A question that has been asked is why is APeX needed? What does it mean to me? What benefits does it have to the community?
This is a very personal question and depending on who you ask you will get different answers. I am going to give you my answers to those questions.
One of the things that you may or may not know about me is that I am a history buff. Our history is there to guide us and teach us lessons. We cannot change the past, we can only move forward and do the best we can from the lessons that we have learned.
It is often asked what is APeX? It’s a social group. That has hosted a number of munches and events. It’s an educational group that has provided a wide variety of educational opportunities from beginner 101 events to more advanced topics. That is what APeX is at it’s core.
What can it provide to the community? It has given me my chosen family, friends and an occasional partner. It has taught me life skills and gave me opportunities to grow as a person. I have been a part of APeX under many different roles. With each role I was able to learn something new from how to run events, learning to face my fears and learning how to work with others. Along the way I was able to find my voice and my confidence grew.
Why is APeX needed? Many say APeX is the stepping stone for many into the Kink community. Which is a great thing. It is also something that has hindered the group as well. Many of our members have been around for a long time and we need to ensure that we hold events that interest everyone in the community. There are very few groups that are run by a set of publicly established rules, which allows everyone to know and understand how the group is run. The membership has the ability to create the educational programs that are community funded. The funds of the group are open to the membership and reviewed twice a year at our open board meetings. They are also available to review upon request. These are all things that other groups don’t currently offer. These things make APeX different and to me more transparent than other groups.
I have faced many challenges within the group both good and bad. I came to APeX in my twenties. I have grown up with this group. The group has also grown and changed as it has matured from house parties to weekend long events.
The current conversations about APeX’s future is not something that I (nor the other Board members) take lightly. This is something that has weighs heavily on us. If we are able to move forward there are things that need to change.
One of those things is that we tend to hold the current Board accountable for the previous Board’s decisions and actions. When the current Board members may not have been around, or they might not be privy to all of the information that went into the decisions that were made. This is why in the open discussion that we had on Saturday it was brought up that the majority of the Board in the new membership year should be newly serving Board members.
One thing to think about is that it isn’t just the Board that needs to change. Change needs to be group-wide. The past should be reflected upon, but not constantly used as a weapon. It takes a village to run APeX, it isn’t just a one-person band. In order for APeX to continue on in its current form it needs your help.
I hope that this has provided you some insight as to why I think APeX needs to change and keep going.
Thank you
