WNYGSEA is scrapping equipment on the grounds!

For those of you familiar with the Western New York Gas and Steam Engine club in Alexander, NY......F.Y.I.!!

They are scrapping antique equipment that is stored at the grounds. If you have anything sitting out there, you better go check it. So far I have lost an antique IH side delivery rake, 6' tandem disc, and a 2-bottom plow. They don't care what they are scrapping. My equipment was even marked with my name and phone number in case the club needed to contact me about it. No one ever called.

It appears that the club directors have supposedly formed a committee that is deciding what to scrap, save, or keep for the club. Their only way of communicating this information to club members is by word of mouth.

Something is very wrong with this club right now seeing as they are supposed to be supporting the preservation of antique equipment, but instead they are detroying it for scrap money.

This is wrong!! I urge anyone that is involved with, or knows someone who is involved with this club to take action!

Call the Club's president and tell him how you feel about scrapping antique equipment.

Here is the link to the contact page for the club. Contact them and tell them how you feel about scrapping this antique equipment that cannot be replaced:
WNGSEA

There are two sides to every story. I urge you to reserve your outrage and judgement until both sides can be heard. Hopefully someone from the Alexander club who is "in the know" can chime in on this.

It is not uncommon for clubs with grounds like this to have bylaws such that you cannot use club land as a dump for your rusty old junk, especially if you're not a member. If you don't claim it and it sits around for a certain amount of time, it either becomes property of the club if it's any good, or it gets sold for scrap to pay for storage fees.

Unless the club is in dire straits financially, I sincerely doubt that they'd be purposely scrapping equipment out of spite. I would believe that they're scrapping what they perceive as unsalvageable junk littering the grounds. Then again, we're talking about a bunch of old guys with small-time political aspirations, agendas, and a little bit of power...

I Will not take sides,there comes a time when a excessive amount of ordinary equipment becomes junk.If something is rare its worth keeping along with a minimal amount of run of the mill equ.Fair grounds and farm museums become a place where every one stores there stuff.

(quoted from post at 12:23:12 06/16/08)
There are two sides to every story. I urge you to reserve your outrage and judgement until both sides can be heard. Hopefully someone from the Alexander club who is "in the know" can chime in on this.

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mike

I've already heard "their" side of the story with a letter from the president. Supposedly my rake was in the only "junk" line on the grounds. It's funny that this one little line was scrapped when a whole ton of other junk (old campers, pickup trucks, misc. steel junk) is lying around everywhere. I would also like to know why I wasn't called since I wrote my name and phone number on the equipment in paint pen. Something is not right with this club. Nice to hear your input Merlin.

"The purpose of the men and women of the Western New York Gas & Steam Show Association is to preserve and educate, all those it can, about antique internal engines, steam traction tractors/engines and a variety of engines and equipment representing yesteryear."
This is off of the WNYGSEA on the first page, it does not sound like they are keeping with what they are supposed to be all about. Last I heard "PRESERVE" does not mean scrap it and pocket the money without calling the owner whose name was written in big letters on the pieces of equipment. I have been to the grounds several times and there is alot of junk around. I drive by a few times a week on my way home from work and alot of the true junk is still there and it looks more like a place to store your camper. How inconsiderate is that to just assume that it belongs to the club. Shouldnt the club have a list of what was donated to the club anyway?

I do believe that in any club their is a treasurer who keeps track of all the money and transactions. I would suggest to the wronged party to contact the treasurer for a detailed accounting of this scrap project. If there had been no accounting of these transactions then the club could be in violation of its own bylaws. And if it is in violation then possibly the officers of the club need to be removed.

I am a life time member of the club and I do think that the club is starting to lose the spirit of preserving antique equipment. Gas and Steam Engine Association??? What's with the horse pulling???