...not to allow someone new to Parkers to purchase his/her first one from someone on that forum especially dedicated to that brand seems foolish and self serving. Conversely for that new person who wishes to dispose of a Parker, not to be able to straightforwardly advertise it for sale on the Parker Forum, that likewise seems foolish. Just My Thoughts...George
George: The problem started with Ron K. and why the new BOD (after reorganization in 2003) didn't apply some common sense is a mystery. Your use of the word "foolish" is spot on.
The PGCA as originally constituted had five founding members of the legal BOD. Every corporation, be it for profit or non-profit has to have directors (three minimum if incorporated in IL; the PGCA was incorporated as a not-for-profit in VA, and had five directors). Forrest Marshall was elected president by the BOD, Ron K. was secretary; Fred Stump (an accountant) was treasurer.
When the PGCA was a start-up association, the original BOD's and the first "charter" members kicked in $300 each for start-up costs, like a computer, office equipment, stationery, etc. By paying $300 they were absolved of ever having to pay dues, and thus were "life members." Subsequent new members, when they joined, elected to pay $25 annual dues or a one-time $300 (and thus "life members"). But being a life member meant nothing more than not having to pay annual dues...until Ron K. got imaginative...
To encourage his cadre if willing helpers Ron (a legal director, legal secretary, and calling himself "Executive Director") invented the concept that life members would get to vote. So Ron contrived to form a "shadow BOD" of his helpers. An election was held, five shadow BODs were elected, along with a new "president." Not legal, but it worked for a time, until the fictitious BODs started to work independent of Ron's wishes...and the stuff hit the fan after a contested election in spring 2003. Ron announced that it was all a sham, and with the agreement of three of four other legal directors booted out the impostors, three of which are now on the reorganized seven-man BOD and are also officers.
I was instrumental in changing the mind-set of three original BODs, which with Ron's one antagonist, constituted a majority of four legal BODs...Ron was out, and the original BOD rewrote the by-laws to allow life members to vote, a vote was taken, a new BOD installed, and
Viola! The new BOD didn't want to hear from EDM, a mere annual-dues-paying non-voting member.
I have paid annual dues now for 15 years; I have had people press $$$ in my hand at PGCA events, so that they could put me up for the BOD. But since 1991, when I bought my sailboat,
Solent, my wife and I have averaged 6 months per year, coming and going, sailing or at anchor, almost all of the time out of the country. For the past 18 years there was no way I could assume a leadership role being gone so much. So I researched and wrote, which I could do on the fly. My first book was written while anchored in Clark's Court Bay, Grenada BWI, for 5 months in 1995/96.
Meanwhile, as an annual-dues-paying "bystander" with over 11,000 books out there with my picture, name, and hometown, and given the Internet, I am easy to get in touch with. And for a great many members who joined up with applications slipped in my books, I am the only face they associate with the PGCA. Of the 1,000 members, less than 10 percent have ever attended a gathering. So when things go wrong I hear about it, and being hopelessly entwined with the PGCA, I have often passed the message...like recently when a person who joined in April in Sanford NC at the PGCA/LCS Shootout, and hadn't heard anything for FOUR MONTHS! I e-mailed 4 honchos: one responded that it wasn't his problem; two failed to acknowledge my e-mail; one e-mailed me, and I quote him: "What are you trying to do, stir up trouble?"
The punch-line is that the PGCA BOD has killed the messenger. When I receive my "current" Roster in August (or thereabouts each year), the first thing I do is update my mailing list for new members...but this August there were no new members! The powers that be reprinted last year's Roster at no little expense and mailed at least 1,000 of them at usual postage rates. When I discovered and reported the glitch my info went over like a turd in the punch bowl. And the last thing the powers that be want is this mentioned and opened for discussion on the PGCA Forum.
Finally, if I was allowed on the PGCA Forum I would have mentioned that Ray P. at the Vintagers has always supported the PGCA with a gratis display table, after I wrote about the possibilities in 1997. The PGCA had a large tent with about 20 tables at a bargain price this year at Pintail Point, which the PGCA officers, BODs, and honchos largely abandoned Saturday afternoon. The PGCA tent was almost vacant Sunday...like a conspicuous eyesore...like rats deserting a sinking ship, like gun show dealers packing up on Sunday mornings, which guarantees that promoters who have to pay rent for both Saturday and Sunday, will have little or no Sunday paid admissions.
You see, George L., stuff like this does not contribute to the self-aggrandizing back slapping that is endemic to certain persons who have the power to pull my plug. But in the final analysis, this site is so much more diverse and interesting, and one can fritter away a great amount of time on the Internet if given the chance. Not having the chance to be heard on the PGCA forum was inconvenient when my book was approaching release back around Labor Day. Friends passed the update messages...but always concerned about just how vindictive the Forum police might be. The book is now an accomplished fact, and my participation on the PGCA Forum is passe'.
I have moved on to doublegunshop.com where persons can express themselves without the paranoia so often detected on parkergun.org , where posters are always super-sensitive to the "speak-no-evil" thought police lurking (never contributing), just waiting to "disappear" another worthwhile thread. What a breath of fresh air this site has proved to be! EDM
