This evening I was loading my truck to make a delivery. At least once per week am running out the door after closing to deliver items when my cell phone rang. After lifting a large desk into the bed of my pickup truck, I was initially dreading the call. This customer has canceled before after I loaded the truck.
But this was different. The call was from American Numismatic Association Executive Director Kim Kiick. As chair of the Technology Committee, or I think we are now called the money.org committee, we discuss issues that arise making a call from Colorado Springs not surprising. After securing the desk, I did not listen to the message. I just called her back.
Today’s call was different. Kim was not calling me to discuss an issue but to give me the news that the ANA Board of Governors has selected me to be the 2019 recipient of the Glenn Smedley Memorial Award!
WOW!
I was and am still SHOCKED! And very honored!!!
First, from the ANA’s website: “The Glenn Smedley Memorial Award was created in memory of Glenn B. Smedley, a collector’s collector, to recognize individuals who have devoted their efforts to the betterment of the ANA.”
I became a member of the Technolgy Committee a few years ago after publishing many articles on this blog about how far behind the ANA was in the use of technology. It was a chance to put-up or shut-up.
When the chair of the committee resigned, I was asked to succeed him. That was not a problem. I continue to believe in the mission of the ANA, and I believe that the only way to bring in younger members is to find ways of making the ANA more technology aware. I was not doing this for awards–especially now that I am trying to run a business.
I am rarely overwhelmed. Then I went to the website to see the list of past recipients and I am in absolute awe of the decision.
The award will be presented at the World’s Fair of Money this August. I should probably make arrangements to be there!
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Scott
My very sincerest congratulations! It is well deserved!
But, I still think the ANA hasn’t got the foggiest idea regarding how to run a 21st Century Coin Show. Writing emails or articles for the Numismatist is a waste of time. Tell Kim Kiick that Bob Graul LM 407 said so.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Congrats, Scott, but truly, money.org, while it IS better than it has been, still has a LONNNNNNNG way to go. Gamifying participation in its blog section is just not worthwhile. The site’s navigation leaves lots to be desired, on some browsers more than others, and is not intuitive. Not speaking of YOU here, but I sense a bit of “laurel resting” has been part of the past several years’ history of money.org. Your influence is positive, but so much work remains. The site has basically abandoned the seasoned collector.
Kurt:
If there is a long way to go then you and the rest of the community has to tell the ANA what needs to be done. We are not mind readers. We need feedback. This is the first time I have heard significant feedback. If you or anyone in the community want to provide feedback, you are welcome to send them to me. I take all feedback seriously and will discuss the information with others.
Scott,
I’ll let you in on the source of my reportage on the feelings about the money.org site, because it is relevant, in my opinion, both positively and negatively. The seasoned ANA show exhibitors at the Red Rose Coin Club (2012 ANA convention hosts) are universally negative on the new site. They claim it has little to interest them. They find it “gimmicky”. Several of these are members who used the “old site” regularly. I have not YET had the need to access the library of back issues of The Numismatist for much of significance, but I have to count that as a positive development.
Having a blogging platform ON money.org? Meh.
Having a dysfunctional message board? Meh minus. Use it or lose it.
“Old guard” / “old style” numismatists DON’T DO SOCIAL MEDIA, PERIOD! They mostly don’t want their picture taken or name used!
Heck, the best thing I’ve used it for is trying to explain why the HQ is in Colorado Springs when the Federal Charter of the ANA says (literally says – in black & white) that the principle offices of the ANA “shall be” in the District of Columbia. Has the District annexed that little chunk of the campus of Colorado College? Does no legal counsel have the guts to explain to the Board of Governors what “shall be” means in a legal document?
Have you LOOKED AT the membership participation on money.org? It STINKS! Nobody other than a few people who can’t even construct a sentence even use it. It needs yet another complete rethink. And ALL the exhibiting information needs to be kept on the site 365 days a year, and NOT deleted after each submission deadline.
In short – fewer gimmicks, more stable INFORMATION.