What happened to the Hall of Fame in St. Louis?

[scott murray]

heck let's start a whole chain, Don!

[Jack Stoner]

All the thoughts on what/where to do with the HOF plaques, the Scott's would have to agree first (and likely want $$).

While we are throwing out locations, how about the Hard Rock Cafe's? The Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios in Orlando has (or had) an Emmons D-10 PP on the wall (listed as belonging to JD Maness).

[Michael Scott]

I have read all the postings pertaining to the Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame and its future. I know that everyone has suggestions as to what and how the SGHOF should be handled. Locally, I have met with every possible facility within a 200 mile radius of St. Louis. Even the Blues HOF&M does not have the space to house the plaques and its multitude of items of memorabilia in its archives. I have requested assistance from the steel guitar community and was met with absolute silence. When I’m asked what can we do to help, I mention the desperate need for financial backing and they disappear. And some of them criticize me as doing nothing. Since then, we have been hit with this pandemic and everything came to a stop. I had an idea to offer videos of the ISGC as an incentive for donations, but that was cut short as they have been illegally posted online. Even after Scotty begged that they not be posted. (I have the e-mails and replies stating this)

Unfortunately, the International Steel Guitar Convention will not be reinstated in the near future. In the meantime, I plan to have fundraising shows featuring some of the inductees and other top players from around the world in hopes of raising money for the SGHOF.

There has been talk about having (some of) the plaques replicated just so they can be placed in a bar. Just like the ISGC videos, all the plaques are federally copyrighted and it is illegal to reproduce them without written permission. It’s no surprise that the cost produce the plaques has gone up. They are now well over $4,000 each and we plan to restart inductions as soon as it’s financially possible.

With all my efforts being shot down, I had to go outside our steel guitar community looking for support. I am pleased to announce that a substantial 2022 donation has been pledged from the Sage Foundation and progress has started. The planning grant will support the effort to research and decide on the future location and structure for a permanent Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame and Museum and the next stage of restructuring. A lot is finally happening.

I plan to attend the Dallas show in March and I hope to meet with members of the SGHOF nominating committee who are there and others to discuss the future of the SGHOF. If you plan to attend, please come up and say hi so we can talk about what is next in our quest.

Michael Scott
President
The Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc.
St. Louis, MO.
a 501(c)(3) “Not For Profit” Organization
Tax ID #43-1344660

[Ron Funk]

Michael -

Thank you for your response and update.

Regards

Ron

[Larry Dering]

I repeat Ron's thank you for the update. It's good to hear from you Michael.

[Jon Irsik]

Thank you for the update, Michael.

Is this still the best address to send donations?

The Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc.
9535 Midland Blvd. St. Louis, MO. 63114-3314

[Michael Scott]

Jon, The donation address is now:

The Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc.
9533 Midland Blvd.
St. Louis, MO. 63114-3314

All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for thinking of the Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame.

[Jon Irsik]

Thank you, Michael.

[Pete McAvity]

Michael,

Thanks for the update. I'm not in a good donating position currently, but when you need leg/grunt/clerical/younameit work help, please get hold of me. I commend you for keeping on this- can't imagine the hoops & hurdles, but it's reassuring to know that someone is out there traversing it all.

Be good,
-Pete

[Doug Earnest]

Michael Scott,

Thank you for all the Scott family has done to promote the steel guitar. I spent many happy lunch hours at your dads' store.

There have been Hall of Fame fundraising efforts going on for as long as I have been paying attention to the steel guitar community, greater than 40 years.

I don't feel that it is inappropriate to ask where one might find information as to the cash balance and other assets of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame that are on hand right now. This could be used as something of a reality check, benchmark, what ever one might want to call it, as to what could reasonably be expected to be achieved going forward.

A rough breakdown of those assets listed right here would be a good starting point. The Hall of Fame is a nice concept and is well deserved but let's see some figures to get an idea if there is a realistic chance of anything ever coming of it.

I mean this in the most positive and respectful manner possible.

[scott murray]

seems like an online crowdfund could be quite successful in this instance. set a goal, set it up, and I believe we'll see plenty of support roll in.

[Darrell Criswell]

It is hard for me to understand why an organization outside the steel guitar community would fund this. And how many of us would ever visit it?

[Michael Scott]

Well, Doug, one of the reasons we received the planning grant pledge from the Sage Foundation was because the granting foundation realized that we have been running on fumes for the last few years by reviewing our public tax returns. We received the pledge of a substantial grant because our financials are, and have a history of being, in total compliance. The SGHOF tax identification number is visible in the signature line of my Jan 4 post and below. Anyone can go online and view the history of the organization's returns. There are sites to do this like Nonprofit Explorer and GuideStar. When we file our 2022 return, our assets will be significantly increased because they will reflect the grant which will supply us with funding to do what needs to be done, as I said, to research and choose a location. More funding is anticipated through fundraisers, donations, and additional grants from this funder and possibly others when progress is demonstrated.

Michael Scott
President
The Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc.
St. Louis, MO.
a 501(c)(3) “Not For Profit” Organization
Tax ID #43-1344660

[Doug Earnest]

Thanks Mike, I did look up the data using NonProfit Explorer and reviewed the 990-EZ forms. I typed in Steel Guitar and Missouri in the search boxes. Then I looked at the forms from year to year.

I'm happy to hear that the financial records have always been in total compliance, I had no doubt otherwise.

[Doug Earnest]

Michael Scott,

Who are the current members of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Nominating Committee?

