News regarding Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc.

April 26, 2006

I have a proposal for any fan which still supports CPC: I will give you a chance right here on this page to defend CPC and explain why you continue to support them. This site at the moment gets up to 1,971 unique visitors daily (stats from 1st quarter of 2006), so your words will be read by many. Here are my conditions:

1. Your essay will not be published unless you take time to answer the yes-or-no questions I posted weeks ago on this page. Not some of them, but all of them. If you skip some questions, your essay will not be published. Each item on that list must be addressed.
2. Your essay must be respectful -- no name calling or unsupported accusations. If you insult my intelligence, or tell me not to believe my lying eyes, your essay will not be published. No rumors or gossip. Tell me about your motivations, not anyone else's. None of the "true fan" or "not a true fan" silliness I've seen elsewhere.

All I'm asking is for someone to explain to me, after all that I've written in this section of my site, after the proof I've offered up, why you continue to lend CPC your support and your loyalty.

(Note one year later: no one ever got back to me on this.)

April 9, 2006

Did you ever work on a large jigsaw puzzle? It takes time to get all of the edge pieces in place, but once you do, it helps a whole hell of a lot as you proceed forward.

While I still have a thousand unanswered questions with regard to CPC, I must say that the edge pieces are pretty much in place for me now. And here's what it looks like, in my opinion: I think if we pull the camera back and look at the whole picture, what this entire nightmare boils down to is merely someone's power play, nothing more complicated than that. We fans are just pawns that happened to get in the way (but so is Patsy Cline, so we're in good company).

Look, the town didn't lift a finger for CPC for TEN YEARS, didn't even care about CPC.......

............until things started getting done.

By fans.

Winchester's movers 'n shakers couldn't allow CPC to fall into the hands of us fans, of us outsiders, and thus out of their control. It's as simple as that. That's my theory, at least. I'm only sorry that I couldn't have come to this conclusion years ago.

As a fellow Patsifan and friend recently told me, it seems that the town is desperately trying to revive its Old Town area, and they've realized that the easiest way to do it is by using Patsy Cline, a woman they've despised for a half century. Must be pretty tough for Winchester to choke on that, if that's the case. It certainly does appear to me that Winchester is using Patsy just as if she is their own personal hooker.

Something I've been hearing lately: "Why do you still care about CPC if you've pulled your support? What does it matter to you? Why not just leave them alone?"

Well, I'll tell you.

True, the coup is over. The only thing left is to make my statement for what is right, for honor, for posterity.

Aside from the obvious -- caring about ANYTHING associated with Patsy and wanting to ensure that she is at all times treated respectably -- I also have to care about how things go with CPC because as they plod along clumsily, their questionable actions DO have a poor impact upon anything that better-equipped fans may be able to get going in the future elsewhere -- not even necessarily a museum, but any other endeavor borne out of pure respect and pure love for the woman Ginny Hensley, as opposed to a mere calculating desire for tourist dollars. If the name of Patsy Cline becomes associated with jokes, failure, incompetence, unethical behavior, etc., then anything anyone else wishes to do in Patsy's honor in the future automatically inherits that monstrous legacy. It makes it doubly difficult for competent, honest people to start up a competent, honest effort of some kind elsewhere someday.

And let's face facts: CPC is what it is today because it was built upon the backs of these fan websites. CPC is what it is today because it was built upon fans' work and funding and material loans/donations. So yes, pardon me if I do think that we are owed the truth, we are owed answers, we are owed an ounce of respect on that basis alone.

But you don't have to have a Patsy website to expect the truth and the answers and respect from CPC. You don't have to give them a thin dime to demand the truth, to demand accountability, on behalf of Patsy Cline. Why? Because you are a fan. And we as fans have the right to demand these things free of charge, without having to pass some arbitrary "true fan" litmus test or having to show receipts for money or items donated or loaned.

I've grown weary of those who say that people like me are just hysterical and freaked out and need to calm down. Sorry, but I will not calm down and sit idly by while Patsy Cline's artifacts and her good name are so casually treated like garbage again and again and again.

