What is IPaWGS?

What is IPaWGS?

By Mike White

President: Northern Illinois IPaWGS

10-12-08

IPaWGS stands for International Pond and Water Garden Society. It is the hobbyist branch of the IPPCA (International Professional Pond Companies Association). Its primary purpose is to provide hobbyists a social, educational and informational gathering venue backed by industry professionals while a portion of their annual dues goes to support the IPPCA and its Legislative Action Team (LAT).

The brief but to the point mission statement of IPaWGS says it all: “To Promote, Protect and Advance the Pond, Water Garden and Fish Keeping Hobbies” This goes hand in hand with the core mission of the IPPCA which is: “To Promote, Protect and Advance the Pond and Waterscape Industry”. As the Pond and Waterscape industry is totally dependant on the “hobbyist and enthusiast” for its very existance, this developes a default synergistic relationship between the professional and consumer sides of the industry.

The first chapter of IPaWGS, the Northern Illinois IPaWGS, held their first meeting on September 24, 2008 at White Water Filters in Batavia, IL. Over 65 people attended. More than 30 “households” signed up as members at this meeting, many before they really knew what IPaWGS was all about. IPaWGS took its first step.

Some might say that was when it was born, but that would be incorrect. It finds its beginning about four years ago as a dream and vision of Dave Jones, founder of the IPPCA, who at that time had the IPPCA buy the domain name. It got put on the back burner because there were more pressing issues on the table, like getting the IPPCA going and maintaining his own business. Toward the end of July of this year, 2008, I was talking to Dave and as can sometime happen with conversations with Dave, we got off the subject of the reason for the call. I told Dave that the IPPCA needed a hobbyist branch to support the LAT and IPPCA overall.

That is when he told me of his 4 year old dream and vision for IPaWGS. Dave told me flat out he didn’t have the time to do it all, but if I wanted to take it and run with it, he’d somehow find the time to help me with the details. A couple of days later I told Dave that I would like to move forward with IPaWGS. In the next month and a half after that statement, Dave and I roughed out what IPaWGS would be, setup a website, and had the first meeting of a chapter of IPaWGS.

With this first meeting, several important things happened. First, hobbyists with a hunger for pond straight talk got a informational and educational venue and social gathering hosted by an industry professional. Secondly, the IPPCA became stronger and more capable of fulfilling its mission statement. Last but not least, the Pond and Waterscape Industry as well as the Pond, Water Garden and Fish Keeping hobbies got a little safer. Everyone wins.

Naturally, there were other people involved in helping to get IPaWGS off the ground and they all have my many thanks. But I would like to extend a special thanks to the new Secretary/Treasurer of the IPaWGS Executive Committee, Gloria Jones. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, she made the mistake of agreeing to be our Secretary/Treasurer for the executive branch of IPaWGS.

Mike White

Start a Chapter in Your Area?

Steps to Form a New IPaWGS Chapter

1. Find three other local people that are interested in participating and starting an IPaWGS Chapter.




2. Select who will fill the following officers positions for the first year of: Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer. Note: Secretary/Treasurer may be held by the same person. It still requires a minimum of 4 (four) individuals to start a new chapter.




3. Based on your initiative, you may take the position of President for the first year.




4. Pick out a name for your chapter.




5. Fill out and submit to IPaWGS our online letter of intent for a new chapter.




6. In a few days you will be contacted by the IPaWGS Executive headquarters. At that time you may be asked for any additional information the Executive Committee may need to determine your chapter’s acceptance, or you may be informed at that time of acceptance or declination of application.




7. If accepted, a starter packet will be sent to you directly.




8. Included in the starter packet are suggestion on how to have your first club meeting, how to open a club checking account and how your club might proceed. We will also include how your membership list will need to be submitted and updated each quarter to the IPaWGS Executive Headquarters.




9. The club’s members agree to financially contribute to the support of IPaWGS and the IPPCA Legislative Action Team (LAT) with a contribution of $15.00 per year per individual membership or $25.00 per year per household membership.




10. The New chapter will determine what additional membership dues will be required for the support on itself. This and more information and suggestions will be included in your starter package.

Posted 10/04/2008

Supporting Chapter-Add an Existing Club

IPaWGS Supporting Chapter - Add an existing club

The simplicity of IPaWGS is that an existing club can become a “Supporting Chapter” and retain their total autonomy. The only provisions to become a Supporting Chapter:

1. The club fully supports 100% of the IPaWGS mission statement: “To Promote, Protect and Advance the Pond, Water Garden and Fish Keeping Hobbies.”

2. A majority of the club’s members (50.1% or greater) agrees to financially contribute to the support of IPaWGS and the IPPCA Legislative Action Team (LAT) with a contribution of $15.00 per year per individual membership or $25.00 per year per household membership.

3. Contact information on all participating club members, including e-mail addresses will be supplied to the IPaWGS Executive Committee with quarterly updates. This information will not be shared with third parties by IPaWGS and IPPCA.

4. The club remains the same and un-changed in its officers, format of business and bylaws.

5. The IPaWGS Executive Committee reserves the right to review, accept, decline or non-renew chapters as it deems fit for the Good of the Society.

6. Once an existing club has met the above requirements, they automatically become a chapter of IPaWGS and may incorporate and use the IPaWGS name and logo within their club’s name or materials if they so choose.

7. Only fully funded individual or household participants of the existing club will be allowed to receive IPaWGS member benefits.

Posted 10/04/2008

Certified Wildlife Ponditat™

Register your PONDITAT™ today and receive the following valuable gifts:

• A ONE YEAR FREE membership in IPaWGS (A $30 value).
• POND CARE kit by American Pond™ ($75 value).
• An "Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ plaque. Perfect for outdoor mounting.
• A Monthly Pond Industry newsletter filled with valuable pond articles and maintenance tips.
• Access to unadvertised Manufacturer Pond Supply Discounts, close outs and monthly specials.
• Entry into the Ponditat™ of the Year photo contest.

All this for a one-time fee of $20.00.


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