Hey Brian... I had actually been waiting for my opponent to post something substantial about his candidacy, but it appears that (shockingly) this is not going to happen, so I'll start the ball rolling.

With my article in the upcoming issue of the Casino Collectibles News notwithstanding, I would like to officially announce my candidacy for a fourth term as Vice President of the CC&GTCC. I have, in the past, enjoyed excellent relationships with ALL of the members of the club’s Board of Directors with whom I have served, and I look forward to continuing my service in this way to our outstanding organization. I will not include much biographical information here, as that is in my CCN article.

I joined the CC&GTCC in 1999 and became life member #60 as soon as I was eligible in 2002. I have met hundreds of amazing people through the Club and I count just about all of those who I have gotten to know as friends. In the past I have received endorsements from many past and present members of the Board of Directors as well as other prominent Club members, and I am humbled by their continued support.

As for my plans for the future of the Club, the current Board of Directors has had an ongoing, active dialog regarding recruitment of more membership, and though it is a daunting and complex issue, we continue to discuss it. I personally feel that the Club needs to provide more tangible benefits to potential (and existing) members, and that we have as members only a small portion of the Casino Collectibles universe, which I believe to be in the 10,000+ range.

Membership attrition was just one of 57 different issues that were on the agenda during our recent exhaustive meeting of the Board of Directors, and several could result in meaningful changes to the club or how we operate. Doug Smith will post some summary information about the discussions at a later date.

I also believe that it is a fact that people do not have, nowadays, the DNA of “collectors”, as there are so many distractions that occupy their lives (I am in the movie business, and we have to address the exact same problem). As we continue to experience attrition due to many different reasons (death, loss of interest, financial issues), we should be pursuing those who already have collecting in their DNA (eg: coin collectors, matchbook collectors, etc.)

As for the future of the hobby itself, it is still attracting money and resources (the high end stays pretty high, and there continue to be thousands of listings on eBay… and lord knows that if you sprinkle a little “Doug Dust” on things, they sell).

For many reasons, I feel that I am the only qualified candidate for the Vice Presidency in the upcoming election. I don’t feel that I need to elaborate on this, because both my opponent and I have fairly high profiles within the hobby and most people know both of us. That said, however, if anyone feels differently, or feels the need to endorse or support my opponent because he will “work for you” or because he is “not afraid to shake hands”, or because he wanders (creeps) around every day taking pictures on his cell phone, I will happy to communicate either privately or right here on the boards.

But if you are unsure how you’ll be casting your vote, I suggest you search the Chip Board archives for the year in which Mr. Pavlik ran for President of the CC&GTCC. You can find lots of information about how Mr. Pavlik conducts himself (and how he responds to questions) in The Chip Board Archive 17. Fun reading.

27, Joe!