WISH Team structure and organization (All team members please read)

[ultramickeymouse]

Once again, no one who has posted constructive comments here has been treated with anything but respect in regards to those comments posted here. I want to encourage people to post there opinions here.

I know I should keep mymouth shut, but I am tired of looking like a monster here and even more tired of other wonderful WISHers taking heat fo my actions. There is a WISHer that decided it would be more constructive to talk about the Steering Committee on another forum and proceded to post that the Steering committe was "dictating", saying "Too much politics and meetings. It's all about getting out there and doing it, not talking about it for months", accusing teh Steerign Committee of wanting to rule the world for thinking about getting a link from Disney Endurance, and, finally that we forgot what WISH stands for. You can follow the link above. Start on page 70 and 71 and decide if I was out of line.

Who here would not be offended by that? Being personally hurt, I PMd that WISHer on the site where it was posted. My PM was more to tell him that it looked bad on his part and that I was personally (not Steering Committe just one offended person) offended.



Next thing I know, it ws posted here making it look like I PMd that to him regarding what he posted here. It was not. I had not even seen it yet and was not upset by gettign the feedback that was asked for.

While it looks a bit harsh to how I normally post, I don't think it was any less harsh than what was posted publically. Why does no one care that the Steering Committee are people with feelings too? Why was it ok for us to be bashed behind our backs? Why is ok that I was further attacked by having my PM posted publically and completely out of context?

I made the mistake of sending one PM because I was hurt. If you think I am a horrible person, fine. Tell me. However, please do not blame the entire steering committee because I was too upset not to say anything.

I am the WISH'er mentioned here in Carrie's post. I want to take credit for all my actions. I am not trying to hide.

What I said I stand by. That is my opinion and that and $6 will get a Latte at Starbucks. I would have been more descriptive on this thread orginally except I thought I would get the treatment I have.

I have offended and insulted one committee member and than another says I am in "Kindergarten". I didn't hide or delete posts after I publish them. I stand by them. I didn't directly attack anyone. I voiced my concerns over the direction WISH is looking to go. I have my own forum and if I can't post what I think on it, what is up with that? I didn't vote or have any decision on the 25 members so I can't blame myself for who is on it.

Obviously, how I feel or what I think(no matter the way, context, or wording posted) is lost. I will now bring out both barrels and hold nothing back on how I feel this is going.

So be warned, if you come out swinging, expect to get hit back.

 

[WDWFAN9]

Glad I didn't hurt you, LOL. :

I have to say that I have appreciated people's responses to my comments. It is very hard to gauge intent and what people meant by the suggestions with the limited details presented. The explanations have made the intent a little clearer.

That said I think one reason this is blowing up into an explosive situation refers to something JimB mentioned - that this really isn't steering per se but more of an organizational type thing. I think people also have issues (I won't speak for them, but this is my own perception of the situation) because it was presented in a way that was "absolute-ist" vs. "flexible-ist". I have to say I hadn't seen anything about a steering committee until bam there it was on the web, so maybe it also caught a lot of others by surprise. Maybe we're all just getting caught up in the semantics of it all rather than the intention...

Nothing has been decided, that is why this thread was posted, to get people's ideas. We are not talking about changing the purpose of the WISH team, but looking for ideas on how to make it more user-friendly, especially for newbies.

For the life of me I can't figure out how rearranging the stickys to make navigation easier is political. How does the idea of Dave giving a mini-clinic on racewalking during one of our next events hurt the WISH community? How does helping organize both official WDW volunteering and screamteaming hurt the WISH community? No one has to participate if they don't want to! My DH volunteered at the full this past Jan, and had a blast, but if Kristi hadn't offered to organize it he definitely wouldn't have done it.

Please let's get this thread back on topic!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Carol, thanks for the feedback. Just so that we are clear on the areas of concern, please expound on what feels like "dictating" to you when you read through things? And please , I'd like to keep it to issues relating to organization and not PMs/personal issues between individuals. What specifically about the main points feels dictatorial or too structured?

Main points being: 1) Sticky a few Q&A threads related to training 2) Welcome newcomers with a positive mission statement and navigational FAQ 3) Pacing groups and Scream Teams on a purely volunteer basis.4) Streamline the Wish Gear ordering process so people can get their Wish duds before races.

