The MFCA Convention Thankyou's!

[WEIRDWOLF]

I finally got back from the Convention yesterday after having my flight cancelled. Over the entire duration of the trip this was virtually the only glitch. The only other one came when big blowup guy, MFCA Man, was stolen from the front of the hotel. He will be remembered even though it was just his first time out.
As you have already read in numerous posts the 1^st annual MFCA Convention was a huge success. All though the number of competitors was down from what we anticipated we still had 29 entered in the Coaches Points Challenge and at least another 10-15 coaches who came by and took in all the action and fun.
The success of the convention was due in large part to the efforts of a number of coaches. I could probably name every coach in attendance just for making the trip but they all did so much more than that to pull this event off. From the guys who brought boards and equipment to the ones who donated prizes for the raffle and the United way event to the coaches who volunteered to help with the competitions and to the ones who took on the challenge of teaching and interacting with 400 kids at the J Babe Stearn Center. All of you made this happen just as it was meant to happen!
I have to mention one coach in particular who without whom we could of never kept track of all the events and competitions. Matt Culp was not only instrumental in developing the whole fabric of the convention but took on the registration table and many of the financial and record keeping duties as well as selling MFCA goods and registering the coaches as they arrived. Without his leadership and organizational skills the convention would have been just a shell of itself and I would probably be in a straight jacket about now. Matt is a true friend, point on task and a large part of why the MFCA is where it is!
Alongside of Matt was Vice President, Will Travers. Will jumped in wherever needed and I have never seen a happier face as his when he was working with the kids at the Stearn Center He is one of the most dedicated and grounded people in the hobby. Will is one I can always count on and I trust his advice and forethought to the highest degree. On top of that, he is a Raider fan so coming from me, the compliments above should mean twice as much.
Ray Fanara and the Hall of Fame committee had a huge task ahead of them and they came through with a fantastic program on Friday night as we inducted the first class into the MFCA HOF. Ray is a historian of the game and continues daily to record and archive every tidbit of info he can come across. Without Ray’s dedication the Hall of Fame would not have happened this year and now that the first class is in, I can’t wait to see who is added next year.
John Martin. Remember that name well if you ever come to Canton. He went above and beyond! Picking up guys at the airport, taking us to the rib fest and a couple of other great restaurants, (None of us will ever forget Chancey!) providing beer and cigars and always available for us when we needed a ride to get something done. He is a blast to hang out with and has become a very skilled player in a short time.
CorEy Johnson is another name no one can forget even if they wanted too. He did most of his work prior to the event by gathering donations and dollars. We could not have done it without that support.
I must mention the other officers who make up the MFCA staff, Mike Guttmann, John Merida and Al Dunham. Each of them plays a pivotal role in making sure our accounting is up to date and accurate and without Al’s wit and creativity the Tweak would not have the same spunk that we continue to see. Al also did a great job with his display at the Stearn Center and in working with the kids.
Finally, I have to thank the many coaches who took it upon themselves to bring fields and equipment needed for the events. It was truly a one for all and all for one event. Special notice goes out to Jerry McGhee who showed up with three monster boards Many coaches got to experience for the first time what it is like to play on a true to scale field. Jimbo Dunagan, Joe Allore, Frank Jacobs, Kelvin Lomax, George Diamond and Steve Martin (forgive me if I missed any others) also brought fields. It was interesting to note that in the room there were only 2 620’s and all the rest were custom fields. It seems the 2x4 and larger fields have found a solid place in the games and future of the hobby.
In reality, I could name every coach in attendance. Every one new that it was their convention and each took ownership of it by helping out wherever needed.
In closing, I want to also thank the Pro Football’s Ultimate Fans Association. The HOF tickets, game tickets, Friday night dinner and more were all thanks to them and we are happy to have them as a MFCA partner. We have made many new friends and I only look for an increased involvement with them as we begin preparations for MFCA Convention II. The planning has already begun.
Thanks to all!
Lynn Schmidt
MFCA President