PENDERGAFFE UPDATE

It has been a while since I reported on the disbursal of Peter Pender’s total bequest of $77,500 to the ACBL or its tax alter ego The Educational Foundation (EF), the latter of which has been very cooperative through the efforts of Dr. Eugene Kales.

I have several hundred pages of correspondence on the two separate individual bequests.  The first donation, as you recall, was to The Junior Trials (JT) trophies. an event held every two years.   We discovered, though it was designed before Peter’s death on 11/19/90, $27,500 was turned over for the making of engraved replicas and presentation to the players of the proud winning team (usually 6) plus the captain and sometimes even a coach.  We discovered it was done for the first two occasions and then discontinued dead in its tracks.   I spoke to my honorable friend, Jay Baum, who conceded I was indeed right and I am happy to report that they have taken care of everything until 2006 – leaving two Junior years to be brought up to date.   Jay has never disappointed a reasonable request and it looks like the JT debacle will soon be behind us.

However, the $50,000 bequest by Peter to the ACBL/EF is still up in the air with many issues unresolved and buried under the carpet as it started over twenty years ago.  Despite my request to put it on the NO Agenda, it was not.   It seems when respectable people have an issue involving so much money, it is worthy of consideration to further bridge which has gone awry.  But alas, No!  The status:  $10,700 remains in the fund though the Pendergraph has disappeared into outer space. No one even remembers for certain the last time the Pendergraph name was used.   For those of you who want the details, see my several earlier blogs on the subject.   The long and the short of it was the vu-graph (recognized and acknowledged in many correspondences of the BOD and EF) was to be renamed Pendergraph.

Substantial sums were used for screens,  monitors, computers, etc. plus payment for the development of sophisticated improvement (which was accomplished by the geniuses at BBO, namely Fred Gitelman and staff).   Wonderful – no qualms at all.    However, the Pendergraph name was dropped in ???? and we maintain that is when the money flow from Peter’s endowment should have stopped on the dime although EF records show the continuing disbursements long after Peter’s name stopped being used (The Pendergraph).

Let’s face it – in the vernacular – Peter got screwed.   Bobby had been in on the original  group with Becky Rogers who convinced a very ill Pender (dying from AIDS) that he should have his name perpetuated and the vugraph (Pendergraph) was the way to go.   So much for that.   Peter very much wanted to be remembered and have his name perpetuated for years to come to be recalled by his peers and those that followed.

My suggestion is that all money used after the stoppage of the name Pendergraph should be added back to the $10,700 remaining and (1) PREFERABLY USED FOR SOME WORTHY CAUSE – PERHAPS TO PAY THE WAY FOR EXTRA EXPENSES OF THOSE NON-PROFESSIONALS WHO WIN THE RIGHT TO  REPRESENT THE COUNTRY AND NEED SUBSIDIZING CALLING IT THE PETER PENDER INTERNATIONAL FUND: OR (2) Return the full irresponsibly used money (about $25,000) to Peter’s residual estate heirs .. as his wishes were not honored – more specially violated.

By the way, the suggestion of calling it THE PENDERGRAPH THEATRE PRESENTS BBO was turned down as it was decided it was not equitable.

Bobby’s views are even stronger, but no shy bunny (or wolff) is he so he can howl for himself.