Hi folks from still wintery Oklahoma.Thought I would post a note about an idea I came up with to try to raise a couple bucks for our reunion fund.
The first MARS reunion I was able to go to was in San Antonio in 2006. At the raffle Tony Winslett had brought a piece of stained glass mounted in a wooden frame of the USS MARS crest, with an anchor behind it and a row of blue and red glass around the edge. The piece is 24" wide and 28" tall and is DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL ...as anyone that saw it can atest.
The piece was made by a very good friend of Tony. A sweet lady named Alice Chamblee from Alabama. Tony had made a traveling case out of 3/4" plywood to protect the piece and brought it to the reunion standing upright in his car.
During the raffle I was lucky enough to win it and had to promise that I would bring it to the next reunion. We took it home in the case and started trying to figure out how we could get it to San Diego in 2008.
Well...we had to fly to San Diego so the piece could not be trusted to the baggage compartment.
Recently thinking about the reunion to be held in Oklahoma City in 2009...trying to come up with an idea to turn into a hat pin...I came up with a hat pin using the stained glass piece as the theme.
I found a company that makes hat pins...and after sending a picture of the piece the art dept at the company came up with a proof. Understand...the process of going from 24" x 28" to 1.25 x 1.50 limits the details that can be done.
After running the idea past Art Sweetland and getting the blessing from the creator...MS Alice...I made a command decision and had 100 pins made.
Art has put a picture of the proof on the ships store page and I am using this post to add some history as to how and why the pin idea came to be.
The intent is to make a few bucks for the reunion fund. ALL procedes above and beyond the cost to me will be turned ofer to that fund.
The pins are for sale for $5.00 each plus $2.50 for postage.
Please holler at Everritt or me for more info.
BOB SCHORFHEIDE
hotlapsbob@hotmail.com
PS...Plan on coming to the reunion in Pittsburg in September and you will be able to see the REAL DEAL. We'll be there and will bring it along. BOB
