the does not encompass the hobby, the hobby encompasses the club. Many people that participate on this BB are or at one time were members of the , while many more do not belong. The club's BoD completely agrees that the best way to grow the club is to grow the hobby. Our problem is & has been how to reach those that aren't aware that there are people just like them that collect this stuff!! Not an easy task given a limited budget. Would it be great to advertise in highly circulated publications? Sure, but the costs do not support the growth of the club that we would anticipate.

Twice a year for every year that I have been involved with the club's BoD, we have discussed options & ideas to increase membership, ways to bring more people into THE HOBBY. We have tried new things & we will be implementing other ideas in the near future that we hope will bring more eyes to the hobby. In my opinion, it is people like YOU & Gene & Pam & everyone else that contributes to this BB, the club's magazine, the convention seminars, the MOGH, etc...by providing the fascinating history, pictures, stories and scans that keep this interest in the hobby & the club afloat. They (and you) open up areas of collecting that others may not have been interested in originally.

As far as the magazine goes, people interested in the hobby DO have access to the club's magazines on-line. They may not be the most current ones, but there are plenty there. This BoD and many of the ones before have discussed putting the club magazine on-line versus the printed version. And as has been noted numerous times, because of the age of many of this club's members & their aversion (or lack of easy access) to the internet, having a strictly on-line version would cause MANY to drop out. Even many of those that are on-line like the current printed version better & would not renew if the magazine was strictly on-line. My observations, experience & opinions.

Thanks again for what you contribute to the hobby & to the .

Steve B