Over the past few years I have watched the slow decay of our hobby, the ending of regional shows and the loss of membership in the AKA as well as the overall tropical fish hobby. It saddens me greatly.
I don't believe there is any one reason for this, but without a doubt our aging membership as well as the passing of some of the great hobbyists is a part of the problem. That, along with the new generation of younger people focusing on different aspects of entertainment (computers in paricular), our hobby has been hurt considerably. This is not specific to the tropical fish hobby, but instead affects nearly all forms of collecting and building interests have seen the same slide in membership.
I do not believe we can stop the current loss of interest in hobbies that actually require a combination of self-education and physical effort, not when there are alternatives as simple and silly as Pokemon Go which is literally the most popular activity out there today. Who knows what is next for young people to invest their time in.
I think the only way any of these hobbies can continue to exist is through education of very young children. We need to find a way to access their minds while they are still young enough to be fascinated with tropical fish. In the past a few of our members have been teachers who set up biology programs in their rooms as a tool to teach children about various topics. It is my opinion we need to find ways to become "educators" — to find places where we can talk about out hobby that are not inside clubs, but instead to approach the outside world. We may also want to contact local newspapers and see if they are willing to do an article on our 'fishrooms' or hobby. Clubs need to make appearances at local and/or regional events, fairs or commercial shows. Get a booth, set it up and simply promote to whoever might be interested.
Having a monthly meeting is no longer enough, but instead we need to take what we do to the public. The AKA needs to find someone seriously committed to advertising, but not in the traditional ways (fish magazines and maybe a classified ad in a newspaper), but instead proactively get out there and find people.
Is this the answer? I don't know, but I do know if we do not make an attempt, 10 years from now there will be no A.K.A., very few clubs and the hobby will essentially be dead.


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A Night of Stories July 11
Join us for a night of community storytelling & desserts, Wednesday July 11, 7:30, Soap Gallery, 117 S. Champion St. Doors open at 7:15. No open mic this month.
The first Wednesday of July falls on a holiday, so go make some noise and join us a week later for a truly wonderful evening.
Stories by Tom Beck, Arthur Byrd, BeckyAnn Harker, Skye Hildebrand-Grapentine, Sue Hukari & Andrea Wells.
Tom Beck lives on a working grain farm in Green Township. Tom is retired from The University of Akron where he served as an administrator and faculty member for 35 years. Tom also had an extensive career in radio and television broadcasting. Tom has three adult sons and eight grandchildren. As a teacher, broadcaster, and community activist, communicating through storytelling has been an important part of Tom's professional training.
Arthur Byrd earned a BA in Telecommunications and Associate Degree in Business Management from YSU, and worked as a photojournalist at WFMJ-TV, where he and a reporter won first place from the Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters for Best Investigative Reporting. Arthur's short films have shown at film festivals in Cleveland and Los Angeles, and his Ballet Audition has been viewed over two million times on YouTube. Arthur is a member of Toastmasters, and in 2016, he received the Distinguished Toastmasters (DTM) award. Arthur produces two podcasts, Cool and Interesting People, and The Movie Soul Brothers, co-hosted by Mark Williams, a discussion of Black Cinema from 60's and beyond. Both podcasts can be heard on Soundcloud.
BeckyAnn Harker is a Speech-Language Pathologist by day, treating children in schools with speech or language disorders. By night and weekend, she is the Director of Religious Education at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown. One of her favorite parts of that job is telling a story that appeals to all ages during the weekly service. She is also a member of Warren Toastmasters, where she is practicing and improving her storytelling skills. She is the mother of one, stepmother of three, all in their teens and early twenties. Stay tuned- when the trauma of raising teenagers subsides, there will be plenty more stories to tell!
Skye Hildebrand-Grapentine is currently a full-time caregiver for her 90 year old mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's. They often vacation together at wit's end. Skye took her first writing workshop four years ago, for the sole purpose of someday hoping to breathe words into her own story of how the overbearing people in her life affected all of her decision-making capabilities. With her cumulative history eventually leaving her breathless, Facebook friends working with Lit Youngstown came along to resuscitate her.
This entry was posted in First Wednesday and tagged Soap Gallery, stories, storytelling on June 15, 2018 by lityoungstown.
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9 Incredibly Unique Places You Need to Check Out When Traveling Around Europe
The Eiffel Tower, London Bridge and Rome's Coliseum might all be the most iconic landmarks in Europe, but there's so much more to discover in this beautiful corner of the world. The following places might not be quite as popular among visitors to the region, but they are just as unique and incredible enough to enchant anyone making the effort to get there.
