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sevierville, Tn

I read this quote the other day & it stuck with me so i thought i would repost it here.

"It's not the critic who counts. Not the person who points out where the strong stumbled or where the doers of great deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena. Whose faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood. Who strive valiantly, who err and come up short again and again. And who, while daring greatly, spend themselves in a worthy cause so that their place may not be among those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."- Theodore Roosevelt

Kinda describes us growers !

10/13/2011 3:27:14 PM

sevierville, Tn

We have been working hard to improve the club & have already made progress, so this is a small update on what we have done so far.

We will be paying the top 20 places this year!

We have our 1st sponser http://www.plant-success.com
please visit their site & see what they have to offer. Mark used them this year & did very well.

If you used a product & feel it helped your results, email mark with the details(& the company) We could use more sponsers to help us grow !

10/13/2011 3:35:03 PM

sevierville, Tn

We greatly appreciate all your sugestions, please keep them coming. 117 people thinking will get your club better then just the 4 of us board members.

The weighoff are not complete yet & we have had more melons weighed at GPC sites then ever before ! Better data,better crosses & better weights then ever before.
Thats due in large part to you ! Thanks .

10/13/2011 3:40:28 PM

sevierville, Tn

If you had a personal best this year, please send in a picture for our members page. We only have 15 pictures so i know there is more out there. It doesn't matter what the weight is, if you grew it, take a picture, send it in BE PROUD !

10/13/2011 3:44:30 PM

sevierville, Tn

All members will get a seed package with their membership. If you want some of your seeds included, send them labeled & prepackaged for mailing to

MARK CLEMENTZ
103 W.Sherman st
Holly Mi.48442

His email is Markclementz@comcast.net

10/13/2011 3:50:02 PM

formerly RGG

Excellent post Chris. Is there any way to post to our own web site ? Other than PB pictures I mean.For the sponsorship to pay off for the sponsor I think we need more traffic on our web site. The only reason I have for going there now is to look at the OTT chart if I have a melon growing or to check and see if any new growers pictures of their personal bests have been posted. I know all new members will be on the site a few times but would it not help things if there was something new posted there on a regular basis? I am on here about every day because I know there will almost always be something interesting to read or a conversation to participate in.I would just hate to see this new sponsorship flounder due to a lack of payback to their interests.They want to sell more product via this sponsorship.I think we can help their cause by increasing the number of visits to our site. And have you guys thought about asking bigpumpkins.com if they would be willing to provide a link to our club on their homepage?

10/13/2011 4:45:08 PM

Muddy Waters

Dennis go to our sponsors Website & tell them you are a GWG Member,then ask for a free sample they will send you one.Tell all members to do this,this will let them know how many of us are interested in there product.If you have used there product tell them your success you had with it.I used 4 lbs of Plant Success Granular & PBed everything it touched!Great Stuff!

10/13/2011 4:56:07 PM

formerly RGG

Thanks Mark, that is a good suggestion.I think we should all take you up on that. I was just trying to brainstorm how to increase traffic to our website. I think there are 2 basic ways we could do this. As I already stated we could provide incentives for members to visit more often or we could attract new viewers via linking through other sites. Just my uneducated 2 cents worth.

10/13/2011 5:08:46 PM

Muddy Waters

thats personal best pbed.lol

10/13/2011 6:49:22 PM

formerly RGG

Paying 20 places is wonderful. It leaves a lot of room for growers who do not have huge melons year after year. I think that will certainly help to make a lot of members happier.I also think it will lead to increases in the number of members we have. Even if the payouts for 11th through 20th are very small they will give greater hope for better success next year for whoever earns those spots. I think you could have done no better than to make that decision.

10/13/2011 8:22:58 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Mark, wondering now...if the Sandbaggus's lil sh#@$%^ 182 #er, at Allardt, makes the top 20? Peace, Wayne

10/13/2011 11:09:16 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Chris, Top Notch post!!! Hoping that my fawlderawl does not distract from yer idea!!! Keep the faith folks, these melons will GROW!!!! as will the GWG!!!! Peace, Wayne

10/13/2011 11:13:03 PM

Long Island,New York

Can you win money for more than one place?

