Class Politics Appreciation for The NA Officers and Management

gouvernail

Super Opinionated and Always Correct
It would be really easy to misinterpret my constant harping about the performance of our officers and management as "something personal." Please, whatever you read into what I write, do not believe for a second that I do not appreciate every singe thing any of them does. I also absolutely appreciate the personal friendships I have with every one of the officers I have met.

Anyone who wants to follow this message with testimonials about how great all these folks are, should just go right ahead and contribute. It is Christmas season and by golly we ought to send glad tidings whenever possible!!!

BUT

The simple fact is. I used to be the Class secretary. I was canned, removed, fired, tossed out and booted in the butt as I went. There was an oxygen consuming creature from Florida who wrote email and told people that I was stealing our Laser class dollars. The creature was put on the executive committee and given a title as measurer just to totally ram in my face the utter hate the new Executive committee had for me PERSONALLY!! Somewhere in the midst of things most of the money from our advertisers and main supporter was shut off and I ended up spending $20K to $30K finishing my responsabilities, paying for class operations, and moving the class materials to Annapolis.

My reward for all my dedicated hard work? The new officers slammed me every possible way, published nonsense about the financial situation, and then had NO ONE run the office for two solid months. ( I left the class with about $15,000 cash, $6,000 accounts receivable for the freshly published ads, about $6,000 worth of books and clothing, a freshly printed newsletter, and 3106 members) Two months later we were already bankrupt and down to 2800 members. The idiots destroyed what I built by spending every waking moment for three years.( with a great head start from the Broadribbs and lots of help from Faust and a ton of others)

So, the only thing I have ever been able to do is point out on email forums like this that the NA Class grew for every one of the 35 months before I was canned. We did a lot of things Allan used to do and I spent a ton of personal effort doing my very best to be the best thing that ever happened to Laser sailing.

Unfortunatly for those who followed me as class employees, few if any people on the planet love Laser sailing more than Fred and few have the energy, compasion, or experience to put that passion to effective use.
I do not expect our new management team to put in the hours or reinvest their personal pay checks as I did. Not only was it nuts but they can look back and see...the reward can be a simple direct kick in the ass.

I am, however, thoroughly burned by the fact it is obvious the class fell flat on its face after I left and nobody has been even slightly impatient with the fact that THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING WORSE THAN THE GUY WE FIRED!!!

I will certainly back off some and quiet down if the membership rapidly exceeds the 3100 we had on the day I stopped. I will shut up and do nothing but contribute when the class begins to grow EVERY month as it did when I was running things.

Or

I would shut up if there were some extremely public apologies and a move by the class to permanently ban the liar who told people I stole from the class. ( Hey! Aren't all of you officers potential targets for a lunatic nutcase who says he has a finance degree and thinks you are a thief? If you don't protect me, nobody will follow your example and protect you.)

I would even shut up if the officers publically admitted they simply decided to throw me out because they didn't like me and they cared more about having people they liked in charge than someone who served the game. ( I am not stupid. I realize that I can be a boorish pain in the ass. If that is the reason for my dismissal, nobody has had the integrity to say so)

In the meantime.... Until it is no longer obviously true, I will continue to occasionally get the fur up on the back of my neck and remind everybody what a crappy job is being done compared to the guy who was fired.

Summary? I really like you manager and officer folks and it is just too darned bad you happened to fall into a job where there used to be a guy who was a super dedicated nutball fanatic cheerleader and tireless organizer....who was canned and is still pissed.

But not in any way at you. You are great folks.

and thanks for mailing me a special copy of the newsletter. It arrived one day after the regular one.

I appreciate you!! Personally and for the jobs you do.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

Come sail at Easter

Fred
 
Poor Fred....
I think we should all go to his Easter Laser Regatta to cheer him up!
 
Bradley said:
Poor Fred....
I think we should all go to his Easter Laser Regatta to cheer him up!

I don't think I'll make it to your Easter Regatta. Too many irons in the fire. Will you make it to Sandusky for their regatta June 24? If so, see you there!

Janet
 
I often wonder how these crooks can get away with this kind of bullshit. I am getting really upset when I think of how the current administration of this country gets away with all kinds deception. The same thing is true for Worldcom and Enron scandals. Your situation is of course on a smaller scale (in your case no one got killed and it does not involve the destruction of the economy of the worlds most powerful nation, nor the violation of the Geneva convention). Yet, I think that all situations point to a lack of education (I use this word in the broadest way possible). If you read Machiavelli’s Prince you will see how one can be evil and at the same time be loved. People often fear those people who behave in a “Machiavellian” manner. Fear and love are not that far apart, as Machiavelli argues. Yet, the problem is that people do not recognize that those that are in power are the cause of their problems. The Bush-administration uses all kind of fallacies and populist methods to deceive the public. Enron et al just kept repeating that their companies were doing great (and used all kind of accounting tricks – by the way Enron is just the tip of the iceberg). Something very similar seems to be done to you (I have seen that this person added the most ridiculous comments to the old laser website). When people hear one thing over and over again (for example, the communist will attack us, these people are terrorists, our company is doing great, or Fred is a thief) they will start to belief it. Your guy probably went to school with these other crooks (and these are REAL crooks, as opposed to some more honest crooks who used to run companies and countries).
I can keep going for a while, but my point is: you’ve got my sympathy. I also have the tendency to be a troublemaker, but mostly back off just in time. I have seen people’s careers get destroyed when they did not take that step back.

