posted 09-27-2000 05:40 PM            

I was in no way poking fun at your position. Please believe me. I think that I understand your position and I respect it. I have no problem with agreeing to disagree, either.

I was only trying to say that the money that I would use to join a club would come from my pin money and not from my charity budget. No lighthouse will need to go without because of my decision. That's my only point, and I was very serious about what I would sacrifice (a night at McDonald's, for example -- which isn't much and won't change the world in any case) to join the club.

posted 09-27-2000 09:52 PM            

I don't belong to a Collector's Club, other than Harbour Lights own. I do belong to a couple of national or state lighthouse organizations. I received my FLA Flash from the Florida Lighthouse Association about the same time as I received my Legacy. One of the items that brought a smile to my usually sour puss was a note that the Smoky Mountain Flame Keepers, a large HL collector club from Tennessee (no lighthouses there), had sent a $1,000 donation to the fund raising effort that the FLA was sponsoring for St. Marks, FL lighthouse.

posted 09-27-2000 10:22 PM            

What if Harbour Lights had said "If you participate in the Collectors Forums, you will not have to phone in on the 14th to register. You will automatically be granted a spot at the reunion by virtue of being registered in the forums".

Would there have been negitive feelings or would there have been excitement and kudos for Harbour Lights?

I think there would have been some people upset because it wouldn't have been fair to everyone, particularly those not connected to the net, but I will bet that on the whole, there would have been a lot of happiness here in the forums.

Just another meaningless point to think about. Once again some people happy, some not.

There has to be a fair and equatable way to register everyone for the reunion. I wish someone knew what that was. If everything works right for the phone registration method, no misdirected calls, controversy, ect..., it is not a bad system. There are probably better, more fair ways however.

-Todd

posted 09-27-2000 11:07 PM            

REUNION 2001......"GREAT LAKES"!

Lots of lighthouses, lots of water and lots of rooms. Everyone gets to go!

posted 09-27-2000 11:57 PM            

quote:

---

There has to be a fair and equatable way to register everyone for the reunion. I wish someone knew what that was.

---

posted 09-28-2000 09:35 AM            

I'm honest enought to admit that I probably would not have been the first to point out the inequities of giving forum members special treatment.

There actually would be less of a logical reason for doing so.

I've come to the conclusion after discusing this situation that it was not the concept of pre registration for a certain group of people that bothered me the most. it was the way it was handled. I have to agree that it is entirely up to Harbour Lights to set the groundrules for their function.

I don't have to like them or agree with them, but I should know what they are.

How does the registration process for this Reunion differ from the others? Is it basically the same except for the situation being discussed here? should have asked that before.

posted 09-28-2000 10:05 AM            

I do understand your position and I hope you don't feel my scenario was aimed at you. It was just something I had been thinking about and posted it here for discussion. It was certainly not directed towards anyone in general, just directed as a hypothetical situation to get people thinking.

posted 09-28-2000 04:35 PM            

Did not take your statment personally. I just felt I should answer the question as I'd put my other opinions out there.

Anybody have any answers on whether this registration is the same or different than before?

posted 09-28-2000 04:39 PM            

Joanne

posted 09-28-2000 07:39 PM            

I will not be attending the reunion. Digger - get those Great Lakes brochures ready.

posted 09-29-2000 01:20 AM            

Sorry you didn't get an answer to your question eariler. It may just be that no one here knows the answer. You might want to give Harbour Lights a call. If you find out, please let us know here. Thanks.

You can reach Harbour Lights at:

1-800-365-1219
8:00 am to 4:30 pm Pacific Time Monday-Friday, or you can e-mail them at:

HarbourLights@HarbourLights.com

posted 09-29-2000 02:19 AM            

1. Its a done deal. We aren't going to change it.
2. I am willing to bet that the folks at HL have beat themselves up over this decision much more than we ever could. As has been pointed out, I am confident that this decision was made with the desire to be sure everyone gets a shot at it.
3. As Digger suggested, and as Sean has noted just now, I would hope that the early registrants get the very highest numbered pieces. At least that is a little compensation for having to phone in.
4. I, too, believe that everyone who wants to attend will be able to.

