2016 PGCA Annual Meeting Announcement

[Dean Romig]

2016 PGCA Annual Meeting

The Parker Gun Collectors Association (PGCA) is pleased to announce the 2016 Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with The Original Baltimore Antique Gun Show. The Annual Meeting and Dinner will be held on March 19, 2016 at the Sheraton Baltimore North at 6:00 PM. Information related to the events of the weekend is provided below. We hope you will be able to join us for the Annual Meeting and associated activities full of Parker Gun discussion and comradery.

Gun Show Information:
The Original Baltimore Antique Gun Show (http://baltimoreshow.com) is scheduled for March 19-20, 2016.
Maryland State Fairgrounds Cow Palace
2200 York Road
Timonium, MD 21093
Hours: Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM / Sunday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM ($10 admission daily)
The theme of the 2016 Annual Meeting will be Parker Hammer Guns and we will have a small at the show display, so bring your Parker Hammer Guns for display and the Annual People’s Choice Contest.

Hotel Information:
The PGCA has arranged for a block of rooms at the following two hotels (room rate $109/night) for March 17-20, 2016:
• Sheraton Baltimore North
903 Dulaney Valley Road
Towson, MD 21204
Tel: 410-321-7400
https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1601073715&key=229337B9
• Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore North/Timonium
11 Texas Station Court
Timonium, MD 21093
Tel: 410-628-2800
http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/B/BWITIHX-PGC-20160318/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
 
Annual Meeting and Dinner Information:
The Annual Meeting Dinner and associated activities will be held at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel.
The cost of the Annual Meeting Dinner will be $75.00 per person, please make payment payable to the Parker Gun Collectors Association (PGCA) and send payment to the following address:

David Suponski
266 Clover St.
Stratford, CT 06614
Tel: 203-260-1275
Email: ctdoubles@aol.com

Annual Meeting Schedule of Events:
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Social Hour (Open Bar) with Hors d’oeuvres
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: People’s Choice Award Contest – The theme of the contest is Parker Hammer Guns so please bring your Parker Hammer Guns for display and the enjoyment of all of the attendees.
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Silent Auction
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM: Dinner (Open Bar – 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
8:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Annual Meeting including Guest Speaker,
Distinguished Service Awards,
Announcement of People’s Choice winners,
Silent Auction winning bidders announcements.






.

[Bill Mullins]

Hello All..!
The 2016 Annual Meeting will be an exciting event! This will be the Maryland Arms Collectors Association 62nd annual gun show... Over 1000 sales tables and many displays to entertain all attending. The show is billed as one of the finest antique arms shows in the country. I have personally attended this show for over 20 years. During that time span I have seen many really nice high condition Parkers in every grade and gauge exchange hands. One just never knows what to expect or may come out from under the tables!!

The Annual Meeting will have "all the bells and whistles" from the Silent Auction, People's Choice Parkers ( Hammer Guns this year ), Distinguished Service Awards, and a Guest Speaker. Speaking of our guest speaker this year it will be Philip Schreier of the National Firearms Museum. Phil has been with the Museum for over 26 years. He appears regularly on NRA News, American Rifleman television, the History Channel, A&E, and a host of other cable shows with firearm related programing. He has written a half dozen books and over a hundred articles on firearms and military related themes.
We all are very excited and lucky to have Phil as our guest speaker.

Please mark your calendars, make your reservations and travel plans. Many of your fellow members, friends and exhibitors will be there! All the details are in the previous post.

Look forward to seeing you there...until then Happy Parker collecting, shooting and hunting!

Bill

[Mike Kobos]

VERY IMPORTANT.

The hotels are filling up VERY quickly and the Sheraton Hotel has informed us that all the double bed rooms are totally sold out. However, they have agreed to let members of the PGCA order rooms with a king bed and they will provide a large roll-a-away bed at no charge. To reserve a room you must use the following Stargroup link:

Parkers Gun Collectors Association (OR copy and paste the following link into a web browser)
https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/even...5&key=229337B9

Here is what the hotel has said. You may want to copy the statement below which was made by the hotel's sales manager in case you have any problems.