[Michael Scott]

Doug, I’m glad you asked. There have been many changes in the nominating committee over the years. Some resigned and, unfortunately, some have passed away. Our by-laws require a seven-member committee. As it stands right now, these are our members:

Al Brisco - Colborne, Canada
Bob Maickel - Floral Park, NY.
Chuck Lettes - Englewood, CO.
Michael Scott - St. Louis, MO.
Walter Stettner- Vienna, Austria
Wayne Yakes - Denver, CO.

Obviously, we need another member. There are plans to make this addition during our restructuring. I plan to request a meeting with as many of these members who will be at the Dallas show in March and phone the ones who could not make the trip. Either way, we will have a seventh member before we resume inductions.

Michael Scott
President
The Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc.
St. Louis, MO.
a 501(c)(3) “Not For Profit” Organization
Tax ID #43-1344660

[Chris Templeton]

Until a home is found for the plaques, how about taking some nice digital pics of them, printing them, framing them and using those instead? I'm guessing more venues would be open to that instead of requiring a construction job. And there's the cost of moving them I'm guessing there's some cash in the SGHOF bank to do this.

[Doug Earnest]

Chris when I looked a few days ago, if I read things right, there was considerably less than one thousand dollars cash balance listed on the last tax form. Nothing is going to move very far with that amount of money.

The other assets listed had stayed the same value for a good number of years, described as plaques and memorabilia. The cash balance had dropped considerably over the course of one year, this was three or four years ago. I don't know how it all works.

I think your idea is a good one though.

[Chris Templeton]

Given the reach of the forum, there's got to be a photographer who would want to do that and could use your tax status to write off their fee.
Then there's the cost of printing, the frames , putting those together and putting them up at a location.
Again, I haven't done this and don't know how, but I think crowd sourcing funds from the forum would do the trick.
When I did Ebay, Pay Pal was what I used. Although it was convenient, I didn't like the fees they charged.
There's gotta be a forumite who knows a good way to raise money.to do this.
I wish Clay Savage was here to take the pictures.
Definitely an easier task than moving the plaques.
I'll pledge $200 in honor of Billy Bowman. I'll send you a check the beginning of next week to start things rolling.

[Michael Scott]

Chris, we received your donation. Thank you for your generosity. (I will send your receipt for your tax deduction to your private e-mail) You’re right, this is a good beginning and hopefully it will inspire others to follow your lead.

Even though I received a pledge for a substantial grant, a continuous fundraiser is needed. If more donations were to happen, it would go a long way towards reaching our goal. Preliminary plans are happening now. And there are so many more that have to be put on the table. Each one of them will require financial backing to achieve their completion. That’s where the ongoing fundraisers come in.

Now is the time for all of us in the steel guitar community to come together to meet the challenges. With the support of all of you reading this, we can reach our goal. All donations are tax deductible. We can accept Master Card, Visa and Discover credit cards and personal checks as well as PayPal. All you need to do is send an e-mail to ... scotty@scottysmusic.com and I will help you choose the best way to make your donation.

Thank you in advance for considering the Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame for your tax-deductible donation.

Michael Scott
President
The Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc.
9533 Midland Blvd.
St. Louis, MO. 63114-3314
a 501(c)(3) “Not For Profit” Organization
Tax ID #43-1344660

[Mike McBride]

I'm listening to Lloyd Green at 1993 ISGC on Youtube and this topic crossed my mind. I suspect that securing the support of a country star that is also a big fan of the steel guitar may be required. For example, Garth Brooks or George Strait could provide substantial financial support. I am uncertain that depending on ticket sales to visitors of a standalone museum would be fiscally viable. Marty Stuart is another good idea since he is a devotee to the history of country music.

Are the plaques the only artifacts involved? Are there instruments, nudie suits, etc. too?

Another option might be a travelling display housed in an upscale semi-trailer.

The Model T Museum is located in Indiana in a 4000 square pole barn. This is for a car that changed the world in an incredible way. Unfortunately, 21st century folks just are not that interested.

[Chris Templeton]

There's a certain draw to staying home and watching Netflix.

[David Mitchell]

Why don't we just have a virtual Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame right here on the forum where anyone in the world can visit without transportation and motel fees cost? Many of those plaques exist in the homes of living recipents and widows/families of recipents. I know where Walter Haynes plaque is at and can provide pictures of it. It can be reassembled virtually right here on the forum and Bob can add a caption link to the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Plaque museum. I know Walter loved this Forum and he was the one that showed it to me first. He said "David you can find out anything you want to know about steel guitars right here."

[Don R Brown]

Why don't we just have a virtual Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame right here on the forum where anyone in the world can visit without transportation and motel fees cost?

That's a pretty interesting idea, and has several things going for it.

1. The cost of maintaining a web site is far less than a brick-and-mortar structure.

2. The actual artifacts would remain with those who cherish them, and would not be subject to damage from fire, storms, vandals and so on.

3. The cost of fuel is unpredictable. The higher it goes, the fewer people will be apt to visit in person.

4. While our at-least-once-a-month thread about "What is the future of the steel guitar?" always have some bright light regarding younger steelers, the bulk of the material in the museum would focus on long-past players. Reality is that we're all getting older, and mortality and physical constraints will continue to erode those who would potentially make the time to go there.

5. Just reading this forum one can see folks from all over the globe. A web site would allow the history and information to be shared with those players who live in far away places and who may be unable for various reasons to get to the US.

6. In case whoever is handling the web site for some reason no longer wants to continue, or maybe is unable to continue, it's far easier to find someone else to maintain it, than it would be to relocate a physical museum.

I do not have the tech skills to set up or maintain an on-line HOF but I'd be interested in visiting it if it comes to be.

[Chris Templeton]

I've registered www.stopherssteelshack.com and is under construction and would be happy to host something like David Mitchell suggests.