Greeting my fellow Club members, I have had numerous requests to post this statement in its entirety on this forum. The comments that I have heard are that the Club board is too cumbersome. So I am posting this here.

As I mentioned in my initial campaign statement I am going to elaborate on my platform items.

Exposure

The definition of exposure is the condition of being presented to view or made known.

What our club is seriously lacking is exposure on many levels, Locally, Regionally, and Nationally. We have had many volunteer Club members author press releases and articles. All were excellent efforts but in my mind did not go far enough in giving us the recognition and status we deserve. Our Club has sought out volunteers who were never given a clear path with goals to achieve a successful outcome. Politics and single-mindedness have clouded our desired goal. The exposure of our Club should entail every facet of what we want to accomplish. Exposure can envelop everything we stand for and do i.e. Membership, Website, Chipguide, MoGH, our Reputation, and our status in the hobby.
We must start thinking outside the box and seek alternatives to the ways we have been doing things presently. Those alternatives must be feasible in terms of cost and time involved. I would like the opportunity to seek out a professional Marketing / Public relations individual/firm to determine what such a company could do for us. This would purely be an exploratory mission for gathering information. To my knowledge, this has never been attempted and I believe it would be worth my time to investigate this option. The board would be informed of my findings and would need to approve any further action.

Additionally, Fundraisers are an excellent way to co-brand with charities to get our name out. I have mentioned the Make-a-Wish Foundation as such an organization. I have had past dealings with them, and I believe they would be receptive to any mutually agreed upon event.

Participation in Food Drives with Charities is another way of promoting our name. We could contact public businesses to partner with us, such as grocery stores, food banks, and big box stores.

Local media could be informed of our events, and we may be able to get TV and print coverage.

We also need to take a good look at our reputation among other hobby-related Clubs and eliminate any bad feelings. Our attitude should be one of inclusion. Helping like-minded Clubs will make the hobby better for all of us. It is arrogant to think that we can survive without being somewhat involved with other Clubs. We should not be demonizing other Clubs but rather form a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation. Most of our members are also members of other clubs. We should look to co-sponsor events to show our solidarity, not animosity. Who are we competing against? the answer is obvious ourselves. The CCA should take the lead as a Big Brother and promote our hobby for the betterment of all.

Conclusion

All my ideas are possible to achieve. I am willing and able to spend my time to help solve some of our problems. I have no conflict of interest, hidden agenda, or any other reason to seek this position other than to see the hobby and Club I love prosper. I have the drive to try and accomplish these items and more given the opportunity to serve I will do my best.

I will post additional ideas in the coming weeks and hope you consider my words honest and sincere.

I ask for your vote when the ballot is released with the upcoming edition of the Club Magazine

Jerry Vergatos LM-8093-241
Candidate for CCA Vice-President