I think, as Robert pointed out in an earlier thread, when you're involved in something (as I am) it becomes difficult to see how things appear to those just reading now b/c we "know" in our hearts what the true intention is. Therefore, it would be really helpful for us to have specific things pointed out here on this thread so we can engage in a positive discussion, in a friendly and non-inflammatory manner. Keeping in mind that we ALL have feelings, jobs, family commitments and issues IRL too. We're just trying to help, primarily newcomers, but the team at large. I simply ask that everyone please remember the main intent of why this group was formed. I don't have a thick skin and I'm not ashamed to say that my feelings have been hurt here on this thread all week .

 

[padisneyfan]

Nothing has been decided, that is why this thread was posted, to get people's ideas. We are not talking about changing the purpose of the WISH team, but looking for ideas on how to make it more user-friendly, especially for newbies.

For the life of me I can't figure out how rearranging the stickys to make navigation easier is political. How does the idea of Dave giving a mini-clinic on racewalking during one of our next events hurt the WISH community? How does helping organize both official WDW volunteering and screamteaming hurt the WISH community? No one has to participate if they don't want to! My DH volunteered at the full this past Jan, and had a blast, but if Kristi hadn't offered to organize it he definitely wouldn't have done it.

Please let's get this thread back on topic!

Ok this thread is going down hill fast which is why I stayed away to begin with. However, it is now like a train wreck that I can't stay away from watching.

I do want to make one last comment. Pat you have put all of this in simple terms. I think what has happened is you read the entire presentation on the first page and I and seems like many other also, got something much more than making permit sticky for several forums. It that is what is intended couldn't that have been done without this entire debate and people getting nasty.


Back into the shadows.

Nancy

 

[Calcio]

Trying to be the voice of reason here today . . .

The "Steering Committee," which is very large indeed, isn't meant to be a small cabal trying to hijack an organic organization which likely cannot be steered in any direction by any person or group anyway, because it goes where the current takes it.

I wasn't involved in the creation of it, but I was invited to join, and agreed. This says a lot about the high regard in which I hold the members, because I try very hard to never get sucked into committees, anytime, anyplace. When I saw the names involved I thought of them as the long-timers who've been around here since I first appeared in the spring of 2005, trying to find out what the "new" half marathon course looked like.

I've certainly never seen any one kept out of this group. Quite the contrary, the group is large because anyone interested has been directly asked to get involved. If the purpose of the group was to drive something somewhere, it would be much smaller, and very homogeneous.

My primary reason for joining up is the exponential growth of the group. Each month we get larger and larger, which makes it harder and harder to get your arms around it. The easy solution is to close the club, and make new folks go elsewhere. That's also the wrong solution, because the "new" people are fabulous and great fun to be with. In my past 3 Disney races I have run with members of our group for parts of the course, and seen lots of friends on the side cheering, and in the chutes before and after, and this means the world to me.

It seems to me the idea is to make it easier for folks to fold into the group easily and find their niche. Whether people are really new to this activity, or veterans trying to pound out a 3:30 marathon, there are members of our group who can support you, answer your questions, celebrate in your victories, commiserate in your failures, and perhaps accompany you around the course.

I believe the greatest strength of this group, and it's really unique, is this group works across so many dimesions. Personally, I have great friends who are quite a bit faster than me, some who run literally the same pace as me depending on the day, and others who will finish 7 minutes per mile behind me in the races. I love and respect them all, and I think they like me, and I defy anyone to find a group that stratifies so much and still hangs together like we do.

So I believe the point of all of this is to find threads, streams, ideas, whatever, that make it easier for people to find what they are looking for and link up with others with similar, or perhaps completely different, goals and expectations.

I didn't come up with the idea I like best, but that is pacing groups. In a marathon course I typically run 24 or more miles by myself (to the extent you can be truly alone with 20,000 people over 26 miles), and I find the idea of forming a group to run some pace for the entire distance very intriguing. I understand that some may think it's a great idea and other may think it's a terrible idea, and I'm cool with that. It just gives members of the group another choice that they can freely make, based on their own goals.

