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Subj: GPCS Name Change - Officer's Response to Membership
Date: 11/9/99 1:30:28 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: vlaferney@home.com (Virgil LaFerney)
Reply-to: vlaferney@home.com
To: vlaferney@home.com
Hello Again,
Below are some questions that have been asked pertaining to the proposed
name change of this club. Instead of posting the Board's response on an
active non-GPCS list, we chose to address these questions privately to the
membership of GPCS directly. Please take a few minutes to read over these
responses. As always, if you have any further questions or concerns, please
contact any of the members of the Board. You will find our names and e-mail
addresses below.
=1============================
Q) The GPCS was founded almost 7 year's ago, talking with others, we can
not figure out why there has to be a complete name change to OUR club.
-----
A) For most members, especially long time members, there has always been a
desire to be more officially known to the rest of the pin collecting world.
Even Michael Comer, the founder of this club, tried gallantly 7 years ago to
have the club sanctioned and named using the HRC logo and name. It's nothing
new and something that past Officers have tried to accomplish. Only
difference now is, the opportunity is at the door knocking and we the
membership have the opportunity to vote on the proposal and move this club
forward. When you tell your friends you are a member of GPCS, how many of
them reply with something like "What is that?" and you have to explain. For
those of us who have been members since the inception, we have all accepted
the fact that there were problems in acquiring an official looking name
early on, but now the chance to have a name that more closely identifies all
of us with what we actually do in this hobby is a major bonus.
==============================
=2============================
Q) In reading the newsletter, it mentioned the name change could be taken
away just as fast as it was given, what would be then, we go back to the
GPCS?
-----
A) Just like in any sanctioned club, whether it be the "Coca Cola" club or
the "McDonald's" club, there are certain rules that apply to all members.
HRC Corporate still remembers a few years ago when some collectors went off
and created business cards that looked like a HRC Managers business card. In
some cafe's those people were treated special because they were thought to
be employees. Corporate has said that as long as we treat the logo and name
with respect, we will have no problems. All they have asked is that if we
decide to use the logo on anything outside of our club name, laminates and
such, that we obtain authorization. Those items are to be used for Club
purposes only and not for personal gain. This is nothing different than what
has been required of anyone in the past. Each time you see the HRC logo on
an event pin or laminate, permission had to be obtained from Corporate
before it could be produced, sold or given away. Nothing new here. As long
as we abide by this simple request from Corporate, we will have no problems.
==============================
=3============================
Q) Instead of the Club being called the Hard Rock Cafe Pin Collectors Club
why wouldn't it be called the HRC GPCS?
-----
A) In all reality, we can call our club anything the membership wants
including leaving it GPCS. That's what this is all about. But, Corporate has
said we can name our Club the "Hard Rock Cafe Pin Collector's Club" with
their blessing. If we want to use that specific name, including the words
"Hard Rock Cafe", it's ours for the taking. Besides, why would anyone want
to change the name to anything but "Hard Rock Cafe Pin Collector's Club".
Isn't that what we are? Are we just Guitar Pin Collectors or are we "Hard
Rock Cafe pin collectors"? Is there a reason why we would not welcome this
golden opportunity and make ourselves known to the world as what we really
are?
==============================
=4============================
Q) Why change the GPCS name as founded by Michael Comer, what is the
benefit, if 2 months down the road it can be changed back, what is the
benefit to our membership?
-----
A) Michael Comer tried to name this club using the Hard Rock logo and name
7 years ago. He will be the first to tell you it was not possible back then
what with the 2 separate corporations (HRCA / HRCI). He tried but it did not
happen. Even Michael is for this name change. He was one of the first to
reply back to the current Board with congratulations in seeing that his
dream finally came true. Michael Candland, Sandy Marchese- Millard and James
Daves-Peterson (former Board members) have also been in touch with us. They
are all supportive of the change as they too, during their Administrations,
tried to make this happen.
==============================
=5============================
Q) Will HRC Corporate have any power over the internal workings of the club
as we know it, the newsletter was vague in Virgil's comments and I quote
"This is, as I see it, a chance in a lifetime for this club to become as
official as we can for the time being" What is to come after the time being,
HRC takes over the club in time?
-----
A) This Board and HRC Corporate have no intentions and or desires to ever
see this happen. This Club is a private, non-profit organization. Corporate
has allowed us the choice to be called what they are offering. No, it was
not offered to anyone else. Just OUR Club. The "for the time being" means
that with the new name and logo, this club will grow and prosper more than
it ever has in the past. Collectors will hear of a club called the "Hard
Rock Cafe Pin Collector's Club" and will immediately identify with what we
do as part of our hobby. Our name will be out there, our WEB site will be
easy to find and our club will grow. So no, nothing has been said or
mentioned about HRC "ever" taking over this club. It's OUR club and
Corporate has been generous to allow us to use the name that will give us
recognition and provide us with growth opportunities going forward.
==============================
=6============================
Q) Why does the vote have to be right away, what is the hurry all about?
This months newsletter came today, members have till November 20th to vote,
to me and others, we don't understand why this month's newsletter didn't
talk about the proposed change, and next month's had the ballot to vote.
