April | 2022 | Red Wing Collectors Society | Red Wing Pottery, Union Stoneware, North Star, Art Pottery, Dinnerware

Balloting will be done electronically in accordance with RWCS by-law article v, Nominating Committee and voting Procedure. A link to the online RWCS election ballot will be e-mailed to all primary and associate members in good standing as of April 15. Each primary and associate member must have unique email address to receive a ballot. If you share an email address with another member, you will receive only one ballot. See instructions below to change your email address.

2022 Candidates

There are five positions up for election on the RWCS Board of Directors in 2022: Vice President, Treasurer, Historian and both Representative at Large positions. Each position carries a term of four years, which will begin during the 2022 Convention at the RWCS Annual Business Meeting on Friday, July 15. Profiles for the candidates running in this year’s election are featured below.
Balloting will be done electronically in accordance with RWCS by-law Article V, Nominating Committee and Voting Procedure. A link to the online RWCS election ballot will be e-mailed to all primary and associate members in good standing as of April 15. All members in good standing can refer to these instructions and login with their own membership number to vote. Please e-mail director@redwingcollectors.org if you’re
unsure whether we have your e-mail address on file. Votes must be recorded by June 30, 2022. RWCS members who do not have internet access can request a ballot by contacting the RWCS Business Office.

Vice President

Russa Robinson
Incumbent, RWCS Vice President

I’ve been part of this wonderful organization a long time. Having been an RWCS member and collector since 1982, I’ve grown close to the Society and what it stands for. I joined the RWCS Board of Directors in 2006 when I was elected as one of the Representatives at Large.

Since I’ve been on the Board for the past 16 years, I’m very familiar with the past direction of the Society and the challenges it faces today. I’ve served on many committees within the organization over the years, so I have a good feeling of how things work, what’s needed and how to get things done. I’ve also volunteered at events ever since becoming a member, so I’m well acquainted with a large portion of our
membership and I usually know who to contact whenever a situation arises so we have “go to” people when we need input on particular subjects.

One of the most important jobs of the Vice President is to serve as the head of the Nominating Committee for the Board of Directors. With my member knowledge base, and with the personal knowledge of so many of our members, I’ve been in an excellent position to be able to put together a strong ballot for elections and handle the overall voting process for the Society.

I enjoy working with other members of the Board to get things done. I’m not afraid to bring up my opinions and fight for what I think is best for the Society. I’m not bashful and will bring my ideas and feelings to the group in a manner that is understandable and useful. I’ve been called a “peacemaker” and I do everything I can to fit that description. In times of conflicting ideas and different viewpoints, I have always tried to solve
problems, relieve tensions and keep the Society fun.

On a personal note, my husband, Mike, and I have raised three children on our family farm in Stockton, CA. Our house is filled with everything from stoneware to dinnerware, and all of our family vacations seem to revolve around Red Wing. It has been a wonderful hobby to share with our family. Our children grew up scouring antique stores and flea markets, and even my parents caught the bug. We helped to charter the
Golden State Chapter in 1987 and continue to travel the state of California to attend our quarterly meetings. We have made many happy memories and met many great friends in sharing our love of pottery.

RWCS is not just about collecting. A new piece is always fun, but the real excitement comes from seeing all of the friends we have made over the years, and making new ones. As your Vice President, I will continue my commitment to sharing that excitement with others.

Treasurer

Larry Birks
Candidate, RWCS Treasurer

Most of you know me as past RWCS President, volunteer, seminar speaker or keynote speaker so there’s no reason for me to tout my past with the Society. Whether or not you are happy with your Society and its direction, does make a difference, and you need to carefully consider your vote in the upcoming election. The important thing is your freedom to vote your personal choice.

The first thing you need to do is remember that the positions on the RWCS Board of Directors are “voluntary” positions. No one gets paid, no one gets to be the hero, no one is there for the recognition. The Board members are there to follow the Bylaws of the organization and do their very best to keep several thousand people enthused in their collecting. That’s it, there’s no agenda, only a desire by the 10 elected Board members to make everybody happy.

