I have an Oregon Sheep Growers Association board meeting scheduled for next Monday evening and I know one of the hot topics on the agenda will be planning for the 2014 convention. I am personally looking for feedback to take to the board regarding participation in the convention.
Throughout my travels each year I get to visit with a lot of fellow sheep producers from a variety of the segments in the industry. From 4-H families just getting started to a great deal of national level veterans involved in a variety of the aspects of our industry. One thing is for sure, Oregon is amazing blessed with an abundance of talented and enthusiastic shepherds!!! With so many deeply passionate people, one would suspect our annual Oregon Sheep Growers Association convention would be overflowing with not only new faces, but the many we see every summer during show season, however in recent years that is quite the contrary. So the board is looking at better ways to serve the needs of the industry.
As an OSGA board member I tend to represent not only the Central Oregon producers, but also a number of the industry segments that tend not to attend the event. Throughout the year I am asked by not only a number of the leaders from OSGA how to better reach these populations, but also why they aren’t more involved. On the flip side I am also asked by producers in the various segments why OSGA is not better serving them. Quite frankly I have developed a very standard and canned explanation that tends to sum up the many comments I hear both ways throughout the year, but with the new president and the board’s goal of revitalizing the convention to better serve everyone, I would like to give them some more specific feedback from everyone. Also, I would like to put numbers and faces of our flocks behind the comments.
Please take five minutes to answer the questions below or jot down your thoughts, this truly will enable me to better represent and serve all of the segments of our Oregon sheep industry through our ASI affiliate. If I could get your feedback by this Thursday that would be great and it would enable me to have time to put together comments to share with the others. Please email your feedback to ktjones@crestviewcable.com. Also if I do not know you directly, please list what you raise, number of years in the industry and your location/region.
Please keep in mind I am not doing this as a board function, but rather because as a representative of some of the non-commercial segments of our industry, I am consistently asked why a variety of segments don’t attend these events or join OSGA. I hear a variety of comments from everyone throughout the year at the shows and various events and quite frankly I am running out of my standard answers. I would like them to hear it directly from you, realize how many people are out there that would like to see changes and why. So I am personally offering my time to give everyone the opportunity to give the board their honest thoughts and I will pass them on in a safe and controlled environment. OSGA is our state sheep industry’s representation to ASI and every sheep producer in our state deserves a right to have their voice heard! This is your chance to have a voice in this process.
Thanks,
Kris Jones
“We cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together.” Bill Richardson
Below are a few questions to help get you started.
* Where would you be most likely to attend a convention?
- A large resort area around the state
- The coast
- The Willamette Valley
- Central Oregon
- Eastern Oregon
- Southern Oregon
- Location doesn’t matter
- Is cost a factor in your attendance? Please list upper most price you would pay to attend? (not including lodging)
- $ 50
- $ 100
- $ 200
- $ 300
- Is the time of year (usually first or second week in December) a good time for you to attend the convention? If not, when would you recommend?
- Are weekdays –vs- a weekend a factor in your attendance?
- How many days could you attend? (one day –vs-3 days)
- Are quality meals provided at the event important to you? What is the most you care to pay for these meals?
- Would you attend if there was a separate charge for attendance with meals option –vs- an attendance without meals charge?
- Is the $50 cost of membership a factor in your either involvement in the convention or the association?
- What type of educational programs would encourage you to attend the event?
- Reproductive Technology
- Nutrition
- Handling and Equipment
- Special Keynote speaker
- Leadership
- Wool Handling/Marketing
- Tours-if so what would you like to see?
- Social Media and Marketing opportunities/how to?
- Hmmm….any other ideas???
- Why or why are you not a member of OSGA? Are there services that you would either like provided or feel aren’t being provided that influence your decision to join the organization?
- Any other thoughts—
Oregon Sheep Connection 