Pen Collectors of America
News and Information, November 21, 2006
This is a preview issue of the online PCA Newsletter. The Board decided at the annual membership meeting at the Columbus Pen Show to take a concrete step toward improving communications with the PCA membership by publishing an online newsletter twice each month. The regular newsletter will be issued every other month, beginning in January. We believe this will be a big step forward in making the PCA a more vital organization.
This issue of the newsletter is somewhat rough and ready: just a compilation of news and information about current projects the Board is taking on, but hopefully it will get bigger and better over time, just as the PENnant, our flagship publication, has!
But how about some help from our membership: send us some suggested names for the newsletter! Let’s make a contest of it—a 4 ounce bottle of vintage Parker Blue-Black ink for the winning suggestion. Please send suggestions to Dan Carmell at dcarmell@earthlink.net.
PENnant updates:
Our new Vice President, Rick Propas, has been asked to lead the search for a new editor for the PENant. Filling Jim Mamoulides shoes will be a tall order, but as a former editor, Rick is up to the challenge. In the meantime, Tom and Dede Rehkopf are finalizing the Winter issue and moving ahead to review articles for the next issue.
The Board wants to thank Jim Mamoulides for his work on the PENant: he brought the same excellence to the PENant as we have found on his website, Penhero.com.
Some members have asked if the PENnant could be delivered first class US post, to avoid the random delays we currently experience. Our Treasurer, Roger Wooten, has researched this and found that it would add a minimum of $1,750 to the cost of each issue, which just isn’t feasible at this time.
Pens for Kids:
In addition to focusing on the PCA website, Linda Bauer will also be assisting with our Pens for Kids program. She will be leading a Pens for Kids seminar at the Chicago Pen Show to kick this project up a notch or two. In addition, the Board is in the beginning stages of planning other young people’s educational seminars for the major shows.
We have already had great success of the PfK Passport program at both the Washington, DC and Columbus Shows. Kids attending pen shows receive a "passport" with a list of items to find. When they spot an item on a dealers table, they politely ask the dealer to initial their passport. Each kid who returns with a completed passport gets a free fountain pen.
AnnMarie Hautaniemi is working with Terry Mawhorter and Dan Reppert on the PfK (Pens for Kids) Passports for the 2007 shows. This has been a nice surprise of a program, started at this past DC show. It has gotten reviews far surpassing our initial expectations, and can only grow. Parents love it because it engages their children in the show itself, and gives them an opportunity to interact with their kids about their hobby.
In addition, we are supporting two new Pens for Kids programs, and a superior achiever’s program in Seattle and a Cub Scout group.
To address potential interest in the teen age group, Bill Hong will be coordinating a program that will contact high schools to offer a free one year membership to the PCA conditioned on displaying The Pennant in their school libraries. Subsequent renewals could be at the student rate.
PCA Internal Projects:
The Board is working to update and supplement our bylaws. We are fortunate to have two 501 © 3 savvy professionals involved and we are very close to have the updated bylaws ready for final approval.
The Board is preparing to begin online board meetings, so we can meet and act on a more frequent basis to move ahead our priorities.
Our new Secretary, Dennis Bowden, is working on a permanent calendar to guide this and future boards to meet important deadlines. In addition, Dennis has issued minutes of the Columbus Board meeting at the Columbus show, so he has made a good start in issuing accurate and timely minutes.
The 2005 financial statement has been placed on the PCA website. Our Treasurer, Roger Wooten, expects to be able to place the 2006 financial statements on the website by the end of February 2007.
We are moving ahead to update and better maintain the PCA website. One of our new board members, Linda Bauer, has been given this project and we can expect great things!
Thanks for reading this preview issue of the PCA Newsletter. If you have questions you’d like to see addressed in future issues, please let us know! You can contact us through the PCA website at www.pencollectors.com.
Happy Holidays and Good Pen Hunting!
The PCA Board of Directors