Class Politics Nobody Wants To Be An Officer?

gouvernail

Super Opinionated and Always Correct
No one single person in North America thinks it is so important to serve as a Laser Class officer it is important enough to post a, "Vote for me and Why."

I am not saying nobody wants teh job.

I am saying, it sure looks like the only reason anybody is currently serving is a personal version of, "If nobody else will do the job I will hold the title and do what I can when I have the inclination."

Please, kids. take over your game and use your enthusiasm to make it grow and prosper.

Don't worry about getting it wrong. The only way to get it wrong is to do nothing.

Our current officers are old, very old men and women who lost any concept of enthusiasm years and years ago.

There are almost zero qualifications necessary to serve as an officer of the North American Laser Class.

If you ahve a pulse and are willing, you can have a title.

If you have a pulse and some enthusiasm, you can have any title for which you promise your best effort.

Is there anyone out there with a pulse??

ANYBODY???


?????

uncle-sam-wants-you.jpg
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

not every laser sailor is on this forum and I bet that many may not even know that this is going on.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

not every laser sailor is on this forum and I bet that many may not even know that this is going on.


Absolutely true.

On the other hand...

Laser sailing was not built by a bunch of people who had to be sought out and asked for help.

When the game was booming, people were lining up to drag more people into the game and show them how to play on our great boats in the great game.

Now, nobody even gives a crap about doing a damn thing.

The game can't run on fumes forever.

Sooner or later somebody has to step up and make it work.

Tracy has run the show for his ten years. The other 2000 of you who have benefitted and done nothing curently collectively owe Tracy 200,000 years.

It's HIS turn to just show up and rig and not worry about how teh details are tgaken care of.

As I see it there are 2000 of you screwing Tracy every day and I am sorta sick of it.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

The other thing that might be nice is a basic job description, I don't think many of us know exactly what the officers do.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

The other thing that might be nice is a basic job description, I don't think many of us know exactly what the officers do.

The ILCA Constitution describes the organization of the regions and their officers. After that, the ILCA-NA has a set of by-laws (with Eric Faust the lead editor) that describe in more detail the officers of the ILCA-NA Executive Committee. Finally, this thread on the ILCA-NA website describes the annual procedure.

Let me know if you need more information than is contained in the above links!
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

I am saying, it sure looks like the only reason anybody is currently serving is a personal version of, "If nobody else will do the job I will hold the title and do what I can when I have the inclination."

Respectfully, I have to disagree with this statement.

First, the officers who are standing for re-election, as outlined in this thread on the ILCA-NA site, are doing so because they want to, not because they think they have to.

Second, the people currently volunteering their time are putting in a LOT of effort and I know that in a few cases it significantly impacts on time they would be spending on the water. So, I don't think it is fair to characterize them as only wanting to "hold the title" - these volunteers are doing real work on behalf of all Laser sailors.

We do have a natural turnover of ILCA-NA ExCom members and this year is no exception. Ben Richardson is stepping down as Treasurer not because he doesn't want to do it, but because he was given one of those "opportunities he can't refuse" and felt he would not be able to put in the time necessary to fulfill his responsibilities. Ben will be missed, he really did a great job overseeing the ILCA-NA finances (one should notice the positive balance in the bank account at the end of the last two fiscal years), and also worked hard on the always contentious world championship qualification rules - not only working with all the interested parties but also bringing the perspective of a hard core Olympic campaigner. He will be missed!

On the other hand, this does present the perfect opportunity for someone new to step up to help at the regional level. And, in fact, I am told that at least one highly qualified individual has already stepped forward to put their name into the nomination process for Treasurer to replace Ben. So, as has been the case all along, the people in our class do step forward when there is a need.

The nomination process begins the week of October 6 and any member of ILcA-NA who wants to be nominated, but is unsure of what is involved, or of the actual process, etc, is encouraged to contact Sherri Campbell in the ILCA-NA office and she will be happy to help guide you through the process. You can also send any questions to me, and I'm more than happy to also help, but remember that, as a candidate myself, I'm "tainted", "guilty by association" or something...
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Sorry, but I find part of gouvernail's first post in this thread derogatory to the current officers.
I know that Fred has (mostly) great ideas, spends a lot of time contributing to the sport in general, and is a positive force for the well being of the class, but it is not helpful to be so negative about the current election process. Specifically, if we direct unjustified criticism at our officers, who will want to serve now or in the future?