If you are not angry, then you do not understand the situation. Do try to keep up.

Is it "hysteria" to be bothered by the board members making money from their association with CPC? They won't release budget numbers, or numbers of any kind, or information or any kind, or answers to our questions, yet they continue to beg the public and the fans to send them money. It should be bothersome, particularly in light of their history of irresponsibility at every level, which is well documented at this site and which has yet to be refuted. Is it odd to be "freaked out" that some CPC board members were tiptoeing behind the backs of the rest of the board and carrying out their own agendas? And tiptoeing behind the backs of fans with items we had loaned or donated? Should I have simply "calmed down" when I learned that the current president of CPC carried Patsy's precious garments around in the trunk of her car for a period of time... garments which we fans had bought with our own grassroots money?

Why is it strange for me to be indignant about these things? What color is the sky where you live, anyway?

What repulses me is that it looks to me as if CPC is using Patsy when it could have been anyone, but it just happened to be Patsy. Are they even familiar with her repertoire? Could they pick Patsy out of a line-up without heavy prompting?

If the town of Winchester really wanted this done for Patsy, it would have been done at some point during these last TEN YEARS. Anything that they are getting done at this very moment in time is getting done out of simple embarrassment. They are motivated by the importance of saving face. Saving face is not a very healthy or appropriate motivation to get this project done. If Patsy isn't enough to motivate you, and hasn't been enough to motivate you during the past TEN YEARS, then you shouldn't be involved with the project.

It's my understanding that some individuals at CPC are now teaching themselves how to take care of historical garments, and if that is true, then perhaps I can take comfort in knowing that my website has shamed them into taking care of Patsy's artifacts to some degree, even if they're not being left to the professionals. Because you all know damned well that if I had never written a word on this subject, her clothing and the collection would still be in trunks of cars and in damp boxes in closets and God-knows-where.

It would have been nice if the media had not been so complicit in this snow job. Edward R. Murrow said, "Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit." And I'm sure that CPC's nakedness probably is an embarrassment for the Winchester Star, as it frantically sews another pair of ill-fitting jodhpurs for CPC. I bet that the Star would rather crawl through 50 miles of crushed glass than whisper a word of anything I've written here at my site regarding CPC. It's the media's duty to investigate, to find out the truth, to print all sides, and to inform the public about what's going on at the institutions in which the public has placed its trust. And in this instance, the media has failed, in my view. It appears to me that as far as CPC is concerned, the Star is merely the lubricant upon that which they're trying to shove down our throats.

I've also been asked if I'd support CPC again if they cleaned house from top to bottom, and my answer is that it doesn't matter, because the damage to the CPC brand has been done. It's over. The 3-letter brand "CPC" has been unsalvageably poisoned. It is no longer marketable. And I'm still not certain that the town of Winchester itself can be trusted any longer, even with a new board and 3 new letters, because the city brand of "Winchester, Virginia" has also made mockery of itself with regard to a Patsy Cline project. Perhaps they should stick to apples. I for one am glad that I was able to get the hell out of it when I did before I had given them my collection or more money or time. (This whole thing blew up just shortly before I was going to turn over the bulk of my collection to CPC -- think I feel lucky? Damned straight I do.)

It's been said that if history is to be a tool for the living, it must be unflinchingly candid. I have done everything I can think of to see justice and truth served in this story. Maybe I can't help those of us in the present, but maybe this will serve future fans. With no accountability for, or correction of, CPC's past irresponsibility, then future irresponsibility on their part is all but guaranteed. Having a fancy design firm on board does not automatically imbue CPC with competence or business skill or financial support or stability. And perhaps the truth (and the suppositions) about CPC may be forced from cyberspace in the end, but it will not make the truth (or the suppositions) about CPC disappear.

And that is something that CPC is simply going to have to live (or die) with.

March 12, 2006

Mr. Samuels continues to be so helpful for us Patsifans. He is sharing this case history to remind us of how a donation or a loan to CPC or to any museum anywhere is a very serious decision for any fan -- a decision not to be made lightly.

