Next year is SAUK's 20th Birthday/Anniversary - how should we celebrate?

[Copernicium]

The 'Where Are They Now' thread has thrown up an interesting fact: next year will be SAUK's 20th birthday/anniversary. This is BIG news. SAUK will be TWENTY YEARS OLD!!! For 20 years this website has been offering a place to come and share, listen, vent, cry, laugh and make friends with fellow SAers who know exactly what you are experiencing. And I think the 20th anniversary is a wonderful excuse for a bit of harmless celebration. I have a couple of ideas but I'm sure other people can think of more suggestions.

1. There should be some sort of 20th birthday meet where everyone can have a slice of SAUK birthday cake. Maybe there could even be little regional celebratory meets - with birthday cake. And then, perhaps, photos of the SAUK birthday cakes could be posted on the board. Maybe there could even be a thread on the forum for people who don't go to meets, but have baked their own private SAUK birthday cakes, to post photos of their own baking efforts on the forum. Basically, we should have photos of SAUK birthday cakes, consumed at meets and at home.

So that is my main idea - anniversary meets and birthday cakes.

2. There should be a banner headline on the forum/website announcing it is SAUK's 20th birthday. This is important I think because lots of people might just pop in occasionally to catch up on the forum but not know anything about the birthday/anniversary. I think everyone should know. It should be unmissable. And there should be a Happy Birthday SAUK thread which is pinned to the top of the page. A pinned birthday thread might get responses from oldies who haven't posted for years, which would be nice.

We know SAUK's 20th birthday is in January (thanks neilm) but the exact date is unknown. If anyone knows the exact date then don't keep it a secret, but I'm not sure it is vitally important. The whole year should be declared SAUK's 20th Anniversary year, and if a birthday/anniversary meet is arranged it should be when it is convenient - perhaps when it is warmer in the Spring.

Finally, I have been digging through the forum and I have found this old photo from this old thread http://www.social-anxiety-community....ghlight=andymc

It shows an SAUK meet from August 2000. It could well be SAUK's first meet.



I think turning 20 is worth celebrating.

Any thoughts or opinions?

[Jen.]

Has it always had the same owner(s) or passed between people over the years?

What did they do at that first meet up? Get married in a registry office?

[Percy]

Do we know who's in that photo, just out of my own nosy parker interest.

[Dougella]

^ I was wondering that too.


Some great ideas Copernecium, it's definitely something worth celebrating

[Jen.]

Another forum I'm on had its 20th anniversary a couple of years ago. There wasn't really anything huge planned for it, but a few people in the New York area met up in a bar, two people in Texas went to a gig together, and about 15 of us in the UK had a party at someone's house in Kent (though there's usually something like that a couple of times a year anyway). I didn't join when it first opened, but I have been a member since I was... 11 years old Most people who joined before me left long ago.

[Moksha]

In the traditional SA way - by hiding in our rooms, depressed and drunk.

[neilm]

Originally Posted by Percy

Do we know who's in that photo, just out of my own nosy parker interest.

The lady on the right was called Fiona, and was one of the 2 or 3 individuals involved in setting up the site. From what I can remember she moved on from the site after a few years, to pastures new.

Ime afraid I dont know the names of any of the others in the picture.

[neilm]

Originally Posted by Jen.

Has it always had the same owner(s) or passed between people over the years?

What did they do at that first meet up? Get married in a registry office?

I know that an American woman (who was based in Sweden) called Anne, was heavily involved with the running of the site after the first couple of years. Whether she is still involved I dont know....

I was at the 2nd meeting which was held in a Church Hall in Soho, just off Shaftsbury Avenue (London). The decor there was quite similar to that in the picture so perhaps its the same place... ?

Dont think anyone got married at the meet I was at, , it was more like an AGM sort of thing, then on to a nearby pub afterwards

[3stacks]

Orgy

[Bored]

Happy Anniversary Year SAUK 2020

[GhostOnMagneticTape]

Great idea Copernicium!

