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Saturday, August 08, 1998

Fellow Belleekers !!  (lettre # 2.5)

** WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME
        A CHAPTER OFFICER ?? **

I've had queries from several chapters as to exactly 
whom can run for a Chapter office.  This is VERY SERIOUS
as it is spelled out in our bylaws.  The ABSOLUTE rule 
is that any Chapter Officer MUST be not only a member in
good standing of their chapter but ALSO a member in good
standing of the Belleek Collectors' International
Society !!  The reasons for this are VERY basic !!
The Chapter Officers are responsible not only to their
chapter, but are also delegates to the BCIS and answer
to any charges and proclamations of the BCIS !!  I'm
NOT trying to be hard here, but in all fairness, we
must have a couple of rules and I don't think that this
one is very stringent ??  Now, if your chapter allows 
for 'associate' members, ie members whom have NO voting
privileges, these members are NOT eligible to become a
a Chapter Officer !!  Most chapters allow for a 'Family'
membership in which case one of the family members pays
their dues and the remainder of the family attend meetings
as 'guest's (which are ALWAYS welcome) !!  Just make sure
that when your Treasurer accepts dues monies from a 
'family' that it is EXPLICITLY UNDERSTOOD whom is the
Chapter Member that then will have voting privileges,
officer status, etc. !!  If ANYONE has ANY questions
regarding this, PLEASE contact me for additional or
further verification !!  PLEASE, understand that I'm not
trying to be 'tough' here, but, as any Society, we must
have several basic rules to operate under !!
 
** GOLFING (or GOOFING) ? **

Everyone BEWARE !!  If you take a holiday in the
beautiful Pacific Northwest and happen to visit with
some of our members, DO NOT go a golfing with Ben
Harlan !!  Last week or so, he was out with his son,
Charlie, and Ben scored (if that is a proper golf
term ??) a HOLE IN ONE !!  KUDO's to Ben !!

** COLUMBIA CHAPTERS' 5th ANNIVERSARY !! **

WOW, did we, the Columbia Chapter, have a GREAT meeting !!
And I can say we because I became the 120th. member of
their Chapter !!  We begin with sales tables for those 
of monies which was followed by a no host bar accompanied
with live Irish music !!  We then proceeded into a 
wonderful dinner which was followed by more music before
desert !!  Then to top everything off, there was a live
auction of about a dozen items followed by a raffle !!
These Vancouver (WA)/Portland folks REALLY do know how
to have a GREAT time !!

** LET'S ALL GO TO CHICAGO **

I'll be in Chicago from August 20 thru the 23rd !!
If ANY of you are planning to attend the Summer
Antique Fair look me up at the Hotel Sofitel and
get complimentary passes for the show !!

** BELLEEK COLLECTORS' FAIR **

And don't forget the 2nd. Annual Belleek Collectors Fair
which is being held again in Portland, OR this fall on
October 17, 1998 !!  If you have ANY questions regarding
this spectacular event, contact either :

                Lori or Ben Harlan
                613 - 10th Avenue
                Kirkland, WA

     or tele to (425) 828-4247
   or E-Mail to harlan@gte.net !! 

If you have made dinner reservations, please forward
a cheque for $14.50 per person to Ben Harlan at the
above address !!

NOTE : There are STILL a few dinners left, so RESERVE
NOW or miss out meeting your favourite dealers and
a splendid dinner !!

** ALSO, the Evergreen Chapter will be selling tickets
for its' Colossal Belleek Raffle to be held at its'
December meeting !!  We now will be having THREE major
raffle items with the first to be the Rose Isle Lamp
with Shade, the second place winner will draw a splendid
St. Paddy's Day Basket and the third runner up will be
the proud owner of a Country Trellis Bowl, large size
like 14cm. or 9" for us yanks !!  The winner NEED NOT
BE PRESENT TO WIN !!  Out of area winners will receive 
their prize via post !!  Ticket prices will be 1 (one)
for $4 or 3 (three) for $10 !!  If your chapter would
like to buy up a block (power Belleek) of tickets,
please send the monies to my address below and I will
BE SURE that you are represented in the raffle !!

** THE FROG WHOM WAS EATEN BY THE RAT !!
   a short fable by Del E. Domke !! **

As many of you know and the rest are to learn, many
years ago, I mean like 30 or thereabouts, Belleek took
it upon themselves to reintroduce one of their more
utilitarian items that had LONG ago been discontinued !!
This item was the Frog Paperweight !!  A rather exciting
item in it's ORIGINAL form, as the base was virtually
SOLID, lending it appropriately to it's intended use
as a paperweight !!  Applied to the surface of this
base was a wonderful figure of a lilypad and, of
course, resting on this leaf was a splendid figure of
a cute little frog !!  And, of course, in full colour,
this is a very desirable item to have around your home,
not only as a collectible, but it has a tendency to
keep your home free of all sorts of bugs as it preys
on them for it's nourishment !!  But, not to waver from
this story, let me continue !!  I was very seriously 
contemplating doing this bit in two parts but many of
you already know how it turns out so, as not to keep
the rest of you in suspense, I will continue with the
fable !!  The reintroduced Frog on a Lilypad Paperweight
has a HOLLOW base, thus the entire item is quite lite
in weight and has little or less than that use as a
paperweight !!  The lilypad was, basically, molded onto
the base and this is where the story becomes REAL 
interesting for what the Pottery described as a frog
appears to have been molded over ones' thumb ??  I will
state that the artwork or painting of the piece is quite
striking !!  BUT the item appears to be a RAT without
a tail !!  My acquisition was thru a very respectable
Seattle, Washington Belleek dealer whom had ordered like
60 of these rodents and after being only capable of
merchandising 4 of them in a year returned the remaining
56 to the Pottery before they begin to breed !!  At the
end of this year one nice lady returned to the shop and
asked the proprietor for a return of her monies as she
could no longer wake up to this rodents' stare !!  The
manager of the store called me immediately and quite
frankly told me he didn't desire this item in his shop
and requested that I promptly remove it that day, if not
sooner, for half the issue price !! 

 

Belleekingly,

Del E. Domke, Belleek Consultant
16142 N.E. 15th. Street
Bellevue,  WA    98008-2711
U.S.A.

Telephone :  1 (425) 746-6363
Message :    1 (425) 746-6363
FAX :        1 (425) 746-6363 
E-mail :     delyicious@comcast.net
Web-site :   The Beauty and Romance of Irish Belleek  (or) : 
           http://delyicious.magix.net/public/index.html