I have told Deron privately, and will make this my last posting about
this/these topics.  I just don't have the time or energy to argue.  Any
further specific inquiries or just plain complaints should be addressed to me
privately, if you want me to answer.  Of course, practical ideas/suggestions
are always welcome!!
 
Essentially, Deron is correct when he says we cannot advertise.  ("Getting
somewhere"? What was that?) We can and do send PSA (public service
announcements) to newspapers, radio and television stations around the state,
we post to this Board, we send out mailings to the season ticket and season
ticket wannabe's lists, we do posters and network through volunteers in other
parts of the state, yadda yadda yadda.  Our esteemed newsletter editor places
ads for our activities in his newspaper at no cost to the FMH, (just because
he's a h___ of a nice guy!).  We do a lot of publicity for a group which
cannot "advertise", all at little to no cost to the program, all with the
volunteer effort of very few people.  Being "proactive", as Kevin suggests,
on this count, would be a waste of energy ( and I have little enough of that
as it is!).  It is completely in the hands of the Athletic Administration how
best to spend the advertising dollars available through their contracts.  If
they choose to use some of that for promoting FMH membership, great, but I
don't intend to count on it.  Looking at what the FMH does and is, compared
to most of the rest of the groups on campus, plus, with the Administration's
emphasis on being unilateral / equal / fair to all sports, I think any
available $$ would be spent to advertise them!
 
I have had several people tell me they have heard the announcements re:
joining the FMH, so I am assured something is getting out to the public
attending the games.  This matters to me, as I count this as a vital way the
U can support us as a group.
 
I have wondered why Deron has been so critical of me and the FMH in his
postings, and I have had many people privately ask me why he "felt that way".
I am relieved to know that he does not really feel the way he sounds!  I
gather that, since you like the FMH, Deron, next season you will join, and
will also begin to volunteer your writing skills, instead of charging for
them?  ;-}  And, Kevin, I don't recall ever saying that the FMH could not
improve.  What I said was that Board did a good job, with our all volunteer
work force, but that the proportion of FMH members vs. the total rink
capacity was puzzling to me.  And again:  Give me some specifics, Kevin.
 Vague comments like that are not helpful, just FRUSTRATING!!  I think that
is what has been so discouraging, so many people telling us we need to
improve, and so few ideas with willing hands to implement!  Any irritation I
have shown has a lot to do with that.  Sorry!  Not defensiveness,
frustration.  Kind of a "Put your money where your mouth is" mentality!
 Comes from growing up in the tough end of Bethel, Maine!
 
Entrenched in the program, yes.  But certainly not too close to the FMH.  We
have recently spent the majority of two seasons out of it, while Murray was
President.  He rarely asked for any assistance from us.  Gave us an
interesting perspective, although I will never be convinced Jack and I are
not able to be objective, irregardless, given our training.  Also, being so
active for most of FMH's history gives Jack especially and me by proxy, a
general idea of what is possible for a group of volunteers, and the
parameters we can work within.
 
Many ideas have passed by our ears.  We have kept a lot of them on notes.  I
have sheets and sheets of ideas and suggestions by many great people.
 Sometimes, it only takes the right person to make an idea work.  So far the
only workable idea which has come my way through this "discussion" has been
Holly's, mainly because she seemed willing to DO something, instead of
passively waiting for the FMH Board to do it.  We may not be perfect, (what
is? Okay, maybe Paul Kariya!) but we, the Board of the FMH,  are stretched to
our collective limits as we are.  We provide terrific stuff as "perfectly" as
we can.  AND, contrary to your statements, we are very open to new ideas,
many of which are implemented, many simply changes in the current activities
to make them better.  We have a very vibrant, dynamic bunch of people on the
Board, who bring new ideas and perspectives to us oldies on a steady and
sometimes overwhelming basis.  The Board listens to many people, but, maybe
we just want to have someone step up with the willingness to help make it
happen, not just criticize, suggest and fade away.  What we do, we do well
(note: not perfectly - well).  As a collective, we all agree that we will do
what we do well, because we do not want anything associated with Maine Hockey
that doesn't match it's excellence.  If that means that some things are
lacking to the outsiders eye, it is probably not because we are unobservant
slackers or elitist snobs, but because we have prioritized our energies to
present what we as a Board (and usually with Coach's STRONG input!) believe
is most important to the program.
 
I guess, Deron, I will just have to agree to disagree with you.  For me, to
"assume" that most people who go to games do not know that the FMH exists,
or, if they cared, could not name at least some of what we do, would be
impossible.  Again, I stand by the categories.  I 'll say it one last time:
 the excellence of the program will definitely be affected by lack of
monetary support, WHETHER THROUGH THE FMH OR NOT.
 
Did I say the University was gonna "gut the program"?  I don't think so.
 I'll have to check my old mail.  I reported, as you quoted, that the
Athletic Department is in financial trouble and that the additional hockey
program would deepen that in a big way.  And, personally, if I heard anyone,
from the U to you, had spent such a huge amount on legal fees, I would
probably think help would be appreciated, not blame the U or you for having
to hire such highly paid janitors to clean up the mess!  As for another
rink/court, it would be wonderful, but I don't think it's realistic.  Capital
improvements are tough to raise funds for, and the new stadium just took
quite a bit of major league negotiating as it is.
 
Scholarships: C'mon Deron, you know it doesn't work that way!  All membership
money goes into an account (A lot of other money from FMH activities like the
Auction, etc., along with Athletic Department funds, goes in there, too!)
from which the Hockey program draws it's funding for scholarships, equipment
and travel.  Before we became part of the U, we had the Harold Alfond Goalie
Scholarship each season, plus turning over to the program any funds remaining
in our account after we had purchased the immense amounts of stuff I have
mentioned in past postings, which do not need to be repeated here.  We were
able, therefore, to specifically list the tangibles.  Now, while we know what
parts of the program benefit from our financing, we can't say "Look, FMH
bought Alfie's blocker!", like we could before.  On the one hand we are more
distant from the effect of our work, while on the other hand we are much
closer to the program than ever before.  We know now, more acutely than ever,
how absolutely essential our long hours are to keep Maine Hockey "The Finest
Program in the Nation" (as I have on my info fax!), and that we are part of
the reason why 5,000+ fans are able to cheer for the team.  We make a BIG
difference.
 
Okay, folks, now all of you who have been hanging back because this old big
mouthed broad has been hogging the board - it's all yours!  And by the way,
do any of you know the definition of politically correct?
 
Politically correct means:  Always having to say you're sorry!
 
Cathy Hart
Who can't wait for October so we can talk some real hockey talk!