Keeping several thousand people happy involves working 5-30 hours a week, giving up a week of your vacation for Convention and another for MidWinter. You’re a Board member, you are expected to be there, and you are expected to keep the wheels of the event greased so all the attendees are happy. Because of your duties, your ability to wander through the parking lot sale, show and sale, or travel into the hinterlands seeking new treasures, is all but gone for the 4 years of being on the Board. When you accept the position, you open your life to all the folks who elected you. You must be on call from 6am to 11pm because ours is a National Society, and time zones don’t mean anything. Your phone will ring in restaurants, in church, in the car, in the duck blind, and the caller “expects” you to answer and solve their problem. If you don’t, the caller calls again and may leave an unattractive voicemail, or they may simply start up the ladder of the Board phone numbers until they get a response. So, the crux of this paragraph, is the life of the Board members suddenly changes, dramatically. Oh, and now there’s Zoom meetings! The meeting in your home with 9 other Board members that can come any time there’s a need and can range from 1 to 4 hours. I keep hearing the call for “change!” That call has been heard for at least 10 years that I know of, and the Boards(s) during that time have done a lot to “change” the Society. As a matter of fact there was a “refresh committee” that met just 2 years ago to try and do that very thing. Some of the changes to Education at the Last Convention was part of that change. Show and Sale was changed during that time to include all antiques, not just stoneware. Trying to make change when you are in a captive market with limited facilities like the City of Red Wing makes changing harder. Board members have faced changing facilities when the County decided not to rent the school, the Armory was on alert, Covid closed half of the country, etc. The Board members you choose must be willing to react to these changes, and in some cases pack it up and drive/fly to Red Wing to try and make everything work for several thousand people. The Board members must work with the City and the Tourism Bureau to somehow convince every hotel in town that the Collectors Convention isn’t in Red Wing so they can raise their prices. If there is one single thing that needs to change, it’s collectors on social media who continually pick at the Society and the members of the Board. The name calling, the misinformation, and the rumors all serve to only make the job of being a Board member more difficult. One last thing on “change.” It’s difficult to change parking lot sales without moving it to another part of Red Wing. The space is finite, the parking must be maintained, and there are no rules.

Just remember those who you elect, are “volunteers,” they have chosen to be there to try to make the Society a great organization that folks will want to join and support. These volunteers are literally giving a portion of their lives for the enjoyment of others. It’s not an hour a week job, it’s not a day a month job, it’s a dedicated lifestyle for 4 years that affects and becomes a part of everything they do during those years.
Think carefully about who you vote for because you are asking them for 4 years of their life to make your life more enjoyable.

Trevor Stephens
Write-In Candidate, RWCS Treasurer

I’ve been collecting, buying and selling Early American Antique and Stoneware since I was 12 years old. One of my first Red Wing purchases when I started collecting was a set of sponge-ware paneled bowls. Many of you may know me from the Facebook pages as I have hosted auctions in the past and do live sales through the Redmond Antique Mall in Redmond, Oregon.

I am rather new to the Red Wing Collectors Society and attended my first convention in 2019 with my Partner Joey. We attended again in 2021 and have 2022 blocked off on the calendar. We are committed to making the trip well into the future. We live on the West Coast, but have really enjoyed the connections we have made through the society and collecting. I’ve really focused on Red Wing Advertising from the west coast including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Utah, and a few other states. I also love really unique pieces and have been very fortunate to add a few more recently to my collection thanks to the relationships I have developed through the RWCS.

I’ve never served on the board, but I would really like to get more involved in the society. I do have professional experience that I believe would benefit the RWCS. I have a law degree (JD) and an MPA and have worked in the Criminal Justice Field for the past 7 years. Currently, I am the business manager for our county Community Justice Department where I oversee large budgets, grants, contracts, and play a major
role in program development. I spend a large part of my day in spreadsheets and am constantly working on strategies to increase our fiscal and administrative efficiencies. I spend a lot of my time condensing program/financial information down into a clear and concise format to present to the public and local governing bodies. While I don’t practice a specific area of law, I am a licensed attorney and have experience in legal research, contract drafting, and contract management.

Using my education and professional experience I would really like to give back to the society in the role of Treasurer. I am writing as a write in candidate so when the ballots are released you will need to write my name in. Thank you for the opportunity and support.

