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Rhode Island

the gpc executive committee will have an informational table set up at the niagra seminar. we would welcome any questions you may have concerning a membership for your club/site in the great pumpkin commonwealth.

2006 is a very important year for your gpc.
we have slashed the site fee into three levels of membership
$100.00, $200.00 and $300.00, down from past years $500.00 per site fee. we have adjusted appropriate award schedules per level.

our hope is to change the course of the gpc into more of a home base. records making and keeping type organization.
one with club and site participation ,and a fair and balanced set of rules for all sites to follow.

if these changes are successful in bringing new membership from those sites that in the past were not able to afford us , then our goal of additional membership will have been met. it will be a huge success and benefit to all existing sites as well.

we cant get corporate sponsorship money for an organization with 25 sites but we very well could if more sites world wide,big or small ,were under the gpc banner.if that happens then and only then will we have the type of working capital that will allow us more freedom in the awards and recognition phase of your club.

just my thoughts. looking forward to seeing everyone at niagara.

please discuss this with your club and site reps so that if you are going to join we can work with you that weekend in niagara.
you may also send me a private email and ill get your questions to the proper people.

thank you

dick wallace
gpc executive committee

2/7/2006 12:40:22 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Dick:
Are you saying that membership in the GPC will essentially be limited to clubs rather than individuals and that the function of the GPC will be to act as a home base for the clubs and besides that the only function of the GPC will be making a balanced set of rules and keeping records?
Marv in Hollidaysburg, PA

2/7/2006 8:45:44 AM

Rhode Island

marv
what im saying is that the gpc is leaning more in the direction of an adminiatrative type organization and less as a competition for big money prizes.there are many very good clubs/weigh off sites out there that presently do not belong to the gpc.
our goal is only to give them an opportunity to join.

we will continue to have individual and best site etc, awards based on weigh off performance but only at level three( $300.00 )
$100.00 and $200.00 memberships receive a reduced award package but will get everything else the gpc has to offer.

our goal is for every club large and small, rich or poor, in or out of the usa and canada, to have an opportunity to join and be a part of the gpc.

once the club/site member rolls are increased then and only then will we be able to hopefully find sponsorship for the gpc. this in turn could bring our overall award programs back up to pre 2006 levels.

the gpc never was a organization for individuals . we have always been an organization for the clubs. we dont collect dues or record individual memberships at this time.

dick

2/7/2006 4:19:54 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Okay. I understand now. Somehow I had the idea that if someone weighed at a GPC site they became a member of the GPC. I don't how I got that idea.

The way the prizes are structured there is nothing for long gourds, canteloupes, tomatoes, watermelons etc. Does this mean the GPC is now only interested in pumpkins and squash and no other giant vegetables?

2/7/2006 9:30:41 PM

Rhode Island

yes for award and record keeping purposes we only relate to giant pumpkins and squash.
many of the original sites hold competitions for the additional items you mentioned and thats fine. we just dont
have them on our agenda at this time.
we are still getting our computer feet wet with ken and big pumpkins so for now recording and getting involved with weighing and/or measuring other items must wait.

dick

2/9/2006 12:48:22 AM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

Mr. Wallace:

If I have read your comments correctly, the GPC exists only for the purpose of promoting Pumpkins and Squash. I know that GPC stands for the Great Pumpkins Confederation but had hoped that your organization (since I and the vast majority of growers on this list is not a member)
would grow into an inclusive organization for growers of
other giant vegetables rather than an Exclusive organization of only pumpkin and squash growers.

If that is the decision of your GPC, so be it.

Bob Attaway
Flowery Branch, Georgia

2/9/2006 5:42:51 PM

Rhode Island

bob

lots of sites still have other giant vegatables included in their weigh off. parks garden center in ohio for one.its just that we dont record on bp or have any awards schedules in place at the moment.

im all for adding some additional items to our weigh off / payout format, providing we have the right amount of workers in place to monitor and oversea these additional items.

bob
gpc stands for great pumpkin commonwealth, not confederation ( ray waterman has an organization out of hamburg n.y. thats called world pumpkin confederation.
( by the way the wpc is where growing and weighing fruits and vegatables other than pumpkins and squash got there big push in popularity)

this is only our second year of reorganization of the gpc.
at present we dont have the resources to add tomatoes,long gourds,cantalope,etc to our awards program.

also ,ken and john of bp.c have put a lot of work into perfecting our direct link set up that was first used last season.
we dont want to wear out our welcome to fast by adding more catagories for them to keep track of.

i do however enjoy seeing these other monsters being grown and weighed.
some day i hope we can get them back into our awards program.

dick w

2/9/2006 11:31:44 PM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

Dick:

Thanks for correcting me about the words Confederation
and Commonwealth. Out of curiosity I consulted the dictionary "Commonwealth" The people of a nation or state
also, A nation or state governed by the people; republic.
The USA is also a Republic not a democracy as commonly assumed. I will not waste space by defining Republic, anyone can look it up.

Other than yourself and Dave Stelts I have no idea who the GPC is and how they make decisions.

Your initial post refers to the GPC Executive committee.

In summary, who is the GPC?

Respectfully:
Bob Attaway

2/11/2006 6:12:05 PM

Rhode Island

bob

my take is that the gpc is an organization whos sole purpose is to be "a club for the clubs" a "organization whos weigh off rules and regulations are passed on to each member sites weigh off". to insure that each recorded weight is attained using the same procedure and that we reward our outstanding sites and those individual weigh off attendies whos weights excell over others. etc
dick

2/12/2006 8:11:15 AM