When considering donating items with personal value this case history may be of interest. A not-for-profit with a poor business plan is involved.

Case history

Mr. and Mrs. Dowman downsized, and without space in the new home to store his collection, they donated it to a local not-for-profit society on the understanding that Mr. and Mrs. Dowman would have unlimited access to the collection. The society lost a financial sponsor, became insolvent and closed. Its collections, including the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Dowman, were transferred to a society in a different town. Mr. and Mrs. Dowman were unable to rescind the donation and were unable to buy the collection back. They have to accept their collection is now out of reach unless friends drive them to the new home of the collection.

(Note: assets of a not-for-profit have no owner and cannot be sold, but have to remain assets of a not-for-profit -- transfer between not-for-profits is their only future when a not-for-profit ceases to operate.)

Observation

Are you considering donating objects to a not-for-profit that would appear to be in a spend-spend phase with little, if any, reserves? If you are, then it would be prudent to consider a legally drawn up loan contract for the objects, unless you are prepared to see your objects transferred to another not-for-profit with a different and perhaps unacceptable use for your objects.

If the objects are a form of intellectual property, then the copyright should not be given to the not-for-profit. Legal action to prevent unacceptable use of the object can then be taken under copyright laws. While the object remains an asset of the not-for-profit, it cannot be used by the not-for-profit.

March 4, 2006

It has come to my attention that there are still some individuals out there who continue to throw their full support behind CPC. Why anyone is giving them a pass on any of this is mind-boggling, to say the least. My only response is that these individuals are either uninformed, misinformed or so desperate for a museum that they have put their desperation above what is in Patsy's best interests. They are in willful denial. Probably a few opportunists thrown in -- those who stand to benefit in some way from associating with CPC and with what CPC is doing, regardless of the questionable means or the end result. Look, I wanted a museum for Patsy desperately for years, but I won't bite my tongue and tolerate those who befoul Patsy's clothing and behave unethically and irresponsibly, just to obtain the museum. That would make me selfish, wouldn't it? To put my wishes above everything else... that's almost like using Patsy to achieve my own personal goals, isn't it? And hasn't Patsy been used enough over the years?

Now, I absolutely refuse to get into a pissing contest with anyone to determine which of us is more of a Patsifan. All I would request is that every fan out there ask himself the following questions.

1. Is there perhaps something wrong with some of Patsy's clothing being in the trunk of the car of the president of CPC? Yes or no?
2. Is there perhaps something wrong with museum artifacts being stored in damp boxes in a closet? Yes or no?
3. Is there perhaps something wrong with Patsy's clothing being left folded and creased for more than 3 years? Yes or no?
4. Should you perhaps be concerned about a museum which does not know how to care for historical garments, apparently refuses to turn over such an important job to professionals who do know how to provide such care, and have decided to go it alone -- perhaps using a book such as "Historical Costume Care for Dummies?" Yes or no? Even if they fix the problem now, can you trust that they won't do it again at some point in the future when no one is watching? Yes or no?
5. Is there perhaps something wrong with a museum not having accurate records as to who donated which artifact to them, or who loaned which artifact to them? Yes or no? Can you safely loan your Patsy items to such a group? Yes or no?
6. Is there perhaps something wrong with a museum being unable to return a precious artifact which a fan loaned to them? Yes or no? How would you feel if a museum was unable to return the most precious Patsy item that you own which you had loaned to them? How would any fan feel?
7. Is there perhaps something wrong with a museum which continues to be comprised of board members who circumvented a unanimous board vote regarding the care of the museum's historical garments and chose instead to house them (where?) for the past year instead of the repository which they had all agreed to use? Yes or no? Is this a professional manner in which to conduct business? Yes or no? Is it problematic to know that no one has yet been held accountable for doing this? Yes or no? Shouldn't you ask yourself what other unanimous board decisions may be circumvented in the future? Yes or no?
8. Is it perhaps bothersome that the CPC board doesn't conduct its business openly when a few board members decide they don't like another board member, for whatever reason, and they wish to oust him or her? Yes or no? Is it odd that some board members were kept in the dark about this ouster? Yes or no? If you ask questions about it, and CPC refuses to answer your questions, and CPC apparently doesn't think that your concerns as a fan are worth their time addressing, and CPC apparently thinks that you do not have a right to know anything about how they conduct the museum business, and CPC gets actively offended that you dare question their judgment, should they continue to garner your undying loyalty, funding and support? Yes or no?
9. Is it perhaps unethical to arrange for space in a museum to be used for the private business of a board member? Or for any board member to profit or to benefit personally from his/her association with CPC, or to use CPC to puff up his/her personal resume? Is it fair for board members to profit or to benefit personally, while so many fans donated time, money, effort, and artifacts freely? Yes or no?

