Since my last post about the Fastener Hall of Fame bricks, I’ve got a lot of suggestions and comments about what to do with the bricks as well as with the HOF in general. In no particular order, I’ll share some of the feedback.
A few people have requested the bricks either for themselves or for their relatives or friends. One person said they’d like it as a bookend if nothing else. The challenge with that route is that the HOF bricks would never be laid in the ground together again as they had been in Columbus.
Some have suggested that new bricks should be engraved for the the recent HOF inductees who never got bricks. Several people have said they would like to see the bricks displayed at the entrance to the National Fastener Show in Las Vegas. Suggestions have been made to find a new home for the bricks with a few people suggesting the IFI building as a good landing spot. The problem is I believe this is a rented property. The IFI home is not a permanent space.
One fastener veteran whose father was inducted to the HOF offered to put the bricks on his property which his family has owned for decades.
So, there was plenty of talk about the bricks, but a lot of people had other comments about the Hall of Fame itself, and not just about the bricks.
A few people lamented that there is no longer a “fastener museum” like the one Mel Kirsner built up before it was destroyed in a fire. People suggested the bricks belong in a fastener museum. Others would like to see an online fastener HOF developed where information could be displayed on each of the inductees explaining what it was that caused them to be selected for the Hall. If this were done, then pictures of the bricks could be posted online and then perhaps the bricks returned to inductees or their families.
Several people expressed interest in a mobile HOF display that could be transported to the Vegas Show or other industry events upon request. Maybe the display would include name plates or something to identify the inductees.
Whatever ends up happening, I would like to see some associations involved either in returning the bricks or finding a new home for them. If the bricks get returned to individuals, I’d like to see Hall of Fame nights coast to coast where attention is given to the members who are still around. If the bricks get placed in a new location, again, I’d like to see a celebration of sorts.
Emerald Expositions has asked the Fastener Industry Coalition to get involved with selecting this year’s Hall of Fame inductee. I think the Fastener Industry Coalition would also be a good group to coordinate a campaign to determine what should be done next with the Hall of Fame bricks.