Conch-L, and especially COA members,
 
I second what Bob has said about this auction, and want to add that Monday
is the day set for the COA 1998 Annual Meeting.  What an inopportune time!
It appears that this auction is pretty much set up to draw members away for
the full day, seeing as how "preview and registration" begins at 10:00 a.m.
and the actual auction begins at 1:30.  Seems to me this is an event that
will undercut the COA and its leaders, COA's very important Grants Program
(funded by our own auction), and the Dealers' Bourse.
 
 It seems a shame that Mr. Paul is taking the occasion of our Convention --
which is organized and funded by COA and its members, and is put together
and staffed by the hard work of a lot of volunteers -- to cause
difficulties for the very group of people who are bringing us all together
and making it possible for him to hold this sale in the first place. I join
many others in hoping that he will rethink this plan and find a way to make
his auction an event that is a benefit to us all, as I am sure Len would
wish it to be.
 
By the way,  have you all sent in your donation to the COA Auction?
Remember that this is how we raise the money that funds our Grants to
Malacology Program, so ably administered by Conch-L's own Drs. Gary
Rosenberg,  G. Thomas Watters and Henry Chaney) . Since its inception, this
program has given nearly $60,000 to important malacological projects.
Without the support of COA's members and friends everywhere, both in
donating and in attending this auction, the Grants Program will surely
suffer. Send your duplicates, unwanted shell books and shell art, shell
related items and shell collecting paraphernalia to Convention Auction
Chairmen Dave and Lucille Green, 12307 Laneview Drive, Houston, TX
77070-2443. If you need more information about this very worthy project,
you can email the Greens. They're on Conch-L. Please take some time off
Conch-L to hunt through those shell drawers and find some great donations.
How about a challenge gift or two?
 
For more information about the Grants Program and a look at the list of
past Grant recipients and their project titles, go to:
 
http://coa.acnatsci.org/conchnet/coagrant.html
 
Lynn Scheu
Editor, American Conchologist
 
>Date:    Fri, 12 Jun 1998 21:45:31 -0700
>From:    Betty and Bob Lipe <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Auction-Len Hill Shells
>
>The auction sounds like a good ideal, but not during COA.  I heard from
>several collectors that the cream of the crop has already been sold.  I
>wonder if that is true?  I don't think the COA members will let COA
>down, and will show up Monday for the sake of the people that have
>worked so hard to set up the programs etc.  The members that are giving
>the programs would be very disappointed if they had a small turnout.
>But I don't think that will happen, do you?
>
>Bob Lipe
>
>Bob Lipe
>--
>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>Bob & Betty Lipe mailto:[log in to unmask]
>The Shell Store: http://theshellstore.com
>