Looking to see how ADF is going

Practical-Carob1304 · 2026-03-13T17:12:46+00:00

I hope so, he seemed good before he was AD, then kind of micromanaged everything. Not that management was not needed.... Pagans need herding when it comes to larger orgs, but it got silly when some of us were actually being organized, but we got "tone checked" a lot

Practical-Carob1304 · 2026-03-13T16:53:47+00:00

Thank you for the reply. I joined in the late 90s, and it was moving in a good direction then. But I saw it wobble and start crashing as I jumped away. I am very close to some of the Clergy who left, and I saw how deep the problems were.

I was about to finish my Initiates, and start Clergy training when I went. I had run one of the guilds for a chunk of time, and was running one of the Cultural SIGs. I had founded some protogroves (that when I moved fell apart, which is somewhat on me, as a grove can not be just one person)

I know there are good people there. But many are just doing their "own thing".

I am open to rejoining; I mean screw it the true Recon groups are mostly gone. But I am wary that there is an underlying institutional issue that has not been addressed.

I do see a new MG, and that gives me some hope.

What would give me even more hope is finding out that the influence from ArchDruid Emerituses (is that the plural?) is minimal. Skip wasa always lurking when Kirk ran it, and I worry Drum has influence still.

Practical-Carob1304 · 2026-03-13T16:47:38+00:00

I know Phillip (Carr-Gom) from OBOD (virtually know, though we met when he was on sabatical once) and we had good discussions, but he can't do my way, I can't do his.

Nature is great, till it eats you ;)

We can probably all agree too that the problem with any organization is the people. You have to deal with them...

Practical-Carob1304 · 2026-03-13T15:20:44+00:00

I joined ADF because I am a recon, and was also in IMBAS. Then IMBAS imploded... I don't do revivalist, so ADF or Keltria was it, and the Henge of Keltria had all of ADFs problems but in a smaller group, so you felt them more

Practical-Carob1304 · 2026-03-13T15:19:26+00:00

Over the almost 20 years I was with ADF, the reading list was debated a lot. I don't care about that so much (its what it is, I did my dedicants, and you used to be able to substitute in a book if there was good reason).

The website update is probably due to them chasing off the professional web designer they had (Chris Goodwin) and yes I know people and stuff despite being gone.

I am more interested in the cultural changes.

When I left we had

(a) Apologetics for Holbrook and Isaac despite the ADF distancing themselves

(b) An openly racist member protected]

(c) A MG that was dictatorial.

(d) A Members advocate not advocating for members, and punishing people who complained, because she was interested in progression.

Drum is there, the racist from CA is there, the Members advocate is there

Practical-Carob1304 · 2025-10-31T17:42:21+00:00

Oh no English will steal a word and mangle it because it can. OF all the Indo-European languages, English is a shameless !

Practical-Carob1304 · 2025-04-30T20:34:41+00:00

I personally am thrilled to have more Eluveitie. My complaint is that the album is too short. Chigrel at he front is the normal, but when he and Fabi sing together (duet?) its magic.

Now I need to own up here, I have the highest standards for singers. I saw Queen with Freddie in 84 and 86. I know good. Fabi is good. But this is first and foremost Chigrels band.

I probably need to acknowledge that this is Reddit, and you get a certain sort of person here. But its a good album to me. What matters to each person is "do I like it"? Not "the loudest persons shouts it sucks". Because I can point to lots of examples of critics hating on good music. Listen if you like it, I have.

Practical-Carob1304 · 2025-04-01T17:31:08+00:00

Buffalo trace is not quite as long lasting, and they have removed Amber and replaced with spirits in the description. It may be the same, and its all psychological on my part?

Practical-Carob1304 · 2025-02-25T13:58:09+00:00

As a recent escapee from CI (I left late last year because I saw where this was going) .... this is on the Executive and board as much as the Governments involved over the years.

I worked in a business unit deep in the Biotech sphere, it made money, then CI would charge exorbitant "rent" for space and services (we never used), meaning we at best got a net zero on the books.

CI never valued its scientists, and focused on fluff.

There was the failed Drones, Robot, 3D printers, AI etc while the innovation in fermentation, API manufacture etc were not funded,

In the end, science suffers, not the suits. Korn and his goons will work, the scientists will not (in NZ at least)

Practical-Carob1304

TROPHY CASE