I see absolutely nothing wrong with re-electing those that are doing a good job. But I do agree with Fred that, in the long run, it is necessary to groom future officers; whether they be young or old is secondary, IMHO.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Sorry, but I find part of gouvernail's first post in this thread derogatory to the current officers.
etc.....

No way I meant to make it sound that way.

When I took over a Calss Secretary I ONLY did it out of concern it would not otherwise get done at all.

I knew there were people who wanted the pay. There were people who wanted to do some of the job.
As opne of teh current class officers ( Vice President / Measurer) I didn't hear from anybody who described doing what I thought was the ENTIRE job so I mad a pitch about what I would do, took on the contract, hired help with half my pay, and then we did lots more than anybody ever envisioned.

Somebody out there in Laser land must have the same enthusiasm Eric and I had in 1999...We were already old farts.

My belief, and I could be wrong about some or all of our current officers, is our officers are feeling responsible for the game and are taking care of the game as well as they know how. They are spending as much time as their lives will allow to accomplish what matters very much to them.

None of the current oficers is a raving Laser fanatic.

I think we need a few.

None of the ILCA positions are difficult mentally or physically to fill. The positions have descriptions and duties and any reasonable person can make a reasonable prediction about how much time might be necessary and then...grab a position and fill the job.

There are probably 10,000 people in North America who race a Laser at least once every year. Only about one in 5 ever pays class dues and few more contribute at the club level.

There are 2000 members in the class and life is not all that long.

Thee is no reason anyone should have to spend 10 years filling an uncompensated position on the board of directors of any 2000 member institution.

How old do you have to be??
Old enough to do the job.

In various sailing organizations, I was a class president when I was 16 , a measurer when I was 18 and served as district secretary, national secretary, class vice president , and district governor all before I turned 21. I am certain I was an ignorant over enthusiastic punk pain in the butt who was always dragging other folks out to play my sailing games.

I am no smarter of clever than any of the kids who post on this forum or sail in our fleets. I did ok. My classes always grew. I think we should put the kids in charge. NOW.

if the new kids screw up, old guys like Tracy can come back and help out a bit...after the races.

In fact, I am certain Tracy would spend time on the phone, write emails, and even come to a regatta a day early once in a while to help some 17 year old figure out how to get the Class Presidency thing done right.

The game needs people who eat sleep and drink Laser sailing and who will drag their friends out to join them.

Kids do that stuff way better than old farts.

And...
Just how many years do the same guys have to run things before it is somebody else's turn??

Grab a postion and do something!!!

That's my only point.

It is time for the kids to take over and run the show.

Really!!


Kids ahve something old age and experience always kills...

Enthusiasm
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Time, and endless optimism are also attributes of youth that lend themselves well to a volunteer Class exec job.

However the inherent thanklessness can be discouraging, especially to someone young and inexperienced. Ya just can't please everybody.

Patience and diplomacy are also hard to come by in someone of the younger persuasion.

How d'you think an 18 yr.old Class President would fare at a World Council meeting when confronted by the highly skilled, experienced and manipulative Mr. Martin? Or a panel of builders whose ability to earn a living depends upon the decisions of a bunch of volunteers?

I think a certain measure of self-confidence and maturity is needed to weather that storm.

Hey Fred, would you please weigh in on my "keep the dream alive" thread? I've been waiting in weightless anticipation.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

How d'you think an 18 yr.old Class President would fare at a World Council meeting when confronted by the highly skilled, experienced and manipulative Mr. Martin? Or a panel of builders whose ability to earn a living depends upon the decisions of a bunch of volunteers?

.


I have one for you...

How do you think any of us has ever fared any differently than a crying baby would ahve fared.

Sometimes they pay attention long enough to get us to shut up but NOBODY ever even slows the builders who do EXACTLY as they please.

All old farts do is get used to being ignored.

A pesky kid would come back and publish a newsletter where he bitches about being bullshitted by the Builders.

Let's see the last article like that in ANY North Americamn Newsletter was published in 2002...Summer issue??


The secretary stood up to the builders...

