66 Connection

VIDEO: dinner for former APBA employees Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln, part 4

Part 4:  Skeet and Veryl tell some of their favorite APBA stories.  Both Skeet's and Veryl's stories involve crossing - or almost crossing - Dick Seitz.  The voice at the beginning is Scott Lehotsky.

Part 1 here

Part 2 here

Part 3 here

VIDEO: Appreciation dinner for former APBA employees Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln

I am so pleased at the response by readers of this blog to my numerous posts asking for donations to an effort to provide an appreciation gift to former APBA employees Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln.  The original goal as set by Scott Lehotsky and Roy Langhans, the brains behind the effort, was $1000 for each.  Thanks to your generosity, Skeet and Veryl each received far, far more than that.

You may remember Scott Lehotsky's name from the "Of Dice and Men" documentary video.  Scott was present at the dinner, and recorded the proceedings.  He has produced a series of videos from the dinner, and has kindly permitted me to post them here.

Part 1: Veryl tells the story of driving the "APBA Caravan" from Lancaster to Alpharetta during Hurricane Irene.  Attendees are (clockwise):  Wayne Green, Roy Langhans, Mitch Tolleson, Veryl Lincoln, Greg Wells, Skeet Carr, Ted Knorr, Ron Seamans, Lynne Seamans, John Cochrane.  Part 2 tomorrow.

UPDATE 2: Send-off for APBA employees Skeet Carr, Veryl Lincoln

Received this note from Roy Langhans over the weekend, about the send-off for former APBA employees Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln.  And all I can say is...WOW!

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Folks . . .

I don’t have the words to describe my feelings about how successful our project has been.  It is very obvious how much Skeet and Veryl have meant to us over the years.  Today’s total is $4485.66.  Thank you, everyone.

The following have participated, or expect to:

Don Adams
(anonymous)
Bill Blair
John Cochrane
Lin Cook
Randy Coryer
Bob Ellis
Joseph Garner
Phil Grabar
Terry Graham
Wayne Green
John Hunt
Conrad Judy
Ted Knorr
Roy Langhans
Scott Lehotsky
Rod McLeod
Ron Mura
Richard Peral
Thomas Pazzi
Dom Provisiero
Jim Sce
Ron & Lynne Seamans
Pete Simonelli
Woody Studenmund
Joe Sweeney
Jeff Tilles
Greg & Brian Wells
Frank Welsh
John Wilson

This will be the last project update.  I will send a final report to the contributors after the presentation to Skeet and Veryl on Tuesday, September 13.  That meeting will be held at the traditional APBA convention hotel, Lancaster Heritage Hotel, at a 6:15pm dinner.  People we are expecting for that event are Skeet Carr, John Cochrane, Roy Langhans, Scott Lehotsky, Veryl Lincoln, Ron & Lynne Seamans, and Greg Wells.  We would very much have preferred to hold this on a weekend so more could attend, but that did not prove possible during September.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards and thanks again,

Roy

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Roy's original goal was $2,000, so this community has really stepped up to show Skeet and Veryl how important they are.

There is still time to contribute if you haven't done it yet.  Click here for Roy's address and send him a contribution - even a small one.

UPDATE: Send-off for APBA employees Skeet Carr, Veryl Lincoln

Last week I posted about the work Roy Langhans is doing to put together a send-off for longtime APBA employees Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln.  Roy had a goal of raising $1,000 for each of them.  Veryl's money would go to a computer so he could stay connected to the APBA world (currently he's only able to get online at work, but of course that's over as of August 31st).  Skeet and his wife have a toddler grandchild who lives with them, and Skeet's gift will go toward an educational fund.

