Read this board anymore and even less often post.

However after doing some catching up over the past week since the convention, I am deeply saddened by what I have read.

Honestly I am starting to wonder what is the end game here with all the negativity ????

I understand that people have issues with others but that has been existing since the beginning of time.

But I am not sure I have ever seen this amount of negative comments ever on the chipboard.

The way I look at it is we all have a common interest which is that we collect the same things.

No matter if you’re a CCA member, a local club member or not a member of anything, if you read the chipboard, you most likely have a vested interest in seeing the hobby flourish.

Now I know this is going to fall on a lot of dead ears but all these negative posts aren’t good for anyone or the hobby in general.

Even myself who has been a long time board member, and completely engrossed in the hobby for over 30 years has started to lose interest because of the constant bickering and day after day of negativity.

Now if that can happen to a person like me, just imagine what it does so the new collector or someone considering entering the hobby.

Now I am not taking any sides here and I don’t agree with a lot of what has been said or done. I consider myself friends with people on both sides of just about every issue. Nearly every year I am asked to come back to the board or take on additional club positions.

But let’s face it, who in their right mind would volunteer to be on the board of a club that is constantly under attack by others. That in itself is keeping a lot of qualified people away from possibly making a difference.

These constant attacks on the club are not just attacks on people that are disliked. It’s a real slap in the face to every current and previous board member, every club volunteer and every person who gave so much to the club over the past 30 years.

Can things be improved? Certainly there can be.
But can’t these suggestions be made in a more positive light without the negativity and bickering?

Think of a way to positively improve the club or the hobby, make the suggestion to the board, er even better volunteer to headline the effort to get it done.

Now not knocking anyone here but membership doesn’t tell a complete story. I can personally sign up every person in my office that works for me and grow our membership, but does that really grow collectors if they have no real interest in the first place?

Believe me, from a winner of the recruiter of the year for several years, growing new real membership is tougher than most people realize.

I apologize for the long post and as I have said earlier this probably won’t make a difference at all but I thought people might want to hear a differing opinion.

If the goal of people is to destroy a club that has tried so hard for so many years to promote the hobby then I honestly don’t understand.

We should support the CCA, we should support our local clubs and we should support every effort from anyone willing to grow the Hobby.

We are all in the same boat, just don’t understand why some are more interested in drilling holes than patching them up.