Checkers USA

filippov · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 49

Please observe the polls below.

filippov · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 49

In 1991, after living in Macon, Georgia for about a year; I decided it necessary to form a checker club. After a few visits to Atlanta and Augusta's checker club, I was more encouraged to get the task started. The late Leroy Snead, president of the Augusta checker club, introduced me to Dr Smith . I communicated the idea to Dr Smith who was very instrumental in making the idea a reality.

David (Money-Player) Jackson and I took care of the administrative paper-work and legalities necessary to form a non-profit making checker club. Dr Smith coached me in the creation of a checker club and enhanced my leadership skills, most of which was done by telephone.

We invited Dr Smith to Macon to visit our club to check on our works, he came and visited us and was very pleased. This was a great day for the checker club and as a result of his coming we gained about eight new members. He also suggested to us the advantage of visiting other clubs to encourage checker play and fellowship.

Later on the following year, the Macon Pool Checker Association joined the APCA. We participated in the National Tournaments. Dr Smith and I communicated quite frequently and realized the difficulty of trying to hold a checker club together and maintain the dignity of the organization. We exchanged ideas and shared hope for our friends who enjoy the game.

As President of the American Pool Checker Association (APCA), Dr Smith has had some difficult times. It takes a special kind of leadership skills to do the outstanding job Dr Smith has done. The membership fee has been about the same for about the last ten or more years. Gas prices, food prices, air fares have almost doubled. Cost of living has increased more than 19%. But the good old Dr Smith has not raised the Club dues nor membership dues. This is a very difficult task to encourage checker play while the prize money does not cover their expences.

Dr Smith is an unusually nice person, he is a family man, a pastor of a Church, teacher at a seminary (for about 40 years) and the president of the APCA. As you can see he is a man of many hats and is doing an outstanding job as president of the APCA. I don think money can buy anyone to do better under the circumstances. Keep up the good work Dr Smith we appreciate the great works you've done and we know and understand the hardship and difficulty it has been. You are a true and dear friend. May God bless you, as you have blessed so many others.

Some of you may not know Dr Smith as I know him, and some of you may wish to "echo" some of the experiences I have shared. Your comments are welcome.

B. Joey Bumpous

Pecan · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 53

Interesting and well-said!

The term NPCA-is this just a typo or is it different from the APCA? The reason I asked is because I have observed it several times. At any rate, keep up the good work.

filippov · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 49

In so much as the National Pool Checker Association (NPCA) vs The American Pool Checker Association (APCA). I was carried away there a little bit. In my mind I was thinking it not to be a difference but in retrospect, I was talking about the APCA. Think you so very much Mr Thompson for that observation, it really helps me to pay closer attention to my works. I am new at this and expect to make errors and hope you readers will be so kind as Mr Thompson was to call it to my attention.

When we write an article, your reply is encouraging, if it is a negative or a positive reply it is yet encouraging. So please continue to encourage us to keep writing articles. We appreciate your comments, it keep us going to the next step. I imagine all of our writers feel this way, so don't hold back, give us a reply. We hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoy writing. And I'm sure our good friend Jake Kacher is happy his idea has grown into a beautiful Checkers Site USA.

B. Joey Bumpous