-----
A) The only rush was due to the fact that "if" the vote was OK'd, then we
wanted to be able to close out the books by the end of December for GPCS and
then start the year fresh with the new name. A lot of work will have to be
dealt with dealing with bank accounts, closing accounts and the books, WEB
sites, new URL's and on and on. The other thing is we the Board were so
excited about this proposal, felt so strongly about the future of this club,
that we wanted to get the vote in, counted and posted in the December
newsletter and on the web site. Now, some may think this is a bit of
overkill or premature, but we could see nothing that anyone might consider
to be bad about this proposal. It seemed to be such a positive step forward
for this club, that our feelings were this was something everyone would
want. Since this vote is not earth shattering in nature, it made sense that
providing every member with almost 3 weeks to understand the facts, vote and
mail in their ballot was ample time.
==============================
=7============================
Q) Who is doing the actual counting and overseeing of the ballot's besides
Anna. Will she go to the Honolulu Hard Rock and open the votes in public?
-----
A) There is no stipulation in the Club by-laws as to who is responsible for
counting ballots. The Board of Directors agreed that Anna Oyape, our Club
Secretary, would be responsible for counting the votes. Since Anna is
responsible for the Club's membership, it made sense that she is most
qualified to verify all received votes against the master membership list.
Many have asked why they can't vote electronically. The answer is a simple
one. We want to have signed paper copies of all votes on file in case there
are questions in the future. Electronic and WEB votes are too easy to forge
and manipulate. Having signed, dated copies takes the guesswork out of any
concerns going forward. Anna will be tabulating the votes as they are
received. The final results will be posted to ALL members of this club at
the same time.
==============================
=8============================
Q) What percentage of the vote is needed to change the name? Is this based
on the number of people who actually get their vote in on time, or is it
based on the total number of members in the club?
-----
A) Per Article IX - Section 1 of the by-laws of this Club states, "A
majority vote of the members voting shall determine all issues unless
otherwise specified". This is all that is required to accept or veto any
vote. Also, every member of this club was sent a newsletter and a ballot.
For those households who have multiple members, multiple ballots were also
sent to them. We even followed up with an e-mail to the 80% of the
membership who are on-line telling them to be expecting the newsletter and
ballots. We have followed up on anyone who has replied to us with address
changes and e-mail changes and have sent out duplicate newsletters and
ballots to those same members. Everyone has the same opportunity to vote and
be heard in this election. Almost 3 weeks to think over this proposal, vote
and send their ballot back to Anna is ample time. At the same time, if votes
continue to trickle in for a few days you can be assured they will be
counted. Like was mentioned above, in our excitement to see this through, to
get the results back to the membership in this next months newsletter and to
close the books by the end of next month, we set an arbitrary date that
seemed to be feasible for everyone to meet.
==============================
=9============================
Q) Many people have spoken about a hidden agenda, this seems to prove their
point, since this is all happening so quickly and we all know Hard Rock is
not quick to do things, who is rushing this through and what do they get out
of it ?
-----
A) There is NO hidden agenda. If you have been reading your newsletters you
know that we have been very open with the membership since before the
elections. We have done our best each month to tell you what has been going
on, what we are planning, what we are doing, where we want to take this
club. We've asked for input over and over again including asking for simple
newsletter articles. A handful of members have written articles for the
newsletter and every one of them have been posted for the membership to
read. We have provided each of the members the Boards names, their addresses
and e-mail addresses on a monthly basis and have asked that if anyone has
questions or suggestions to please contact us. The books are open for anyone
to view at any point. We told this membership from day one that this is your
Club and that we are here to fulfil the wishes of the majority. Nothing has
changed since that time. As for as what do we get out of this, well WE "all"
get to call ourselves members of the "Hard Rock Cafe Pin Collector's Club"..
==============================
=10===========================
Q) The newsletter said that the membership will stay in the hands of the
current board, CAN that change at anytime under the new name change if
elected?
-----
A) No! The membership of this club will stay right where it is and has been
for the last 7 years. The only thing that we hope to ever seen change is the
amount of new people wanting to become members of the "Hard Rock Cafe Pin
Collector's Club". Per our earlier note, Corporate has only made available
to us the use of their logo and name and that's all. Our membership will not
be moved to any other governing body. We are in control of our own destiny.
==============================
=11===========================
Q) Will the club under the new name if elected have to report to Corp
before doing anything different for the club membership?
-----
A) No! The only time we would ever need to confer with Corporate would be
if we wanted to use the logo, in conjunction with the Club, in a manner that
was of a different nature than normal. That is the ONLY request they have
made of us. This is the same request they have made of anyone who wants to
use the Corporate logo on anything, including pin event pins and laminates.
If you ask around, anyone who has ever dealt with this issue will tell you
it's a requirement that artwork be presented to Corporate for approval. We
have already been given approval to use the logo and name and the only time
we will have to change that process is if we require something above and
beyond what is considered normal. Also, since Corporate has no control over
our club, they have no say so concerning our Club's membership.
==============================
=12===========================
Q) Will the Board or partial board be on the HRC payroll?
-----
A) No! We are all just members, like yourself, who have been voted into
office to help lead and direct this club in your behalf. Each of us on this
Board have jobs of our own to tend and deal with and have families to
support without being involved with HRC Corporate.
==============================
Thanks for your time and consideration...
The GPCS Board of Directors * 1999 - 2000
Judson Pitt - President
mailto:judsonpitt@att.net
Virgil LaFerney - Vice President
mailto:vlaferney@home.com
Suzanne Nordmann - Treasurer
mailto:hrckatt@aol.com
Anna Oyape - Secretary
mailto:journeyforever@hotmail.com
Joe DiNero - Newsletter Editor
mailto:jdinero@optonline.net
GPCS WEB site
http://www.gpcs.org
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