First let me say there is still time for you to contribute if you haven't already.  You can send a check payable to Roy Langhans, to:

Roy Langhans
10 Ferrous Court
Cockeysville, MD  21030

and you'll be included on the list of benefactors that's given to Skeet and Veryl, along with the gifts.  And when you read the email below, you'll see it's a list you want to be included among, if you know much about the APBA community.  Here's tonight's note from Roy:

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We have received $2210, with more expected.  The following have participated, or expect to:

Don Adams
(anonymous)
Bill Blair
John Cochrane
Bob Ellis
Phil Grabar
Conrad Judy
Roy Langhans
Scott Lehotsky
Ron Mura
Richard Peral
Dom Provisero
Jim Sce
Lynne and Ron Seamans
Pete Simonelli
Woody Studenmund
Joe Sweeney
Frank Welsh

John Cochrane, Bob Ellis, Conrad Judy, Lynne and Ron Seamans, and Pete Simonelli have requested notification regarding the presentation date, which remains undetermined. I told most of you that the truck would depart today (Sunday) for Georgia, but Irene forced a one-day delay.  I expect to be there in the morning, and hope to get some photographs for you and others.  Jon, Marc, and Veryl will be having one grand road trip.  Talk about an experience.

Observing such an outpouring of gratitude for Skeet and Veryl has really been a humbling experience.  Thank you all.  And thank you to Francis Rose, who distributed my original email on this project to his extensive mailing list; it has made a difference.

I will update you again in a week, and then wrap it up a week later.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Roy

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I think we can get to $3,000 total, $1,500 each for Skeet and Veryl.  Your contribution of $100, $50, or even $20 really isn't too much to thank these dedicated APBA employees who were instrumental in keeping the game company going through some tough times.

Send Roy a check today.  Even if it's an amount you think is small, isn't it worth it to be on a list with those names?

Please help the send-off for APBA employees Veryl Lincoln, Skeet Carr

I got the email below from APBA Hall of Famer Roy Langhans.  If you have had the opportunity to know Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln of APBA, even just by dealing with them by phone or email, you know they are quality guys who have represented the best about APBA. 

Skeet and Veryl have been with APBA since the 1960s, and provided the "good cop" to Dick Seitz's "bad cop" when it came to dealing with the customers.  I've been around both men many times, and they epitomize the kind of personal service that companies don't seem to care about any more.  They are passionate about the game and protective of the people who play it.  If you wonder about that, ask Veryl about his replays sometime.

These guys are not going to be destitute when their employment at APBA ends on Friday.  But this is a great opportunity to say "thanks" for the great service they've provided to all of us over the years.

Roy wrote:

"Please view this email as an announcement, not a solicitation.  I don't do solicitations very well.

"Many of us have desired to find a way to express to Skeet and Veryl our thanks for their friendship and the outstanding APBA service they have provided us for 40 years or more.  In many ways, they have been APBA to us.

"Idea Man (aka Mr. Lehotsky) has suggested that we collect some money to . . .

--permit Veryl to purchase a computer so he can readily keep in touch with us (and, not incidentally, keep his game-playing statistics), and

--help Skeet save for inevitable education costs for his toddler grandchild, who lives with the Carrs.

"Our goal is to collect $1000 for each of them.  Eight guys (in addition to Scott and me) willing to contribute $200 each would readily achieve that goal.  Anyone wishing to participate at a lower level is, of course, also welcome.

"As suggested in the opening sentence above, nobody should feel pressured to participate.  Did I say I don't do solicitations very well?

"If you wish to participate, please send me a check (Roy Langhans, 10 Ferrous Court, Cockeysville MD  21030) made payable to me.  I will notify those participating how much we have collected, and, of course, their name will be included with the presentation to Skeet and Veryl.

"We plan to deliver the donations to Skeet and Veryl at a September lunch or dinner.  Anyone wishing to attend - whether you donate or not - should let me know.  We would be thrilled to have you join us.

"My hope is that we can wrap this up within three weeks or so."

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Roy is one of the good guys in this community, and he's demonstrating it again by coordinating this effort.  Scott Lehotsky also deserves some credit for not only this, but all the work he's done for creating a real APBA community, and connecting the present and future of APBA with its past.  More on that in future posts.

Please send Roy some money.  $10 isn't too much, and even that much will help Roy reach his goal.  Roy's model is right - 10 guys at $200 each will do it - but 50 guys at 40 bucks each gets it done too.  And with Scott and Roy each in for $200, the goal is only $1600.  Two guys at $800 wraps it up too.

How much has the great service you've gotten from Skeet and Veryl been worth to you over the years?  This is how you can show the value you place on what you've gotten.