I like the idea of two meetings a year. One for the annual meeting in conjunction with a major show, Mid September, Wilmington, Ohio at the Roberts Center? And continue the spring Southern at Deep River. You have a shooting competition at one, and the other displays and annual meeting. Wilmington would be better located for a lot of people and I am sure that OGCA would welcome us. This way no interference with hunting season for the annual, and a lot of dealers at the Deep River spring shoot off with them LC boys. Gary

Gary's idea is a good one until we can figure something out for further west. We have been to Wilmington before and it was a positive experience. LCSCA has made a home at Wilmington because of their great displays at that show. Ohio Gun Collectors loves groups because it gets them many new members. When people go the those shows, they are just mesmerized by the atmosphere and professional treatment. You stay in the hotel where the show is held, restaurants on premises. Oh, it is about 50 yards off the interstate, no back roads. I have been a member for many years even though I seldom attend shows any more. I say we go with Gary's idea.

There will be no perfect answer. I am sure this is a very difficult topic for the BOD and I am cetain they do their very best to weigh all options and come up with a decision.

I for one am thankful for their hard work and want to extend my gratitude for their hard work and dedication to present us with such great opportunities.

Thankyou,

John Truitt

I second John on that

MY TWO CENTS WORTH:

It is a thankless job . I was the events co-ordinator for some 10 to 15 years for the PGCA. No matter what place one selects, there are always a few that complained about the food, the cost , the location , the time of year , you name it and there was a bitch !!!Wilmington ,Ohio was a great location and I established an excellent relationship with both the OGCA and the Civic Center. If I recall correctly, we where there the first year that the center opened and we had our banquet at that facility with approximatly 110 members for the banquet and maple syrup was given to the membership . The following year the OGCA occupied a majority of the rooms and the banquet facility, a problem . I drove to Wilmington from Vermont to find a NEW facility for the Banquet . The only place that was close was the upstairs room of a local restaurant that colud take care of us. We held the event there!! The following year , that restaurant was out of business . I researched additional places and the closest place was some 25 to 30 miles away and the BOD and I decided to look elseware.

I did demographics of the membership and concluded that a days drive was about the limit of the attending members. Also, if my memory is correct, 75% of the entire membership live within 500 milles of Louisville , KY and some 80%+/- live east of the Mississippi !! I spent countless hours on research for the banquet , trying to take all into consideration ! Not an easy task nor assignment .

I talked to many PGCA members about different places and there was usually one or two problems, no matter city or place we looked at .

No idea is bad---make suggestions to Dave Suponski and Josh Loewensteiner.

Allan Swanson

Thanks for the post, Allan. I still think Wilmington is worth a second chance. If we can get a banquet facility, members will be pleased. I understand the problem with a downtown facility going out of business, but maybe the "hotel" can offer us something this time.

In the South, Dove season opens Sept one and is as sacred as partridge and pheasant seasons are in other parts of the country. If you are a double gun guy the Saturdays in Sept are an important part of our culture as the dove shoots are a gathering of friends, usually a cook out and a few cold ones are shared after the shoot. The comments that we should avoid October are understandable to y'all that hunt those birds but about any time interferes with something. I feel it is really important the the annual meeting involves a shooting event and if I HAVE to I could sacrifice one dove weekend!
David Dwyer

What's wrong with Fairbanks in January!!?? It could coincide with the annual -40F skeet shoot on the army base! Doesn't that sound like big fun? I'd even let everyone have a shot at the ever-present XXXXcicle in the outhouse!

I'd go to Fairbanks in Janurary befor I went to whever this is the end of October.

David you should come to MI. and give some U.P. Grouse hunting a try:)

Depending on who is sitting at the table, a shooting venue is or is not important for the Annual Meeting. It is certainly to be preferred, but we have had a bunch of annual meetings without a shooting venue. Las Vegas, Richmond, Louisville, Knoxville, Wilmington, Baltimore, were all non shooting venues. Apparently previous boards did not think shooting was a big deal but things are different now and we are doing a lot of shooting. Planning future events is going to be the hardest job among many. Mid winter in a warm weather area with shooting is worth thinking about.