... >> LESSON 14: "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can
understand."
-- Effective leaders understand the KISS principle, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
They articulate vivid, over-arching goals and values, which they use to
drive daily behaviors and choices among competing alternatives. Their
visions and priorities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and
buzzword-laden. Their decisions are crisp and clear, not tentative and
ambiguous. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their
actions, aligned with the picture of the future they paint. The result:
clarity of purpose, credibility of leadership, and integrity in organization. <<

You did it again, Peter (had a little help from Jim Episale, though). My head has stopped hurting long enough for me to have one of those "epiphanies" that sometimes come to us -- this time, it's the answer to your question:

>> why should the club not impose a ban on selling slabbed
>> chips by its members at any time through any forum?

And the answer is, the club has a right and an obligation to exercise control over its own functions, for the betterment of the club (and coincidentally, the hobby as a whole). The club has a lesser right and concomitantly lesser obligation to exercise control over individual members in activities which are not directly club related. This lesser right, in my opinion, extends only to matters of ethical conduct and concerns.

On this issue, it is my opinion that the club can and should exercise control over its own venues, but that the purchase or sale of slabbed chips is not an ethical issue. Therefore, the club has no right to try to tell people what they can do about slabbed chips other than during or through club activities or venues.

I hope that's simple enough! <g> ----- jim o\-S