Liam Fitzpatrick’s Irish Pub in Lake Mary, Florida, where we had our July meeting

Vicki’s Corner

First off, I'd like to thank everyone that attended the July meeting, at "Liam Fitzpatrick's" in Lake Mary, Fl. We know with the summer vacations and our members traveling around the world, it’s hard to plan dates for every member.

For those who missed the meeting, the Restaurant was great. The food was terrific and we had our own private room.

I wish that you all could get the opportunity to see the new Church Windows in Belleek, commerating the history of "The Pottery". The pictures only give you an idea of the detail that went into each window.

Our next meeting will be on Oct. 31^st at Dee & Tom Morans in Oviedo.

The Jan. meeting and auction will be at our home on Jan 16^th in Maitland. Remember to start saving your pieces that you want to donate. The money will benefit "The Richard K. Degenhardt Scholarship Fund."

We'd like you to remember the following people who are recovering from illness.

Marti Kusel

Harry Jones (Michele's Husband)

Charlie & Ann Belmont, (they send their best to the group).

See you in Oct. and we hope you all stay well. Happy Belleeking

Treasurer’s Report

At the start of the January meeting we had $736.37 in the treasury. The dues and auction brought in $589.50. The membership voted to donate $700.00 to the R. K. Degenhardt Scholarship Fund this year. The fund donation, cost of mailings and the website renewal leaves our current balance at $498.72.

Convention Report

By John Miller

The 9th Biennial Meeting of the Belleek Collectors International Society was held in Newark, New Jersey, from 23 to 26 May 2009. There were approximately 140 members in attendance, which is about the same number as in 2007 when the convention was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Those of us attending had the opportunity once again to meet old friends and acquaintances and visit the vendors from Ireland and the United States. There is a comforting familiarity about the

meetings: Don Campbell is the master of ceremonies and Dean Bagnall conducts the auction to benefit the next convention and the Richard Degenhardt Scholarship Fund. Roland Glendenning was missing this year because of a conflict in meetings, but we expect to see him again next time. The best news first: there will be a convention in September 2011. The “Chicago girls” announced they will be sponsoring a meeting in Chicago. For those who have never been to Chicago, let me report that it is one of the most welcoming cities I ever had the pleasure of visiting. I attended professional meetings every winter in Chicago for many years, and I can vouch for its fine hotels, good restaurants, and friendly people. The Sunshine Chapter had six members in attendance this year. Hopefully, we can better that number next time.

The highlight of the meeting, for me, was the presentation by Mr. George Moore, owner of the Belleek Pottery, at the final banquet. I say this is important because the health of the pottery is not only vital to the residents of Belleek, but it is both the sponsor and the beating heart of the BCIS. If it should fail, our association would cease to exist.

Sunshine Chapter convention attendees. Paul, Pat, Dot, John, Shelly and Julie.

Mr. Moore’s presentation on the State of the Pottery was very upbeat, not because the Irish economy is booming at this time but because of his confidence that the recession will pass and the Belleek Pottery will survive it. He believes that the Pottery should endeavor to thrive when the economy is good and survive when the economy is bad, and that is at the heart of his strategy for these difficult times. He spoke of the collapse of Wedgewood-Waterford and contrasted their position with that of Belleek. He states that Belleek is positioned to survive because it has the right mix of product, design, and price. Moreover, he is opening Belleek Living stores to capitalize on the marriage registries and now has 22 in operation. For those who ask what about traditional Belleek, the response is that the modern line accounts for 74% of sales today; traditional Belleek for only 24%. Like other modern-day manufacturers, his management team must shift some production to areas where wages and materials cost less in order to compete in the market on price. The Pottery maintains control of all design and places the trademark only on products made in Ireland. I believe it behooves us to do our part by augmenting our collections with Heritage pieces and purchasing gifts for Christmas and special occasions from the Belleek catalogs. This is my resolution for the future.

The program was excellent. In her welcome to the meeting, Angela Moore, BCIS President, announced that after this year there will no longer by a requirement to pay dues to be a member of the BCIS. She stated the web site is receiving hits from persons who may be interested, but who cannot enter the site because of passwords and the requirement that they be dues-paying members. These requirements will be lifted after this year. However, there will also no longer be a member’s piece sent upon renewal. The hope is that the elimination of dues will reduce barriers to membership.

The first educational program was a presentation by Chris Marvell of the UK Chapter on the Birth of Belleek. He concentrated part of his scholarly study of this subject with the role of the forgotten member of the group—Mr. W. H. Kerr, the creator of the Belleek marketing program. Charlie Belmont of our chapter has pursued similar research on this topic, and I thought of how much he would have enjoyed this presentation. Next, Don Campbell updated his presentation of earthenware. Don has now identified 82 different patterns of earthenware, not counting mugs, to his surprise and ours. It sounds as if a book is in the offing. There is no question but he has the most comprehensive knowledge of this aspect of the pottery’s production in the world. Don was followed by speakers on appraising and insuring collections including tips on maintaining a good inventory.

A first: there was a presentation on the birth and history of American Belleek, and for the first time there was a small sale of American Belleek items in the sales room. This reflects the key role potteries in New Jersey’s 19th Century economy and the development of this product. Next, Val Fleming of the Trillium Chapter showed slides and discussed her collection of white Belleek. Yes, she has some colored pieces, but her collection is predominantly white. This helps demonstrate, in part, that there is a product to satisfy every collector’s taste in Belleek.

Before the induction of the 2009 Honorees, there was a farewell speech by Helen Rankin of the Northern Ireland Chapter, the 2007 Honoree. I don’t believe I have ever heard a more graceful, humorous, and heartfelt presentation at a Belleek Convention. This lady has a lot of heart and she made a very gracious speech. The new honorees are a married couple and longtime collectors, Phyllis and Dave Clarke of the North Jersey Chapter.

The convention concluded with the breaking of the mold of the 2009 Convention Plate. Fergus generously gave of his time and signed many of the broken pieces for those desiring “a piece of history”…Pat included. He also signed many pieces that were purchased by members as he has done in the past.

In the next column are pictures of Belleek’s Church Of Ireland building where the new chancel windows were added and the Belleek Historic Flower Festival held.

The building was originally a school. The vestibule and bell tower were added years ago. On the right side of the building is where the chancel was constructed this spring.

Pictures from the flower festival.