Even though quite a few things have happened since the
last letter, I am going to keep this one a bit brief and write a bit more in the
first week of October.
Gathering of the Guards '09 was an amazing success. I've
been fortunate to be able to attend all on the National Gatherings we've had and
I have to admit that our Utah members put together an incredible and awesome
event. From group rides through the Wasatch Mountains and to Antelope Island,
to a street party and bike show in downtown Ogden, and concert events; there
were activities, events, and good folks to spend time with the entire time.
When arriving at GOTG, the first sight was the Field of
Flags organized by the Utah Gold Star families. I think we all know the mixed
emotions of seeing hundreds or thousands of our country's flag flying in the
wind, and knowing the sacrifice they represent. To walk among those flags and
read the names is a humbling reminder of the cost of freedom that is paid by our
Heroes.
Just beyond the Field of Flags was the American Veterans
Travelling Tribute (AVTT), an 80% scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Wall. The two memorials seem to fit together, remembering and honoring
generations of service members.
SC Gary Yocum and wife Kelly would be
the first to tell you that this event couldn't have happened without the team
effort of the UT membership, as well as the support of our military services,
the City of Ogden, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, and many other
organizations. I'd like to add the thanks from the Board of Directors to all
who made this event happen and all who attended. Gary told me that from the
beginning there were those that attended every meeting and those that added
extra efforts when things needed done, but that they all were the driving force
that made it happen.
Moving on, the PGR Gear Store and backorders have had a
few questions. The backordered items are being supplied to us by the new
vendors. We have zero contact with the former vendor who created this
mess. Although it's taken a surprising and unanticipated amount of time,
the majority of the back orders have been filled at this time. I would
estimate there are less than 100 orders remaining to be filled and I believe
that those will be shipped within the next 10 days. For those that are
still waiting, don't hesitate to ask about your order. Even if a reply
doesn't seem to be immediately forthcoming, it does help keep those orders in
our minds. I will post in the next letter when all orders are shipped; if
at that time you have a question or item missing from your order, please notify
store@patriotguard.org. Any member
can get a refund for an order that has not shipped.
Although we take responsibility for the actions of our
past vendor, we have ensured it cannot happen again. Store inventories are
maintained with actual figures. If an item goes out of stock, it is no
longer available for sale. Our vendor has also agreed to maintain a 2
months average inventory, so we hope you will able to use the store for PGR Gear
with confidence that your will receive your order in days.
The trademark defense has been delayed a bit again.
For those that are following this closely, our Opposer was directed to amend his
notice of Opposition to our application. There were some "irregularities"
in the content and process of their filing that we have asked the TTAB Board to
review. Any time this happens, there is a delay of 20 days or so for the
Review Board to render a decision, and if they uphold our Motion, another 45
days will probably be added to the schedule. As always, you can find the
complete and accurate info and filings on the USPTO site.