[Double Venom]

A preamble, if you will is the only way that I can think of to give some kind of order to what is to follow.

This is an extremely long post, as there are 13, (now 19, now 22!) computer pages, resulting in over 130 typed pages to respond to. I will try my best to answer all questions, and comments.

I know I lack the writing flare that many of you possess and I apologize in advance for that. My entire intent is to answer in as precise and direct way that I know how. I will be direct, very direct in some instances. In no way are any of my comments going to be given with ‘an attitude’!

When Diane and I were writing back and forth between APO 90638 and ZIP code 49505, Viet Nam and Michigan, Diane being an English major, thought it would be funny to return one of my letters corrected in red pencil! Needless to say that ended my correspondence for a while. I think it was about that time that I took delivery of the now famous Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I will be making references to different posts. When I do it will be direct. I will use the posters screen name and since I am unable to actually pull the comment and paste it, I will take the liberty of paraphrasing. To save some time and space I will summarize his post, question, or comment, then list the actual computer page and paragraph it can be found at so that anyone can make sure I am not misquoting.

How to start?
What is the “DVSF”? If you haven’t been here since the inception of the “Fling”, then please read page 4 of this thread, posted by Mike Bratz from the DVSF web site. This was written a long time ago, but it is the roots of our event.

It is nothing more than a picnic to bring together Cobra lovers from all over the world. To meet, use and show off their Cobras. In the interim, donated moneys were offered to help off set our costs. The Cobra Family voted on donating what was left over to help out Cystic Fibrosis patients. It is not and did not start out as a fundraiser. It has, in some peoples eyes seemed to have grown to that. It is however an event to promote ALL Cobras without inference to any one manufacturer. It is a family event where the wife’s, and kids are not only welcome, but are expected. It is a place to embellish on who we are. A very special group of people that have at least one thing in common, great hearts and a love for an old outdated classic car. The ‘DVSF Spring Fling’, or just ‘Fling,’ if you will, has grown past anyone’s possible projections. It has not grown the way I expected it to, nor has it grown the way that some other people have demanded.

Just keep in mind; in the beginning this was to be a one-time event, period.
Some things you don’t know, or have forgotten. DVSF 1, when it became quite clear that my wife and I simply could not afford to meet the needs of fifty or more people and their Cobras for a half day, two Cobra manufacturers, Superformance and Classic Roadsters, (now Classic Roadsters II), called us and offered to help pay for this, this one time huge picnic. When the checks came in, it was obvious that there was more money than we certainly needed to put on this picnic. That is when the Cobra family decided to donate what ever was left to CF. From there it became, as long as, ‘we’re donating’ why not try and raise more funds?

The point is, when DVSF 1 was on the boards we asked the so-called sponsors not to set up displays, or to bring in their sales force. We did not want this to become a Carlisle type event. It was a generic event for all Cobras. The beautiful part of it was, not one of the sponsors, and there ended up being quite a few, complained about donating money and not being allowed to show their wares.

We all know how competitive the Cobra market is, and to have so many manufacturers’ come to one place and not set up a single display is truly incredible.

PRESENT DATE:

As of DVSF IV, we have gone full circle. The manufacturers’ were asked to come, but to come in absolutely free. They would only donate to CF what they wanted to, if anything. (Read this again people, they were NOT asked for funds, they weren’t even given a suggestion as to what they could/should donate. Remember this, as it will be mentioned later on.

First you need to know that over the last two years, maybe more, that a small ‘few’ of the ‘central Ohio’ people have been slowly but steadily attempting to undermine the entire event and take it over. False statements, innuendos, rumors, and in some cases out right lies have been told. I’ve known that this was taking place almost from the beginning. Seems everyone wanted a piece of the Fling. (I don’t know what they thought they would be getting!) For those that want to know how I know, let it suffice that I have been approached by the local Cystic Fibrosis office, Chief Cramer, London’s Police Chief, London’s Safety Director, Mr. Hume, a few of our County Commissioners, and even by some of our sponsors, and many of our own. Everyone wanting to know if it was true or not, the Fling would no longer be as they knew it, and that it was moving? At first, I hardly gave it a thought, then each year it kept surfacing. Each year I would pay a little closer attention, then… Fling IV came along and what a total *****. Not *****es with the Fling mind you, but the organization itself was being torn apart from within.

