Just a thought. How about a 2006 Wacko pin for Wolf Trap.

I would imagine the Wacko Pin Committee will be taking nominations for the 2006 Wacko Pin somewhere along the line, and you could definitely nominate Wolf Trap. The proceeds from the sale of pins goes to the lighthouse depicted by the pin. Would a privately owned lighthouse be eligible?

Bob

Why not ... provided some gurantees are given that the money will be spent as intended?

Wolf Trap sounds like a good idea!

One of the requirements for the pin always was that the light represented had to have been made as an HL (OK here) and must have an IRS 501(c)3 organization to receive the funds. I would believe that if the pin project came back to life, that there is no way a 501(c)3 could be in place within the next few months. Maybe for 2007.

...and there are several deserving lights that were runner ups last year!
Avery Point
Cedar Island
Isle Of Shoals
North Block

Like the HoF, not many make it on the 1st vote.

Bob

Wow I did not know all that. I never even saw a wacko pin. Who makes it? I thought it was made like the badge.

Fran,

The Wacko Pin is similar to many other LH Pins. It's usually about 2" by 2" and has the Words Wacko Pin and year and depicts the Lighthouse that was chosen in the voting process for that year.

The basic rules were simple- it had to be a Lighthouse made by Harbour Lights and it had to have an official IRS 501(c)3 organization in place and the final requirement was that there had to be an ongoing or planned restoration project.

The process was basically 2 steps. The first step was a nominating process where members of the forums voted on up to 10 Lighthouses they thought fit the criteria. The votes were counted by one person on the commitee and a different person on the commitee would verify that the nominated Lighthouses met the established criteria.

It would be announced on the thread if a LH did not meet the criteria.

The votes would be counted and the qualified nominees would then be voted on again byt the Members of the Forums.

The top vote getter here would then be the LH depicted on the Wacko Pin. We would then have Paul Brady provide us with a photo of the designated LH. The photo would be of the HL model of the winning LH.

We had a gentleman in MA that would do the design for us and we had another gentleman in RI who would arrange for the pins to be produced.

We would post the finished design on the Forums and peoiple would have a chance to order them and we would then produce and distribute them and send the profits along to the designated LH.

It was a very successful project the first 4 years it was done. the 5th one did not do as well and several of the people on the commitee opted to not return for the next year. The founder of the Commite Barb Hupp had chosen to officially leave the Commitee the last year- although she was very helpful to those still on the commitee.

I believe that there were just too many requests for fundraisers on the forums and things got a bit diluted. You can only go to the well so many times before it's exhausted.

It looks like there is some interest in reviving the concept- it's not something that can be done quickly though. The nominating, voting and design process takes 4 months or more and the manufacturing and reciept of the pins take s a couple more at least.

I don't know if we would still be able to use the same designer as he was getting busier with his full-time job at the College he was teaching at and might not have the time to do it again.

We also would not have Barb Hupp to assist us since she passed away last year.

I hope those speaking of trying this again do so. I'll certainly send along any contact information I still ahve to assist them.

Dennis

I hope there will be a 2006 pin. I would help. Just tell me what to do and I will do my best to help out.

Yes, I hope we have a Wacko pin for 2006, although after talking with Pam at the reunion, it didn't look like it would return.

If you are speaking of Wolf Trap, Virginia light as a nomination; it's been sold to a private owner in the Coast Guard auction, $75,000.00, purchased by Nick Koratqd or North Plain, Or.

Joyce

Earlier in this discussion, Darlene expressed interest in resurrecting this project and I said I would help; I will contact her.

If you do the pin again, count me in for buying at least one.