This month I would like to talk about and express some thoughts on the direction our club is heading. Actually it is not so much the direction but the speed. First, I find it reassuring that many of our members have found the enthusiasm to strive forward in fulfilling the club’s responsibilities dictated by its by-laws. This is long overdue and welcomed. For the record Article II of our constitution states "The purpose and objects for which this club is formed, are as follows:

1. To bring together in fellowship, kindred persons interested in the science of numismatics
2. To advance the science of numismatics.
3. To promote educational and charitable activities in the field of numismatics.
4. To cultivate friendly relations among numismatists, dealers, amateur collectors and non-collectors interested in the field of numismatics.
5. To engage in any and all activities, such as but not limited to shows, auctions, club library, etc., to achieve these objectives."

We definitely have been lacking in these areas in the past two years that I have been a member. Sure we have donated moneys to worthy causes such as the Smithsonian and ANA Library, worked with the PAGE Program, and had an annual show. But the fact remains we need to do more! This being said I now must caution against accelerating to fast. We as a club do not want to give ourselves whiplash!

We need to plan this expansion of activities. The formation of committees and the assigning of committee chairs has started the process. Each committee chair is now working on a budget with specific projects in mind. But here is where I see the problem beginning to start. We are working on budgets and projects without any defined goals or objectives. We need long term plans and goals for our efforts. Short term planning inevitably leads even the best to mediocrity over time. I fear this could unfortunately become an exercise in spending down the treasury to atone for our past inactivity without achieving what we really want. We as members need to ask ourselves some tough questions in order to define what we want to accomplish. Where do we want the club to be in five years? What should the demographics of the club be then? What is the most effective way to get there? How can we make a lasting impression on the hobby, the community, and the club along the way?

Where do we want the club to be in five years? This brings up several interesting points, the least of which has to do with the size of the membership. Do we want to be a large club with a large membership or do we want to stay about the same size and be as Ted put it so well at last year’s NCNA convention - a club that "doesn’t just have a membership, we have members." Do we want the Raleigh Coin Club to be recognized locally, regionally, or even nationally as a positive force in the hobby? Do we want to grow our annual show to a more regional stature? I don’t know the answers the members will have to answer these questions. I do know we have to define a destination before we plunge head long into the journey. Ask yourself where you would like to see your club in 2003 and let’s start planning that trip.

What should the demographics of the club be then? This question strikes directly at our efforts in the arena of young numismatists. Does the club wish to dramatically increase its YN membership and how would this change the club? Our location is prohibitive in achieving the goal of increasing YN membership. Many parents would not feel safe dropping their child off at our current locale. Do we want to move to accomplish increases in YN involvement? I remember the opposition to the proposed move to the Art Museum. However, there are many activities the club could engage in that would benefit young numismatists in our community without requiring them to become active members of the RCC. I think the essay contest is a good way to spark some interest, but how do we capitalize on it? The giving of A Guide Book of United States Coins (aka Red Book), an excellent reference book, will make a good addition to the school libraries. But, do we give each school a new one every year? Lets face it the Red Book is a reference book, it is not something a child would pick up to simply read. Perhaps we should update the school libraries’ Red Book on a 3 to 5 year schedule, substituting books more likely to be read for enjoyment such as Dave Bower’s Bedside 0through Dockside Numismatist series in-between. We should inquire into the existence of any coin clubs that may already exist within the schools. If some exist we should begin a dialog on how we as a club could sponsor or even adopt that club. Where none exist we should inquire as to the interest in forming one. The RCC could again supply sponsorship and guidance in this area. These ideas can be applied equally to local Boy Scout troops as well. The members of these school based young numismatists organizations will need somewhere to go when they graduate and what more likely place than the sponsor organization of their school club – the Raleigh Coin Club. The bottom line is that there is much the club can do without necessarily making major alterations to our demographics.

What is the most effective way to get there? This is a really tough one and the root of the debate. This is where the club must make sure that we spend our treasury wisely. It is all too easy to "throw money at a problem". However if we identify our goals and destinations the pitfalls along the path should be minimized. I am not opposed to spending money to achieve a result. I am opposed to spending it without a result in mind. If it takes $2,000 to achieve a specific goal in five years and we have a plan that should get us there I will be the first to vote – yes! All I ask is that we spend our money wisely. We can not buy young numismatists, seminar attendance, or members.

How can we make a lasting impression on the hobby, the community, and the club along the way? We should look to do activities that have a lasting impact and continue to pay dividends year after year. A few ideas in this area could include systematically building up local school or community libraries with numismatic literature. We could publicize the hobby through out the community and not only during National Coin Week (April 19-25). A twist on the idea of a club collection could be to assemble an exhibit for inclusion in a local museum or help the museum form or finish one. Finally, one idea I have been toying with since the last meeting and leading up to this one is our presentations. I have put my March presentation into a Microsoft PowerPointâ slide show. I have sent it to a service bureau to be transferred onto 35mm slides so it can be shown without all the expense and technology required to get it from a computer to a screen everyone can see. This process itself is not without expense but is not much more expensive than developing photographic slides. If the experiment works perhaps the club could underwrite the production of a couple such presentations for donation to the ANA lending library. Judging from the apparent age of last month’s ANA slide show, from the 1960’s, a slide show donated this way could live for decades! This would allow money spent this year to work for the club for many years to come. Imagine on a business trip you visit a small local coin club in the town you are visiting and for an educational program they have an ANA slide show. After having introduced yourself and telling them you are from North Carolina and a member of The Raleigh Coin Club imagine the pride you would feel if the first slide said "This Presentation was produced and donated by the Raleigh Coin Club".

I sincerely hope I have not offended anyone with my ramblings this month, but I do hope I have made everyone think a little about where we are going and how we are going to get there. Remember it is a hobby and the dictionary defines it as "activity or interest engaged in primarily for pleasure." We can only promote it and nurture any interest that may exist.

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