Other ideas are floating around are of similar birth. We're looking for a way to create more choices and make these choices easy to find. Both for the 7 mpm runner, the 15:59 mpm walker, and everyone in between

I don't think anyone on the steering committee is attempting a coup d'etat on the Wish group. Lord knows we're all busy enough with those pesky jobs and other demands on our time. And I don't think we're trying to build a solid concrete and steel structure to constrain the group, heck I'm enough of an anarchist that I'd be perfectly content with teepees. Plus it wouldn't work anyway, as I've observed in the past 3 years that this thing goes where it wants to anyway.

I think we're just looking for ways to make it easy for people to find their way around and achieve their goals. In the past 3 years, although I cannot get much of that dumb weight to go away , I've been able to take 1 mpm off my race pace, and I've decreased my bad cholesterol numbers so much that at my last physical my physician was literally cheering for me. All this while somehow turning from a 48 year old into a 51 year old. I hope others have experienced similar, and hopefully you and I can continue to improve.

Philosophically

Craig

 

[AmyBeth68]

Nancy..ITA..and honestly have been trying to say that in post after post all week. We are just trying to make navigating this sub-forum more user friendly with the tools we have available. The reason a lot of information was posted on the front end of this thread was so that nothing was held back from the group...Mel's intent was to keep everyone informed of everything that has been thrown out there and by no means represents the direction of WiSH. They are just ideas, nothing more. The only things that we really wanted to move forward with were stickies for some permanent threads that tend to get lost in the shuffle of all the awesome conversations and posts that pop up daily. As well as a few other issues mentioned in my previous post. You bring up a great point...don't go into the shadows b/c your comments are very helpful. We can get the train back on the tracks, it doesn't haven't to remain a horrid wreck that we all gawk at.

Thank you for your comments.

 

[MiaBanda]

Nothing has been decided, that is why this thread was posted, to get people's ideas.

I am new to WISH and have tried to stay out of this thread, but if you truly want EVERYONES ideas and opinions, you can not attack them for stating those opinions later!

Don't ask for my opinion/ideas when you really don't want to hear them anyway.

While I love the encouragement and support given on the weekly and team threads, I can honestly state that after reading all of this (not to mention some other threads) I do not feel safe voicing my opinions here.

That being said, I'll go back to the support I get on the weekly thread and hope to see all of you (with a more positive attitude) there too.

 

[AmyBeth68]

Michelle, As a newer member your voice is imperative here . You will not be attacked for your thoughts. But we can't address your concerns if they are not brought forth into the light. Please give us your thoughts, how did you find WiSH?, what is important to you here?, what might have made it easier for you to jump in here if anything at all?.

Also, I hope nobody feels I'm attacking them by asking for more specific concerns. I honestly want to see what people are thinking. I know it's impossible to make everyone happy, but we'd like to get the pulse of the group at large.

 

[msblrobs]

I believe the greatest strength of this group, and it's really unique, is this group works across so many dimesions. Personally, I have great friends who are quite a bit faster than me, some who run literally the same pace as me depending on the day, and others who will finish 7 minutes per mile behind me in the races. I love and respect them all, and I think they like me, and I defy anyone to find a group that stratifies so much and still hangs together like we do.

So I believe the point of all of this is to find threads, streams, ideas, whatever, that make it easier for people to find what they are looking for and link up with others with similar, or perhaps completely different, goals and expectations.

I didn't come up with the idea I like best, but that is pacing groups. In a marathon course I typically run 24 or more miles by myself (to the extent you can be truly alone with 20,000 people over 26 miles), and I find the idea of forming a group to run some pace for the entire distance very intriguing. I understand that some may think it's a great idea and other may think it's a terrible idea, and I'm cool with that. It just gives members of the group another choice that they can freely make, based on their own goals.

Other ideas are floating around are of similar birth. We're looking for a way to create more choices and make these choices easy to find. Both for the 7 mpm runner, the 15:59 mpm walker, and everyone in between

I don't think anyone on the steering committee is attempting a coup d'etat on the Wish group. Lord knows we're all busy enough with those pesky jobs and other demands on our time. And I don't think we're trying to build a solid concrete and steel structure to constrain the group, heck I'm enough of an anarchist that I'd be perfectly content with teepees. Plus it wouldn't work anyway, as I've observed in the past 3 years that this thing goes where it wants to anyway.

