To All,
When I first became a member I held an opinion that our club was too dealer oriented at the expense of collectors. I voiced my opinion to whoever would listen including our than President Archie Black. Over time I realized I had made a mistake in terms of the clubs emphasis. The club was not too dealer oriented and that dealers were ONE OF the most important elements if the club was to be successful. However, I believed than and I still believe today that club decisions MUST be made for the benefit of the collector WITH proper consideration as to how those decisions affect our dealers. This is a fine balance often difficult to obtain. Too discuss ideas upon these BBs is wonderful and healthy for growth. However, these ideas must reflect the base of our beliefs and not stray from the very foundation upon which our club is based.

Our club should never be in direct or indirect competition with dealers who buy and sell. Our club is not a profit business. To do so could result in a situation where we as an organization lose the very essence of WHY we exsist in the first place.

I am not against education or information. I believe our organization should encourage these elements. However our club should not have to purchase information; it should be the receptacle of information purchased by others and donated to it. After all, that is why the government granted out Section 501(c)(3) status in the first place. So individual donations could be deducted upon the individual tax return for all items donated to our organization.

Jim Reilly, my friend Gene and others question my vehemence involving the issue of our club purchasing records. Please don't mistake my attitude as vehemence - it is not. My posts might become vehement because I have a difficult time understanding why "others" believe a non profit organization should have to subsidize the cost of records that will, in my opinion, be used by a select few.
These individuals who debate the issue conveniently leave out the fact that the money BELONGS to the membership and NOT the board. The board serves in a fiduciary capacity and as such MUST answer to the membership for its decisions. Expenditures MUST benefit many members and not a select few.

If I have offended anyone by expressing my opinions I am sorry. Let me further add - this issue as well as the other issues that will be raised are NOT worth losing one friend over. Best, Jim