"...and since we have no more Doubles available on March 18th & 19th, please inform the members to go ahead and book a King Room using the Stargroup Link, and we’ll provide a rollaway bed if there’s no Doubles available on the day of check-in. There’s usually a $30 fee for our rollaway beds but I can waive that fee for your group only."

These rooms are $109/night. You may have to request the roll-a-away at check-in.

Book your rooms early.

[Chip Beckford]

Thanks Dean,

I look forward to attending!

Chip
:)

[Michael Moffa]

Is the organization ever planning on having the annual meeting west of the Appalachians? It's 600 miles from me and I live in the south-east. To far to drive and an airplane ticket to Baltimore is expensive for two.

[Dean Romig]

We have had our Annual Meetings west of the Appalachains a number of times - most recently in Louisville about three years ago. It's expensive for any of us, no matter where it is held unless it is within a hundred miles or so of our homes.

One of the biggest problems we are faced with when we plan for an Annual Meeting is to hold it centrally enough that we can draw the largest number of PGCA Members, thereby satisfying the greatest number of members. It just so happens that the greatest number of our membership live in the East and that fact weighs heavily on our decision of where to hold it. It is never easy and the BOD spends countless hours in planning the Annual Meeting and other PGCA events.






.

[Chuck Bishop]

Can a Forum Associate like Mr. Moffa attend a PGCA member meeting/banquet?

[George M. Purtill]

Can a Forum Associate like Mr. Moffa attend a PGCA member meeting/banquet?

No but he should join the PGCA. And with PayPal it is easy as pie now!!!!

[Dean Romig]

As I understand it, anyone who buys a ticket may attend.






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[Michael Moffa]

Mr. Moffa is actually a DHE class life member, has been for a number of years. I'm listed in the member roster that goes out with the by-laws.

I tried to attend the last Louisville meeting but a sudden work commitment forced me to belay those plans. I was just wondering if there was an intention to go back to Louisville. That's about a 500 mile drive but it's straight up 65 and much more doable than negotiating DC traffic on the way to Baltimore.

[George M. Purtill]

Mike- I would love to go to Louisville as well. But I am sure economics dictates like Dean says.
They should fix your Forum description- a Life Member should be honored!!!

[Michael Moffa]

The economy has been playing havoc with us all. Who knows I may just jump in the car and go for a road trip. Be nice to see the usual suspects again.

[Jean Swanson]

To All

I was events chainman for many years , a thankless job, and no matter where you selected a spot for the annual meeting, it was never the correct location. A fact--Louisville, KN is the geographical location of the overall membership of the PGCA, east or west of the Mississippi River---over which 76% of the PGCA membership live EAST of the Mississippi. The last Louisville show was POORLY attended, I know, because I organized it !! I always considered a 500 to 600 mile radius as a days drive to have the event, a major consideration. Also what does the area have as interest ? Not an easy task!! I think the current BOD is doing their due diligence .

According to the By-lawyer, I see nothing that states that there is not room to have another get together ,wherever, that does not conflict ---just needs someone to take the bull by the horns and put in the countless hour to organize the function. Be ready for you know what, it will not satisfy all.

Regards
Allan

[Bruce Day]

We always have an open invitation for Parker members to join us for dinner at Pheasant Fest and to come by and talk. PF is Feb 19-21, this year in Kansas City. It's been in MSP, Omaha, Des Moines , Milwaukee, Madison. We have 7 people working the exhibit and have a great turn out of maybe 10 members come by and a couple have dinner with us.

We have had events west of the Mississippi for years but with little to no interest. Some years ago we listened to Texans talking about how the PGCA never came to Texas so we did and had maybe 10 people turn out and others who beat the drum and lived less than 50 miles away not show.

So with all that history , it's not even worth having any concern about it whatsoever.

[Michael Moffa]

As a previous officer in other organizations I can appreciate the thankless job that volunteering for an organization can be. To all who toil to make the PGCA the best, I salute and thank you.

