OK Sam, here you go

[Kenny]

Sam Wrote:let's work together as an on-line community to encourage and support one another in locating and targetting specific projects and then getting them done. Why waste all this time and effort putting together a charter or whatever when we could be out there actually doing something RIGHT NOW.

Sam has indicated a desire to get the practical branch of IWF up and running. It seems a little premature to me, but hell, why not? If you guys wanna get right to it, I'm up for it.

I personally don't want to abandon the ongoing development of the other IWF infrastructure so I'd like to encourage you all to continue contributing to that process. Unless of course you all unanimously agree to scrap it, then we will. I'll post a poll to that effect...

Sam, you're now the defacto director of the IWF Works Dept. Congratulations, take the reins.

K
PS. Actually, the most useful practical thing I can think of we could start doing right now is research. Researching existing organizations and developing relationships with them. Putting the feelers out, letting them know about us. Finding out what they're doing, how they're doing. Getting some more people onboard.

Alot of existing orgs have partnerships with each other, and a big part of IWF as I see it is gonna be partnering with other organizations. So that is a practical bit of work that we could start doing. I've already started that process, I've written to a dozen or more orgs so far.

Actually, curious, Sam, how did you come across us? Everyone else who's here right now I invited personally. Did you or someone you know get an email from me? I've been putting alot of feelers out, but I haven't really even begun putting us out there in a big way yet. By what avenue did you stumble in here???

Also, I just read the Quote of the Day on our homepage and it is one from Abraham Lincoln that says "If I had 6 hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first 4 sharpening the axe." Kind of appropriate to this thread I thought. Sharpening the axe for IWF to my mind would equate to developing Credo and a charter...

[Sam]

Kenny, I was invited by one of your members who shall remain nameless and I'm sure this person may now regret it. First, I am not a "buddy". I'm a 49 year old grandmother of 6 with one more on the way. I have a very full and happy life and, maybe surprisingly, am an atheist married for 2 decades to a devout catholic (yes, I think he's been brainwashed). I'm a retired Social Worker and have a couple of degrees in psychology and sociology. I'm telling you this so you will have some real life context when it comes to my participation here. I'm a secular humanist and vote straight down the democratic lines. Oh, and I love riding our Harley and walking on the beach. Seriously, I am interested in helping others but have no idea how so your attempt to defacto my directorship will not work here. I was hoping this "organization" would be offering such opportunities and I will check back with you periodically to see if anything ever gets off the ground. Until then, thanks but no thanks for the reins.

[Kenny]

Sorry Sam, "buddy" was an inaccurate assumption on my part. Thanks for letting us know some more about yourself.

Sam Wrote:Seriously, I am interested in helping others but have no idea how. I was hoping this "organization" would be offering such opportunities

I am hoping this "organization" will offer such opportunities in time too Sam. It is very early days for IWF, we've only just begun. Figuring out a practical strategy is something we need to develop by putting our heads together and coming up with a plan. I'm sorry we haven't got that in place for you yet. I was hoping you might be willing to help us create that. If you're looking for an organization that is already established, there are hundreds out there to choose from. If you want to help us get off the ground you're welcome to stick around. Or, as you said, check back periodically and see if anything is actually getting off the ground here.

As I said to Gregg on another thread, I am anticipating at least 2-5 years of patient effort to get IWF even remotely off the ground. Organizations like this don't just spring into existence overnight (unless perhaps the founder is a billionaire or something, which I am, unfortunately, not ).

[Sam]

Good luck in all you do!

[John]

Sam Wrote:Kenny, I was invited by one of your members who shall remain nameless and I'm sure this person may now regret it.

Nameless? You named her in one of your posts, as in 'nameless, what have you got me into?'

[Sam]

I know, John, but Kenny apparently missed that because he asked and I was hoping to protect this person. Anyway, does it really matter? I think this person was only joking on another board when she encouraged me to come here because she knows how I am and I was curious so here I am. I doubt for long, though, so no worries.

[Kenny]

Yames doesn't need protection Sam. You're welcome here, and she's welcome to have invited you. I suspected you'd arrived here through Yames, but I wasn't sure. I only asked to clarify. She has no cause to regret inviting you. I believe you have alot to offer Sam. I hope you stick around.

[yames]

Oh dear Sam.... Your running away. Too bad, I wouldnt want to have seen you get brainwashed.. Thx for trying to protect me, but Im not ashamed for inviting an athiest and I dont regret it. There are others here who's beliefs are equally as wrong as yours, hopefully they wont run away as fast. xxx

[Sam]

I wouldn't be running away, as you put it, if I felt free to express my views in all their atheistic glory but this forum does not seem the appropriate venue for that. I would just respectfully like to tip-toe out of your way in developing your goddy utopia and hope you forget I was ever here. *tip-toeing away* shhhh. :) P.S. Hope to see you at SS from time to time.

[yames]

Sam
Im certain that your "athiestic glory" would be rec'd here with as much enthusiasm as it is at SS. However your free to let it shine wherever u like... I still pop in to SS, just read more than i post these days... The last time I responded to anyone there was when I was asked the ridiculous question "why did YOUR GOD give you cancer?". (I saw that question coming BTW).