[Delphinus]

Bring in reef speakers. Eric Borneman, Anthony Calfo, Charles Delbeek. You'll fill the building to the rafters with reefkeepers. Join MASNA. Host a MACNA. ...

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My only concern is this: I've always had the perception that the CAS is primarily FW folk. Trying to grow into the SW domain, might dilute your focus a little bit. I personally believe that a separate society should be eventually formed. An affiliation between the two societies, of course, but really, if you want to focus on FW, there's your society; if you want to focus of SW, there would be another society. Even within the whole SW domain there are huge diversities -- it would be hard to maintain a single focus. The ocean is a big place.

Several examples (or precedents) already exist of what I'm talking about. For example, the Foothills Orchid Society focuses on orchids. The Calgary Horticultural Society focuses on growing .. well .. anything.. gardens in general, I suppose. Several people in the CHS like orchids, and people in the FAS like other things, but mostly people who have an interest in both, tend to be members of both societies. And there is a "dotted line" affiliation, they are sibling societies (not competiting societies). In other cities there are FW aquarium societies and there are SW and/or reef aquarium societies.

I've always had the dream of one day forming a reef society within Calgary. Our numbers aren't really quite there to make a go of it just yet but the hobby continues to grow. I see it as inevitable, in fact. I don't see that as competition for your society, but rather as a "comrade" society with a similar-but-different focus. It would be great to have members in both (hypothetical) societies who are members of both.

But for now I guess it's just the CAS for us until that second society ever gets off the ground.