[Mike Kobos]

This year's annual meeting promises to be a great one in part because it is tied with one of the top gun shows in the country. And while the meeting is a little over a month away, the cutoff dates for our hotel special pricing is much sooner. The special pricing for the hotels expires at the Hampton Inn on February 26 and at the Sheraton it expires on March 2. The prices rise considerably above our $109 rate at both hotels. Both hotels have put cutoff dates because they know they will sell out at the higher rates. The Baltimore show has very high attendance.
So, make your reservations sooner rather than later.

[Dean Romig]

I've seen prices at other conparable hotels in the area at $249/day during this Baltimore Arms show weekend.

And remember to send your check for Annual Meeting Banquet tickets as soon as you can....

Remember, seating is limited!






.

[Kevin McCormack]

We always have an open invitation for Parker members to join us for dinner at Pheasant Fest and to come by and talk. PF is Feb 19-21, this year in Kansas City. It's been in MSP, Omaha, Des Moines , Milwaukee, Madison. We have 7 people working the exhibit and have a great turn out of maybe 10 members come by and a couple have dinner with us.

We have had events west of the Mississippi for years but with little to no interest. Some years ago we listened to Texans talking about how the PGCA never came to Texas so we did and had maybe 10 people turn out and others who beat the drum and lived less than 50 miles away not show.

So with all that history , it's not even worth having any concern about it whatsoever.

What Bruce said - (can I get an 'AMEN'!) Reminds me of the very first Greenwich CT show where Bill Murphy and I paid for a table and 'declared' it a PGCA display, show-and-tell, and ask questions opportunity for Parker owners to come by. When we requested member support before the show to sit the table to spell us for bathroom breaks, time to cruise the show, eat lunch, etc. we got zip; zilch, nada by way of response. After the 4th or 5th member came by to 'visit' after the show opened, we decided to put out a sign-up sheet for purposes of recording who 'visited'. As I recall, we had 31 members sign up, the vast majority of whom lived within 50 miles or less of the show. Like the line from the Eagles' song, we "had to each our lunch all by ourselves."

[Dean Romig]

Kevin, that's just how it goes in most organizations where the is no requirement of membership to work or 'pitch in'. The tiniest minority does the vast majority of the 'heavy lifting'.






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[Kevin McCormack]

VERY true, Dean, and it will go on as long as its tolerated.

[George M. Purtill]

VERY true, Dean, and it will go on as long as its tolerated.

I certainly appreciate all that has been done by you and our forefathers for our fine PGCA. I try to do what little I can and appreciate the current huge efforts of the few.
There are many like me who do a medium amount of work and there are many like our officers and directors who do a lot of work. There are many who don't realize what they could do. There are many who probably don't have ability to do anything. It's always a mix.
As long as the do-nothing's don't complain, I'm not upset.
I love our organization and what it accomplishes.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

The venues the BOD chooses are fine, Yes sometimes they may seem a little too far away but for others its an easy drive, so in the end most of us get to attend the annual meeting, maybe not every year but most of the time, and well worth the time and expense it takes to get there. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this year at first I thought I could but as my wife reminded me I have an appointment that is a little more important, I am going to this show next year if at all possible whether its the annual meeting or not I understand it is the collector show of all collector shows! and this year with hammer guns the theme, well, I am sure there will be some great guns on display! Hope you guys have a great time! Gary

[Dean Romig]

Only one week remaining to make your nominations for the Distinguished Service Award.

I hope we receive at least as many nominations for the DSA as there were suggested captions on the "Photo Caption Contest" thread.

Regards and Thanks to all who send nominations for recipients of the DSA.






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[Bill Murphy]

Thanks, Kevin, for telling about one percent of the story of the early Greenwich shows. I guess there is no point in telling the "rest of the story".

[Mike Kobos]

Annual Meeting Special Hotel Rates are Ending
BUT there is some good news

The special rate of $109 is ending at the Sheraton on March 2. However they just called and said they have freed up 10 more rooms for Friday March 18. These additional rooms include six king bed rooms and four doubles.

We encourage you to book these right away.

The special rate of $109 that we have for the Hampton Inn is ending in two days on February 26.

[Mike Kobos]

Today is the last day to get the special rate of $109 st the Sheraton Hotel. They have said they will not extend the special rate beyond today. The special rate at the Hampton Inn expired last week.

[John Dunkle]

Last post before unsticking this...