Re: SIMTA and "International Happenings"

["Bill Thebert" <bthebert@domain.elided>]

> From: Tom Harais <tjhemh@domain.elided>
> Subject: SIMTA and "International Happenings"

> Is Bill Theberts musing about "twice as much in one issue as in a full
year
> of the "other" IHC publication going to come to full fruitation?

Tom (and fellow Digesters):

It's well known that SIMTA and I have had some differences over the years. 
But nevertheless, I've never said any such thing as what you attribute to
me above.

We've used a marketing slogan "More Scout & IH info in 4 issues than in two
whole years of a Major Magazine . . . and at HALF the price!"

I hope I'm not hurting anyone's feelings, but I don't consider "Happenings"
a "major magazine".  I was referring to Petersen's 4WD&OR, Four Wheeler,
OFF-ROAD and the like.  I believe that we DO in fact publish more
IH-specific info in our four quarterly issues than any of the "big books"
publish in two whole years.  

And at an average annual subscription price of $14 - 19, one could easily
spend twice as much money for two years of one of these, and get less
IH-specific info than in one $15 annual Binder Bulletin subscription.

Though I'm not unbiased, I do believe that the Bulletin is probably the
best "value" in printed IH information -- particularly in the circumstance
you describe above.  For if we don't publish like clockwork, our "On Time
or Free Guarantee" makes things pretty uncomfortable for us. We also strive
to keep the content "meatier than average", and "fresh" by not reprinting
stuff from other club's newsletters.  Classified Ads are instant and free
on our web site (and display ads kept to a minimum), rather than taking up
a goodly fraction of the magazine and being 2 - 6 months old by the time
they hit your mailbox. 

Bottom Line:  I believe you misquoted me pretty severely, Tom.  And even
properly quoted, I was not referring to SIMTA's "Happenings".  If I were, I
certainly wouldn't be so audacious as to use that slogan in my ad that
appears in SIMTA's very own publication! <g>  I'm sure the mis-quote was an
honest error, and there's surely no hard feelings here.  I just wanted to
set the record straight.

Regards,

Bill Thebert

P.S. - Just for the record, earlier this year the Binder Bulletin
officially registered with the State of Colorado as an "unincorporated
non-profit association".  The web site and the sponsorship funds for IH
events like the NW Roundup and the Nationals are free "givebacks" to the IH
Community at large -- subscribers and non-subscribers alike.  Every nickel
of Bulletin revenue gets pumped back into the IH Community in one way or
another.  As Richard so eloquently said earlier today: "This is all kind of
a hobby gone insane, really . . ."

Bill