Class Politics Thanks to everybody!! I think you got it right!!

Congratulations on your new jobs:

The new North American Executive committee as of today is:

Peter Johns...Chairman
Tracy Usher...Vice Chairman
James Appel...Executive Secretary

This will be my last unsolicited political post to this list. I do not
intend to make any further comments about North American Class management on any
Internet forum until and unless I am asked for a specific response to a specific
question. It is time for those who have been selected by the district
Secretaries to do their jobs without disruption from those of us whose methods would
differ. I believe in dissent, however, I will not by voicing well reasoned
dissent, provide a potential excuse for those who may have difficulty
accomplishing their goals.

The editorial:

With respect to the By law proposal: The various district secretaries of
North America have instructed the Executive Committee to either continue to
operate under the ILCA rules for Regions or to come up with a proposal other than
the rejected By laws proposal.

The results of the straw poll elections for Treasurer, Secretary and the two
member at large positions will present an interesting next few weeks for the
new Executive Committee. Without the new By laws, the positions do not exist
unless the Executive Committee appoints additional members to the original NA
Executive Committee. In the ILCA Constitution Regions 7(3), there is a clear
description of the method for appointment of additional Executive Committee
members. The description also allows a great deal of flexibility.

Will the Executive Committee choose to appoint anyone? If so, how
carefully will those positions be described. I have been a dissatisfied and vocal
for the past many months about the additional Executive Committee positions. I
have felt the positions were poorly defined and, because the positions had no
"described term," I have contended that the positions never existed. I
sincerely hope that the New Executive Committee, if it does choose to appoint
additional members, will carefully abide by the ILCA Constitution.
This time around, please, before you name the names, clearly define the
positions and the term length of the appointments. I suggest that the terms
end on or before November 30, 2004. I believe the North American Class should
have a meeting at the upcoming North American Championships of the membership.
It MUST BE properly announced in the Winter and Spring Laser Sailor editions,
The entire membership present should consider and contribute to the
organization of the class. The fact that properly announced general membership
meetings have not been properly held since 2002 is unacceptable. The agenda and date
of the meeting must be well publicized or it must not be accepted as valid by
the membership.
I fully recognize that the ILCA constitution does not call for a general
meeting of the membership. I also know that the North American Laser Class
used to have an annual membership meeting. The class members have been removed
from the process for the last two years. I find that removal to be
unacceptable.
A strong caution to the three members of the Executive Committee:
Do not give any additional members of the Executive Committee voting power on
any expanded Executive Committee. Define the positions as advisory.

I call upon all class members to refuse any appointment which does not
meet the letter of the ILCA constitution. Don't refuse to serve. Help to
solve the problems and then take the job. I am merely suggesting that no one
should accept a position until that position is constitutionally created.

Perhaps the district Secretaries were under the impression their votes
were for actual positions which would exist in some form. My sincere hope is
that the new Executive Committee will involve the two candidates who actually
won the (otherwise moot) District Secretary vote.

This commentator believes the At Large positions are redundant,
meaningless, demeaning, and perhaps even insulting to the rest of the district
secretaries. I believe the At large positions should die with the defeated By law
proposal where their genesis was found. Each of the At large candidates is also a
current District secretary. They still have plenty to do as Laser
Association officers.

After being told twice within two years that my financial management
skills are unwanted by our District secretaries, I am happy to finally and
completely quit spending or offering to spend more endless hours on that task. My
views regarding absolute payment of bills on time, big fat newsletters with real
content, a website that has endless pages of informative material, bumper
stickers, an on site presence by our Association at events, return of $4 per
member to Districts for local newsletter publication, a membership base that grows
monthly, a central office that stocks fun items like t shirts, sweatshirts,
books or whatever, and a budget that flexes to meet the daily needs while
maintaining a $2000 annual capital gain obviously are those visions shared only by
the minority.

May the new team better serve your needs.

I will contribute as I have for many years by introducing new sailors to
the game, helping my friends to keep their boats in working order and of
course by organizing the best regatta I know how to run.
Easter Laser Regatta

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/easterlaserbunny/myhomepage/business.html

Let's all get behind Peter, Tracy, James, and our fellow sailors and help
ourselves to the best Laser sailing North America can organize.


Good luck to all of us!!


Fred Schroth
CEO, Chief Designer, Accountant, Plant Manager, Receptionist, Janitor
Schroth Fiberglass
15605 Checotah Drive, Austin, TX 78734
Since 1980
 

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