By the way, here's a photo someone sent to me recently -- it's the current president of CPC showing off one of Patsy's blouses at an event, for those of you who thought I was being untruthful about it:

Now, it may seem harmless to some -- toting clothing of historic value in the trunk of one's car and showing it off here and there. But let's ask Mr. Samuels -- he tells me that he has written to CPC numerous times voicing his concerns over this issue and has shared some of his opinions with me. I think that after you read what he has to say, you may perhaps agree with me that clothing preservation is not for amateurs and you, too, may be wondering if it can be self-taught from a book?

My turn, my opinion: it amazes me too, Mr. Samuels. CPC chooses to do the "cool thing" (i.e. showing off the blouses everywhere) instead of the responsible thing. No contrition whatsoever. Such arrogance. Hell, I feel worse if I cut someone off in traffic than these people feel for losing fans' artifacts and/or treating Patsy's things and the stuff we fans bought for them like it was nothing special. Accountability is important. Don't let CPC get away with the implication of, "well, everything is taken care of now so don't worry about the past" bullfeathers. After a rapist has left you on the ground coughing and shivering, sure, the rape is over with. But shouldn't justice be done for what he did to you before the rape was "over with?" Think, Patsifans, think. The Good Lord gave you a brain for a reason.

I swear, CPC can take a huge crap on their supporters' heads and convince some of them that they just got a free hat. No one has been held accountable or ousted from CPC for circumventing the board's decision to get the costumes professionally preserved. The money was allocated to do it; what are the donations being used for if not for taking care of Patsy's clothing? Shouldn't that be the #1 priority? A pretty building won't mean anything if the artifacts have sustained damage. Why is a pretty building more important than caring for Patsy's things? Can't blame Philip Martin for that. And no one has been held accountable or ousted from CPC for losing items and not keeping proper records for loaned and donated items in the first place. Can't blame Philip Martin for that, either. The local media apparently isn't interested in reporting any of this, only in protecting CPC. Is this what it's come down to for Patsy... incompetence and indifference?

If some of y'all wish to continue supporting CPC and sending them your hard-earned dollars and loaning or donating to them every single item in your Patsy collection and working your backsides off for them, that's your absolute right, but two things will never change: #1. the way that CPC handles artifacts and conducts its business; and #2. Patsy will still be the best damnedest singer ever to walk on the face of the earth, regardless of #1.

February 1, 2006

Patsifans, there is a disturbing pattern that has developed here, and I feel inclined to share this with y'all. The following incidents, when taken alone, are disturbing enough; but taken together, it's a disturbing pattern. This unease is akin to the discomfort felt by a wife who comes across a "funny" credit card slip in her husband's pants pocket, but this time there are several of them.

Before reading this page any further, please first consider each of the following, which is compiled here. That entire page needs to be read before you continue with this page.

1. An email exchange between CPC and a Patsy Cline fan here.
2. Some brief statements from several Patsy Cline fans here.
3. A personal experience of mine pertaining to CPC here.

This pattern is of concern to me and to many other Patsifans. So I decided that the fairest course of action was to write to CPC and ask them the following questions directly. Here is my letter to them, based upon the above referenced items, which I emailed on January 26, 2006:

Hello,

I was hoping that you all who are developing a museum for Patsy Cline there in Winchester would help Patsy fans who have donated or loaned items to you so far, or who are considering doing so, to be as informed as possible about your organization. In response to recent inquiries to my Patsy website regarding the care and storage of these items, I have compiled a list of questions with the hope that your response will alleviate the concerns that are being expressed to me.

