Re: GPC does not promote this sport

Those are some harsh words Joe...because everything in the past has brought
us to where we are today...there has been alot of hard work to get
here.....and ideally i would like to see one strong organization.......but
that is my vision .. perhaps my quirk.....nice and tidy and everyone gets
along ......but the problem is not everyone sees my vision my way.... not
everyone will agree on whats the most important part about this game......i
really think that you can't trash other organizations for their differences
or their own visions........besides don't you think that this sport is
alive and well and creating new challenges of growth pains...ever
changing...that perhaps the answers aren't known yet.......and what would
be wrong with different opinions and different approaches...different
goals........the common thread being we all love to grow these
monsters....brock













>In answer to Jon Hunts reply to an "open discussion" concerning SPGA
>weighoff site, he mentioned the GPC as "promoting the grower". The GPC
>certainly does support it's growers but it does almost nothing to
>promote the sport of Giant Pumpkin growing. In my talks with them it was
>made clear in exact words that they are not interested in promoting the
>sport, that what expansion takes place is completely grower driven, not
>GPC driven. It seems that the structure in place to maintain the GPC
>organization is very close to being stressed to it's maximum capacity.
>It is no wonder that they are not interested in promotion. The WPC's
>approach to organizing an international weighoff was to give it a
>business structure to work within, incorporation being a part of the
>plan. Dissatisfaction with the head of that "corporation" led to the
>creation of the GPC. In contrast to the dictatorial nature of the WPC
>workings, a looser, steering committee approach was set up. trying to
>keep growing AGs fun and simple again.
>In the short run a badly needed element that had been lost under the
>business approach was regained but it did not leave the GPC with a solid
>structure to deal with the ever increasing popularity of the sport. We
>now find the world of competitive pumpkin growing showing stress
>fractures(Howard Dill exiting for one example and there are others) As
>someone who cares deeply for the sport and feels its promotion would
>make this world a better place, the GPC's attitude is certainly
>troublesome. In the south, where the GPC has made few inroads, their
>support for the grower does not seem adequate. Without any plan for
>promoting the sport, let alone in our area of the country, it leaves the
>SPGA not a great deal of choice but to be independent in hopes for a
>better future organization that would have the Southern growers concerns
>at heart as well as the future of the sport. It reminds me of Russia,
>when it's structure was no longer able to support it's size and
>eventually we saw the demise of the state, it breaking up into a number
>of smaller countries.
>
>Sorry to paint such a bleek picture but we need to address these issues
>sooner then later. I don't see a great deal of hope that the WPC and GPC
>could ressolve their differences for the sake of the sport. It may take
>another generation, one that can positively address the conflicts of the
>past, take what is good from both and construct a solid base for the
>expansion of the fine sport of giant pumpkin. Outside of all this, we
>still have our patches. See ya there.
>
>
>Joe Mills
>SPGA
>
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