Bisons "gear drive"?

The time has come for me to voice my opinion on matters that have faced the VCCC in my term as president.

For those of you who may have read Clay Floyd�s post to the current Bison thread referring to the board and myself as the �convention Nazis,� I would like to take this opportunity to explain all the matters at hand.

First off to set the record straight, the board and no one else is aware of me writing this post. It has been said by a few that I am a puppet to others within the club. This is not the case nor has it ever been. I speak my mind freely and think freely for myself, with that being said, I will continue.

The reason the committee and I felt it important the Clay not be featured as the guest speaker this year is very complicated. For those who may not be aware, Tom Gasko was put on a one year suspension from all club activities. This was due to several very poor postings he placed not only on the new website but on the old site as well. Tom does not approve of this site being an open site. The board asked very kindly that he not post using strong racist and sexually implying remarks. Those who are minors were also a heated topic with Tom. However, the membership voted to allow minors in our group and on the forum as well. He not only was asked once but on several occasions. To make matters worse he then had a couple of other people posting on his behalf as well. The board had no other choice as we felt that with an open forum we need to conduct ourselves in a proper manor. Tom finally broke away and decided to start his own club. Clay was asked to be president of Tom�s new club and has since resigned from that position. Tom also requested his Dyson be returned to him. He indicated that it was not a gift to the club but rather his machine. The board voted to return the vacuum to Tom even though there are records of him stating that it was a gift to the club.

During this whole time frame of the bad postings we received word from another vac forum webmaster indicating that he too had asked Tom to stop posting and blocked him from that site as well.

This did not end there, we later had to deal with one of Tom�s club members coming in through a back door of our site and posting some very awful comments on as many threads as possible before we were able to shut him down. Since then we have received several emails from concerned members of Tom�s club with items that are being discussed there. None of our board has access nor do we want access to their site. One of the last emails we received indicated that Clay would be using racist remarks while doing his presentation just to make us angry and see what we would do at the convention to stop him.

Now you will be lead to believe that the board voted Tom out illegally by not having a majority vote� well nothing could be further from the truth and we have documents to prove this. Clay has not accepted the fact that he has been out voted on many issues dealing with Tom and others that have been causing problems. This situation is really no different from a situation that occurred at the St. Louis convention and a member was removed from membership for bad behavior.

I was elected by the majority of the membership to help keep this club moving forward and I believe that we have done just that this year. We now have a wonderfully designed forum that is open to all to who will abide by the rules. As a result of that forum we have gained several new members into the club. Club business has been handled in a very timely and efficient manor. Your board has worked very hard to get us where we are today and I don�t feel that we can let one or two people drag us down.

It has been a struggle this year and I have only touched on items very lightly. There comes a point when a board has to act on issues and move forward. Some will not agree and leave, but I hope that you as members and readers to this forum feel that we are looking out for the best interest of the membership as a whole.

Your board is a wonderful group of people that truly care about the direction this club takes. The Omaha convention promises to be one of the best in this clubs history.

Morgan


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Post# 15539 6/27/2007 at 19:02 (6,144 days old) by dial-a-matic ()
Checkrate/Likes How does the Bison Gear drive work? Does it have anything to do with the agitator or is it through the motor? Thank You!!!! -a-

Post# 15545 , Reply# 1 6/27/2007 at 20:06 (6,144 days old) by decade80 ()
Checkrate/Likes i don't know.....just go to instant message on myspace because im bored.

Post# 15575 , Reply# 2 6/28/2007 at 09:28 (6,144 days old) by rexairman ()
Checkrate/Likes I was a Bison distributor from 1973-1975 (and was to have spoken on this subject at the Omaha Convention, until the convention nazis dumped me with no explanation). The first Bison models, Mark I and Mark II had the original gear drive design. It had a rubber crown coupler which fit over the squared shaft extending forward from the fan. This was directly attached to a worm gear, which drove a pulley at direct right angles. A belt, the same size as a Kirby belt, ran in a straight loop (no twist) from this pulley to the brush roll. They had lots of problems with this, and it was re-designed many times, with no real improvement. Therefore the preceding description is very general, and describes all versions of this set-up, without going into detail. The last Mark II's, all Mark III's, and the Centurion (the brown machine - the earlier ones were all green) used a shaft which separated and stayed with the rug nozzle. The belt ran in a figure 8 like a Kirby or a Royal. A different crown coupler on the machine end of the shaft in the nozzle fit over the squared end of the motor shaft, which was unchanged from the previous models. The problems were that none of these designs were reliable. The machines were so bad that they frequently broke down while being demonstrated in prospective buyers' homes. This is why I got out of Bison (the primary reason, anyway, there were others) and went back to Rainbow. It was, however, a unique and unforgettable experience. I would have loved to have shared my Bison reminiscences at the Convention, but, alas that is not to be. Anyone who wants Bison info, however, please feel free to contact me. I'd enjoy sharing with anyone.

