PWNA being jump started

The PWNA is being Jump started again, people we need to remain positive and hope mistakes will not be made three and four times over again.

If your involved with the PWNA i'm sure it will be a completetly new org.

I'm sure that many people will need help to start it up running in the right direction.

PWI has and will remain a place for the PWNA to have as a positive ground to find and get members to help and assist in rebuilding whats left.

Ron are you a member?
Not being a wise guy, just wondering.

Not a member at present, they have had the problem of accepting funds recently.

When things get back to normal maybe they will be able to take the money.

I do know they are moving forward and things are looking great.

I have supported them requardless of membership status in the past and will continue in the future.

Recently I was asked to help out again and i may lend a hand?

That might lend a little more credibility to their efforts. I am a member til March 08, and am very wary about re-upping for $350. Need to see some positive steps being taken before I go that route again. I am, however, a true optimist and hope they can get it together soon. Communication with members is the biggest problem in my eyes. Unfortunately, I do have that little logo on several of my advertising tools, and the cost to replace those would be substantial. What to do, what to do........

Hang in there, I personally know that good people are trying to remedy the problems. Possibly more people should offer Help, it might give the remaining BOD members some positive thoughts on efforts might be worth the time.

I would be open to helping out down here given the right circumstances , there has never been much activity here that I know of , may be that we would do better as a local org here anyway like the Carolinas

Starting small with local, state and regional organizations is the key. It's a pipe dream to think something as small and unorganized as our industry can just jump out there as a national organization. No local support or infrastructure to draw from. Nothing wrong with dreaming big, but reality will ultimately dictate the success/failure of it all in my opinion.

How many organizations started as national organizations? Not many that I can recall. At least based on the level we're playing on.

Don Phelps said:

Starting small with local, state and regional organizations is the key. It's a pipe dream to think something as small and unorganized as our industry can just jump out there as a national organization. No local support or infrastructure to draw from. Nothing wrong with dreaming big, but reality will ultimately dictate the success/failure of it all in my opinion.

How many organizations started as national organizations? Not many that I can recall. At least based on the level we're playing on.

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Yes, absolutely.. maybe a follow thru with the local chapters. Allowing there independance, yet alliance.

Great thoughts Don

I was never a member before and when I finally heard about it when I found all these different message boards. It didn't paint a favorable light on it. I can say I will play a wait and see approach to it.

But I think the local idea is good. But probably even more feasible is regional. If it included elements like the round tables. Then the membership would be very valuable. But, if round tables are independent of the association that detracts from the value I would think.

Lets see if the new folks listen and implement the things needed?

I'd also like to see a more regional approach. Maybe have chapters encompassing several states, like in my area, or each state having their own chapter. Addressing issues, such as the CWA, on a regional basis would be a lot more constructive for the entire industry if approached this way. Also, it would really help to lessen the feeling of disconnection many current members feel. Just have One chapter be the "national chapter", and the rest would report to them. I look at PWNC as a great example of a regional org. thats working well, and growing. People tend to get involved, if it involves their own back yard.

Mike,
What about an organization built around local Roundtables? So lets say there are a few local Roundtables in one state. The next stepping stone to that process would be to have those Roundtables report to the national organization who has a main goal of doing one convention a year. This would all come out of local Roundtables first......One of the many ideas where working on.. and no this does not represent anything that the PWNA may be trying to do. I was not asked and if I am asked to help the PWNA I probably will not do that. Been there done that and I wish the best of luck to the ones who are going to give the effort again to move the PWNA along. Its very time consuming to do any of this when you consider that its all volunteer. The PWNC and the Contractor events is off to a neat start and it will be interesting to hear news from them in the future.

John Tornabene

John,
I think Mr Phelps hit it on the head

Starting small with local, state and regional organizations is the key. It's a pipe dream to think something as small and unorganized as our industry can just jump out there as a national organization. No local support or infrastructure to draw from. Nothing wrong with dreaming big, but reality will ultimately dictate the success/failure of it all in my opinion.

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A national Org, by nature should have a national agenda. Who is going to determine what that agenda is? It has to be on a much more local scale as far as i'm concerned. Round tables meetings are great, but they need a structured course of action similar to a union meeting. I know the word "union" scares the you-know-what out of people, but the structure and recording procedures are vital to making real change on a national level.

