Starting with the elementary school PTA...
to Boy Scouts,
to everything about high school,
to dysfunctional boards of University trustees,
to angry condominium board meetings...
it seems you can't get any group of people together without feelings getting hurt, egos bruised, charters and clauses being quoted, interpreted and re-interpreted, and finally big dust ups that leave people ostracized and battle lines drawn.
Like others have already said, this is a hobby. I'm pretty sure it does no one any good to get their blood pressure up over club rules, when that blood pressure could instead be headed south by spending more time Airstreaming, and less time in meetings...
While, if I read Mr. Larson's response correctly, at face value it was not what Bob Thompson had to say that got him suspended, but how he said it that got him suspended. Several have agreed that he went a little too far with some of his comments, but it is agreeable that his impassioned e-mail was to point out disappointments in recent events in the administration of the club. Can we not agree that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?
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5. Normally the number of filed grievances in a year, even several years, is extremely small (maybe one). This is a tribute to our Members and their commitment to our ‘Code of Ethics.’ However, this year at the 2008 Bozeman International Rally, three (3) grievances were filed with the International President. The details of each grievance are still under the ‘Confidentiality’ umbrella by the Ethics and Grievance Committee and the International Executive Committee. In regards to these three grievances, each member needs to know and understand these following basic facts:
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So we know that one grievance was against Bob, one is against Leo G who is the 3rd?????
Would it be the other candidate that ran from the floor????
I would really love to hear about it!!!
So someone can tell who is the 3rd one.
The confidentiality is an umbrella for those who don't want to be criticize.
Why do you think every trial is public : to make sure a fair justice is hold.
My decision is made I send tomorrow a grievance against Jim Franklin for his statement.
...Can we not agree that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?
Actually, you catch the most with fresh manure.
Seriously though, this movement needs a t-shirt and a slogan ... Hundreds of them at Madison in July.
Worn at the appropriate venue, this could actually send a message.
Maybe a flag too?
Nothing sarcastic or crude. Too easy. Also too easy to dismiss. IBT members get home, every picture has one or a dozen of those conscience nagging garish yellow shirts with "FREE BOB" on the front and back.
...I'm pretty sure it does no one any good to get their blood pressure up over club rules, when that blood pressure could instead be headed south by...
I really love the Switzerland sentiment. I believe it is truly honest and sincere. Unfortunately, I think France tried to operate under this premise once. As a matter of fact, so did the US, until Pearl Harbor.
No, not in the same light, not even close, I know... Yet there are members that care about the club, for its history, for its original connection with Airstream itself, for all the great history that we never got to be a part of. We've watched our International Leadership fail year after year, and for each year of failure they make some desperate move, or double up on their control, and now, finally, we operate in the red. This will be year two of their helpless demise. When will they give it up and just walk away? There are plenty of members that clearly see what is wrong and how to fix it. There are far more than SEVEN that could pick up the ball tomorrow and make it right...
As a member, you could sit on the side-lines and watch Germany march across Europe. Yeah, I know, not in the same light -- but one hell of a an analogy!
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Apparently there is no such confidentiality clause in the By-Law of WBCCI.
My understanding is that it has just been created so the facts can be kept from the membership, or our IP is getting wrong information from others.
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Joe Colao 50th Anniversary President of Metro NY WBCCI # 30916
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Apparently there is no such confidentiality clause in the By-Law of WBCCI.
My understanding is that it has just been created so the facts can be kept from the membership, or our IP is getting wrong information from others.
Joe my friend, they simply make stuff up when it suits them. When they can't find the documentation that says why they do what they do, they merely call it "established customs" or some such BS. Why can they call it that? Because somewhere in Robert's Rules that phrase is mentioned. Amazingly it took them about a week to find it last year...
SEVEN people Joe -- SEVEN...
Where exactly are the unanimous head nod impeachment procedings?
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Seriously though, this movement needs a t-shirt and a slogan ... Hundreds of them at Madison in July.
Worn at the appropriate venue, this could actually send a message.
Great idea, but be sure to park your unit at the Friends of Bob (and Leo) rally nearby the International, so that the Executive Board can count the trailers that aren't registered at the International to see how much $$$ their actions are costing them.