I took that photo, God time flies... I was 25 then on that first official meet (on the old bboy forum and this one my usernames were afx, robbie77? and something else obscure). I generally lurked in the background and never got involved much in running the forum and chatroom, though I remember setting up the IRC room switching from a web based chat that Dave set up initially which would only work when he was online (dial up).

Here I am now 45, I'm still nuts, socially anxious and fubar!

[Professor Willow]

It looks like most SAUKers are celebrating the 20th anniversary by self isolating

[Dougella]

^ But so is everyone else in the world so really we all have an excuse right now!


Happy Birthday SAUK :y ahoo:

[Chess&Junkfood]

Happy 20th Birthday/Anniversary SAUk!!!!! I want you to know that you are a very special forum to me! There have of course been other SA forums that have caught my eye over the years. But those other SA forums couldn't hold a candle to you!!! We've also had some good times over the years. Going back to the year 2014 no less. Where for some reason I called myself Fabtastic. Although truth be told, it wasn't until I was scrolling through an old email account that I realised we knew each other back then. Although I noticed I was still talking about the same things with you. Which was chocolate, then innuendo, and even more chocolate. So it shows that there is a consistency in our relationship. Of course my intention was to gain personal growth with you, where I would bare my innermost soul and even spread my emotional guts right across your forum floor. But maybe we can still pencil that in for another day.

Anyway, if you will excuse us, it's time for me and www.social-anxiety-community.org to celebrate!!! I've booked us a lovely room. There's even a silk negligee on the nightstand for you to wear. Shall we my dear.....

Disclaimer:

[Consolida]

Happy Birthday SAUK!

I was standing there when that photograph was taken but I was far too SA to be in the photograph. I kind of wish I had been braver.
It feels an absolute age ago since that memorable day and it went on to play a massive and unimaginable part in changing my life for the better.

Wherever the people in that photo are now, I hope they are doing okay.

[Chimpy]

Happy birthday to a great forum full of lovely folk. I met the two most important people in my life here and owe the fact that I'm still here and vaguely sane to them. xxx

[newbs16]

Happy birthday sauk ♡♡♡

[AireleeBray]

Happy 20th birthday sauk

Thankyou for being a place where I feel a little less on the sidelines

[T]

Wow 20 years



I wasn't here when it first started think i joined about 5 years after it started but just want to say thanks SAUK for helping me over the years.. although i don't post as much as i used to its still a god send for me when i'm going thru problems and so glad its still around after all these years



So



MERRY BIRTHDAY SAUK

[wlien]

Happy birthday SAUK, I was more active on here around 10 years ago but I come back every now and again to see whats going on. Hope its still useful for people

[Lone Dog]

Has a national SA convention ever been held before? Obviously, you couldn't do something like that at the moment, but it's an idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_(meeting)

[Mr Brightside]

Wow, happy birthday SA-UK. I have some very good memories of this site from the very early days of 2001/2002. I haven't posted here since 2012 and way back then I used to be known as mhop80 and even organised lots of meets around the country! Does anyone here remember me?

[Consolida]

^ I remember your username
How are you doing?

[choirgirl]

And thanks to all the mods!

[neilm]

Originally Posted by Raks1981

When I was here back in the mid 2000s (when I was a young man) I attended a few AGM's that Carlos (Viz?) organized. There were quite a lot of people in attendance.

Think I met Carlos once at a meet in Edinburgh, way back in 2002 or 2003. At least I think it was him, could have been someone with a very similar Username, mind ....

[Mr Brightside]

Consolida, who were you known as in 2001/02? Did we ever meet at one of the meet ups? I'm doing alright, I have a good and stable career doing something that I enjoy. I'm not cured of social anxiety and shyness, I see it more as a personality trait and it's who I am. Being quiet makes me a good listener and also very thoughtful too, which I think are skills that can be turned to your advantage. I avoid going to the pub with colleagues which does hold me back a bit I think but I work for a good firm that doesn't hold it too massively against me. I tend to get absorbed into hobbies and interests too which has helped over the years and have maintained a small friendship group, some of whom I met from this site .