10/14/2011 6:22:14 AM

Muddy Waters

One prize per member(places)Limit 2 members per household.sons & daughters can join,We hope there truly growing,we encourage young members.I wish my my drama Queen would grow one.Shes hooked on boys.lol

10/14/2011 6:43:22 AM

formerly RGG

Melons would be a whole lot safer for her to be hooked on Mark. I can see you sittin' up cleanin' on your shotgun waiting for a young man to bring your daughter home. lol

10/14/2011 9:10:33 AM

Corryton, TN

Have other awards been considered other than cash? Certificates, placques, patches and such for individual accomplishments or milestones. Don't know which one/s deserve what, if anything. 200 lb or 250 or 300, world record, 1000 pound club (4 melons same year), etc.

10/14/2011 8:03:19 PM

Muddy Waters

Yes its all in the works!If auctions go well!All goes well!

10/14/2011 8:26:49 PM

sevierville, Tn

Dave, never thought of a 1K club.... i got a patch for that in pumpkins.... its alot harder to do in melons.

10/14/2011 8:52:33 PM

Linden, Mi.,

BrotherDave, you and I work together, we can give it the old college try !

"GO BLUE"

10/14/2011 9:12:54 PM

Corryton, TN

Is it possible for us to get to the point in the not too distant future where the club has next year's budget in the bank prior to Dec 31? My thoughts are that it would be much easier on present and future officers/directors to manage the awards, web site and other expenses if they know exactly how much they have for the next year. Seems to me that if award monies, or anything else, have to be trimmed down due to low revenues everyone would understand that there wasn't a choice. If the opposite is true then next years members reap the benefits.

10/15/2011 6:41:47 AM

Southeast Texas

does the 117 members this year get a seed pack are do we have to pay membership again before we get seed pack.

10/15/2011 9:09:46 PM

Muddy Waters

Sorry Paul! Seed packs are new for 2012!

10/15/2011 10:47:29 PM

Muddy Waters

We could do that Dave if we move entry deadline to Dec instead of June,We would also have to hold all auctions & collect money by Dec.This could drop membership,giving people less time to join.Also would be less time to hold auctions.It would really put a rush on things.

10/15/2011 10:53:22 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

BD, the auction season doesn't end, till well after the 1st of Jan.!!! And the individual club auction dates (here on bp.com) are a random draw (Yeah, Ken D.)!!! & then there's folks like me who don't send payments on time!!!! Totally impossible for any club to know what they have to spend by 1st of year!!! Kul thing is...GWG has expanded monetary awards in it's first year!!! Cause (I think) the seed auctions did so well, and membership was Way LARGE!!! Hopeing GWG continues to GROW!!! Peace, Wayne...btw Grow em BIG!!!!

10/15/2011 11:53:05 PM

Corryton, TN

Please don't think I'm being critical of any club or officers especially my GWG brethren. I haven't seen any clubs balance sheet or tried to start or run a club. This may not be possible but I will expand on my thoughts.

What if in the next 4 years (pick any number) we set aside a given percent of the total monies collected each year to be used to fund year 5? Years 1-4 prize money may not grow as fast as we want. Year 5 may even decline, or not, depending on how we manage everything.

Year 6. Fully funded by year 5 reciepts. We start marketing to non-members, on Jan 1, the prize structure for that year (money is in the bank drawing intrest). We are paying XXX places totaling XXXXX dollars. You get X news letters and other perks. Maybe a name of a nearby coach, if any one is willing. At weigh-off time we would know there is a minimum of XXXXX dollar going to be paid out next year in GWG money. All you have to do is ask them "would you like to join now a get a couple of months free and a real shot at that money plus 'rookie of the year' and I'll help you" (these fees go to next year). Hand them your card and seeds, give em a hug, and Volunteer to be there coach!

Maybe this can't be done and maybe no one will break 300.

10/16/2011 7:20:25 AM

sevierville, Tn

Dave, Thats a some really nice ideas. I like the signup at weighoff thing, but that would be up to the locations to allow us to do that. Several clubs let us sign members last year at spring meetings, so we hope to continue in that way. We may be able to do something like we did this year. Announce early a minimum prize level & when the funding is complete, set the final prize levels.

10/16/2011 8:18:18 AM

Muddy Waters

We would like to return 98% of the money each year to the paying members of that year!After all its there money!There is so many ways to go with this its scary.I believe for now we will pay out 98% & leave enough to start new year out.Im hearing a lot about 4 newsletters a year!I would think the group would want to pay more places,then have another newsletter??Newsletter 200$ or pay 20 thru 25th???I would choose the later??Our 1 newsletter will be packed with growing tips from the top ten.Great Ideas,but we cant do them all it will get messy.