1. In what type of facility are these artifacts which were loaned and donated to you stored?
2. In what conditions are these artifacts stored?
3. a. Are these artifacts insured?
    b. If so, what type of coverage is given to an item loaned by someone? Loss? Theft? Fire?
4. How long are these artifacts intended to be stored before they are exhibited to the general public?
5. It's been 3 years since the auction of Patsy's clothing in Los Angeles; at what point in time will the 2 blouses which the fans purchased at that auction be displayed to the general public?
6. Are the 2 blouses that the fans purchased still folded and stored in their original auction envelopes?
7. How will the 2 blouses be prepared for display?
8. Did or did not the CPC board approve the allocation of funds in early 2005 to ensure that the collection be cleaned, professionally stored, and sent into the care of Handley Regional Library?
9. Did or did not the collection go into the care of Handley Regional Library?
    a. If not, who made the decision about the change of venue and why?
    b. If so, why does Handley deny that it ever received any items from CPC?
10. How can CPC assure fans that their donations and loans of artifacts will not be lost?
11. Does CPC keep accurate records of donations, e.g. item and name of person donating?
12. Does CPC keep accurate records of ownership of items not donated, but lent, to CPC, to prevent a misunderstanding of a person's intent?

Thank you in advance for your prompt assistance.

It was my feeling that perhaps there was an innocent explanation to all of this, a misunderstanding, and if so, then CPC was entitled to be heard. All personalities aside, and the strong emotions aside, I am certain that we all want to ensure that Patsy's belongings are cared for correctly, safely and respectfully, in such a way that they will endure for a very long time. This issue transcends every other issue that has been raised over these past two difficult months. Before an individual donates or loans an item to any museum anywhere in the world, he has the right to know that the museum has a) tracked the item, b) insured the item, and c) understands how to care properly for the item. And if a museum refuses to answer those questions, then that person has the right to take the item to a museum that WILL answer those questions.

It is interesting to me that we fans were so trusting all of these years that we never considered asking these questions before. Had I learned of these concerns years ago, I would have raised this issue immediately; but I was always assured that everything was being taken care of and not to worry. Had I heard then what I am hearing now, as a fan involved in raising money for that auction of Patsy's clothing in 2002, I would have ensured that we sought another path for the fundraising and for the care of those two blouses. Theresa and I handed over those blouses to CPC on behalf of the fans whose money purchased them because we trusted CPC completely and believed the items would be cared for. Were they? Are they? I hoped we could find out the truth.

Then on January 30, 2006, I received the following reply from CPC in response to my 12 above referenced questions:

Lisa,
I have been asked to send you a reply to your inquiry.

All items belonging to CPC, Inc., that have been loaned, donated, or purchased, are stored in a safe clean environmental location and are insured.

All items chosen by our Museum Planners will be on display when we have our "Grand Opening" on Labor Day Weekend, 2006.  Some items may be stored in our Museum Archives storage area for use in future displays.

Phil Hunter
History & Collections Chairman
Patsy Cline Museum
dba Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc.

How reassuring to see that great care was taken to specifically answer the questions which I so painstakingly crafted.

As I reflect upon the email exchange here between Phil and Mark which occurred as recently as December 2005, it seems to me that the collection was in a far different condition then, marked by disarray, damp boxes, and even the loss of precious items. As I reflect upon the fan statements here, it seems that as recently as June 2005, at least one blouse was still in its original auction packaging, still folded, and toted about in a canvas bag. Please note that when we won the blouses in December 2002, the auction company kindly agreed to ship the items for free, so the purpose of the packaging was merely to transport them -- to get the blouses from California to Virginia quickly -- not to preserve them. It was incumbent upon someone at CPC to quickly remove the items from the shipping material and to ensure that the blouses were transferred into immediate, proper care. Yet as of June 2005, if three fans are to be believed, this was not done.