And that brings us to where we are now.

Page 1 of the thread-
JP: “I think there are some out there who have been put off or offended that the “DVSF IV” was such a big secret until the day they showed up.”

(Be forewarned, I apologize in advance, as I AM taking some of JP’s comments personally and my answers may indicate a willingness show of an “attitude”.)

DV: JP, you know personally what happened! You know in fact one of the biggest events for individual Cobras ever, was cancelled within days of the event! However this too was released prior to the event.

Everyone DID know what the schedule prior to showing up! Please explain any event that was held that was not broadcast earlier.

JP: It’s a big waste of (IMO) resources to have a handful of people plan for 300 attendees. (Next paragraph) We talk so much about this being a family event, but for it to continue to grow and be better, it truly has to be a FAMILY venture. Family meaning Cobra family, not just the Combs family.

DV: Hmmm, major attitude boiling up. Not ‘just the Combs’ family’! JP, fella you do not have a clue! (Please re-read page 8 of this thread where I posted about your lack of knowledge about the Fling. (More on that post shortly.) Another point you continuously make is not bigger but in your own words you want to grow… Anything I say at this point would be nothing more than sarcasm, demanding more sarcasm back.


Turk: Front of page #3:

DV: Turk your first comment was kind of a slap in the face to all of us. “So we can raise another $500.00 for CF?” Why is it so hard to remember that there was truly less than 90 days to put Fling IV together? Why is it so hard to remember that none of our sponsors were charged a dime to come this year? (Although some did donate!) Why is it so hard to remember that with less than the mentioned 90 days, that we received so few items to auction at the picnic, it was the shortest auction in all the prior Flings? Although Jenny and Mike from Arizona still donated the most wonderful quilts!

Turk: (later on I the same thread.) The bigger it is, the worse it becomes.

DV: Without an attitude, whom would you suggest to tell all/some of the Cobra family’s not to come? What is the limit? “X” number of small blocks vs. big blocks? (Interject my humor here please.)
Maybe limit it to “X” of Cobras from each brand or maybe “X” number of Cobras from each state? Turk goes on to state, “the worse it becomes…. Would you mind explain that please?

Turk: “We are NOT JERRY LEWIS! We don’t need to travel to London, OH. to donate money to CF.

DV: Damn, I cannot remember a time in the last four years where anyone was told they couldn’t come to the DVSF unless they donated to CF, or anybody else!

Continuing on: “Let me do that, send money to CF with FULL ACOUNTING.”

DV: Oh, now that comment is interesting! Damned interesting. Are you making a statement, a complaint? An accusation? Seems that this may have been the start of the “Accounting” and accountability topics that have been brought up on this thread. All of these related comments/questions about accountability will be addressed as a whole later in this response.

Still Pg.3
Mike Braatz:
Mike has posted the figures from the four Flings; however, once again, CF has their numbers a little wrong. The first Fling brought in roughly $11,000.00 we then made tremendous jumps in our donations, right up until 2004. First off, as I mentioned later, once the final tally was obtained, CF received well over $12,000.00 from the DVSF IV. (Shayna told me this less than a week after DVSF IV. (Shaunna and Shayna are two different people at CF) Another thing that was not mentioned was as an additional $10,000.00 gift to CF by one of our own who shall remain anonymous, but lets just keep it at the $12,000.00 for now.

Less than 90 days people! What the hell do the naysayers want? (Yep, sorry that was an attitude sneaking in.) “WE” never get to the big numbers, (would you listen to me, —big numbers!) until the actual Fling starts and ends! 90 days… break that down a little, lets not even take into the unknown equation of how much is donated in the last two months vs. the first ten months of the Fling, lets just say this year it was what it was…$4,000.00 a month. That equates to at least $48,000.00 for the year—AFTER expenses! That “IS” JERRY LEWIS”, with nothing more than this little Cobra family of ours.

I’m sorry if a few of you, and I mean a few relying on the private e-mails I have received, are not happy with the “$8,000/12,000.00” that was given to CF raised this year. What