[meteorite-list] IMCA Money Matters & my resignation

From: Michael Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:44:43 -0700
Message-ID: <CC2E142B.267D4%mlblood_at_cox.net>

Hi Greg and all,
        Money issues were one of the key reasons I resigned from the IMCA,
Though my resignation was not limited to that, do PLEASE BE SURE TO
READ "1 Addendum"

HERE ARE THE (major) REASONS: I RESIGNED FROM THE IMCA:

1- Though many members have repeatedly asked for a financial report from the
IMCA, members have been told, by the board, QUOTE: What is the big deal?
Don't you trust us? UNQUOTE
When information like this is withheld, it is easy to lose your trust.

1- Addendum - Shortly before the Tucson Show I was informed of actions
which, if true, confirm and exceed my worst misgivings about the financial
behavior of the IMCA: I contacted Gary Foote and his wife, CJ to see if they
had received the funds generated by the auctioning of a Jerry Armstrong
painting. CJ told me how grateful she was for all the financial help the
meteorite community had given them and that the buyer of the
Jerry Armstrong painting paid them directly (they also received other
money from the IMCA and from individuals who were made aware of their
peril by the IMCA). While expressing overwhelming and sincere gratitude to
Those who had sent money, she told me that the IMCA treasurer had later
contacted her and asked her to return half the money the IMCA had generated
for them, stating only, "Other people are in need."

The timing was the worst possible as CJ had just been told by his doctors
that Gary's life was hanging by a thread and she could loose him at any
moment. She reports she told the IMCA treasurer that every cent had gone to
medical costs and basic survival needs. She was then asked for a written
accounting of how all money she received was spent. CJ told me that at that
point her emotional state and the circumstances of life and death they were
facing, hardly allowed for such an accounting and the conversation was
terminated.

When this was happening, I was still a member. As a member, money for Gary
and his wife had been solicited by the IMCA. The request by the treasurer of
the IMCA that half that money be returned clearly constitutes a betrayal
of all who donated to that cause, not to mention the trauma to The Footes. I
certainly feel betrayed. It is hard to believe any of the members of the
IMCA who donated to this cause would find this acceptable.


2- The IMCA has involved itself in disputes between dealers. Several
dealers have chosen to resign rather than have the IMCA used to leveraged in
their personal transactions with other dealers. This was a major factor for
me, but definitely far from the only factor in my Resigning.

3- The IMCA has recently taken it upon themselves to condemn people dealing
in meteorites from countries that prohibit exportation - in spite of the
fact that I have been told by several people I trust that one prominent
Board Member was openly offering Burduc at the Tucson Show and another had
been personally involved in exporting Burduc.

4- When someone does resign, the remaining dealer is free to state their
position and make any accusations they please. The resigned dealer is not
even allowed to know what was said about him. (I was told by a good friend
it is against the rules to foreword any IMCA post to a non-member). I know
of several dealers who have been ejected or resigned rather than be
subjected to the hypocrisy of IMCA power brokers - and all but one were
over issues NOT having anything to do with authenticity.

5- I recommended Michael Gilmer for membership as he is a fine, open
hearted & genuinely good guy - The IMCA refused to accept Michael Gilmer
as a member though he had done nothing wrong, stating he, QUOTE: "has
not been around long enough." Is there a defined waiting period for
acceptance? I doubt that if he was a collector and not a dealer this would
have been the decision. I believe Board members - who act in secret, weild
Power with NO input from the membership have increasingly moved toward
A position of "competition control" regarding dealers, targeting specific
dealers with whom they have personal issues.

I will miss the camaraderie of the IMCA dinner at the Tucson show. That,
unfortunately, is just about all I ever benefited from by being a member.
Since the board apparently rules with accountability to no one, and refuses
make at least a yearly full financial disclosure to all members, I see
little point in being a part of the organization.

The IMCA was ORIGINALLY created for one specific purpose: To insure
authenticity of material being sold. Unfortunately it has become an
organization run almost exclusively by dealers and has been used against
other dealers. It has NO financial accountability whatsoever and is run by a
board that answers to NO ONE.

My wife tells me I am the most naive person she ever met. I tend to think of
myself as thinking the best of people until they prove me wrong.
Unfortunately, I believe I have been proven wrong in the case of the IMCA. I
now join Bob Haag, E. T., Mike Farmer, Blaine Reed, Matt Morgan and a of
growing number of other honest, long time dealers who have declined
membership in this organization or who have resigned.

Sincerely, Michael


On 7/19/12 7:11 PM, "Met. Greg Catterton" <star_wars_collector at yahoo.com>
wrote:

>
Jason, I was "going after" the IMCA while I was still a
member and was
> running for a spot on the board two elections ago. This
is all in the
> archives unless the purged it to cover up the activities
they are doing.?
> They still wont account for where all the money they
get in member dues has
> went, why the non profit status was revoked in
2008, who Daniel K. Cathcart
> is (the one time owner) Anyone know him?
Who the current owner is (Adam
> Hupe?) how and why he came to own it...


As a member of the IMCA, I lost a
> lot of faith in the group for the lack
of answers to questions many had. Not
> just me. I was just the most
outspoken about it. I even went to say that if I
> was not elected, I
would be kicked out of the group within months for what I
> was pressing
them to answer and the fact they would not. I and MANY other
> members asked for
budget info for years. They would NOT release it.
Received on Thu 19 Jul 2012 10:44:43 PM PDT