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Super Opinionated and Always Correct
Re: NA Class Elections This Month
Most volunteer non-profit organizations experience a natural turnover as those who have worked hard tend to burn out. When new enthusiastic members are welcomed into the system and trained by the exiting old guard, the new managers stand on the shoulders of the old guard and the association generally grows and prospers.
Sometimes the new enthusiastic members become impatient and throw out the old guard and the transition stumbles as our NA Class stumbled in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Sometimes the old guard remains in office and fades while no one recognizes the need and / or successfully brings new enthusiastic management blood in to continue the mission of the association.
In 2002 Mark Kastel spent a lot of effort attempting to educate the Class officers about the fragility of our management structure. We had too many eggs in one basket and in large part, "The health of Laser sailing in North America was far too closely tied to the health of Fred Schroth." We learned from Mark to consider the worst case reality, to train ourselves and have a plan so Laser sailing could continue un-damaged if Fred suddenly stopped doing virtually everything for us.
Mark tried to help the class officers understand that the class needed to put a plan in place before we lost Fred. Mark tried to explain that as a class we were fortunate. Fred was still alive and willing to continue managing our everyday operations. Mark pointed out that the class needed to create an effective plan so that the Class would have security (If Fred died or just decided to quit) and also so the Class officers would have options. (If the oficers wanted to fire Fred)
We all know Ryan Minth Minth and his ignorant minions chose to ignore Mark's advice, which was to setup a plan before we actually need a plan.
Even though they knew nothing about running the class and had no plan for keeping the class healthy, Fred was simply terminated. There was no trained replacement. In fact, no remaining class officer had any comprehensive concept of how to manage the North American Laser Class.
The ignorance of the officers, the foolish disregard for Mark Kastel's advice (Always have a survival plan for loss of the main officers), and the egomaniacal actions taken with no plan set back North American Laser sailing in more ways than we could have imagined.
We not only lost 3/4 of the membership and missed over 1000 new sailors, the US top sailors whose results had been steadily improving dropped to somewhere in the second 100 at the Laser Worlds.
Currently the NA Class has relatively sound, although generally inactive on the race course, management. The Class just attempted to hold elections and we failed. Luckily, our ancient team of officers has agreed to serve one more term. Most are in decent health and should, barring some unforseen disaster, serve their terms.
That is a long way from, " We have so many well trained and experienced volunteers who want to run things we have to hold elections."
Despite the advice of Mark Kastel, the NA Class and the game of Laser sailing it manages is one illness or car wreck away from falling dead.
We are one disastous illness away from another four years of incompetent management, loss of sailors, invisibility to new prospective sailors, and further humiliation on the international race course.
Last year one of our officers had a family disaster and no one was trained and ready to step in and fill her shoes until she could come back. The class had no plan other than to sit and whither while it waited. We are absolutely fortunate that she eventually came back and she is now doing great things to make up for lost time.
There would have been no lost time if anyone had listened to and seriously followed the advice of Mark Kastel.
The current election failure should be a wake up call to all Laser sailors in North America. The game is teetering on the edge of disaster..
The NA Class is once again being run by benevolent dictators while everyone else just sits and watches.
It is truly fortunate that our benevolent dictators are a lot like me. They would never do anything to hurt the game and, in fact, are doing their best to make the game work.
Eventually, one or two or all of our current benevolent dictators will stop.
Is it really the truth that 3000 Laser sailors around North America would rather risk the end of well managed Laser sailing than take on one of the very easy to serve positions in management?
Do the teenagers and twentysomethings understand that they can individually volunteer and almost instantly find themselves in charge of whatever part of Laser sailing they would like to run?
Hey kid! Want to choose better venues for yourself?? Take ofer scheduling. The class would love to have you do it.
Really.
I find it hard to believe that in any given year fewer than one new sailor in 1000 offers to get involved in class management.
Is it really true no one is interested??
Most volunteer non-profit organizations experience a natural turnover as those who have worked hard tend to burn out. When new enthusiastic members are welcomed into the system and trained by the exiting old guard, the new managers stand on the shoulders of the old guard and the association generally grows and prospers.
Sometimes the new enthusiastic members become impatient and throw out the old guard and the transition stumbles as our NA Class stumbled in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Sometimes the old guard remains in office and fades while no one recognizes the need and / or successfully brings new enthusiastic management blood in to continue the mission of the association.
In 2002 Mark Kastel spent a lot of effort attempting to educate the Class officers about the fragility of our management structure. We had too many eggs in one basket and in large part, "The health of Laser sailing in North America was far too closely tied to the health of Fred Schroth." We learned from Mark to consider the worst case reality, to train ourselves and have a plan so Laser sailing could continue un-damaged if Fred suddenly stopped doing virtually everything for us.
Mark tried to help the class officers understand that the class needed to put a plan in place before we lost Fred. Mark tried to explain that as a class we were fortunate. Fred was still alive and willing to continue managing our everyday operations. Mark pointed out that the class needed to create an effective plan so that the Class would have security (If Fred died or just decided to quit) and also so the Class officers would have options. (If the oficers wanted to fire Fred)
We all know Ryan Minth Minth and his ignorant minions chose to ignore Mark's advice, which was to setup a plan before we actually need a plan.
Even though they knew nothing about running the class and had no plan for keeping the class healthy, Fred was simply terminated. There was no trained replacement. In fact, no remaining class officer had any comprehensive concept of how to manage the North American Laser Class.
The ignorance of the officers, the foolish disregard for Mark Kastel's advice (Always have a survival plan for loss of the main officers), and the egomaniacal actions taken with no plan set back North American Laser sailing in more ways than we could have imagined.
We not only lost 3/4 of the membership and missed over 1000 new sailors, the US top sailors whose results had been steadily improving dropped to somewhere in the second 100 at the Laser Worlds.
Currently the NA Class has relatively sound, although generally inactive on the race course, management. The Class just attempted to hold elections and we failed. Luckily, our ancient team of officers has agreed to serve one more term. Most are in decent health and should, barring some unforseen disaster, serve their terms.
That is a long way from, " We have so many well trained and experienced volunteers who want to run things we have to hold elections."
Despite the advice of Mark Kastel, the NA Class and the game of Laser sailing it manages is one illness or car wreck away from falling dead.
We are one disastous illness away from another four years of incompetent management, loss of sailors, invisibility to new prospective sailors, and further humiliation on the international race course.
Last year one of our officers had a family disaster and no one was trained and ready to step in and fill her shoes until she could come back. The class had no plan other than to sit and whither while it waited. We are absolutely fortunate that she eventually came back and she is now doing great things to make up for lost time.
There would have been no lost time if anyone had listened to and seriously followed the advice of Mark Kastel.
The current election failure should be a wake up call to all Laser sailors in North America. The game is teetering on the edge of disaster..
The NA Class is once again being run by benevolent dictators while everyone else just sits and watches.
It is truly fortunate that our benevolent dictators are a lot like me. They would never do anything to hurt the game and, in fact, are doing their best to make the game work.
Eventually, one or two or all of our current benevolent dictators will stop.
Is it really the truth that 3000 Laser sailors around North America would rather risk the end of well managed Laser sailing than take on one of the very easy to serve positions in management?
Do the teenagers and twentysomethings understand that they can individually volunteer and almost instantly find themselves in charge of whatever part of Laser sailing they would like to run?
Hey kid! Want to choose better venues for yourself?? Take ofer scheduling. The class would love to have you do it.
Really.
I find it hard to believe that in any given year fewer than one new sailor in 1000 offers to get involved in class management.
Is it really true no one is interested??