Something about hew drain plugs that had new threads?? Something about the eighth different plug after the first 120,000 boats ahd the exact same plug??

Something about teh original plug still being on the market?

Something about every singe sailr needing a drain plug to sailand the builder was making it difficult for us to find spares.

Something about NOBODY VOTED FOR THAT CHANGE!!!

The reaction in North America was for the builder butt kissing class officers to pick up copies of that newsletter at yacht clubs and throw them in the trash becuase the builder said the newsletter was HI-JACKED!!

Yes, somebody said something aswful about the builder and he quit paying for his advertising and withheld the $35 per boat new boat calss subsidy until the writer was gone!!

Yeah...Don't complain about his new thirty nine cent drain plug or you will be shoved out as a pariah.

Let the kids have at it.

Kids don't tolerate bull from anybody.

Kids still believe they can DEMAND an explanation.

Let's throw our snot nosed enthusiastic teenaged fanatics at the world council.

The kids in North and South America are the most intolerable creatures on the planet...unless they get their way...

It was American Kids who stomped the Kaiser.

It was American kids who kicked Hitler's ass.

It was American Kids who made Laser sailing the premiere world sailing game.

American Kids can take on anybody and win.

If the kids don't volunteer I say we draft them!!!
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

The game needs people who eat sleep and drink Laser sailing and who will drag their friends out to join them.

I think that this is the most important part of Fred's post. Being a district governor (and maybe a class officer) is a thankless job that requires unbridled enthusiasm and energy, because the feedback is so small compared to what you put into it. I think that for someone in their 20's it is a great experience to try and rally a group of people and get them going in the same direction. There is a lot of give and take in establishing a schedule, getting the NOR's out, and working with the class office. I did it for several years in the J/24 class, in my 20's.

Folks, try it and do it before you get burned out and become cynical and show up to the Masters events only. It can be rewarding and you will learn more about the boat and class politics than you ever could have imagined.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

I have one for you...

How do you think any of us has ever fared any differently than a crying baby would ahve fared.

Sometimes they pay attention long enough to get us to shut up but NOBODY ever even slows the builders who do EXACTLY as they please.

All old farts do is get used to being ignored.

A pesky kid would come back and publish a newsletter where he bitches about being bullshitted by the Builders.

Let's see the last article like that in ANY North Americamn Newsletter was published in 2002...Summer issue??


The secretary stood up to the builders...

Something about hew drain plugs that had new threads?? Something about the eighth different plug after the first 120,000 boats ahd the exact same plug??

Something about teh original plug still being on the market?

Something about every singe sailr needing a drain plug to sailand the builder was making it difficult for us to find spares.

Something about NOBODY VOTED FOR THAT CHANGE!!!

The reaction in North America was for the builder butt kissing class officers to pick up copies of that newsletter at yacht clubs and throw them in the trash becuase the builder said the newsletter was HI-JACKED!!

Yes, somebody said something aswful about the builder and he quit paying for his advertising and withheld the $35 per boat new boat calss subsidy until the writer was gone!!

Yeah...Don't complain about his new thirty nine cent drain plug or you will be shoved out as a pariah.

Let the kids have at it.

Kids don't tolerate bull from anybody.

Kids still believe they can DEMAND an explanation.

Let's throw our snot nosed enthusiastic teenaged fanatics at the world council.

The kids in North and South America are the most intolerable creatures on the planet...unless they get their way...

It was American Kids who stomped the Kaiser.

It was American kids who kicked Hitler's ass.

It was American Kids who made Laser sailing the premiere world sailing game.

American Kids can take on anybody and win.

If the kids don't volunteer I say we draft them!!!

That seriously happened, such a load of ****, we only need one type of drain plug, no reason to go about switching the freaking things around! Granted it's not a major change, so I don't exactly see the need for a vote, but it would be nice to know before hand. Builders walkin all over us again!
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Absolutely true.

...
Tracy has run the show for his ten years. The other 2000 of you who have benefitted and done nothing curently collectively owe Tracy 200,000 years.

It's HIS turn to just show up and rig and not worry about how teh details are tgaken care of.

As I see it there are 2000 of you screwing Tracy every day and I am sorta sick of it.