Hey, now that everything is in perfect order, perhaps they've located Mark's rare Patsy photo!

Folks, the bottom line is, this is about preserving Patsy's things; this isn't about us fans or about CPC or anything else. Those items MUST be preserved properly. You may correctly accuse me of having an agenda re: CPC, but I have no agenda re: those dresses and artifacts apart from wanting to know that they are in the hands of competent, knowledgeable people who will preserve them for generations to come. It's important to remember that if a person has something of Patsy's that needs to be protected, there are other choices besides CPC.

In May 2004, a flood damaged part of my wedding dress irreparably, so this issue is dear to my heart. You only get one chance with precious treasures, and your choice of where to place them MATTERS.

It's not about revenge. It's not about anger. It's about asking questions, attempting to receive answers, and setting a limit on what we will accept as fans of Patsy Cline. As I recently told someone, I don't believe in arranged marriages, and I don't believe in supporting something simply because it bears Patsy's name. Maybe Patsy's family has to do that (I don't know), but I do not. Nor do you.

After all that has happened, I no longer care what CPC does or who runs it. I don't care if they build their museum at a sewage farm and put Pee Wee Herman in charge and declare Patsy a cheese enchilada; but when it comes to Patsy's stuff you get one chance. THAT is when I have to care, and THAT is when I have to ask questions. And that is why in the face of so many questions, and in the absence of answers that address those questions as of this date, I personally have concluded that THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES. And if I am correct about that, then I can't help but wonder if the only people with the courage to say so are "outsiders" like me?

And I will finish with just one more question for CPC.

Why do we fans of Patsy Cline seem not to merit a reply from you when we ask questions -- our money and work and time were good enough for you, but only as long as we didn't ask questions??

If you can give me further insight on this disturbing pattern, please email me at (email address was removed after one year.)

So many fans have been saddened by all of the upheaval. This from a fan with communications from both the UK and USA country music industry:

The music industry can be out of touch with the wishes of the fans of the famous. CPC would have provided the worldwide fan community the opportunity to influence the way Patsy's legacy and memory would be cherished in Winchester. This would have been via the website links to CPC both in information, suggestions and requests. Many people in the silent majority of the music industry saw and recognised this as the strength of CPC working with the websites to reach the worldwide fan community. With the leadership of Philip Martin to advise and lead CPC, Winchester had the means to convert the energy of the fan community into a lasting tribute to the legacy that they have created around the music and talent of Patsy Cline.

So true. And in my view, so terribly unnecessary!

January 13, 2006

Well, there I was, snoozing away on a winter afternoon last week, when someone nudged me awake. "Hey you! Here's the new media release from CPC! This is the one where they promise to tell us their side of the story! This is the one that, after we read it, we'll be on our knees begging for their forgiveness!" As you can imagine, I tossed off the blanket and had to have a look-see. Unfortunately, it was all rehashed glory-claiming of Philip's accomplishments (without naming him, naturally). I thought that perhaps a page was missing...? Nope. Yawn. Back to my nap.

Please understand, my position is based upon the following:

So give me more to go on, CPC. Show me the error of my ways. Show me why my experiences with Philip are in error. Show me how my eyes are in fact lying. Show me how his accomplishments for Patsy are in fact not accomplishments. If there is a tale to tell about Philip, tell it. Why does the truth need over a month to ripen? If Philip committed a heinous act that was harmful to CPC and, by association, to us supporters, then we have a right to know precisely what he did, don't we? If he was damaging to the effort we had poured our hearts into, believe me, we fans would understand and want him gone. So what's up with all of the secrecy?

(crickets chirp)
(tumbleweed blows down Main Street)
(saloon doors swing open and shut)

Well, it seems to me that if you had a genuine tale to tell about Philip, you would have shouted it from the rooftops at the get-go! You would have put it on the record at the meeting minutes! You would have held an immediate press conference at the time of his board ouster! Will you turn to salt, or melt, if you are forced to explain to us fans and supporters what really happened here? We're so tired of weasel words. Call us whiners if you wish, but it was our work and our money and our loyalty you so arrogantly tossed into the trashcan along with Philip.

