From: | Hodge | e-mail: | myemail |
Subject: | Follow Up From Chief Blackhawk Member | Date: | Sat Jan 14 12:41:30 2012 |
All, This was sent to all AMCA Board Members and all AMCA Chapters Presidents from Tim Schumacher, Chief Blackhawk Chapter V-P. Hodge AMCA Officers and Board of Directors: Over the 58 years since the AMCA was established there have been individuals who have disagreed with the structure of our organization, financials, various aspects of how the club is ran, judging, etc. Sometimes these individuals have gathered small pockets of supporters, but typically were not able to be heard and their grievances were dismissed. There has even been at least one petition with a few thousand member signatures which disappeared. The attitude seems to have been to stall, ignore or not respond and the problem will go away. In the past the problem typically went away. These individuals are often labeled as dissenters, troublemakers, radicals or hotheads. I would guess by now that all of you are aware that you have a problem on your hands. The problem you are faced with today is much more complicated and much bigger than any of you or your predessors have previously faced. The dissenting views are not coming from an individual member, they are coming to you from an entire chapter in addition to individual members. This problem is not going away. There is no reason for any of you to take this personally. The reason you are faced with these issues is due to failure of your predessors to promote and effect changes as the club grew. About a year ago the National even solicited feedback from the membership which was absolutely awesome. You took a step in the right direction. I am strongly suggesting you take immediate action to reform the AMCA in the following areas: 1. The AMCA National Governing Body should continue to consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Directors. All Director positions should have specific duties (i.e.Meet Coordinator, Technical Advisor, Judging, Youth, Membership, etc.). In addition each chapter should be allowed to elect one Chapter Representative. Chapter Representatives should be the trusted servant of their chapter, representing their chapter's views at the National level, have nominating and voting rights for determining who holds positions at the national level (i.e. President, V-P, etc.). 2. AMCA National Bylaws - All proposed changes to the National bylaws should be brought to each chapter by their Chapter Representative, discussed and voted upon within each chapter. Each Chapter Representative should support the decision made by their chapter in a vote taken by the presiding National President of the Chapter Representatives. All changes made in the bylaws should be by a majority vote of the Chapter Representatives. 3. AMCA National Financial Statements (monthly, quarterly & annual) should be published in a timely manner, detailed and available to all members. The club should be completely transparent. 4. The AMCA National budget and all changes to the budget should be determined in the same manner as the AMCA National bylaw changes above. 5. Judging rule changes should be determined in the same manner as the AMCA National bylaw changes above. The exact nature of the details in the bullets above are meant to be suggestions only, however I'm urging each of you to take a look at these proposals and take swift action to promote changes in each of these specific areas. Neither the chapters or individual members are willing to continue to have policy dictated to them without a voice or representation in the process. Please take a serious look at the negative impact to our club if you fail to get behind these proposals and take appropriate actions. The credibility of each of you is at stake as you take these suggestions into consideration. If you fail to take these actions or fail to act quickly I'm afraid irreparable damage will be caused to the club. It may already be too late. I predict that the Chief Blackhawk Chapter (CBC) will ultimately leave the AMCA within a few months and that other chapters will follow. Although some individuals may continue to keep their individual affiliatiion with the AMCA National for a variety of reasons many will not. The budget has already been significantly impacted by CBC changing from a National Meet to a Regional Meet. Losses of individual memberships will also contribute to the budget problem. If CBC and other chapters leave the AMCA it is possible that a competing organization will be formed. Ultimately you could be officers and a board of directors without a club to preside over. Although these problems weren't caused by any of you we've reached a moment in our history where you have the power to initiate these changes, provide a viable solution and quickly turn this into a success story. If you are honest, open-minded and willing to act then each of you can be a hero. Hero or zero, what is your choice? I pray you take the high road. Principles before personalities! Regards, Tim Schumacher CBC V-P |