And, even though us Friends of Bob attendees won't be able to enter the International Rally buildings without a rally ribbon, we can certainly hang out with our buds in the parking areas, which are open to the public. (Unless the WBCCI wants to spend a lot of money on barbed wire and checkpoints! )
Sounds to me like the club needs to disolve, dump the rule book and the folks in charge. Then regroup and re-organize with a new committment to its membership and a guide outlining what the club is about and how it functions. Scrap the rules that have nothing to do with camping and fun. If the units are what really make the club what it is, why is there a need for leadership beyond the local or regional level? Seems like bureaucracy exists where none is really genuinely needed.
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As the kids say---way too much drama! Who feels the need to be in a group that makes you jump though hoops JUST to be "involved". Let us camp and enjoy the occasional AS sighting. I have met some great AS folks with nary a mention of WBCCI.
There are a number of things you can try, if it will make you feel good. But I believe that no matter what anybody tries, all they're going to get from the short-term solutions is a sense that they tried to make a difference. Sometimes that self-satisfaction is worth at least something...
You can write Jerry Larson, and the rest of EC7. You'll find email addresses for each and every one of them (except Tom Collier, I1VP, send his to Cindy Reed, HQs WBCCI.org) in the Membership Directory. As that directory is now out of date, here are the names you're actually looking for:
Jerry Larson, IP
Tom Collier, I1VP
Norm Beu, I2VP
Barry Heckenswiler, I3VP
Carolyn Florence, IRS
Ralph "slam-dunk" Forrester, IT
Jerry Collins, PIP
That's your Executive Committee Seven (EC7). Those are the folks that voted to suspend Bob Thompson.
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For longer term solutions, you can try and hit them where they live -- in the RED. You could try and get your unit to address the situation. Maybe get the majority of your unit to agree to hold membership renewals until the situation is resolved to the unit's satisfaction. (Heart of Texas Camping Unit solution -- thanks David)
With the club in the red to the tune of $13K last year, and projected to be at $50K this year, this one starts to make an impact.
As an individual, withhold your dues at least until late Spring. Your WBCCI number will still be waiting for you. You'll miss being listed in the '09 Directory (not such a big deal), you'll miss 2-3 Blue Berets, but just to make sure that somebody notices, you could send in a completed membership form right now, today, with a voided check, that in the memo column says "Reinstate Bob."
By springtime, if the situation is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you may find that there are many other members, and units, that have simply had enough. By springtime there may be better places for you and your unit to spend their membership dues money.
If you've ever attended, or planned to attend the Madison, WI International, you could forfeit that trip, and you could fill out that form, with another voided check showing the WBCCI they won't be seeing you in Madison.
If Bob's situation is not resolved by the Mid-Winter IBT meeting, and you had really wanted, and hoped to go to Madison, there just might be a "Rally WITH Bob" alternate International Rally in Madison that you could go to instead. Bob can't rally at a WBCCI rally until August 16th of next year. But a non-WBCCI International could have Bob in good company.
That's a place where you can show your ultimate distaste for what's taken place. They can't refute the power, and the lack of income, from people that actually traveled all the way to Madison, just to rally with Bob...
Anyone else have any ideas?
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I'm a total outsider, so I understand I lack much of the background knowledge of the group. That alone probably makes in none of my business, so please excuse my over simplified thoughts. It seems to me there are really two choices for people wanting the club experience stated in the emails/posts
1. Address/continue to address the system and press for changes (which will be slow but would preserve the group as a whole)
2. Split off and create a new club that takes the "best of" concepts (or at least what that group values as the best) and leave those ideals/people with different view points for the existing club to enjoy/experience. This would "split" the hobbie per say, perhaps more, perhaps less than the division that exists already.
It sounds to me like some regions have already laid a foundation for #2. To me, whether it is #1 or #2 we eventually want to become part of a really fun, relaxed camping group and just hope one of those two happen so there is a club atmosphere there at all.
My wife and I had been members of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) and watched that organization run in the red and abruptly disappear entirely this year, largely from a disfunctional, misorganized national level board. This happened after a poorly attended international conference caused significant debt and declining membership. We've been very involved both in membership, leadership and funding of other music organizations at the state level but just have had to many irons in the fire to get involved in IAJE or other clubs (such as WBCCI) at that level. Now people are left with nothing.
IMHO it simply comes down is the WBCCI as it currently exists worth to the members seeking change the efforts needed, or is it in their best interests to form a club that better fits them.
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