Who we are, Why we exist, and Member Benefits
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
– If I register on the forum of this website, am I a member?
– How do I become a member of RASOC?
– How often and where do you meet?
– What are the benefits of joining RASOC?
– If I don’t join RASOC, can I still use this website and come to meetings?
– I don’t have corals, so is this club for me?
– What if I don’t live near Charlotte, North Carolina?
– What can I post on the Discussion Forum and what is not allowed?
– Where do I find information on how to use the features of the Discussion Forums?
Our mission as a local club is first and foremost to promote interest in and enjoyment of all aspects of the marine aquarium hobby and foster camaraderie and friendships of like-minded hobbyists. We work to educate the public on topics related to the biology, physiology, and chemistry of reef biotopes through the sponsorship of meetings, lectures, publications, websites, competitions, exhibits and other means. We provide a public forum for sharing resources and information among local aquarium enthusiasts to maximize growth, foster breeding and minimize loss of marine life. We support research, education and conservation efforts aimed at improving marine and coral reef environments. And we strive to involve and educate young people about aquatic life and the marine aquarium hobby.
– Get a cool color membership card with YOUR name on it!
– Show your membership card and get member discounts at most of our generous local fish store (LFS) sponsors! Savings at these businesses alone can easily pay for your membership.
– Meet fellow LOCAL marine aquatic enthusiasts and build new friendships! Learn from the experience (and mistakes) of others.
– You will be eligible to vote on club issues and hold office to govern and shape the club.
– Join in coral frag and used equipment swaps with people you know.
– Participate in group purchases of fish and supplies.
– Purchase tickets to participate in RASOC auctions or raffles.
– Support your local club helping it to provide a website and Facebook page and invite speakers in the industry to give presentations to the club.
– Participate in community service events and help educate and excite other local residents.
Get involved
For the record and the benefit of newcomers to this site and/or club, following is a history of the Reef Aquarium Society of Charlotte.
The conception of a new Charlotte area reef club was discussed on a national reef site and a gathering of those interested was held on December 4, 2004 at Peter’s (reefcrazed) house. The purpose of the meeting was to gather people who were interested in forming a Charlotte area reef club, since there weren’t any organized nor active in the area at that time. A frag swap and lunch were also planned for the gathering.
Rich (AquariaUSA) had already reserved a website name for the future club. On December 3, 2004, Rich had a blank RASOC forum created in anticipation of the new club. Other than Rich, the first registered user on the new site was Susan (Mitagem), followed by Steve (Vert20), Hassan (hmoore), Rob (teego) and J.R. (Electric130). At the first gathering, Rich stated his intention of donating the name and website server space until the club got organized at which time the club could do with it what it wished. Everyone at the gathering agreed that they wanted the new club to be “vendor neutral”, support and promote captive breeding, to have and maintain as good as possible relations with the area LFS, but most importantly provide a way to network and build friendships with fellow local hobbyists. “RASOC”, the name for the new club, was agreed upon based on the website name that Rich had already paid for and reserved.
On January 22, 2005, the second gathering was held at Greg’s (Homebrew) to officially form the RASOC club and vote for officers. It was voted that officerships would begin with 6 month terms. It was also voted that dues would be $30 annually and confirmed that regular meetings would be held on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 2 PM.
In March 2005, the RASOC website was moved off the AquariaUSA server and onto one of Steve’s (Vert20) personal servers. Due to a change in forum software, all users had to re-register and then had an option to manually move content from the old server to the new server. Subsequently, Steve (Vert20) purchased a coral propagation business, so the RASOC website was moved to a commercial hosting site to maintain the club’s vendor neutrality. This was done in April 2005. There was no change in forum software so all content and user accounts were kept intact.
Paperwork was started after the January 2005 meeting to make RASOC a formally recognized non-profit organization. This process was completed and RASOC was officially recognized as a non-profit organization by the State of North Carolina on April 29, 2005.
Have a question? Send it to webmaster@rasoc.org. If it gets asked enough, we’ll post the Q&A here. If not, we’ll still email you back with an answer!
Q. What is RASOC?
RASOC is an acronym for the “Reef Aquarium Society of Charlotte”. We are the saltwater enthusiast’s club of Charlotte and surrounding areas. The club was founded to create a way for fellow hobbyists of all levels of experience to meet, share ideas, and build friendships. It is dedicated to furthering the marine hobby and promoting captive propagation. RASOC is a non-profit organization registered with the State of North Carolina. The club and website are governed and operated by volunteers.
Q. If I register on the forum of this website, am I a member?
A. No. You are our website guest. We welcome you to register and post on our discussion forums. That is a great way to share information and make new friends that have a love for this hobby. However, “member” means that you pay dues to financially support the website as well as the goals and mission of the club.
Q. How do I become a member of RASOC?
A. It’s simple. Click here to Join us! Or come to a meeting to experience the club. Membership forms are always available at the meetings if you prefer to join in person.
Q. How often and where do you meet?
A. We usually meet on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 2 PM until about 4 PM. Meeting details are posted in our discussion forum under the Meeting Information Forum.
Q. What are the benefits of joining RASOC?
A. Benefits are listed here.
Q. If I don’t join RASOC, can I still use this website and come to meetings?
A. The website is funded through membership dues, but it is open to the public and provided as a free service to the community. In exchange for this free service, you agree to abide by the terms of the User Agreement. There is a very small portion of the website for “paid members only” that is used for official club business.
You are welcome and encouraged to be our guest at your first RASOC meeting at no charge. If you find the meetings useful and fun and come back to a future meeting, you will be required to join the club in order to participate and attend meetings. You can join the club via this website or in person at your second meeting.
Q. I don’t have corals, so is this club for me?
A. No doubt that the emphasis here is on reef tanks, but we are all about the entire marine aquarium hobby, INCLUDING fish only (FO and FOWLR) aquariums!
Q. What if I don’t live near Charlotte, North Carolina?
A. We welcome anyone to join RASOC and support us in our goals. Attending the meetings is just one of the benefits of club membership. Financial support enables the club to offer the website, attract industry speakers, fill our library with useful educational materials, and organize community service projects. We currently have members from a wide geographical radius covering multiple states.
Q. What can I post on your Discussion Forum and what is not allowed?
A. First, this is a family site with a local emphasis, so please use good judgment and restraint. Our User Agreement is readily accessible from the menus on most RASOC web pages. If you have any specific questions, please email webmaster@rasoc.org or send a private message to any of the club officers. Current club officers are listed on the RASOC Home Page.
Q. Where do I find information on how to use the features of the Discussion Forums?
A. Please post your question(s) in the Non-Aquarium Related Babble forum. You must register on the forum in order to post. If you are new to forum software and don’t know where to begin, you may send an email webmaster@rasoc.org and we get get you started!
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