Not so long ago, Las Vegas was transformed from a hideout for outcasts and outlaws into the go-to place for live events featuring A-list entertainers and all sorts of affordable, family-oriented attractions and amusements. That transformation was a direct result of a phenomenally successful marketing slogan that has withstood the test of time: ‘What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas‘. Las Vegas also offers plenty of opportunities for competitive types to play games-of-skill (e.g., billiards, darts, golf, tennis), and for risk takers to place wagers on their skills, as well as games-of-chance (e.g., cards, craps, roulette, slots), hopefully, without taking a bath. The Mob Museum (a stone’s throw from the Downtown Grand Hotel in Las Vegas) suggests that the saying ‘to take a bath‘ was first used in gambling circles during the 1920s to describe the ‘losing end of a financial investment‘－the image of becoming clean in a bath is a play on an older idiom ‘to be cleaned out’, which means being ‘divested of all one’s money‘. The English noun bathos (derived from the Greek word for ‘depth‘), however, was first used in 1727 by the poet, translator and satirist Alexander Pope as a new term for literary criticisms－it describes either an abrupt and often ludicrous transition from elevated to ordinary ideas (a form of anticlimax) or a pretentious sentimentality intended to demonstrate pathos (derived from the Greek word for ‘suffering‘). While the words bathos and pathos are plainly related in meaning and sound, the terms are not readily interchangeable. Pathos is a feeling of pity, compassion or tenderness towards a story’s hero (or an admired character) who falls victim to some disastrous event or dies. Pathetic, the adjective form of pathos, describes feeling sorry for a sad, weak or helpless person or situation. Bathos is either insincere pathos or a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. Bathetic, the adjective form of bathos, almost always has a negative connotation. Do you believe most gamblers win, break even or get cleaned out? Do you think that CPB/PF recently terminated and replaced Independent DSD Partners with its own corporate employees in St. Louis, MO and San Antonio, TX to ensure that those DSD owners received reasonable returns on their substantial investments of capital and sweat equity simply a few years early – or is it more likely that CPB/PF was just looking to give them a bath? Do you find the recent claims by CPB/PF executives that they highly value the small business owners of PF’s DSD network to be BATHETIC OR PATHETIC?

This week, a very successful owner and longstanding active member of POAA (who also participates with PF DSD owners on social networks) provided an incredibly detailed response to curious owners who asked: ‘What is the Pepperidge Owners Convention in Las Vegas?‘ For DSD owners who do not use Facebook or otherwise did not read his excellent explanation, the short answer is that the POAA Convention is for DSD owners from all over the country to meet in-person and share information so they can help each other improve their businesses, as well as protect and grow their equity. This week’s Facebook post provided a long list of highlights from past POAA conventions, which exemplifies perfectly a primary purpose of our association, i.e., to serve as an institutional memory of the original reasons for the most important terms and conditions that govern our contractual relationships (and in which all new corporate policies and practices must be rooted), as well as POAA activities aimed at helping DSD owners excel in their businesses. Every year, POAA tries to help DSD owners find meaning in the motto ‘In business for yourself, not by yourself.‘ There are presentations by experienced DSD owners and outside experts to spark discussions on a wide variety of topics that range from accounting best practices to the pros and cons of the different forms of consignment sales businesses, as well as the basic business law principles that every PF DSD owner should embrace. The current POAA trustees and officers report on how membership dues were spent for the betterment of all DSD owners leading up to the convention and leadership conference. Respectful criticisms of POAA are welcomed. Every attendee is encouraged to voice their opinions on serious business issues, and to volunteer for open leadership positions to help guide POAA into the future. After the formal sessions conclude, groups of old and new friends typically continue their brainstorming discussions around the pool, on the golf course, or in whatever informal setting best suits them. Spending a long weekend with DSD owners in Las Vegas invariably involves some hard work and a lot of fun, especially for anyone who actively participates. Do you believe that a not-for-profit industry association of small business owners should do more than preserve and share important information? Should it also provide opportunities to network with others in the industry and facilitate discussions about the best ways to help members protect and grow the equity in their consignment sales businesses? What else could the upcoming convention offer to earn your attendance?  What, if anything, should POAA leaders be doing to improve the association? What would improve the annual convention experience? Is it fair to characterize those who criticize POAA as BATHETIC OR PATHETIC?