POAA

UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM?

On March 16, 1802, 221 years ago today, an Act of Congress established the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a separate and permanent service branch responsible for founding and operating a U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Precisely 80 years after establishing the military school (March 16, 1882), the Senate ratified the First Geneva Convention of 1864 for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, which defined new rules of Public International Law through the Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflicts designed to protect the lives of sick and wounded soldiers during wartime. The 1864 convention was the brainchild of Henry Dunant (1828-1910), a Genevan businessman who, in 1859, unexpectedly witnessed the gruesome aftermath of Emperor Napoleon III’s Battle of Solferino in the Second War of Italian Independence. The experience was so profound that in 1862 Dunant published both his heart wrenching first-hand account of the grisly fallout of the battle, and a compelling call for leaders from all nations not to stop waging war – but to convene a diplomatic meeting in Geneva to create volunteer relief groups trained to treat the wounded and to offer humanitarian assistance for all those affected by the horrors of war. Henry Dunant won the 1901 Nobel Peace Prize for inspiring military powers from all around the world to adopt a series of Geneva Conventions to reduce widespread suffering in societies plagued by wars. Conventional wisdom suggests that the U.S. ratified the First Geneva Convention to bestow legitimacy upon the International Red Cross and the American National Red Cross, not-for-profit organizations that mobilize networks of volunteers and donors primarily to prevent and alleviate human suffering during wartime, like Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as in many other types of extreme emergencies caused by natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes, and unnatural disasters like the chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio. For TeamPOAA, these major March 16th milestones offer an interesting contrast between the founding of a military academy to train new leaders of warfighters on the grounds of a strategically located fortress and oldest continuously occupied regular army post in the U.S., and the Senate ratification of the establishment of more humane rules of warfare from the first diplomatic convention in a relatively small city of a tiny country renowned for private banking, precision timepieces, and neutrality during wartime. That contrast, however, does not focus on the differences between war and peace-rather, it highlights the contrast between an ever-increasing ability of governments to engage in the bloody slaughter and heartless torture of countless innocent and helpless citizens caught in war zones, and the new international rules for more compassionate wars. It is also interesting to note, however, that on March 16, 1955 President Eisenhower unilaterally declared that the United States would only use its atomic weapons in the case of war. Indeed, there are many national, regional and local laws that prohibit ordinary citizens and nongovernmental organizations from even owning chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, but the international calls for governments to enter into disarmament agreements and end all violence in the world simply have not garnered the same support as the Geneva Conventions. Do you believe that such contrasting concepts can also create a healthy tension between conventional wisdom and UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM? 
UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM?
Last year, price inflation hit a 40-year high. In turn, our Federal Reserve turned to a novel idea known as quantitative tightening, as well as the tried-and-true tactic of raising interest rates to combat the inflationary pressures. The Federal Reserve, however, rapidly raised interest rates from near zero to 4.50-4.75%, which also rapidly undercut bond prices, including the older-vintage Treasuries held by many banks. This week, public and private financial experts are suggesting that the bottoming out of the bond market was a significant factor that stymied efforts by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank to raise the billions of funds necessary for those banks just to remain solvent. Experts are also expressing concerns that many other banks could soon suffer the same demise. So, on Monday of this week our Federal Reserve started a new Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) for eligible depository institutions to help assure that banks can meet the needs of all their depositors. Conventional wisdom suggests that the new Fed BTFP initiative is not simply a bail out for SVB, but it is also necessary to avoid a run on our banking system. Does that conventional wisdom resonate with you? Will it hold true for banks without influential depositors like the venture capitalists and technology companies working with SVB? Do you think that financially troubled local banks in East Palestine, Ohio would be eligible for the BTFP? If so,why? If not, why not? Do you ever agree with the unconventional pundits? Do you agree with pundits who are suggesting that the U.S. financial system could soon come crashing down? Again? Do you generally go along with conventional wisdom, or do you more often find yourself coming up with some UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM?

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POAA ANNUAL CONVENTION

April 20-22, 2023


CHECK OUT OUR PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS BELOW

 
TeamPOAA volunteers are still preparing for our annual convention and leadership conference, and the final itinerary will be publicly available before the meeting date.  There will be a meet and mingle on Friday 21st at 7 pm and the regular meeting will begin on Saturday at 8 am (Continental breakfast at 7 am).  In the meantime, POAA leaders reserved the Fremont Room and arranged for PF DSD owners to take advantage of discounted room rates at the Downtown Grand Hotel in Las Vegas from April 20-22, 2023. Please start planning to make it to the convention to join the discussions.  

While POAA members can still call the Downtown Grand Las Vegas reservation desk at 855-516-1090, we are receiving reports that they cannot easily process the POAA discount. Instead, please call 855-384-7263 to  provide the Pepperidge Farm Owners Association of America convention code:
 

855-384-7263

 
42222PEP

Discounted nightly room rates are $40 for April 20, 2023, and $119 per night for April 21-23, 2023
 

CLICK TO REGISTER FOR A DISCOUNTED ROOM

 
CLICK THE GRAPHIC ABOVE
for a 1m promotional video for the POAA Annual Convention
April 20-23, 2023 at the Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV
CLICK THE GRAPHIC ABOVE
for a 1m promotional video for the POAA Annual Convention
April 20-23, 2023 at the Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV
CLICK THE GRAPHIC ABOVE
for a 1m 34s promotional video for the POAA Annual Convention
April 20-23, 2023 at the Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV
CLICK THE GRAPHIC ABOVE
for a 3m 43s promotional video for the POAA Annual Convention
April 20-23, 2023 at the Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
 

BULLETIN PRICE LIST

Highly credible, confidential sources recently posted copies of the industry standard Bulletin Price Lists effective January 30, 2023 to help IDPs easily verify the wholesale prices in effect for their consignment commissions until the next official price change.
 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

TIP OF THE WEEK

Please remember to extend best wishes to your colleagues and their loved ones for a safe, healthy and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

For anyone interested in learning more about the theme of this week’s newsletter, check out the book Words to Live By: The Origins of Conventional Wisdom and Commonsense Advice by Charles Panati.

News is valuable because of its ability to empower the informed. Forewarned is forearmed!


Until CPB notifies PF DSD owners in writing about closing PF’s HQ, continue to raise issues in writing and deposit your correspondence in the US Mail for delivery to PF’s HQ so you comply with the WRITTEN NOTICE requirement in every version of PF’s consignment contracts.

Pepperidge Farm, Inc.
595 Westport Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06851

Please also email courtesy copies to CPB/PF executives AND POAA  so we can keep all DSD Owners aware of serious business issues from all over the country, and to help grow our information archives.
 
Publicly available information can provide valuable insights into what drives our exclusive supplier. For instance, financial news outlets report that, on average, CPB executives and independent directors (aka insiders) trade stock every 20 days, with the average trade being worth $3,021,401.00.
 

Click here for Insider Trading Information


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FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

The opinions and beliefs expressed in this newsletter are intended only to spark discussions about serious and ongoing business issues that impact every owner in PF’s distribution network. If you need or want legal advice, you must consult with your attorney.