- adequate backup for what's being attempted by the Project.) If one person has to do it all, and at the same time endure the bitching and backbiting of those who cannot or will not do any of it for themselves, then it isn't a viable enterprise for the long term.
I haven't worked out all this implications of this yet for myself. But assuredly I will do so in the near future. Right now all I can say is that the future of the SSSD Project is under review.
Posted by ditkoofseppala at February 28, 2009 12:15 PMJacob,
"Ex-members" is someone who was a member and then after getting what they wanted forgot about all agreements and went their solitary way without regard to the breed or the project. Jacob, I know nothing about you and Rejean...honestly. I thought all was well with you and Rejean has been an active poster on the forum the entire time I have been back, so I meant nothing towards him either.
I was quite upset when I wrote that (crying actually) and it was about 3am and I had just woke up and hoped the forums were back up and found all this. I know NOTHING of what happened with you. Would you care to tell me? Even in private. I never pry as a personal preferance, but I WOULD like to know what the heck happened. I don't even know what happened to cause all of THIS, let alone anything to do with you that must have happened months ago. I am gathering that Jeffrey and Rejean had some sort of disagreement...that's all I can guess.
There will always be disagreements. It is one of the fun aspects of human nature. But surely we can all be adults and figure things out for the Seppalas. No, we don't have to like each other, but we do have to be civil and show respect where it is deserved. Holding true to our word is of the utmost importance. If we cannot do that, then we cannot be trusted and what are we but another flake in this?
Brandy
Brandy - please define what you mean by 'ex-members' cause AFAIK none of the Canadian members that have officially resigned, been kicked out, or left have any SSSD stock (except possibly JMB - I do not know his membershipo status). As for myself & Rejean I'd say we are still members, unless I'm notified otherwise. Or if you know something that I don't
Posted by: jacob at March 2, 2009 10:48 AMThis is all a pretty big surprise to me...I was having problems with my computer when everything went sour on the forums and truly have no clue as to what certain persons said or did to cause this, but I hope everyone is sitting down and re-evaluating exactly what they expect out of Jeffrey and Susan and then evaluate what would/should be expected of themselves. First off, STICK TO YOUR F$%#ING WORD!!!! I AM SO SICK OF PEOPLE MAKING PROMISES COMPLETELY IN THEIR ABILITIES TO KEEP AND THEN CHOOSING NOT TO KEEP THEM BASED ON A PERSONAL PROBLEM. All of you out there that acquired stock and then fell off the project, for WHATEVER REASONS YOU HAD, you still gave your WORD to uphold certain bargains...IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO ADMIT YOU WERE WRONG AND THAT YOU ACTED OUT OF HASTE IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT...IF YOU HAVE PROJECT STOCK AND ARE NOT GOING TO CONRTIBUTE TO THE PROJECT GIVE IT BACK. DO NOT CONTINUE TO HINDER THE REAL SUPPORTERS FROM EVER ACQUIRING STOCK OR DOING ANYTHING MEMORABLE OR WORTH MENTIONING FOR THE PROJECT. Basically, I am asking ex-members with stock to GROW UP. This is more than your puny little attitude problems, or those that you say Jeffrey has. This is for SEPPALAS. So, please get over yourselves and GROW UP.
Brandy
Scared OMEGA Howling dolefully……. newly adopted pack has scattered, Feeling alone in the wilderness and anger at a certain beta too no end…
Seeing nothing that would have driven the Alpha male away, I hear distant calls but cannot find my way, alone again after frantic searching I sit now….Lost.