Historian

Nancy Lambert
Incumbant, RWCS Historian

I joined the RWCS in 1997 and I am also a charter member of the Trails West Chapter KS/MO having served as Chapter Treasurer for ten years.

It has been an honor serving as Historian for the Society since 2014. Gathering and preserving the history of the RWCS has always been a passion of mine, even before I was elected as your Historian. Many changes have taken place in the RWCS over the 45 years – but the passion for collecting and the friendships we enjoy have been constant reminders of why I continue to volunteer and support this organization.

When the Executive Director position was vacated in November 2020, there were suddenly many, many tasks that needed to be performed that had been done by paid staff – these tasks fell to RWCS Board Members willing to take them on. Updating the website, writing emails to membership on a regular basis, helping with membership, providing the mailing lists to the newsletter editor, writing the convention promos, organizing and writing the convention supplement and planning and managing the
summer convention are jobs I have been doing – all in addition to duties as RWCS Historian.

I have attended every Convention and MidWinter GetTogether since 2002. I authored three books: “Collecting the Legacy II, RWCS Commemoratives; “Kansas/Missouri Advertising Stoneware Made in Red Wing MN,” and “Our Stories of Collecting” – a collection of stories of how RWCS collectors got started collecting. I was on the Committee for the 35th Convention and served as the RWCS 40th Anniversary chairperson. I researched and gathered historical photos from RWCS archives to present a 40th Anniversary Convention video. I planned and managed CrockFest 2021, MidWinter 2022 and I am convention manager for CrockFest 2022. I served as Co-Chairperson on the 2020 Convention Refresh Committee. I served on the RWCS Foundation Board of Directors from 2013-2019 and helped move the Schleich Museum from Lincoln, Nebraska to Red Wing, MN. I served on the “Wine-ing” for Red Wing committee from 2012-2019 that raised more than $67,000 for the Pottery Museum and I am a founding member Friends of the Pottery Museum of Red Wing, Benefactor giving level. I created and implemented “Capital 300 Club” that helped pay off the Museum building and designed and created the self-guided tour brochure, post cards, rack cards and posters for the Museum. I was honored to be inducted into the RWCS Hall of Fame this past July. I continue to work on a Newsletter index for members to quickly locate information about specific pottery items and historical events that have been published in our Red Wing Collectors Society Newsletter. I know what it takes to serve as an RWCS Board Member – a total commitment to help organize, plan and RUN events and someone willing to give hours of personal time to do whatever it takes to keep the organization going.

The passion for pottery is why I joined the RWCS, but the wonderful friendships made over the years is why I’ve been a member for the past 25 years. I was a printing sales representative for 35 years and served on a local school board for four years. I hold a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas.

It has been my privilege to serve as your Historian and I ask for your vote to continue that service. Please VOTE when you receive your ballot in April.

Glen Pearson
Write-In Candidate, RWCS Historian

Hello, my name is Glen Pearson and my wife is Patty. We live in Menomonie Wisconsin. I’m the Vice President of Field Operations for Red Cedar Steel Erectors. I manage about 120 men and women, also estimate and help with control of a 30 million dollar a year operation.

We started collecting by watching almost all the videos in the library, and spent a lot of time meeting Stacy for trade offs of videos. We go to a lot of auctions, attend conventions, mid winters, and participate in room sales and selling in the parking lot during conventions. At one time we had 600 pieces of Red Wing, but we are down to 250 pieces in the house and 100 pieces in the shop.

We collect Sleepy Eye, Whitewater Stoneware, Sheldon and Aladdin Lamps, Buddy L Trucks, tobacco and peanut store tins, wood wagons, and more. We enjoy the hunt for new items, but we enjoy the people we meet along the way the most.

I believe in respecting the Society’s history and traditions, but I am willing to try new ideas for fundraising and increasing membership numbers. We live about 40 minutes away from Red Wing, but can attend meetings and get togethers as needed.

I hope you consider me for your write in vote for the Society’s Historian position. Thank you for your consideration.

Representatives At Large

Diana Bailey
Incumbent, RWCS Representative at Large

Diana Bailey has been a RWCS Representative at Large since 2018 and an active member of RWCS since 1997. Diana is a charter member of Wisconsin’s RWCS Badger Chapter, for which she served as Treasurer until July of 2021.