I can sympathize with those others who will be trying to make the critical phone call on the 14th. We have been working on a club, but just haven't gotten it done yet. Shame on us. As with Art, I can remember the days when I refereed swimming. I may be on the pool deck from 6 AM to 6 PM in a given day. Cell phones work poorly in pool areas and ice arenas!

My wife collects Boyds. They had an event at Rosemont.The call in day was the first day of our spring break lighthousing trip. Susan & Heather were working 2 cell phones in the van while we were coming down out of the mountains into Cherokee NC (and does their cell coverage leave a lot to be desired.)

I already have plans to go to my office and set up my own phone bank to call in. I have told the family I won't be available that morning. I fully expect to be registered that morning, and with a low number! I will succeed as can each of us.

posted 09-29-2000 06:10 AM            

My best friends want to attend and they asked that I make a room reservation for them as well as my own. I really need to find out if I can do it or if they will have to make their own call, if they can get through.

posted 09-29-2000 08:05 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joanne:
I am not happy by the decision to let club members register early. My disappointment is based on my feeling that HL's thinks that club members are more deserving of attending than I am.

Joanne.]

---

Joanne, I don't think that the second part of your statement is necessarly true. I think that someone at HL made a decision (after the Legacy was mailed out) to reward the club members because of the changing role that the clubs have played in assisting at various trade shows and regional events, and perhaps as well, for what they will be asked to do at some point in the future. They will not be receiving the low edition numbers because of the early registration, we are not sure that anyone will be denied the ability to attend the reunion, nor does HL think that you wouldn't help out if you were asked to do so. I think the clubs are being offered a perk for past performance as a positive reinforcement, not as a negative message to anyone else. There was no perfect process to
implement this decision, they did the best that they felt that they could in a situation where some of the people would be unhappy with their decision. As others have pointed out, it's their reunion to run as best they can. I think that the company goes out of their way to give us the best time that they can when we get together, and that we should assume that the decisions that they make are for positive reasons. IMHO
Jim
Johnson

posted 09-29-2000 10:18 AM            

You say it's Harbour Lights party, but in reality, it's our party. We are the collectors, we keep them in business, we pay for our attendance, it's not a freebie. A rule was made to keep things fair and give everyone an equal opportunity to attend the reunion. That rule was changed, giving others a better chance and a more convenient enrollment. That is what I don't agree with. You make a rule for fairness, live by it - some will accept it, others will scoff it, but it is fair.

My choice not to attend is based 90 percent on the fact that I think it is too expensive. I arrange meetings like this all the time and I know what is available and cost effective. For me, I decided I don't want to spend that much for 3 nights. The rule change just reinforced my decision by giving me the other 10 percent.

posted 09-29-2000 02:27 PM            

There's also a note that "You'll also have the chance to order your reunion exclusive, the strikingly beautiful lighthouse at...

Hooper's Strait, Maryland

Photo Courtesy of and Copyright Rod Watson

posted 09-29-2000 06:23 PM            

Is there any truth to the rumor that the roof comes off to reveal furnishings inside?

posted 09-29-2000 09:51 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joanne:
For me, edition numbers have no importance. I don't care if I would get number 1 or number 9999.

You say it's Harbour Lights party, but in reality, it's our party. We are the collectors, we keep them in business, we pay for our attendance, it's not a freebie. A rule was made to keep things fair and give everyone an equal opportunity to attend the reunion. That rule was changed, giving others a better chance and a more convenient enrollment. That is what I don't agree with. You make a rule for fairness, live by it - some will accept it, others will scoff it, but it is fair.

My choice not to attend is based 90 percent on the fact that I think it is too expensive. I arrange meetings like this all the time and I know what is available and cost effective. For me, I decided I don't want to spend that much for 3 nights. The rule change just reinforced my decision by giving me the other 10 percent.

