– My wife and I spent a few days this week meeting with a family foundation reviewing requests for grants. A request for funds from the foundation must meet certain guidelines but most importantly, to those making the funding decision, is a clear and concise Statement of Purpose. If the person or group requesting the grant cannot clearly explain his/their purpose in a paragraph or two we generally reject the proposal.
Later in the evening at a cocktail party for the Board of Trustees, my wife, looking more desirable than ever in a pair of cuban-heeled ffs and a positively indecent frock, asked me what the “purpose” of the Stockings HQ group was.
“Well,” I stammered, “Its the … ah… er. . promotion of stockings. Isn’t it?”
“That’s my point,” she replied. “You really don’t have a clearly stated purpose do you? Of course its for the promotion of stockings but to whom, how, why? Would you give a nickel to an applicant who presented that Statement of Purpose you just gave me?
“No, I wouldn’t. ” I sheepishly admitted.
But we don’t have a Statement of Purpose. We don’t. Do we? We’re just a message board aren’t we? Or are we more than that?
On the other hand, do we even need one? Aren’t we just too diverse a group to agree on one anyhow?
But maybe we ought to give this some thought? Maybe a clear Statement of Purpose placed prominently at the front page of this site would give newbies a quick overview of what we’re all about. Maybe it would help us all get a little more focused on our mission. And maybe just the process of writing one, in a collaborative effort, would motivate discussion, mutual understanding and promote a greater sense of community?
Now how could any of that hurt us? What do you think?
Give it a try! Post a reply to this or try to write a draft “statement” and post it here. If you are uncomfortable writing anything formal, how about giving us your thoughts about what our purpose really is?
– First time contributor here. Sounds like a good idea. There’s so much stuff on this site I was a little confused for a few weeks about what you all were up to. I had to read a lot of posts on all the forums before I got the hang of it. How about something along the lines of we are all here because we want women to wear stockings and we want to provide all the resources to make it easy for them to buy them, talk about them and learn how to wear them?
– During the mid-’80s, I participated in a consulting engagement for a major US real estate developer. McKinsey and Company, the pricey consulting firm of much ballyhoo, was the strategic consultant for the project.
McKinsey led the project team in a purpose-definition seminar. The outcome led to fast and precise development of guiding principles and values that enabled the development of a business plan in one-fourth “norm time” for developing a biz plan.
The bottom line – the project was a huge success in financial terms for the developer. After defining a clear purpose, achieving the goals became possible within the limited timeframe allowed.
– Ok, here’s a go:
“The Purpose of this group is to celebrate the beauty, elegance, sensuality and mystery of gartered stockings and our appreciation, admiration and respect for the women who choose to wear them. ”
– I like it but I suspect all the trannies and cross-dressers will not. But, maybe I don’t know enough about them. Does it offend any of them to say we have admiration, respect and appreciation for the “women” who wear them (stockings)?
– I’m not an expert on the CDs and trannies but it seems to me that their love of dressing “as” women is an expression of their love “of” women and all things feminine.
Those of us who are not CDs or trannies also appreciate the same things the trannies do. It’s just that we appreciate them on women rather than ourselves.
– Sounds okay but a bit long. How about omitting sensuality and respect. For me sensuality is sort of implicit when you say mystery and respect is also implied when you say admiration. That’s just my two cents.