By the way, plagiarism is only plagiarism if one does not acknowledge the fact that one uses someone else’s intellectual property. One, thus, cannot commit plagiarism and simultaneously admit it.

GWF
 
Fred,

Virtually all the people you mention have moved on......that was a miserable time for the class and you, but you are still here! The others are not!

Maybe it is time to use your considerable energy to promote the organization from within as you used to do so well.

I am sure Tracy and the board would welcome your involvement.

Think about it.

mark
 
Fred,
all that I understand (with my poor English) is, that you are "with-right" really angry about several things that happened at your continent. I know a Laserite (that moved from the east-coast of the USA to the region of Europe/Asia) that finally had nearly the same form of inveterate hate. This is proved by all the good email-contact I had with him (some of that is to find at TLF). You know him much better than me. He was here at TLF for a long time and helpful to all that need support, but now he is away and that is very sad for all Laserites that need help and are thankful that they get help. Do not walk the same path, please. Dig your anger, Fred, it is the best you can do for your health. One of my personal experiences in my short life is, that some things not can be "worked up". The only redemption from this bad thoughts is: to switch them off /distraction. Follow the way you always loud advise to 'underdone Laserites' like me (Go out! – Sailing!). It's funny, but, my personal experience is, that this advice really helps a lot. Here at TLF, make polls and nice signatures and discuss (serious or funny) in the way you prefer, because such a "silverback" of the Laserclass, like you, can teach us all a lot. And, I guess, here at TLF are a lot, that want to be taught by you. And if there are others, that do not want to hear your words: "We can't help them", as we say in a German word, I say.

But, one point I have to add in your arguments above, there a r e some Laserites that love Laser sailing in minimum like you, Fred: the 3 inventors of the Laser dinghy and here in GER: one, that lives at Kiel. I guess you know him, too, Fred. He is a silverback-Laserite like you and a model for an (honorary) active officer for all Laser sailors since the Laser came to Kiel. No one here will disagree this. It was one of the main reasons for me, to join the national Laser association here. Thanks god, there are no signs that he (and his wife!) not will stay with us German Laserites here, if I see to the heavy trouble that the ILCA-NA had in the past....

Happy Christmas Fred, much health and a successful and prosperous New Year and don't forget to give the bunny at lake Travis enough carrots and salat to eat during the holidays. :)

Ludwig the LooserLu
 
Laser Lu

Could it be??!!!

"I know a Laserite (that moved from the east-coast of the USA to the region of Europe/Asia) that finally had nearly the same form of inveterate hate. This is proved by all the good email-contact I had with him (some of that is to find at TLF). You know him much better than me. He was here at TLF for a long time and ..."

Could this be our long missing Shevy?
 
Mark Grinder said:
Laser Lu

Could it be??!!!

"I know a Laserite (that moved from the east-coast of the USA to the region of Europe/Asia) that finally had nearly the same form of inveterate hate. This is proved by all the good email-contact I had with him (some of that is to find at TLF). You know him much better than me. He was here at TLF for a long time and ..."

Could this be our long missing Shevy?
Mark,
that Laserite, that I'm talking about, now lives and sails on the Channel of Bosporus ;)
Without success, the "St. Nicholas from GER" tried to reach him last week, but maybe the now Radial-sailing Laserite ist busy with his job to look at his email-post. I don't know. But one thing is true, he has not been seen for month at TLF. Maybe he is to busy with family or job or other reasons. Thats all I can say, sorry. But "Ludwig P.I." has seen some 2005-photos from that Laserite and from that I can say he is alive and enjoys it. :)

Cheers
Ludwig the LooserLu
 
Mark Grinder said:
Fred,

Virtually all the people you mention have moved on......that was a miserable time for the class and you, but you are still here! The others are not!

Maybe it is time to use your considerable energy to promote the organization from within as you used to do so well.

I am sure Tracy and the board would welcome your involvement.

Think about it.

mark

Excellent suggestion. It seems to me, a new Laserite, that the class is on an upswing and that we all should rejoice. Of course, ideas to improve our sailing (or game as Fred/Gouvernail likes to call it) are always welcome and I commend him for coming up with many thought provoking approaches to do just that. In the other hand, let's give the class governance (and this includes the office in San Diego) a chance to work out some of the (ILCA North America) kinks in the coming year.

Peace and fair winds to all!
 
Each one of us must choose whether to be in the tent pissing out, or outside the tent pissing in. Its been 4 years? Lets talk about something constructive.
 
Watch out for the electric fence!!!

The current officers and staff are trying hard and doing better with each month. I will continue to offer suggestions and help whenever I can.

( Yes. I realize my suggestions are often presented in a manner which makes them impossible to accept. I will try to be more gentle with my criticisms, make my "meals of suggestions" more palatable, and I am certain many of you will remind me when I backslide)

Meanwhile, I will continue to personally host and finance one of the largest annual regattas in the country and help various Laser sailors with whatever I can offer.

There is no way I will lower my standards or expectations, I have seen how it can and should be done and I am unwilling to silently watch less happen.

Note: My expectations are finite and have been published.

Thanks again to all the folks who do stuff to make our game happen...ALL OF YOU!!
 

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