May 17, 2006: “Spring Cleaning (If you could call it that...)”

Well, this marks the first major update to the ROS website in a long time, not counting incremental page updates here and there since last Fall. This is part of a ramp-up to getting the club back up and going, and providing something current for future members to see, as this site's being linked to a few places, primarily this new local info site, ModestoFamous.com, as well as being features on upcoming club flyers. (Watch for them at Fanime, or at a convention/shop/bulletin board near you very soon!)

You've probably noticed that a couple of the links on the sidebar that were bringing up my custom main site catch-all 404 error message are now up, if only a few brief paragraphs on each page. (Hey, we're starting from practically Square One! At least all the links work for now!) If anything else is broken, either let me know, or I'll get around to it sooner or later.

There's been a major update of upcoming conventions and events over the next few months, most of them Patrick and myself will be attending. Feel free to flag either of us down, we'll probably have time to spread the word about ROS, or chat about anything in particular. I'll do my best to keep the convention listings updated whenever I can.

It's kind of funny how things got halted, first with last-minute switching of which weekend we were running, trying to work an every-other-weekend schedule around random events, the projector breaking down, etc., and then things kind of stopped for a while, in fact, longer than we planned. We've been talking to people, whether it's the 12-18 age group taking part in the collectible card games during weekends at Krier's, as well as getting tips on getting outdoor showings going, from totally unexpected sources. (We picked up some interesting pointers while attenting a local Civil War reenactment weekend event last year.) We're hoping to put some of these plans into action over the next few months.

Right now, plans are being drawn up, flyers are being designed, programming is being acquired, and schedules are being set. Obviously, the scope of fandom has changed significantly in the last decade, primarily with the advent of anime becoming more mainstream (Check out the promotions for Naruto on cable sometime.), and fansubs of anime becoming easier to come by, thanks to high-speed internet, more powerful computers that can play video files in DVD quality, and translators/fansubbers working to turn out presentations that rival or even surpass commercial releases. Still, in this day and age, the fans don't just sit comfortably behind their computer screens in their homes. Throughout the year, up and down the state, across the country, there are at least a couple of anime-related events/conventions/gatherings going on around just about any weekend of any given month. People meet guests, see new shows, and make new friends, as well as meet up with friends they've known.

Even in this present time, anime clubs continue to thrive across the nation. We're hoping to get our own club together once again, picking up a few ideas around the way, and gathering some local folks along the way. We've got plans for the future, and this is only the beginning!

Keep checking back here, there's going to be updates over the days and weeks ahead. Stay tuned!

Michael A. Fontes - “Raider3”
With My Own Hands, I'll Make My Destiny!

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