Support the ANA
Dreamcrusher
Posts: 210 ✭✭✭✭
I retired from the ANA as the Education Director last month. I was employed by the organization for 16 1/2 years so I have had sufficient time to think about what I wanted to say about my experience once I left.
First of all, this will not be a "sour grapes session." I left the ANA of my own free will and was never asked to retire. I felt in my heart that the time had come for me and my family to move on to other things. Mainly, I have suffered a stroke and two pulmonary embolisms so at 62, I want to pursue other endeavors while lessening my stress levels and still have a chance to pursue other opportunities.
For me, the ANA is a vital organization. While there, I worked very hard but I made a fair living. I was able to teach a lot of grading classes, write a book and even come up with the idea for the U.S. World War I commemorative coin. I was responsible for writing a fair amount of the legislation for that coin and I am very proud of that. I worked with a lot of children to get them into the hobby and most of those kids were/are the smartest students I ever encountered. I survived the problems with the executive director who was in charge when I was hired and not everyone on staff at the time could say that.
I have not always agreed with members of the staff or Board of Governors and even believe that some have not always had the best interest of the association at heart. If you have worked for a non-profit you know that this is hardly something in which the ANA suffers alone. There is however a core of governors, volunteers and staff members who work to make your membership the best investment you can make in the hobby. Every organization, including the ANA has its warts and over the years (most in the distant past) I have seen some dark days but there is a lot that you can do to help the staff make your experience enjoyable and your membership more valuable.
- Please join the ANA if you are not already a member. Your membership can help support all of the things the ANA does to support youngsters in the hobby. Programs like Coins for A's, the Dollar Project, the Ancient & Early American Copper project count on your support. Get involved with Scouts and ask the ANA to help supply materials that you need to teach a Merit Badge workshop.
- There are several advisory committees. If you have expertise that matches one of the committees, consider asking to join. (A piece of advice, should you join a committee, spend some time listening. Some of your ideas may have already been considered and are either in place or may have been implemented and not worked for a specific reason.)
- Write an article for The Numismatist and submit it for review.
- Attend Summer Seminar if you can. The comment from Summer Seminar rookies I heard most often is the regret that they had not attended sooner. While you are there, be sure to visit the museum. Most collectors never get a chance to see a real 1913 Liberty nickel or an 1804 dollar.
- Use the ANA library. It is the largest lending numismatic library on the planet and the library staff is competent and helpful.
- Consider teaching a webinar as part of the ANA eLearning initiative.
- Visit the ANA website. There is so much to see and you can learn a great deal.
- Study the candidates for the Board of Governors carefully. It is real easy for candidates to say that they are for education or that they are going to find all of the skeletons in the ANA closets but what does that mean exactly? Once you have done your research, VOTE! Of course, if you believe that you can contribute, consider running in a future election.
Over the years I have seen some members on this site complain that they are not renewing their membership because they are not getting a good deal or a "special gift." This is short sighted in my opinion. Membership is a bargain and many YN's even get an initial membership for free.
I have had the opportunity to befriend, collaborate and co-teach with people like Brian Fanton, Walter Ostromecki, Mike Ellis, Bill Fivaz & Ken Bressett. My life is full and I owe the hobby of coin collecting for that. Become a more involved member of the ANA and you too will get more enjoyment out of the hobby. I promise.
Comments
Thank you for your post. If you’re not opposed to doing so, please post your name, as some forum members might know you, but not your username.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Very sound advise and I hope that people listen to it. Many perils in there to grab onto.
Fantastic info and excellent suggestions for members as well thanks!
Been a memeber for years
Kinda spoiled since I'm only an hour away...LOVE the library and visit often, LLOOOOVE the Museum and have visited regularly since the very early 90's.
Anyone visiting anywhere near Denver or Colorado Springs MUST go visit the Museum and Library!
Congrats on your semi-retirement!