10/16/2011 8:27:05 AM

formerly RGG

Why do we need to mail newsletters to everyone? I think the vast majority of us would be willing to receive that newsletter at giantwatermelongrowers.com. Just a grower or two without internet access would need to be mailed a hard copy. Save mailings for tangible things like seeds. Mark, please hold on to most of that $200 mailing cost for prize money.

10/16/2011 8:59:50 AM

formerly RGG

What group of growers is it that often has no seeds ? It is the new grower of course. Why not make the mailing of a seed packet to new member growers part of the new membership process ? Most of us have hundreds or thousands of seeds and we are looking for that special seed that will grow the monster size melon. But new growers often just need some seeds just to get started with. If we were willing to send a seed packet to new growers I think it would make most of them happy. They would not feel the pressure of having to bid on sometimes expensive auction seeds.And yet they would be getting seeds that are arguably a big improvement over what they would have to purchase from a seed company. And they would be growing seeds with defined genetics instead of the "pig in a poke" seeds the seed company has to offer. What do you think ?

10/16/2011 9:10:22 AM

I agree with Tennessee dreamer, it is much more cost effective to email the newsletter to each member in pdf format.
If there are members that do not have internet access, chances are that they dont know what the GWG is anyway.

10/16/2011 12:25:32 PM

Muddy Waters

We do have members there are not on line.We will send newsletter thru internet,maybe we can do a newsletter that is put together my non officers of the club,If we have some people with office skills to volunteer there time.I dont have time for 4 newsletters,something I would be slow at doing.I figure 25% of members rarley come on line.The seeds need to be sent to all members,we must keep it even steven,or they will complain.

10/16/2011 2:45:48 PM

formerly RGG

Mark the suggestion was a seed packet to all new members and a emailed newsletter to all who go online and snail mail to other members. The emailed newsletter suggestion was merely a cost saving possibility.I mean it would be the waste of paper and postage to email me and a lot of others a newsletter when it could be created on a computer and emailed or created and then scanned into a computer and sent for free. I mean it just seems to me that you guys have been all about returning as much money to our members as possible.

10/16/2011 3:46:41 PM

Muddy Waters

Yes TD we planned all along on doing it your way! Thanks for suggestion!We have 15 to 20 to run thru Post office.We make it a point to contact non computer growers,mostly old timers!We want all to enjoy this great hobby!

10/16/2011 7:49:30 PM

formerly RGG

Awesome Mark. Just awesome. I love to hear that you are doing it my way. lmao So is the gentleman from Italy who grew a 242 this year a club member ?

10/16/2011 8:43:27 PM

Muddy Waters

No he is not,He should have been,he would of knocked Marvin off the top ten list.

10/17/2011 8:05:50 AM

formerly RGG

LMAO Mark, now don't start taking shots at Marvin! He was a big help to me this past growing season.I believe Marvin Mitchell would have world class melons year in and year out if he had a greenhouse like you do Mark. :-)But I am pretty sure you weren't being serious Mark. :-)I have a dollar bill that says Marvin grows a bigger melon than you next year! lol

10/17/2011 9:35:45 AM

Muddy Waters

Wow! I dont understand you TD,That was no pot shot a Marvin,I was just stating the facts.Im trying to tell the gentleman from Italy to join GWG!Thats all.

10/17/2011 6:38:16 PM

Muddy Waters

He would of also knocked Bill,Darrel,Eric,& Frank down a peg on the charts! Sorry fellas,Just keepin it REAL!

10/17/2011 7:43:56 PM

Muddy Waters

Oh I will take that bet TD 1 dollar,I heard Marvin is taking the year off LOL!

10/17/2011 7:45:50 PM

Muddy Waters

Just Foolin! Dont get mad!

10/17/2011 8:03:37 PM

formerly RGG

What? Me get mad at you Mark. No way,I was just trying to be humorous. But I will take the bet. You are on for $1. lol

10/17/2011 10:25:59 PM

Muddy Waters

You big shooter!

10/18/2011 7:48:49 AM

formerly RGG

Yeah that's me Mark. If you think that is too much for you just let me know and we can lower it some. lol

10/18/2011 8:15:29 AM