ParaNexus Newsletter
3
ParaNexus—Past, Present, and Future
ByDougKelley CH, CSL, CLPIParaNexus Executive Director
Hello ParaNexus Members and Guests!
It’s been over 18 months since Jari Mikkola and I founded ParaNexus and we have come a long way as an organizationsince then. In January 2009, Jari assumed responsibility for publishing the
Journal of Anomalous Sciences
as its own entityand organization apart from ParaNexus, and I have take responsibility for the reset of ParaNexus. Jari has simply done an out-standing and awesome job on producing the Journal—I’ve never seen any other magazine with the quality that Jari is produc-ing. And little does the public realize just how many hours it takes to produce one issue—it can take well over a hundred!As anyone who has started a group will tell you, it is a real challenge to build an organization; it takes time and the dili-gent ongoing effort of many. It has been an even greater challenge to build ParaNexus into a top-notch anomalous researchassociation because, frankly, our philosophy and approach is different than most of the paranormal community. Rather thanchasing lights in the sky, presenting dust orbs as ghosts, or promoting superstitious fear with “demons” and “demonology,”we seek to delve deeper into finding the causes and commonalities among various types of anomalous phenomena and, moreimportantly, what these anomalous events mean to our existence and the human condition. As a result of this approach, weappeal more to the educated and serious segment of the anomalous research community rather than the hobbyist and ama-teur segment which makes up the largest part—especially in recent years. These factors combined with the poor economyhave made getting members and donations harder than ever. Even still, we press on.ParaNexus is now ready to take the next step in its organization evolution. We are incorporating the association as a Flor-ida Not for Profit Corporation in the next few days. We will also file for 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the IRS just as soonas we can afford the $300 filing fee, which should be in the next few months. Paid memberships remain ParaNexus’ primarymeans of raising funds to cover operating costs. All staff members are non-paid volunteers and generously give of their timein furthering the ParaNexus Vision. While our operating expenses are currently low, we will need to raise funds if we are evergoing to fulfill our mission, just like any other non-profit organization.Even though ParaNexus has operated just like a non-profit since its inception, becoming an official non-profit organizationwill potentially qualify us for government and private grants. Additionally, those who donate money and tangible items willbe able to deduct these donations from their taxes. We also want to be in a financial position to award research grants toother groups with special projects. But more importantly, operating as a non-profit will hopefully demonstrate that ParaNex-us Administrators are committed to becoming a World-Class organization and premiere participant in the next generation ofanomalous research with members who comprise the crème de la crème of the research community.We sincerely appreciate the support that our present and past members have shown and look forward to a bright futurewhere we can make some serious inroads in finding answers to anomalous phenomena! We hope you will join us!
How You Can Assist
Several opportunities exist for those interested in joining the ParaNexus Vision:1.
Become Member / Renew Your Membership
. Membership dues are only $39 per year which is equivalent to $3.25 permonth or about 10 cents per day. To put this in perspective, compare the cost of other common expenses such as lunchat McDonalds, a pack of cigarettes, or renting a movie. Look around and I think you’ll find our membership dues to belower and provide more benefits than most other professional associations regardless of the field. Members can visittheir Profile on ParaNexus.org to renew their membership. More info on joining ParaNexus can be found athttp://www.paranexus.org/forum/index.php?page=36. 2.
Participate in the Forum and Blogs
. ParaNexus is about sharing your ideas, concepts, approaches, and individuality. Asa member, why not post your ideas in the forum, or respond to other’s posts? You can also start a blog and comment onother member’s blog posts. Blogs are a great resource for ideas and provoking thought. Another benefit to being activeon ParaNexus.org is that you have an opportunity to showcase your talent and philosophies. This can result in opportuni-ties to join ParaNexus as a staff member or even a Board Member.3.
Donate Funds or Items
. Even though we cannot yet say that you can deduct donations from taxes, we greatly appreciateany donations made. We can also accept items of some value that can be used as a part of our research or can be con-verted to cash for operating expenses. A webpage is being added to the website with more info on donations.4.
Join the ParaNexus Staff.
Leave a Comment