[quote=&quot;Bill Brandt&quot;:1vp3revd]Andy:

I don't know if your percentages are correct as regards participation.  However, I'd say that you're use of the term "deadwood" in the previous post was at the least a bad choice of words and at the worst pretty insulting to a lot of the members.

It would be great if all the members could devote as much time to the club as you do.  However, I think if there were just 500 members as active as you are things would not be good. I personally think it is harder for a national club to get as good as participation as local or regional clubs.

If the HPOCA were to have a "club plow day" in Indiana I would imagine that most of the guys showing up with a tractor and plow would be mainly from Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.  Just because it would be sponsored by the HPOCA I can't imagine Shep from Virginia loading up and heading to Indiana.  Now if the Oliver Gang had a plow day I'd bet percentage wise they'd have great participation from their members mainly because they are "local."  So using percentages to show participation and interest of members are not always the best measure of their interest in the club.

I know you feel that members of the club have to attend club events to be interested in the club.  I just don't agree with that.  Guys and gals that are interested in Oliver’s, pay their dues, read the magazine, buy from the advertisers and help others with info they learn from the magazine or this website are pretty good members as far as I'm concerned.

I would like to be able read club newsletters on the HPOCA website.  I want to know what others that like Olivers are doing.  I agree that it can't be done in the magazine since it would take too much room, but that is not a concern on the website. 

Bill Brandt[/quote:1vp3revd]

I agree with what you said about being a good member, reading the magazine, buying from the vendors and yet not being able to attend the national shows. I have been a Oliver fan for years and until one of the so called "deadwood" members gave me a stack of his old HPOCA magazines I didn't subscribe. This member has more Olivers than most collectors and actually farms with them. His farming operation does not allow him to take off mid August and head for Ohio to the show yet he and others like him should be considered a first class member. Other than coming to read the new posts in the forum and checking for new photos there isn't any reason for the average member to visit the website more than once a month. Heck, you can't even come here to find out the color codes for your Oliver are. 
Steve