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Thanks, RG for everything you did for the hobby. Don't be a stranger - you still have more to teach and share...
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Great post... Thank you for your work and best wishes in your future endeavors. Cheers, RickO
Is dreamcrusher a Franklin fanatic and helped Fivaz with the grading class in Dalton a few years ago?
ANA grading classes are the bomb!
Wish I had done them alot sooner!
Even at 56, the summer seminar is on my horizon circa 2024.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
I've been a member since 1980 and the monthly magazine (The Numismatist) alone is well worth the cost of membership.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
That is most kind of you to say.
Guilty as charged.
The class was inspiring and very helpful. Have taken that to heart and built some grading sets based on that class grading challenge. Enjoy retirement
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
@Dreamcrusher - I attended your final class in Greenville back in October. You did a fantastic job. I only wish I had taken the class as a YN 20yrs ago. I’ve never been to summer seminar, but it’s one of my top priorities for 2023. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. Thank you!
"all of the things the ANA does to support youngsters in the hobby"
IMHO, the ANA should get out of the business of supporting youngsters, it's always been creepy
I don't know if this is a horrible attempt at a joke, an errant observation, or a genuine thought which needs significant substantiation given what it implies, but as written it doesn't sit well with me in any of those scenarios.
I was a member for over 25 years. During that time it appeared to me it was all political. I was never able to go to any of the conventions so I quit. If I had continued I would have received a 50 year pin in 2021.
Rod Gillis
I hope to attend the ANA Summer Seminar someday. Its hard to take one or two weeks off from work and family for hobby time. But maybe someday.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Well said, thank you for sharing.
I have been an ANA member since 1969 and a Life Member since 1971. What drives me nuts is that they do not post the minutes of board meetings for months after they have happened. The last one posted is August 19,2022. The last two times when minutes were posted was when I complained. Why?
Great post!
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
Perhaps this is the wrong thread, but can you explain what the Dr. George F. Heath Society does? As near as I can figure, it only says that you are a big donor to the ANA. Am I missing something?
Great post. I joined the ANA because for the free membership for the first year for YNs and have been a paying member since then.
Young Numismatist/collector
75 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 45 members and counting!
instagram.com/klnumismatics
There is a page on the ANA website that gives some information as well as contact information should you have specific questions.
LM for many years now. Great organization. I only attended one seminar on grading quite a few years ago. Retiring soon, so hope to get to more seminars. The best thing about the seminars IMO is rubbing elbows with fellow collectors and professionals.
Good to know. Thanks. I love the ANA and took many classes there in the early 2000s. Sadly, I haven't been back to Colorado Springs, but as a life member of the ANA, I can say that it has helped me immensely.
Tom
I attended Summer Seminar for a few years in the 90's. So much absolute coinage fun, so much to experience every day, year after year when I rode my specialized stump jumper 1.6 miles to & from CC campus daily. Back when there was just one big wave of attendees, later was harshly spit up into to two groups with no connection, unless you paid for both experiences.
Yes we need to crush the dreams of more people who think they have something valuable but they don't! That's why we need more education about coins out there! From what I remember, you weren't called a dreamcrusher for nothing!
Perhaps they don't have a person assigned to do it so it's always handled as a special request exception?
Generally, the people who called were only concerned about getting rich through a coin that in their mind was old or unusual. They weren't interested in the story behind it. It's an uphill battle when all you see on the Internet is, "You could be holding a million dollars in your pocket." or some such nonsense. The saddest part was getting calls from senior citizens who were sold gold for outrageous prices and then realized that they had been had. I did my very best to educate people but some responsibility must fall on them to do their due diligence.
Up until a couple of years ago the minutes were posted in a timely manner.
Great post!
Good luck in your next chapter @Dreamcrusher
Thanks for your efforts to keep the ANA moving forward.
I enjoy my membership;
The Numismatist, The Worlds Fairs of Money, the Museum
👍👍👍
Don't forget the lending library.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.