Let's look at the CWA as an example, because its a current issue for everyone. A local org can address a particular State much more effectivly than a disorganized national org. You know the issues of that region, and have a stake in the process. I would like to have a hand in creating BMP's for my state, and so should everyone else. Look at Georgia, with some counties having ultra strict rules, and others having little or none. I think that states would love to have some input from the businesses in their region, on how to address the CWA. As it stands now, no one can say whats right or wrong for sure, so htey're making them up as they go. They know its wrong, but pressure to act from the Federal Gov, has them jumping.

So back to the round table idea. It would only hold legitimacy if there was an agenda in place prior to meeting, some sort of discussion and/or voting took place on the issues, and some type of action is the result. Records need to be kept, and members would need to take action to help their cause. Just having social events, to get together and shoot the bull, will not cut it. Thats what these forums are for.

Sorry for the rant, but I've spent many years in a union environment from a member to a union president, and have seen the results good organization and communication can bring. I'm not advocating that type of environment for the pressure washing industry, but the structure is a proven one that should be looked at as a model to build on. I like the word "coalition" as it implies togetherness of smaller parts to create a whole.

Needless to say, it's extremely rare that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.....

It will take some years for this to collectively come together as a viable and feasible group (for lack of more suitable terminology). One simple question answers it for me.....How many homes, buildings, organizations, pyramids or whatever else comes to mind has ever been built from the top down? The logical path seems to be the tried and true version, which is to start smaller and build membership #s and support in a smarter, well thought out, conservative fashion. Having open information exchange with other "chapters" and eventually scheduling some national conferences, and ultimately a national-level organization brought together by a certified voting process (?) then there will be all the necessary moving parts from the bottom up to support it and hold it accountable for it's actions. Keep the vendors in check. Keep the bbs administrators in check. And most importantly, keep the officers/board directors of the national "org" in check.

Sounds relatively simple on paper (text), but it most definitely isn't very likely anytime soon. Too many egos, agendas, ignorance and greed in my opinion.

Oh yeah, then there's that one important question.........."What's this "org" membership going to do for me as a cleaning contractor???"

Seems to me that's where the real homework needs to be done.

I think and org that gets the attention of your customers and shows them that you are different than yuor competition.

Example: Don your and Expert on PWI. This alone should be of some value to you and your marketability.


Marketing to the end users is and should be and orgs primary focus with continuing education and imformation to the contractor about instruction and various programs.

It will happen, with money and time.

Creating BMP should be done by the hand of org with help from the local contractors.

If not you have the same influence and worng BMPS will be written. its happened three or four times now.

This is great news Ron!. I have always believed in the PWNA mission statement. I think that if they get a jumpstart in the right direction; placing transparancy and member communication on the top of the list, they would be able to recruit back some of the members they have lost.

I think that they could do it. The big issues that would deem potential obsticles would be 1) who will be managing the company... Legacy? 2) Will the leadership team that pioneers the initiative be the same ones that caused the issues 3) Will they address the old issues of concern that were voiced by many and address all new issues of concern and operational decisions. 4) Will they look to past Board Members (executive and non-executive) to be part of the solution rather than label them as part of the problem.

I hope they pull it off... It will be a good thing.

anyone have a new news?

Mathew Johnson said:

This is great news Ron!. I have always believed in the PWNA mission statement. I think that if they get a jumpstart in the right direction; placing transparancy and member communication on the top of the list, they would be able to recruit back some of the members they have lost.

I think that they could do it. The big issues that would deem potential obsticles would be 1) who will be managing the company... Legacy? 2) Will the leadership team that pioneers the initiative be the same ones that caused the issues 3) Will they address the old issues of concern that were voiced by many and address all new issues of concern and operational decisions. 4) Will they look to past Board Members (executive and non-executive) to be part of the solution rather than label them as part of the problem.

I hope they pull it off... It will be a good thing.

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This was and Oldy

I am still fairly new to this site. I am currently not a member of the PWNA. The one thing that I have noticed so far is that everyone on this site participates and talks about the roundtable meetings. But so far there has been hardly a word spoken about the PWNA Convention in Columbus and I guess I was wondering why? It has actually turned me away from attending even though it is in my own back yard. Plus the $300 for the 2 day and an additional $90 or so for the additional day on Thursday. But wait if you pay $300 to become a member they give you a $50 discount!!!! Really