Post# 15592 , Reply# 3 6/28/2007 at 17:10 (6,143 days old) by vinvac (Dubuque IA)
Checkrate/Likes *Presidents Message* The time has come for me to voice my opinion on matters that have faced the VCCC in my term as president. For those of you who may have read Clay Floyd�s post to the current Bison thread referring to the board and myself as the �convention Nazis,� I would like to take this opportunity to explain all the matters at hand. First off to set the record straight, the board and no one else is aware of me writing this post. It has been said by a few that I am a puppet to others within the club. This is not the case nor has it ever been. I speak my mind freely and think freely for myself, with that being said, I will continue. The reason the committee and I felt it important the Clay not be featured as the guest speaker this year is very complicated. For those who may not be aware, Tom Gasko was put on a one year suspension from all club activities. This was due to several very poor postings he placed not only on the new website but on the old site as well. Tom does not approve of this site being an open site. The board asked very kindly that he not post using strong racist and sexually implying remarks. Those who are minors were also a heated topic with Tom. However, the membership voted to allow minors in our group and on the forum as well. He not only was asked once but on several occasions. To make matters worse he then had a couple of other people posting on his behalf as well. The board had no other choice as we felt that with an open forum we need to conduct ourselves in a proper manor. Tom finally broke away and decided to start his own club. Clay was asked to be president of Tom�s new club and has since resigned from that position. Tom also requested his Dyson be returned to him. He indicated that it was not a gift to the club but rather his machine. The board voted to return the vacuum to Tom even though there are records of him stating that it was a gift to the club. During this whole time frame of the bad postings we received word from another vac forum webmaster indicating that he too had asked Tom to stop posting and blocked him from that site as well. This did not end there, we later had to deal with one of Tom�s club members coming in through a back door of our site and posting some very awful comments on as many threads as possible before we were able to shut him down. Since then we have received several emails from concerned members of Tom�s club with items that are being discussed there. None of our board has access nor do we want access to their site. One of the last emails we received indicated that Clay would be using racist remarks while doing his presentation just to make us angry and see what we would do at the convention to stop him. Now you will be lead to believe that the board voted Tom out illegally by not having a majority vote� well nothing could be further from the truth and we have documents to prove this. Clay has not accepted the fact that he has been out voted on many issues dealing with Tom and others that have been causing problems. This situation is really no different from a situation that occurred at the St. Louis convention and a member was removed from membership for bad behavior. I was elected by the majority of the membership to help keep this club moving forward and I believe that we have done just that this year. We now have a wonderfully designed forum that is open to all to who will abide by the rules. As a result of that forum we have gained several new members into the club. Club business has been handled in a very timely and efficient manor. Your board has worked very hard to get us where we are today and I don�t feel that we can let one or two people drag us down. It has been a struggle this year and I have only touched on items very lightly. There comes a point when a board has to act on issues and move forward. Some will not agree and leave, but I hope that you as members and readers to this forum feel that we are looking out for the best interest of the membership as a whole. Your board is a wonderful group of people that truly care about the direction this club takes. The Omaha convention promises to be one of the best in this clubs history. Morgan

Post# 15595 , Reply# 4 6/28/2007 at 18:13 (6,143 days old) by ian88 ()
Checkrate/Likes Besides, (and this despite my rather odd sense of humour, post is in all serious btw :P) I feel that to be a good leader sometimes you must overlook the whining of individuals in order to acheive great things for the "greater good" be it this club, the government, or a business. Would Donald Trump be a (it is billionaire, isn't it?) billionaire if he listened to these little voices saying "you can't do it! it just can't be done!"? I sure as hell wouldn't listen to em, not worth my time. Ian

