Some years ago, Karen Owens thought we might entice fans to join the Oz Club at Oz festival booths if she had an extra incentive. A big collector of Oz pins, she promptly had an enameled pin made featuring L. Frank Baum with Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. At festivals ever since, those joining the Club at her booth walked away rewarded with the pin.
Fast forward to last summer; her supply was depleted. Now a proven success at sealing the deal for those considering membership, we agreed a new pin supply should be ordered. With a little work to raise the unbudgeted funds, our assistant membership secretary Bill Beem, had a new pin designed and ordered, this time with Glinda, the Wicked Witch of the West, and a Flying Monkey surrounding Baum. It arrived this week.
Bill Beem and Lynn Beltz will debut the new pin at the summer’s first Oz festival, Oz-Stravaganza! in Chittenango, NY. There, and at additional events ahead, we will use the new pin to help build Club membership.
Speaking of which, 2018 membership is off to a great start! We are already just six members short of reaching our final 2017 count. My fingers are crossed that’s an indication that growth’s ahead for our Oz Club.