Joanne

---

1001% Correct ! All your points are valid and fortify my view as well!! The rule change sits the worst with me!!
Pharologst

posted 09-30-2000 06:00 AM            

I received a reply from Harbour Lights re my inquiry about reserving more than one room for the reunion. HL replied you can reserve additional rooms for other folks, but you can only reserve one room per phone call. Therefore, if you are trying to be a nice person and make a reservation for a friend and yourself you will have to call twice. Do you feel lucky?

Second item...

I do not want to see this thread end now. There has been some great discussion hear and valuable information is coming out of it. I hope this thread stays active until October 14. Then perhaps a new thread can be started about how lucky we all were to get reservations.

From the East Coast where we are getting a frost right now and the temperature is 30 degrees. Bye, bye fresh tomatoes! Hello pumpkins, corn stalks, and hardy mums!

posted 09-30-2000 08:10 PM            

I also would like to see the discusion continue.

I got my little postcard about the Reunion today. I'm excercising the dialing finger for the cell phone. I'll be on the move, but I'll keep trying to get thru.

posted 10-01-2000 04:18 PM            

Secondly, as to whose Reunion this is…. There is absolutely no question that this is Harbour Lights’ Reunion that we are invited to attend. The price may seem high to some but I’ll bet that the monies collected through registration don’t even come close to paying for the expenses. The added workload to their employees before, during and after the Reunion has to be a huge strain on a small company. When one joins the Society, it doesn’t say anything about a Reunion. The Reunion is something that Harbour Lights is offering as an added "thank you" to their collectors.

As to the stated fact on the Website that an individual can’t register early, that is still true. Individuals can’t register early, but the Presidents of the Harbour Lights collectors clubs that were contacted by Harbour Lights can pre-register their members. The clubs have helped Harbour Lights and Bill Younger with the Regional Events this year and this is just a small way that Harbour Lights is rewarding them. The Regional Events are for all collectors (both those in clubs and not in clubs) but the clubs have made the Regional Events succeed.

My final statement on this subject is that people need to check the accuracy of their facts before posting what they assume to be a fact. Not to pick on Joanne but the "button scenario" she described turned out to be in error. In fact it was another case of Maureen and Harbour Lights "going that extra mile" by having an additional 50 buttons produced (at Harbour Lights expense) so the club could raise some money to help them in their lighthouse restoration efforts.

posted 10-01-2000 05:31 PM            

Just a few thoughts from Weasel58

posted 10-02-2000 10:19 AM            

If the 100 or so (a guess) club members who pre-registered does not result in the exclusion of a call-in registrant, than the only complaint would be that some people had to dial a phone for a few hours, while others were enjoying themselves at a lighthouse event somewhere. If that is the only aspect of unfairness we have to moan about, than we have too much time on our hands. If it DOES result in an exclusion or two, I'll bet HL will go to the mat trying to somehow get those few in. If you remember at the last reunion, half of the HL staff move themselves to another hotel at the last minute to allow some collectors the ability to attend.

I would be more upset if someone like a Chidester or Brady didn't make the cut. They devote so much of their time to HL, that it would really be a shame if they couldn't go. The same goes for those like Jim Johnston, Todd Shorkey, Fred Kuhlman, and others, who are devoting alot of their personal time and effort to lighthouse restoration and the HL clubs, etc. I would be more than willing to give up my slot (if I get one) to those few persons who I personally feel deserve attending more than myself. (A personal opinion, of course).[This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 10-02-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 10-02-2000).]

posted 10-02-2000 04:07 PM            

We have no club or lighthouse for that matter near us and, therefore, don't belong to a club. Have tried to form one for a long time with no luck. Am I disappointed that HL made a decision to let clubs preregister? Yes. But it's their call and their reunion.

For the first time ever, we're going to try and make one. They've given us plenty of time to make plans and be able to schedule vacations around this reunion. We'll be trying to make that all important call also and hope we don't run into any of the frustrations that we've heard about in the past. As for the cost, it sounds about right with everything that they've done in the past during the reunion.