Since Philip's ouster, the remaining CPCers have continued to make, in my opinion, breathtakingly poor business decisions, one after another. It's baffling. You know what? I hope that they one day can find a leader half as good as Philip Martin to set them on the right road again. Since the organization bears Patsy's good name, I have to wish that for them. But they'll do it without me.

More free advice for CPC, in fact, it's actually a gardening tip: aged b.s. can become useful compost for fertilizer! It's true!

And here's some free advice for Patsifans, too (y'all can learn from my mistakes). I was recently compiling my bank statements for tax season and was reminded of this important lesson. Remember, folks: a cleared check to CPC in your bank statement is nature's way of saying you screwed up!

December 21, 2005

General question: did the Winchester Star ever publish any of our letters to the editor??

Tsk, tsk, more bad news for CPC, I'm afraid. A little background first. Philip was approached by Dr. Warren Hofstra, the Stewart Bell Professor of History at Shenandoah University, about CPC partnering with Shenandoah on a 4-day event in 2007. The Symposium was to be entitled: "Sweet Dreams: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline." The event would have involved several esteemed professors delivering papers and presentations, with CPC being responsible for the entertainment portion of the event. It was to be a significant fundraiser for CPC, stemming from the entertainment revenue. Philip was leading that effort and had begun to strategize about the specific artists who would possibly perform. CPC and the university were to be equal partners and Philip envisioned 4-5 different musical venues culminating with a "big name" star/headliner wrapping up the event on Labor Day with 2,000-3,000 people attending a concert in the auditorium at Shenandoah. The entertainment during the four days would have included various types of music that helped to influence Patsy's career and artistic development (e.g. Texas "swing", country western, contemporary pop, etc.). Philip shared with me below some excerpts from his most recent planning session, followed by a letter he received last week from Dr. Hofstra.

Excerpts from the latest Planning Session Notes:

CONFERENCE FORMAT AND FRAMEWORK

Scope: The specific focus of the conference will lie on the years of Patsy Cline’s childhood in Winchester, the rise of her career, and its peak years through to her death in 1963. The conference penumbra will include a much larger span of time including as much of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as presenters choose to incorporate.

Conference Format: The conference to include eight presentations in plenary sessions of at least one hour length, following in a logical order, with ample intervening breaks. Two sessions will take place on Friday morning, two on Friday afternoon with the same pattern repeated on Saturday. Lunchtime presentations are also possible. Presenters will have at least an hour for presentations. Although written papers should be developed for the conference, presenters should not read prepared text. Dynamic interaction with the audience is necessary. Presentations could include roundtable discussions about Patsy Cline, her life, times, and career. These discussions would involve country music performers and producers or local citizens who knew Cline. Story-telling opportunities ought to exist for those wishing to record memories or recollections of Cline and her times. Recorded oral history sessions can be replayed at appropriate times and in designated places in the conference hall.

Audience: The audience will reflect a combination of academic and popular interests and be composed on the one hand of scholars from diverse fields at various career stages and on the other of a general public of fans, musicians, and anyone interested in Patsy Cline’s era and its popular culture.

In addition we talked about the following presentation topics:

Issues of sex and gender in reception/audience studies of Patsy Cline and her music.
This presentation could address the question of Cline’s appeal as a country music icon to gay and lesbian audiences.
[Everyone: please expand our thinking on this subject. Who could present on it?]

Women making their way in country music. We discussed Robert Oermann as a possible presenter, footnotes included.
[Again, please help develop this area.]

Race and the construction of "whiteness" in the music of Patsy Cline and her times.
[This subject obviously needs elaboration.]

The recording industry: country music as a business.
[What subject areas could this subject cover?]

American culture in the ’50s era.
[Who is an expansive thinker on mid-twentieth century American history who could place all the conference themes in their largest possible context?]

Women and gender in 1950s Winchester: I had discussed this topic with two of my colleagues at Shenandoah University with the idea that it would be explored extensively through oral histories. I do not have a definite commitment from them as yet.