Gouvernail, I have a great amout of respect for you as a sailor and a human being, but the first thing that popped into my mind when you said this is, "piss off, jack." Maybe it's just my mood today.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Gouvernail, I have a great amout of respect for you as a sailor and a human being, but the first thing that popped into my mind when you said this is, "piss off, jack." Maybe it's just my mood today.

Um, Pez old buddy, you are a good guy. Could you be a little more "elegant" in your criticism? The Gouv himself makes an effort to do so at TLF.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Gouvernail, I have a great amout of respect for you as a sailor and a human being, but the first thing that popped into my mind when you said this is, "piss off, jack." Maybe it's just my mood today.


Please don't take your displeasure with me out on Jack!!!

But seriously....

I do think the game would be better served by those who are young and full of that enthusiasm associated with refusal to accept "I don't care" for an answer.
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Please don't take your displeasure with me out on Jack!!!

But seriously....

I do think the game would be better served by those who are young and full of that enthusiasm associated with refusal to accept "I don't care" for an answer.

My bad, I'm in the wrong... I knew I would raise Merrily's ire, for that, my apologies.

All accusations of direct or indirect screwing of Mr. Usher aside, your point is well taken, and the class will be served well by the injection of new 'blood'. Your post assumes that everyone that sails a laser have the same goals...

I support the class with my $$ when I am able, I just didnt feel it was appropriate to randomly chastise 20,000 people because they might not think the way you think they should. Enough said about that, bad mood today...

Part of the reason that I think people would not want to be an officer is due to the inexplicable bureaucracy associated with the class... I have two boats, my main purpose for which is to promote dinghy sailing, then promote Laser sailing.
 
Re: Nobody Wants To Be An Officer

Ah but you saw right through me...

I think everybody should get off his butt and run my game for me so I can just go play.. They should not only do this because I said so; they should read my mind and know to serve my interests without having to be told....

he he he
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Part of the reason that I think people would not want to be an officer is due to the inexplicable bureaucracy associated with the class...


Thats half the fun! I'm still game! Vote for me! (how does this work again?)
 
Re: Nobody Want To Be An Officer

Thats half the fun! I'm still game! Vote for me! (how does this work again?)

Nominations are already done, the slate of officers is set. Clay Johnson replaced Ben Richardson and the rest ran unopposed.
 
How Can I Help Laser Sailing?

There are other many posts on the Forum which clearly demonstrate we have lots of willing people and few who feel able to get involved at a comfortable level.

It is your game. It is your hobby. It is your free time. It is your donation. It is your decisioin.

The Class currently has some definitions of positions which give general outlines of what people whith various titles might be asked to do..But those guidelines and titles don't matter one little bit.

What matters is that the game works.

The ONLY reason we have a Laser Class is to make the game work better. The titles and positions were made up by people who thought the postions were necessary to make the game work.

You can revisit the definition of any postion or the entire class association concept any time you please. There were no stone tablets.

You can do stuff to make the game work while taking on any role you feel like taking on.

It might be more effecient if you coordinate your efforts with the current set of officers of the tool called the Laser Class but if you want to do something for the game and make a part of the game you enjoy or care about work...simply have at it.


A few years ago, a guy from north undershoe decided we needed some coordination for masers events in North America. he invented himself a position and called himself the masters coordinator. He set up a website and until he burned out he created a monster website and updated it every few hours. The positon remains alive and is now held by a bunch of old farts.

Another guy decided we needed a Laser FAQ and he spent occasional evenings asking himself questions and posting the answers.

Another fellow set up DR laser.org

Bradley invented this forum.

I host the Easter regatta

Mary Helen Edgecomb invented and hosted the Bruce Cup.

John Bowden, Eric Faust and I built a five boat trailer

Kurt Taulbee paid his own way by transporting a dozen boats all around and chartering them for events.

Newt has his Orange Coffeepot.

Tracy reinvented the Laser Slalom.

