Work Team Creation and Progress Report

A work team was created on April 15, 2005, to help organize and guide the process of working with Harbour Lights to select, sculpt and produce an exclusive Harbour Lights lighthouse available only through the Collector Forums.

The team includes (in alphabetical order)

John Chidester (JChidester)
Rich Felter (flacoastie)
Dave Hannum (Dave H)
Daniel Kirsch (DANIEL)
Bob McKeon (Bob M)
Bob Ott (Bob Ott)
Mike Walsh (CanaFan)

Dave and John organized a team from the forum members that had early participation in the discussions of this project. The group is made up of members from around the country with diverse regional interests.

The team is a good sampling of different viewpoints and all are ardent collectors. We feel that this team approach will and has generated good feedback on this project for and on behalf of all forum members.

The "Debugging Forum" [Now renamed "Work Team Development Forum"] has been used by the team to share concepts and ideas on how this can work and to communicate with members of the team at one time.

A great deal has been accomplished in a relatively short time thanks to the team members and the private forum. We have had discussions with Harbour Lights about the project and the company is interested about moving forward and working with us to create a unique lighthouse sculpture.

Our first step is to make a decision on the size and type of lighthouse to make.

We know that Harbour Lights is willing to make a sculpture exclusively for CF members in a quantity of 500 or more approximately the size and detail of a Little Light. However it would be a limited edition and probably have an HL product number and the typical green felt bottom.

We would like it to be a big larger, perhaps like Cockspur or Baltimore Harbor. However, until we have selected a lighthouse to be done, Harbour Lights cannot say if they would be able or willing to make it in a quantity of 500-600 (it might need to be 1,200) and what the price would be.

The Team will continue to ask for your input and ideas.

Great team and a great idea. Looking forward to getting this off the ground. I hope that we will hear soon about which light, what size and will HL produce it.

Bert

So THAT'S what the debugging forum was! I was trying to figure out how we had 300 posts worth of debugging to do in a few days.

Was the private group forums thing appearing at the same time as the debugging forum a way to throw us into thinking you were debugging the private forum issue? I'm having fun connecting the dots after I know what the picture looks like.


It looks like we have a great team selected of those members who were pivotal in "sparking" the idea and then keeping the jets going to start the plane up. I know that this will be a great group to lead the project.

Also good that HL is supportive - that, of course, is more important than having forum member support or a great team or anything. If the control tower won't let us off the runway, then even if we have the world's best pilots piloting a Concorde, we can't make it to London.

I love metaphors.

Once the idea of the private forum was shown to work, I went on to do the Washington Lightkeepers Association Forum.

Not a lot of interest from other clubs yet, but I think the way to deal with it is to simply set them up and pass along the password to the club leaders.

I'm sure the "typing fingers" of the committee members are tired. We have had a lot of discussion, and talks continue. No matter how hard the team works, our success is not in our own hands, but rather in the hands of all our fellow forum members and friends. Without you, and your participation, this project will be dust in the wind.

When you receive an email or survey about this project please respond. It would also be helpful if all members would express their feeling by responding to the topics that relate to the project. We need feedback and committment to make this work.

Bob

Bob, I agree with you 100%. I think it's time to set some cutoff date for nominations for consideration and get on with making a complete list and vote. It may be that several votes may be needed to shorten the list and then pick from the top three or five or ten.

Bert

Many thanks to the work team members for taking on this task. I'm sure that they will do all they can to work with the CF members and HL to make this project a success. While it's an exciting project and many of us are anxious to be underway, it's important for the rest of us to be patient while the team members work out some of the preliminaries. Looking forward for futher updates as they become available.

If you read this and are interested in seeing this project become a reality, please say so. The Work Team needs to know if our fellow CF members are behind us on this project. No need for a long reply. Just a simple, "I'm for it" would suffice.

Bob

"I'm for it"

Bert

Count me in!

Cathy

I'm for it. I voted in the poll, also.

Dennis

We're for it!

Hopefully all that are reading this post and saying you are for this project have voted on the poll that I created to reflect this interest.