Post# 15597 , Reply# 5 6/28/2007 at 20:24 (6,143 days old) by luxg ()
Checkrate/Likes As a club member, borard member, and convention planning committee member I feel that I have to add to this thread. The past year has been a very difficult one of the VCCC. We have had to deal with many problems, issues, and verbal abuse that should never have happened. Clay it was the committee's understanding that because of lack of materials, mainly a flip-chart and a sales demonstration kit for selling the Bison, that you were not comfortable doing the presentation and would rather not do so. I know that we all hoped that you would be willing to add your expertise on the subject at the convention none the less. As I have stated before many times, I am very sorry that things have worked out this year as they have however something good might have come out of all this. There are now two vacuum clubs out there. People are free to check each one out and decide for themselves which one best suits thier needs. I wish both clubs only the best and I sincerely mean this. Terry

Post# 15598 , Reply# 6 6/28/2007 at 20:29 (6,143 days old) by ian88 ()
Checkrate/Likes Come on guys, my post..who can honestly say they are with me eh? you know it makes sense ;p Ian

Post# 15605 , Reply# 7 6/28/2007 at 21:38 (6,143 days old) by buffster ()
Checkrate/Likes *Letter of Appreciation* Morgan, Fred, Charlie, Terry, Dave, Marty, and the entire VCCC board, After reading Morgan's letter, I think this is an appropriate time to thank the entire VCCC board for your leadership and the tremendous effort you put forth to make the club of 2007 a huge success. You successfully tackled the daunting task of creating an environment that is comfortable, suitable, and inviting for a diverse membership and Web audience. You have done a superb job. And, I applaud you for it. I'm still a relatively new member, but, from what I have observed, each of you exemplifies what it means to be a great leader. You are fair and objective; conduct yourselves with decorum; treat others with respect; and demonstrate common sense and tact. Put simply, you have each demonstrated a great deal of integrity. After reading the many negative and, in my opinion, inappropriate posts (frankly I�ve been dismayed by the drama and behavior some members have exhibited), this has been no easy challenge. And, I believe we�as members�owe you a great big THANK YOU. So, thank you for maintaining an enjoyable place to visit, learn and socialize. Mike (a.ka. Buffster)

Post# 15645 , Reply# 8 6/29/2007 at 14:32 (6,142 days old) by myhooverco ()
Checkrate/Likes Mike... I agree, the board has gone to great efforts to maintain good conduct here. Not enough good can be said about the club's leadership. I have said this many, many times. This forum is not a place for inappropriate comments. Those comments can be easily shared PRIVATELY. Thank you Morgan, Fred, Charlie, Rick, Terry, Dave, and Marty for doing such a great job during this difficult time which seems like now will never end! Will we ever be rid of this hatred? --Tom Anderson

Post# 15657 , Reply# 9 6/29/2007 at 17:55 (6,142 days old) by compactc9 ()
Checkrate/Likes I would also like to thank board members RJ Vanik and Clay Floyd for what they hav contributed.

Post# 15663 , Reply# 10 6/29/2007 at 21:14 (6,142 days old) by vintageroyal611 ()
Checkrate/Likes *I agree 100%!* I agree even though I am a fairly new poster here that certain things are better not discussed on the forums! Like a few people before me I would like to thank Morgan Frazer, Charlie Wastrous,Marty Rocha,Terry Latz and Dave (whose last name I am not sure of !) and I want to especially thank Fred Nelson for maintaining this wonderful site and for allowing minors(such as myself!) to post here on VacuumLand THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

Post# 15664 , Reply# 11 6/29/2007 at 22:07 (6,142 days old) by vinvac (Dubuque IA)
Checkrate/Likes Matt, You are more than welcome. We want this place to be a friendly safe place to share our hobby. Most of us have been teased and picked on by others for enjoying our hobby as children and young adults. Slang terms, racist remarks are no longer an accepted behavior. Those of us who work for companies and who are perhaps as yourself still attending school are reminded daily of these policies. Jokes that are hurtful, mean spirited now can be taken as threats ever since 9/11. We all must be aware that as we are now a public forum we have many different people watching and reading. That is what your board is trying to accomplish.