I think we're just looking for ways to make it easy for people to find their way around and achieve their goals. In the past 3 years, although I cannot get much of that dumb weight to go away , I've been able to take 1 mpm off my race pace, and I've decreased my bad cholesterol numbers so much that at my last physical my physician was literally cheering for me. All this while somehow turning from a 48 year old into a 51 year old. I hope others have experienced similar, and hopefully you and I can continue to improve.

Philosophically

Craig

Amen to that, my friend Admittedly, I haven't read this thread and I don't like all of the drama, but like Craig, I have been a WISH'er since 2005 and love this group for the diversity of its members. However we can help new WISH'ers and veteran WISH'ers alike achieve their goals is what I want to be a part of. The negativity of this discussion kind of takes away from the WISH spirit of what we're all about .

Carrie - . I am having surgery on Monday so I am hardly even lurking now but you know I'm up for anything you guys feel is best and I know that you and the committee have the best interest of the WISH'ers at heart .

 

[nepatsfan73]

I also have been following this thread and was involved in the "discussions" on the other forum regarding the WISH structure (using my alias name, nepatsfan73). I would just like to note that even when people delete their posts and/or they are otherwise removed, those who have signed up for e-mail notification still receive the original post to see. I personally was offended that a steering committee member [NOT Carrie] would post on this thread a misinterpretation of a discussion on another forum and accuse people of calling members of this forum names/farm animals. The discussion, a link for which has already been posted, was joking about the formation of multiple commitees and in fact was actually directed to discussing real animals and the slinging of "bull" (specifically referencing me by me). Said committee member did not post to the actual discussion that was occurring/had occurred or the walking thread it was a part of (and interestingly enough, doesn't post to the walking thread on this site either).

In my little over a year on the WISH boards, I have come to appreciate the support and advice of many. I have also learned that there are many who are sensitive to certain commentary and the expressing of certain opinions and are quick to "support" their WISH friends when they believe they are being attacked--via, among other things, PMs. I suppose this is good for the WISH friend, but not so good for the WISHer not part of that circle. This is one of the primary reasons I have greatly curtailed my postings on the WISH boards, which may be for the greater good of all.

Any way, I still come here to follow threads, I have just taken to more of a lurking mode. Regardless of the outcome of the future structure of WISH, I hope the support, advice and true WISH spirit can continue.

 

[TnTsParty]

I'm not sure but I think there is something in the water because it seems everywhere everyone is not happy with this or that and its not just the WISH board. Actually this post seems tame to what mostly has been taking place on other boards. YIKES

 

[postesf]

but we'd like to get the pulse of the group at large.

Pulse Check! I hear that at work!!! Great point! Good questions too. This is what we call "Voice of the Customer" at work! Six Sigma anyone??? lol!

If anyone is intersted in my pulse...

I'm not so much of a newbie anymore...here now for 8 months...

I will say that It's a bit hard to know where to start though once you find WISH.

The main board has great challenges...exercise challenges and Biggest Loser and other support groups of folks trying to lose weight.

When I first ventured over, I stayed mainly on the Main WISH forum and created a journal. Just the name "Events/Competition" made me not want to enter. I wasn't sure what to expect; was a little intimidated. Then once I did enter...I found it was great. I had decided to train for my first 5K and it was really awesome to read through the Weekly thread and ask questions. Doing your first event can be very intimidating so it was great for getting prepared.

To me...the main board is a great support group for those who want to lose weight...the Events board is great for those are trying for their first event or 50th Event.

1) Sticky a few Q&A threads related to training 2) Welcome newcomers with a positive mission statement and navigational FAQ 3) Pacing groups and Scream Teams on a purely volunteer basis.4) Streamline the Wish Gear ordering process so people can get their Wish duds before races.

For me 1) YES!!! Love the idea. I know there are quite a few on here w/ loads of knowledge whether it be Core, Weight training, Running, Tri-training... 2) YES. Navigation is a good thing! 3) I like the idea. I'd like to scream team/cheer on for the full, but I have no idea where to go and how to get there! Having a few groups in various places would help (on a voluntary basis of course.) This normally happens anyway. 4) YES! I like my green shirt because I am noticed and cheered on. It's also what I look for when I'm coming to the finish. Had my mom and dad not had them on I might not have seen them! For those that want shirts...this is a good idea! For people that don't... they can ignore the thread. Simple as that.

