On these pages we’ve dredged up some humorous/satirical bits from the past.

We begin with a collection of Memos to the Faithful written by John Gaccione for which he wrote this introduction:

Memos to the Faithful Introduction

I started posting comments on the Kensington section of Nextdoor after attending a few KPPCSD board meetings. After each meeting I would try to make sense of what I had seen and heard. Some of the meetings were very contentious with accusations and self-serving statement being the norm.

One prominent group in our community proudly claimed they controlled 1200 faithful voters. The idea of a small group of people being able to control a majority block of voters caught my imagination. After trading comments with several members of this group on Nextdoor I began looking for a better way of expressing my views.

By design I wanted to create something that could lampoon the idea that good people would blindly follow the directions of others. I came upon the idea of doing a memo that would be periodically issued from “headquarters”. It would outline the correct position the faithful should espouse on the hot button issues of the day. But most of all I hoped to interject some much needed humor into the mix of political posts.

Originally the first post was titled “Paul’s 1200 club/Memo to the Faithful”. The name echoed the disgraced TV evangelist Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker’s 700 Club. The style of the memo was a mash-up of club newsletters, corporate memos, religious tracts and political broadsides

Some in the community thought using the name “Paul” in the title could be viewed as offensive. To clarify my intent, a note was added indicated I was referencing the Apostle Paul and his letters to the Corinthians. After the first memo I dropped the reference to Apostle in the title. Later, given the results of the KPPCSD Board election the title was adjusted downward to the 600 Faithful.

The people who commented about the posts noted that if anything the “memos” were too believable. They cautioned that some readers might miss the intended satire. Perhaps they were correct, but I thought it was more important to always state the issues straightforward before adding my views.

That gives you some background on the creation of these “Memos to the 1200 Faithful”. While I do realize that the mix of politics, religion and my sense of humor may not be everyone’s cup of tea, hopefully they can still see and enjoy the humor in the memos.

– John

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Paul’s 1200 Club/Memo to the faithful

Paul’s* 1200 Club/Memo to the faithful (*Note: referencing the Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.)

Put Kensington First / Memo to the 1200 Faithful

Red Bull Revelations/Memo to the 1200 Club Faithful

The Right Stuff/Memo to the 1200 Club Faithful

Chuck & Dave/Memo to the 1200 Faithful

Election Reckoning/Memo to the 600 Faithful

Our Town/Message to the 600 Faithful

Gun Club/Memo to the 600 Faithful

Signs-R-Us/ Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

The Firehouse Five + 2 / Memo to the Faithful

Blue Monday/Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Epiphany Path/Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Helpful not Hurtful / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Spin Cycle / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Midwinter Muse / Memo to the 600 Faithful

Things to Come / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Skeleton Crew / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Nattering Negativism / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Purple Pulp / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Spring Offensive / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Tiny Town / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

The Kensington Inflammatory / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

The Kensington Indefensible / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Signs of Confusion / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Hart Burn/ Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Radio Silence / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Best of Show / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

One Two Three? / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Your M&M / Memo the 600 Club Faithful

Status Quo Quibbling / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Your M&M Part II / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

SNAFU / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

SNAFU Revisited / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

’Twas Ever Thus/ Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Locksteppin’ into the Future / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Old Guard Guide / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

My Funny Valentine / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Fake News / Memo to the 600 Club faithful

Just Say No / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

March Madness / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

The Brotherhood / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Politics as Usual / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

‘Twas Ever Thus, Again / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Lost Dogma / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

(No Names) / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Backing into the Future / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Obstructionists “R” Us / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Meshuga Mailer / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Damnatory Defamation / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Party News / Memo to the 600 Club Faithful

Born Again Ordinance / Memo to the 500 Club Faithful

Stymied? / Memo to the 370 Club Faithful 

K-town @ Risk / Memo to the 370 Club Faithful  

So Last Year / Memo to the 370 Club Faithful

Our Thing / Memo to the 370 Club Faithful

Midsummer Milestone / Memo to the Faithful

Sovereignty /  Memo to the 370 Faithful

“News Item” / Memo to the 370 Faithful

Lost Cat / Memo to the 370 Faithful

Old Baggage / Memo to the 370 Faithful

New in Town? / Memo to the 370 Faithful

Trust & Obey / Memo to the 370 Faithful

Modest Proposal 2 / Memo to the 368 Club Faithful

Field Notes / Memo to the 370 Faithful

Time Out / Memo to the 369 Faithful

Optimal Point / Memo to the 369 Faithful

The People’s Remodel / Memo to the 369 Faithful

A Tale of two Kensingtons / Memo to the 369 Faithful

Consolidation, Red Herring? /Memo to the 369 Club Faithful

A Modest Proposal / Memo to the 369 Club Faithful

Park Ramble / Memo to the 368 Club Faithful

All Gone / Memo to the 368 Club Faithful

Reading Politics / Memo to the 368 Club Faithful

Consolidation Pitch / Memo to the 368 Club Faithful

Obvious Solution? / Memo to the 368 Club Faithful

To Oh Two Too! / Memo to the 365 Club Faithful

Annex, Building E / The Park Memo

Let’s Talk / Memo to the Kensingtonian Club Faithful

Egads! / Memo to the Kensingtonian Club Faithful

K-Merge / Memo to the Kensingtonian Club Faithful

6 Years On / Memo to the 1200 Club Faithful

Modest Proposal 3 / Memo to the Pause Faithful

Candidate Round Up / Memo to the Kensingtonian Faithful

Future Saviors / Memo to the Kensingtonian Faithful

4 Runners / Memo to the 840 SKF Faithful

Wheelhouse Blues / Memo to the 840 SKF Faithful

6-Pac Slate / Memo to the 840 SKF Faithful

Voter Guide? / Memo to the SKF Faithful

To Daniel / Memo to the SKF Faithful

$5,000? / Memo to the SKF Faithful

32 Trees / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Nitpicking / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Saved! / Memo to the SKF Faithful

So Close / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Come Wednesday / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Prognosticating / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Retraction / Memo to SKF Faithful

Modest Proposal #4 / Memo to the Save Kensington’s Future Faithful

Midsummer 7 / Memo to the Save Kensington’s Future Faithful

Serpentine / Memo to the Save Kensington’s Future Faithful

Modest Proposal #5 / Memo to the “Thought Leader” Faithful

Old Ideas/ Memo to the SKF Faithful

What? / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Flock Safety / Memo to the Kensington Faithful

Monetizing / Memo to the Kensingtonian Faithful 

Take a Hike / Memo to the Kensington Faithful

Heresy? / Memo to the SKF Faithful

Again&Again / Memo to the SKF Faithful

8 / Memo to the Faithful

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