weirdjim
Ejection Handle Pulled
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2008
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- 4,171
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- Grass Valley, CA (KGOO)
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weirdjim
Before I start, let me say that I'm one of the loyal opposition. I've never considered honest criticism of my position or organization to be without merit ... indeed it is the only way positive change can be expressed in a free society. Take what I say and do with it what you will.
EAA has been loudly reported (mostly in the EAA house organs) to have a "New Attitude". Perhaps in some venues that is true. However, I would like to point out one of the ways that it is the same old, same old, all over.
I refer to the Board of Directors. For those of you who may not delve deeply into the political bowels of the organization, the Board of Directors is the titular governing board of the organization. I say titular because I've been aware of instances where a Director differed and differed strongly and differed with reason to a direction that the leadership of the Board was taking the group. Those Directors mysteriously couldn't find enough votes in the next election to keep their chairs. And why?
Same old, same old. There were 174 members that took the time and trouble to be at the General Meeting on Wednesday of Oshkosh Week and vote. There were 25,865 proxy votes that the LEADERSHIP (not the Board) voted. Gee, who do you suppose controlled the outcome of THAT election?
OK, here is the official result:
That just ain't right. 20 people had the enthusiasm to run. Split the proxies equally amongst them, and those who had the gumption to go out and campaign, or those whose reputation got them some non-proxy votes should be in those chairs next year.
But they won't be, and they will never be, until the proxy system invented by Pope Paul and passed down along the line is dealt with as an anachronism from a long-since past time. Use the proxies for what they were supposedly intended -- to establish a quorum, not to perpetuate the bias of those in power.
Am I bitter? Nope. I ran for the Board three times. I was the FIRST person to get votes by internet campaigning. And I knew the odds were against me from the get-go. But in this country the wonderful thing about tossing your hat in the ring is that if you win, you get the chair. If you lose, you get kvetching rights. And just consider this one more kvetch to try and level the playing field.
From the loyal opposition.
Jim
EAA has been loudly reported (mostly in the EAA house organs) to have a "New Attitude". Perhaps in some venues that is true. However, I would like to point out one of the ways that it is the same old, same old, all over.
I refer to the Board of Directors. For those of you who may not delve deeply into the political bowels of the organization, the Board of Directors is the titular governing board of the organization. I say titular because I've been aware of instances where a Director differed and differed strongly and differed with reason to a direction that the leadership of the Board was taking the group. Those Directors mysteriously couldn't find enough votes in the next election to keep their chairs. And why?
Same old, same old. There were 174 members that took the time and trouble to be at the General Meeting on Wednesday of Oshkosh Week and vote. There were 25,865 proxy votes that the LEADERSHIP (not the Board) voted. Gee, who do you suppose controlled the outcome of THAT election?
OK, here is the official result:
Seven Class 1 director positions were open for election, and a total of 20 EAA members had been nominated. Elected to the board by the members were:
Now far be it for me to say that these 7 ladies and gentlemen did not deserve to win. They all have very good aviation and/or leadership pedigrees. But I guarantee you that the 174 of us that showed up had absolutely no hand in selecting these folks. Nope, those 26K proxy votes are, and have been for the last 40 years, the determining factor of who is voted onto and off of the Board.- Stuart Auerbach, EAA 689374 (incumbent)
- James "CB" Clark, EAA 500238
- Eileen Drake, EAA Lifetime 852455 (incumbent)
- Alan Klapmeier, EAA Lifetime 141042
- Phil Martineau, EAA 593215 (incumbent)
- Jim Phillips, EAA 149430 (incumbent)
- Cody Welch, EAA 115674
- Charlie Precourt, EAA Lifetime 150237, was an incumbent Class 1 director who remains on the board as a Class 3 director elected by board members.
That just ain't right. 20 people had the enthusiasm to run. Split the proxies equally amongst them, and those who had the gumption to go out and campaign, or those whose reputation got them some non-proxy votes should be in those chairs next year.
But they won't be, and they will never be, until the proxy system invented by Pope Paul and passed down along the line is dealt with as an anachronism from a long-since past time. Use the proxies for what they were supposedly intended -- to establish a quorum, not to perpetuate the bias of those in power.
Am I bitter? Nope. I ran for the Board three times. I was the FIRST person to get votes by internet campaigning. And I knew the odds were against me from the get-go. But in this country the wonderful thing about tossing your hat in the ring is that if you win, you get the chair. If you lose, you get kvetching rights. And just consider this one more kvetch to try and level the playing field.
From the loyal opposition.
Jim