Carvoeiro, Portugal
Transylvania, Romania
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany
Dinant, Belgium
Perast, Montenegro
Photo by Antoine2K/Shutterstock
Overshadowed by the popular spot of Mont Saint-Michel further up the coast, Saint-Malo's beautiful cobbled streets and old buildings feels like stepping back in time. The town has a strong historic place in Brittany's naval history along with a beautiful beach and surrounding ocean that's often highly underrated due to it being in the north of France.
Photo by Nido Huebl/Shutterstock
The Algarve region of southern Portugal isn't popular for no reason, with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world alongside quaint white-washed villages it doesn't get much more perfect than this stretch of coastline. Although it's hard to compete with the incredible coastal scenery found here, most tourists tend to head to more heavily developed areas in neighboring Spain.
Photo by Gaspar Janos/Shutterstock
It's about time this fascinating Eastern European nation became a popular tourist destination, still being one of the most underrated areas in Europe. The country is covered in incredible mountain scenery, picturesque villages and castles, but none more so than the region of Transylvania. More commonly known for being associated as the home of vampires, Transylvania is full of beautiful landscape easily rivaling more popular destinations like Italy and Switzerland. Romania is also one of the cheapest countries to visit in Europe, even more so if you get out of the capital of Bucharest to explore the Romanian countryside.
Photo by kasakphoto/Shutterstock
Off the coast of the Scottish Highlands you'll find the Isle of Skye, an island full of dramatic rocky coastline and incredible rising peaks. If you're looking for some of the best scenery the British Isles has to offer then this is it. The island is actually connected to the mainland via a bridge, making it easier than ever to access. Make sure to check out the incredible rock formations at the Old Man of Storr and the stunning landscape of the Cuillin mountain range.
Photo by MehmetO/Shutterstock
In Europe's highly underrated region of the Balkans, Mostar is a beautiful old-style town full of charming buildings and a fascinating array of architecture stemming from both European and Ottoman influence. Although some of the town was destroyed during the Bosnian War, it's since been rebuilt and restored to its original beauty. Make sure to check out the old Turkish houses and Old Bridge of Stari Most which sits at the center of the town.
Photo by Mike Mareen/Shutterstock
One of the most unique landscapes in Germany, the region is known for its rocky mountainous landscape hence why it's often compared to Switzerland, with its similar picturesque mountain scenery. The area known as the Bastei (pictured above) is in a league of its own however, you won't find anywhere else in the world with this incredible rocky backdrop.
Photo by Ahn Eun sil/Shutterstock
This incredible royal palace in Granada is one of the most picturesque sights in the country and one of the only palaces built by the Islamic Caliphate that's still standing today. The Alhambra was first constructed in the 9th century, the buildings were later renovated to showcase the Sultans' cultural influence and military might. The palace shines as a beacon of Islamic culture where most of the history and influence has been lost.
Photo by Dmitry Rukhlenko/Shutterstock
This stunningly picturesque city in the south of the country is full of breathtaking scenery and quaint charming architecture on the banks of the River Meuse. A little far from the main cities of Belgium that are aligned more to the north, Dinant is often overlooked by tourists visiting the country. Those who do make the journey south however are well rewarded. The steep cliffs lining the banks of the river and various historical buildings around the center make for a highly unique urban scenery that shouldn't be missed. Dinant also offers various activities and events such as the quirky Bathtub Regatta, where participants build and race down the river in bathtubs every year on August 15th.
Often compared to Italy's iconic floating city of Venice, Perast is a small town in Montenegro which houses nearly 20 palaces and 17 churches. It used to be a powerful center of the bay of Kotor, but it's hard to imagine this now. With only one main street, Perast is really small in size and the fact that it's dotted with nearly 40 historical churches and palaces is simply amazing to see.
Europe is about so much more than just the big cities that most tourists tend to flock to. Next time you take a trip to the continent, make sure to spend some time outside of the metropolitan areas and head out to the countryside, beautiful coastline or into one of the many national parks the region is blessed with.
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With its world-class skiing resorts, romantic winter illuminations and spectacular winter festivals, it's easy to see why Hokkaido's sunnier...
Guadeloupe:An Archipelago of Islands with an Array of Natural Attractions from Deserts to Mountains
Guadeloupe is a group of islands situated in the eastern Caribbean, at the southeast of Puerto Rico. Guadeloupe is sometimes called as the B...
Kuwait:A Country in Middle East Asia Famous for Its Hot Sand Dunes and Stunning Cityscape
Kuwait is an Arabian country located on the on the Persian Gulf.This arabian gem is a mixture of Western liberalism and traditional Islamic ...
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Kinshasa is the largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The city major inhabitants are known as Kinois which is in French and in E...
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