Diana has retired from her 35-year career in sales, account management and business development in the insurance industry and was Membership Director of Wisconsin’s professional organization for public risk managers for 10 years. She recently relocated to Latrobe, PA, approximately 35 miles east of Pittsburgh, but plans to remain active in all of the RWCS events.

If re-elected as Representative at Large, Diana looks forward to the continued opportunity to contribute to the Society’s membership efforts and Chapter organization. “I take a great sense of pride in talking with all of our members, but am particularly interested in what attracts new members to collecting and to our organization. They are a vital part of maintaining our Society’s energy and carrying forward the depth of the
history we have to share regarding Red Wing wares, as well as the entire American clay industry.”

Doug Perkins
Candidate, RWCS Representative at Large

My name is Doug Perkins, although some of you might know me as “Bee Guy” on Facebook, or the guy who sells honey in the parking lot sales during Convention. I’m seeking the position of Representative at Large. I’ve been a member of the RWCS since 1996 and I have attended the last 25 summer Conventions and several MidWinters. I collect North Dakota advertising stoneware and advertising beehive jugs.
Whether it’s an auction, flea market, shows, internet or networking with other collectors, I love the hunt and the camaraderie of collecting.

I’ve also really enjoyed getting involved in the RWCS through volunteering and leadership. I’ve served several terms as President of the RWCS Lewis & Clark Chapter (North Dakota and Montana) and I am currently the chapter’s Vice President. I’ve also served volunteered at the RWCS Convention Auction and KidsView committees. In fact, I’ve given a few presentations to the kids over the years and it is always a good time.

My goal is to help the RWCS continue on as a strong organization long into the future, and I plan to do that by listening to the views of all members. I believe I bring a positive perspective to the table as a collector who is open-minded to new ideas and I’m eager to help implement the ones that are in the best interest of growing the club that I love and collecting as a whole. I’d appreciate your support.

Gary & Bonnie Tefft
Candidates, RWCS Representative at Large

Bonnie and I are candidates for a position on the RWCS Board of Directors as a Representative at Large. We’ve been members since just after the 1st RWCS Convention. Bonnie is a Milwaukee native, and we’ve lived in Menomonee Falls, WI, a Milwaukee suburb, since 1972. We began collecting in earnest after learning of the publication of the original Clay Giants. Being a Red Wing native, I knew that sources existed where the significant events regarding the local pottery industry could be learned, so we began intensively researching the history and reporting our findings in the RWCS Newsletter.

In 1981 we wrote and published the first edition of Red Wing Potters & Their Wares in order to present and preserve the fruits of our research. We added new information in a 2nd Edition in 1987, and a 3rd Edition in 1996. We’ve served terms as RWCS Historian, Vice President and 12 years as Chairs of the Commemorative Committee.

Our goal as a Representative at Large on the Board of Directors would be to preserve the values stated at the founding of the Society to provide education regarding the Red Wing pottery industry and its products and provide an establishment to encourage fellowship among the general membership.

Chris Tincher
Candidate, RWCS Representative at Large

My name is Chris Tincher. I was born, raised and still reside in Wichita Kansas. Since I was a young boy, my family chased antiques together, from signs to stoneware and everything in-between. Over these years, when stuck in Kansas, I have learned that traveling is key to finding good antiques. And in our travels most of my cherished friends are members of the Red Wing Collectors Society.

I have been involved in several different efforts to help with the society and museum over the years. My most notable role was as the first President of the RWCS Facebook Chapter. I enjoyed my time in that role, and while life recently took me in a different direction, I am ready to get involved again to aid the Society in any way I can.

The current role I’m running for is Representative at Large. I think this role fits me very well, as my main passion in collecting is to help new and long-time collectors alike learn more about our great hobby. I hope to help build a strong team that can drive membership and local chapter involvement alike.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CHECK EMAIL ADDRESS TO RECEIVE BALLOTS OR REQUEST A BALLOT

All members in good standing can refer to these instructions and log in with their own membership number to vote. Please e-mail election@redwingcollectors.org if you’re unsure whether we have your e-mail address on file. Votes must be recorded by June 30, 2020. RWCS members who do not have internet access, or are new members, after April 15^th, can request a ballot by contacting the RWCS Business Office.

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