This is a great idea John, one that is long over due. Thanks to the team for taking on this challange . I look forward to seeing your pick for this lighthouse. I most certainly will buy one.

Dale

Count me in!

Count on my wife and I purchasing one.

Count me in for one! I have already participated in the poll.

Dottie

I'm In!

I'm In

I'm in, also voted in the poll.

Rich,

I'm definitely in and also voted in your poll.

bobo

I'm in.

I too am in for this...I think you will see and hear from more when the voting starts.

I am in. Also voted in the poll.

I'm in for at least one, possibly more depending the the lighthouse chosen.

I too am IN!

Thank You Team Members for all the hard work you have ageed to do on all our behalfs.

Thanks everyone for the effort. I voted in the poll and look forward to the results of your effort.

Hank

Count me in.

I'm in and voted too.
Judy

Count me in also!

I'm in..Frank Carbone NELL

I'm In

Count me in.
Mike

Meeeeee Tooo!

Steve

Looks like you guys are very busy! 309 posts already!

Yes Bob,

We are trying to:

• put together a list of lights that most CF Members will hopefully like
• obtain HL approval for the light
• keep the price at $50 or less
• work on a fair and equal distribution plan
• allow for continued funding of the CF Forums
• and donate to a lighthouse in need

Guess that about sums it up. We want to make this project a fantastic success. I hope that everyone chips in to help.

bobo

Sounds like a Good Plan Bobo! We're looking foward to it.
thanks,
Bob

It is a good plan and a lot of work has gone into the planning. What we could really use right now is more support in the form of replies showing that more than 50 or so people are in favor of this project. I know we can count on the regulars but how about a little feedback from the "non-regulars" who participate here occasionally at the CF.

Bob

I'm going to second Bob's thoughts. We need some enthusiam and some of the non-regular members to take a few minutes and show us you thoughts on the Voting Booth Forums. Show us your thoughts on how you feel on the small piece vs the larger piece. We need to know that you are behind this project and not way behind but helping to push it along. Fifty members out of over 1500 members is not a real strong showing. Show us you care about this piece so we can feel confident when we present to Harbour Lights. There is only one week left to vote in the poll.

So many of us here belong to Harbour Lights Clubs so why don't we go to these club members to get some input. I'm sure you will find that they would love to purchase a limited edition lighthouse. It's a win win situation for us all. Just a thought.

Ruthie,

That's a sonderful idea. Go for it. To any and all members of individual lighthouse clubs, please do the same. We need support to make this project fly.

bobo

Ruthie,

I think it's a great idea also.

However, I have to add that as much as I like the whole idea of a special piece for the Colectors Forums if we can't get enough interest here for it maybe it's just not meant to be.I don't want to seem pessimisstic but the amount of support so far has been lukewarm at best- from the group as a whole. those expressing interest are hot for the idea- it's just way too small a portion of what's needed to make this idea work.

I say have people hit the clubs and societies- I'll mention to people I see this weekend at the LI Lighthouse challenge dinner, cruise etc.

Dennis

Thank you Dennis,

I believe that we need all the help and assistance that we can muster. I sure appreciate your help.

bobo

Thanks, guys, for al your hard work on this project! Let me run this scenario up the flagpole and see who salutes
Let's say for argument's sake we do something similar to this piece (600 pieces, retail $55.00). So here are a couple of questions:

1. Being an old retail dog, it sells for $55.00 cost is around $26-30, does the profit go toward the cost of maintaining the forums or is it going to HL?

2. Let's say the first 150 pieces go to forum members, the next 150 to club members that have representatives on these forums so that leaves 300. Why not contact Lighthouse Depot (or another retailer) to offer the remaining 300 with the forum label and attract new members?

3. Lastly, do you think that the excitement on this may be holding off until the vote on what light will be made has become final?

This was just my thoughts...

Jim,

I sure appreciate your thoughtful post. Since no one has yet to answer, I’ll post my opinions in response to your questions:

1. Using your figures, should the piece sell for fifty-five dollars, and HL charges $30, the remaining twenty-five dollars would go towards the support of the Forms – with a percentage, say 10% donated towards lighthouse restoration.

