Good morning to all. I hope everyone enjoyed this year’s convention as much as my wife and I did. Jim Steffner did an outstanding job as well as ALL the volunteers who make the convention go. Thank you to all who gave of themselves for the good of our organization!

Now, I hate to criticize anyone’s decisions especially a decision from one I consider my friend. However, I must inform everyone of a decision my friend Jim Steffner made as convention chairman that I believe will result in losing six to ten dealers for next years convention. It is not easy to publicly criticize a decision, especially a friend’s decision. I’m sorry Jim, I watched you personally handle the situation I am about to relate. You failed miserably….the decision; your decision fell out of the bounds of compassion and empathy for our fellow collectors and dealers. I was disheartened and ashamed to watch a crippled dealer spew forth disdain for our club and its stupid RULES when a little bending would have resolved everything.

I was sitting with club treasurer Doug Smith in one of the easy chairs located outside the convention area. Doug was puffing upon a quality cigar of which I was enjoying the second hand smoke. We were discussing everything from world affairs to club policies and procedures. It was early in the morning, Thursday prior to the official opening of the convention, but during set up time for dealers.

A crippled dealer whom I did not know was walking past Doug and me. He stopped and began to vent about his predicament. He stated “This is my last convention…….not only me but the other six or so dealers outside as well”. I asked what was wrong. He said that he could not unload his goods outside the convention area in the back. He had to drag it through the casino and enter through the front doors of the convention area. I asked why. He said there was a notice in his dealer package that stated dealers could only unload in the back one day. I guess that day was on Wednesday. I said you must be mistaken. Many dealers arrive on Thursday because they cannot make it on Wednesday. He said he was told by the convention chairman that this is the rule. I was shocked…….I asked Doug if he would look into it. Doug walked over to Jim to handle the incident quietly and without fanfare. I saw they were speaking and then Doug returned to his seat. Doug said, “There is nothing I can do”. However, I will bring it up at the next board meeting. I sat in the chair deciding if I should approach Jim Steffner and vent my displeasure. I was afraid I might say something I would regret………so I let it go.

No one can tell me Mike Skelton, Wayne Thompson or Mike Pasternak & Dawn Satter would not have bent this rule. They would have gotten an extra security guard if they had to pay for it out of their own pocket; stationed that guard at the back door until everyone unloaded. You know why? All of these individuals realize the importance of preserving our dealers for future conventions. They don’t operate under that stupid expression “Rules are Rules”. I know Jim realizes the importance of keeping our dealers happy. This is why I do not understand his decision. Perhaps he was not thinking it through. It happens to all of us.

Now it looks like we will lose more dealers for next year’s convention adding to the twenty or so we have already lost. Jim Steffner, as convention chairman, was technically correct…….but in my opinion, ethically and morally wrong. Rules have to have flexibility and human interpretation to work. This is why we have a judicial system with a judge to interpret the rules. Otherwise, individuals’ lose respect for authority and the rules that authority tries to enforce. It is a shame this incident had to happen. Perhaps in the future, we as an organization can change this ridiculous rule and extend unloading in “the back” to include Wednesday AND Thursday. I am sure the cost is not that much more. Frankly, I don’t care what the cost is. We cannot afford to lose any more dealers. We can find the money if that is the issue. It must be the issue. I can not possibly think of any other reason to send a dealer away who is cursing our organization.

I hope my new club President Jim Steffner doesn’t exercise this type of judgment in his decision making as he did as convention chairman. We as an organization need leaders who understand and have empathy for our members. I don’t care if these leaders are volunteers or not. Our leaders have to demonstrate authority but they must administer that authority with compassion and understanding. If they don’t, there will be no organization for them to administer too.

I know Jim Steffner has these characteristics but some how “they got misplaced” during that Thursday morning. I hope everyone who reads this write up realizes I am not criticizing Jim as an individual he is too fine a man for that; I am criticizing his decision. It is the decision, under the circumstances, that I consider very poor! The decision lacked all the ingredients that I know are contained within the man; yet somehow got lost within a busy convention atmosphere.

Perlowski