So...this is my opinion. I'm glad Mel posted all the info in the first part of this thread. That means they are keeping things Transparent for all to know what's going on. Some of the "future brainstorming" things I like, some I don't. If they come to pass and I don't care for them...I will just ignore them. It's as simple as that. I think the overall ideas are good and everyone is just trying to make things better!

 

[smileyk8]

First off i think it's shame that this thread- which was intended to be informative- has descended into almost a riddle with posts with secret attacks that make no sense to me! That's not what i thought WISH was about and I know in it's heart it's not.

OK so i'm a fairly new member and am eternally grateful for you guys not closing the gates on newbies I completely understand the need to organise the forum a little more as it's a bit daunting initially. I agree with stacie- i didn't feel that physically i was in the right place for 'events and competitions' and so didn't venture over there for a while. Once i got there I found it was open and fantastic for everyone. Maybe a rethink of the title would be good.

The development of the team challenge has really helped me get to grips with all things WISHy and is just one example of why a team of experienced WISH people should continue to look for ways to develop the forum with the help of other members. In my view, this is exactly what is being attempted but others are perceiving it in a different and more negative way. I would never state who was right, but i like my version a lot more!

 

[ScoJo15]

Current summary of points:
1. WISH team is fabulous the way it is. Our main goal as a team is to retain the informal, nurturing, all-inclusive environment that has naturally evolved

Can we all agree to just move forward with the original intent here?

Name calling or no name calling, finger pointing or no finger pointing, he said she said, misinterpretations, quotes...let's all take a deep breath.....hold it......hold it......hold it......exhale. Ahhhh :

Still not relaxed? How about the tried and true good ol' dancing banana...

(why is it sometimes these things don't dance? Hmmm...I guess mine don't at home either)

Relentless Forward Motion y'all (southern version of Amy's motto )

It's Friday...let's all have a beer (or wine....or jack and coke...or that Spring stuff I read about on the weekly thread)...and get back to having a good time.

First round of drinks on me....any takers?

 

[postesf]

Can we all agree to just move forward with the original intent here?

Name calling or no name calling, finger pointing or no finger pointing, he said she said, misinterpretations, quotes...let's all take a deep breath.....hold it......hold it......hold it......exhale. Ahhhh :

Still not relaxed? How about the tried and true good ol' dancing banana...

(why is it sometimes these things don't dance? Hmmm...I guess mine don't at home either)

Relentless Forward Motion y'all (southern version of Amy's motto )

It's Friday...let's all have a beer (or wine....or jack and coke...or that Spring stuff I read about on the weekly thread)...and get back to having a good time.

First round of drinks on me....any takers?

I'll take a margarita!!!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Goodness..I'll take a double Capt & Coke...no wait...just make that a double captain...who needs all that pesky coke when my intent is to kill some short-term memory brain cells.

*CHEERS*

 

[WDWFAN9]

OK so i'm a fairly new member and am eternally grateful for you guys not closing the gates on newbies I completely understand the need to organise the forum a little more as it's a bit daunting initially. I agree with stacie- i didn't feel that physically i was in the right place for 'events and competitions' and so didn't venture over there for a while. Once i got there I found it was open and fantastic for everyone. Maybe a rethink of the title would be good.

Actually a rethink of the sub-forum is in the works for exactly this reason! We don't want to intimidate newbies (there wasn't an E/C sub-forum when I found WISH), but on the other hand we want people who saw our shirts at an event to be able to find us too! It's also kind of a catch-22 though, because as I understand it we can't change the sub-forum name without Pete's approval, and we have to have the potential name in advance. Even then it is not guaranteed he will approve the change. So if you've got a suggestion throw it out here!!

 

[Big Vic]

Jack and Coke?!!

Jack is to be poured gently over ice, and then sipped.

I'll take three, please.

 

[nepatsfan73]

Jack is to be poured gently over ice, and then sipped.

Doesn't the ice just kill the taste? I thought all that was necessary was to lower the brown paper bag below the neck, unscrew the cap and enjoy.

 

[wtpclc]

CAn you pass that bottle my way Bill?