Letter from Dr. Warren Hofstra:

Dear Philip,

The collaboration between the Community History Project and the History and Tourism Center of Shenandoah University, on the one hand, and Celebrating Patsy Cline (CPC), on the other, in organizing a major conference/concert event on the life and times of Patsy Cline for 2007 was undertaken with the well-founded expectation that the then president of CPC, Philip Martin, would be able to organize and stage performances by major country music artists as tributes to the career and memory of Patsy Cline. The severance of Philip’s relationship with the CPC Board has caused the planning committee for Shenandoah University to rethink its strategy on conference/concert planning. It is still our strong desire, however, to work directly with Philip on the concert side of the conference either independently or through whatever new or existing organization he is affiliated with. We view Philip as critical to the success of the event. Our relationship with CPC will be redefined accordingly.

Warren

PRESS RELEASE

Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc. "Pulls Out" from Participating in First Night Winchester

Sandy Snyder, the Director of First Night Winchester said, "I was shocked when I got word from Karen Helm and Phil Hunter that CPC was 'pulling out.' I reminded them that 5,000-6,000 people in the downtown for that evening would give tremendous exposure to CPC. They said they wanted to concentrate on the renovation. I told them they should have some activities for 5 hours New Year's Eve night even if some construction is in progress. The venues Philip created and submitted for the Program are terrific! It is such a great opportunity for public exposure. Karen said she wasn't aware it had been decided. I reminded her of the email we all got from Philip Martin on October 30."

(Here, press release actually contains two highly detailed emails wherein Philip laid out specific plans for First Night Winchester activities which would have given CPC tremendous presence and exposure.)

* * * * * * * *

These plans were already in place and there were no less than 6 volunteers, at least two of whom were from out of state, planning to staff the event. Plans were still in place for CPC's involvement when Philip Martin was voted out of the organization by three rogue CPC Board Members. CPC says the organization shared a different vision from Mr. Martin as an explanation for his sudden dismissal. Supporters and most CPC Board members were never given an explanation, but the consensus has become among those supporters that CPC simply wanted to keep the museum Winchester specific. Now it seems that CPC doesn't care to do that either. It seems odd then that Karen Helm, CPC's Secretary/Treasurer, who is also the Executive Director of Old Town Winchester Development Board would not seize the opportunity to remain involved in the First Night event. Not withstanding her involvement with CPC, if a person's job function by design is to lead the effort of promoting activities in Old Town Winchester, they should certainly be encouraging every area organization and business possible to be involved in the event. Especially an organization for which she serves as a board member. Patsy Cline fans have been questioning for weeks since the removal of Mr. Martin just what CPC's vision is. Now it seems Winchester's city leaders should also be questioning the leadership in charge of The Old Town Winchester Development Board.

Information compiled by C. Mark Willix.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Philip Martin
FROM: Harold "Doc" Madagan
DATE: December 20, 2005
RE: Gaunt's Drug Store and CPC

First of all, I was saddened to read that the Board of Directors of Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc. had voted for your removal as President. I recognized your involvement, leadership, and genuine enthusiasm for the project and thought we were finally on track to the opening of a museum for Patsy Cline in my lifetime. Somehow and somewhere a battle of personalities and the future direction of CPC took a bitter turn in the road, and the Board of Directors voted on November 30, 2005, for your removal as President.

My sincere thanks for your involvement and contributions to the organization, and I know deep in my heart that you created a positive impact for the future success of a museum. Now that the situation is as such, I must rescind my verbal agreement with you to give CPC the "first right of refusal" on the purchase of Gaunt's Drug Store and Collectibles for the final home to be called the "Patsy Cline Museum".

Philip, as a friend, I strongly urge you to take no rebuttal action to your removal as President of CPC because it will only hurt my dream for the "Patsy Cline Museum" in my hometown. May we forever be friends and have warm memories of Patsy Cline always.

Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas,

Harold F. Madagan, Jr., "Doc"
Owner/Pharmacist