Jack Swenson hosted a regatta at his house in Florida

Nobody currently holds the "never had one but we sure could use one" titles of:

Youth coordinator
Youth President
Youth VP
regatta party facilitator
trailering guru
hauling vehicle advisor
camping coordinator
casino on the way to regattas advisor
Family vacation and lasering website manager
future regatta site obtainer and facilitator
Sailing Instructions reviewer...Eric Robbins used to hav that title
District reports reaper
Illegal drugs coordinator
district website advisor
class photographer
t shirt drawing artist
regatta flyer artist
new sites reviewer
regatta reporter
ambassador to the Builder
ambasador to the ILCA
quality control committee chair
quality control committee member
official class whiner
class cheerleader
no wind toys and games advisor
maintenance expert
fleet meals and parties advisor
Stolen parts fence
manager of a list of places you can stay for cheap or free
coach's coordinator
Coach boat exterminator
race committe supplies
product review
Laser on your side....uses the clout of our association fo "ask" suppliers to resolve problems with our member customers
Traveling class regatta management team.
Scoring and making the scores available on the web..wouldn't it be nice if every laser race anywhere were posted on some site?
drag out former sailors person
exit interview person...when som,ebody quits you find out why?
Local churches near regatta sites finder facilitator
Great places to eat guy
baby photos on Lasers in garages website host.
get kids who are out of college and making a living back in lasers coordinator
New officer finder
contraception provider
annoying pain in the butt who is annoying because he is almost always right.......No that's my job but if you can do it better?? or just want to share?
Promotions manager
sponsorship coordinator
pugilist (open at least until Jan 1, 2009)
historian
future plans
tweener coordinator ( to old to be competitive too young for masters)
traveling speaker and clinic operations
newsletter editor
website manager
US class president
regatta site janitor
Explosives and guns coordinator
Canadian class vice president
Olympic Committee representative
USSailing representative
O'Days representative
Class stylist
Youth Champs Representative
Smythe trophy rep.
High school lasering coordinator
College lasering Coordinator
Community sailing programs advisor
handicap laser sailing advisor
Fundraising regattas advisor and coordinator
Used laser disposal






My point is you can do any job you please. The Class has officers who are always willing and downright eager to add anybody new to the team of folks who care about making the game happen.

Most of the tasks hinted at above are not being done at all and few if any are being done as well an they could be.

You can invent any job you choose to try out for a while and do it for as long or short a period as you please.
it is as simple as a phone call or email like this:

hey guys. I have a printer and a stash of mailing labels and if you would give me access to your mailing lists I would be happy to generate mailing labels and email lists for regatta hosts. I have no interest in supplying labels to businesses and won't do that. I just want to help regattas and fleets happen."

I bet you can have that list and maybe you could even get the class to put a link on the opening page of the website.

something like

need an email list or set of mailing lables to spread the word about an upcoming event? Contact our promotions guru here with your needs.

The truth is, I built those features into the ACCESS database I delivered to the Class in 2002. With a couple clicks and a little banging on the keyboard Sheri can generate an email list or set of mailing labels from our class database. All she needs to do is define the set and click on print or file.

But..If we had a person who just loved to make those email lists and labels happen and who constantely pestered hosts to ask for them, maybe possibly more people would end up at our events.

Pick a job and do it...

If you don't

the game will die and it will be your fault.
 
Re: Nobody Wants To Be An Officer

Actually, I don't think thie above post belongs in this thread.

it is not about being an officer...We have already clarly established: No One Wants to Be an Officer

They new thread was started in an attempt to broaden the sweep looking for folks who might possibly want to contribute to the laser game.

Lots of people are probably willing to do a smaller part than the OFFICER role.

The purpose of the new thread was to plant some seeds about smaller more manageable contributions that are not only welcome but necessary to the survival of our otherwise shrinking game.
 
Re: Nobody Wants To Be An Officer

I think its very appropriate for this thread, Fred. If an outsider reads through all these posts he or she may be left wondering, "How Can I help?" and then here is the answer. Please keep all related discussion to helping the Laser class as an officer or other volunteer in this thread.

Thanks,
 
Re: Nobody Wants To Be An Officer

OK . You sold me.

I am quite serious about my concern that many very important tasks are not being performed simply because no one is providing the inexhaustable personal energy supply

If I could request three edits:

1. how about changing the title to: Anybody Can Be a Classy Contributor
2. Dump posts #27 and #29
3. add a forum host's comment above post number one that includes>>
"Please keep all related discussion to helping the Laser class as an officer or other volunteer in this thread."

Just my two thousand cents and as I am not doing any of the work......just a request.
 

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