2. I believe that the Forum members will purchase upwards of 300 pieces and the remaining will be purchased by club members. A retailer would not have to become involved.

3. You are correct with your statement that the collectors may be holding off until they know what piece is being offered and the dollars associated with the potential purchase.

These are my thought and mine alone.

bobo

The only problem is, if the Forum members are holding off with their comments and completing the preliminary poll that let's us know if they are interested, it might tend to lead us to believe they are not interested. Without a strong feeling on what we could actually sell, this project could be shelved for lack of interest. This is my feelings on what could happen.

With only 53 members responding to the poll, and 6 of those voting negative on buying this piece, we have 47 members that have tentatively committed to buying 67 pieces. The 53 members out of 1500 members and 67 pieces out of a possible 600 production run is a far cry from an overwhelming sucess story.

I suggest that you open the poll up to the Collectors Reunion attendees. Email them with the link. If you time the limited release around Reunion time, it will give you an additional market for heavy duty collectors with cold sales at the Reunion especially if you have an AP available.
Bob

Maybe it is the time of year when many of the members are busy with graduation, vacation plans, etc. I wondered if the work team could divide the membership up and email a certain number to remind them to vote. I can't remember how many are on the team but if there were eight and each emailed 10 that would reach 800 or over one-half the membership. Club presidents could contact their clubs as well. I think an exclusive for CF is a great idea so let's not abandon the idea yet.
Judy

I'm in!

Hi Judy,....There is no idea to abandon this project that I'm aware of, and it is a great idea to produce such a piece to recognize the CF. I feel the CF members, whether vocal or not, will be in favor of the project and will support it. Time is not of the essense for this project. The important thing is that it becomes a reality at some point in time.

Keep those comments coming!

Bob

Just back from SC to find my computer crashed!
Now I'm finally getting caught up. Boy what one can miss on a short vacation. Great minds have been verrrrrrrrry busy!
Great idea!!! THANKS to all the team members!!! I've voted and I'm in!!
Rick

Good news, Bob. I was hoping everyone was in favor of this special piece and regardless of the number of votes, the group will continue to support the project. Whatever we end up with will have a special place in all our collections.
Judy

Count me in

First time ive noticed this. Sorry
but IM IN
Fran

Sorry, We've been out of the loop but we are in. It's a great idea.

I missed the voting but I'd purchase one and depending on what lite is chosen I'd purchase more. I'd personally like to the Lynde Pt or New Haven Harbor in CT made.

Yeah, I suggested a New Haven (five mile) light to be made before this all started, but I've never seen the light (though I plan on it when we go north in Sept./Oct. of this year, but has anyone got a better picture of it than is on Lighthouse friends? It's been a while since I laid out potential itenirary for the trip but I don't remember it having a detailed picture

Steve

Steve, have you tried here?

http://www.lighthouse.cc/newhaven/index.html

As a team member, I thought I'd give everyone a little update on how things are going with the special Collectors Forum piece. While we are moving ahead slowly, we are currently in a slight holding pattern. Kim has been unavailable for the past couple of weeks taking care of H.L. business, plus, and more importantly, several of our members have been tied up with projects that have limited their time on the Forums, thus limiting their time they have to put into this project. THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY! We are fully prepared to move ahead with this project and and already have several of the necessary steps in place to move ahead. We have had conversations with Harbour Lights in regards to this light and thus far have gotten only positve responses.

No light has been officially picked yet so nominations are still welcome!


Mike

Yeah Coney,

Seen something very similar (if not that one) but it doesn't show the surroundings and or buildings (if there are any) perse.

Steve

Okay, if the suggestions/nominations are going here now, how about Pomham Rocks?? We mentioned that before as one several would like to see. I got a postcard book that sells for $3.95 (lists $9.95) the other nite with 30 photos form the Great Lakes area and it had some unique ones (including 4 or 5 from Ontario), but none that really STOOD out.

Steve

I'm in

I'm partial to the Maine Lights right now, since I've seen most of them, something like The Isle of Shoals Light or Isle of Haut?

There are many others as well.

Shame... I missed the poll - but I think the idea is GREAT!