What "Our hobby" needs is a club that is run transparently, trusted, 100% and FUN. One that provides value to its membership and respects input from its membership.

We have the base for that. The CCA. The definitive club in the hobby. Worldwide. It needs a revamp from the ground up. Active and progressive leadership working for its members (Who are the actual owners of the club). Its a SAD state of affairs when the leadership constantly cries that they must withstand the chronic abuse of the membership. I keep hearing that the reason they're there is because "no one wants the job"! well friends, I guess we see that someone does want positions and I hope there is more interest going forward to relieve them of their self proclaimed agony.

If your number floated of 25,000 collectors is accurate that would mean that the CCA has membership of 4% and at 2000 newsletter subscribers the other 4% don't bother to join the club. and the 10k number you floated for PCF, which at his site boasts 13K has 52%! The PCF number is a tally of every username created since its inception, both by its admin and actual registered unverified users. Knowing a bit about our "Hobby" those numbers make NO SENSE.

Again we don't need a new club, we need a club run right with the interest of the hobby and its hobbyists being its first concern. As the "constitution" of the club states:

ARTICLE THREE: PURPOSE
A) The purposes of this organization are to promote a closer relationship and good will among the members of the Club, to encourage the study of gaming chips and tokens by the acquisition and study of all types of gaming exonumia, to assist new collectors and to encourage others in the study of gaming exonumia, to protect the integrity of the hobby and to maintain close liaison with other historical and numismatic associations.

In the ByLaws:

VI. MEMBERSHIP CONDUCT
Members are required to adhere to and conform to the Club’s Code of Ethics, as now enacted and as amended in the future.
Members are required to interact with other members in a civil, non-antagonistic, cooperative way.
Members are required to fully cooperate with any investigation into violations of the Code of Ethics, give full cooperation and full testimony if requested to, under oath if so desired by those conducting the investigation.
Members are required to report violations of the Code of Ethics to the Board of Directors.

Almost all violated daily at election time in the CCA with NO REPERCUSSION.

Any member who:

violates the Constitution of this organization; or
violates the By-laws of this organization; or
violates the Code of Ethics of this organization; or
fails to cooperate fully, completely and honestly with any Board of Inquiry into improper conduct, under oath if so requested; or has been convicted of a criminal offense; or
engages in conduct unbecoming a member; or
engages in conduct deemed detrimental to the welfare of the organization and/or its member and/or the hobby; or
engages in conduct deemed unduly hostile or antagonistic or adversarial to fellow members

Again, especially by a chairperson of an entity in the CCA appointed by the board, VIOLATED DAILY.

Accountability to the membership and to the promotion of the hobby should be cause #1, I don't see that in the past few years.

New club? NO... Better club..... Definitely. If you want to see leadership failure, just look at the CCA's balance sheet and membership decline, its posted for the membership.

While this Titanic may have hit the iceberg it doesn't have to sink due to its leadership but only the membership together can bail fast enough to keep it afloat.

Ask ourselves, what do we get as members of the club for the dues paid? ..... A printed magazine that's going to bankrupt the club as it costs more that the dues collected? Early registration to the show in June? The Chip Board? oh wait, not the chip board. (once owned by the club I understand, not sure if true) I believe all communications of club business to its members should be solely made at a club owned and controlled site but that's a whole other subject.

SAVE THE CCA!

DEMAND AS ITS OWNERS ACCOUNTABILITY! DEMAND TO KNOW ITS ASSETS AND INVENTORY STATED AND VERIFIED. PUT IN PLACE LEADERSHIP THAT WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO ITS OWNERS, US THE MEMBERS.

MAKE THE CCA FUN AGAIN!! RETURN THE CCA TO ITS PREVIOUS STATURE IN THE HOBBY, THE DEFINITIVE, RESPECTED ORGANIZATION IN OUR HOBBY!!!