<VV> BoD job explained. Bruce's response

[Ron]

I never heard of a "CORSA Kiosk".  Where is it stored?
RonH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "henry kaczmarek" <kaczmarek at charter.net>
To: "virtualvairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 11:00 PM
Subject: <VV> BoD job explained. Bruce's response


> Folks
>
> Bruce saith:
>
>> This is interesting. I can't remember a director ever contacting our club 
>> or coming to a meeting or event, although I remember asking a director to 
>> come to one of our meetings and talk to us before. We have had a director 
>> at an event, but just as a participant, not as a director. That is, there 
>> was never any communication or discussion about CORSA business that I 
>> recall.
>
> I have had musings of the same kind from time to time.
>
> I guess it is how one looks at the job.
>
> If you are a believer in representative democracy,  then your take might 
> be that a director is like a congressman in that they are your 
> representative at the power table of the club. And in so doing responsible 
> to you for their actions.  If they do not act as you wish them to, you can 
> voice your disapproval with your vote.  If you have a beef or gripe about 
> the club or how it is run, you can voice same to your director(s).
>
> My personal take is the BoD doesn't look at themselves or their job that 
> way, nor likely has the BoD ever looked at themselves that way. How the 
> board governs the club is IMO more like passing  measures by consensus of 
> board members.  Input from the membership  before issues are voted upon 
> aren't discouraged, but not exactly requested.    There are no referendums 
> on how the BoD spends the clubs funds.
>
> Now the below is stuck in my craw, I am over it, but this illustrates my 
> point well.
>
> I wonder how many members would have voted for a multi thousand dollar 
> expenditure for the "CORSA Kiosk",  the purpose of which was to bring in 
> new members in droves when erected at various events, shipped to such 
> places and shipping paid for by local chapters.  I have heard it was has 
> been used at the Fan Belt Toss, but other than at the National Conventions 
> (where everyone is usually already a member) I have never seen this thing 
> at any event. One of the reasons is that to make it durable, it is so 
> heavy that shipping it is cost prohibitive.
>
> As it turns out, this was a pet project of a former director, who has not 
> been a board member for several years now.  This same director refused 
> tooth and nail to approve funding for the Corvair Basics manual, (at the 
> time approximately 1500.00)
> personally citing to me on the phone "his fiduciary duty to CORSA".  At 
> the time I had no idea the white elephant (IMO) kiosk was his personal 
> idea.
>
> At the end of the day, VirtualVairs is the best recruiting tool that the 
> club has ever had, and that is why the club now pays for server 
> maintanence and upgrades that we, as V V  members used to send in money to 
> Bryan to cover his expenses, when he requested it.  New owners and 
> interested folks who come to V V and end up being CORSA members helps pay 
> for our forum.
>
> Also, The Corvair Basics Manual ( written, edited, and produced by V V 
> members exclusively) went into the black in around 6 months after it was 
> printed,  CORSA got their money back, and the profits will be used for 
> printing of other CORSA related books in the future.
>
> I once tried to get the director who pushed for  buying the kiosk but long 
> refused to vote funding for the CBM to talk to me in person about his 
> stand on the issue, but when I approached him he took off like a rabbit. 
> All I wanted to ask him was to supply a list of the new members that the 
> CORSA kiosk had produced, and what percentage of these new members dues 
> paid for this thing.  That was almost 5 years ago, and I still don't think 
> he wants to talk about it. Will CORSA ever recoup the money spent on this 
> thing?? Damn unlikely.
>
> As far as a director coming to a meeting and discussing CORSA politics 
> with your chapter members,  If I was one, I don't think I'd want to do 
> it....Too much pressure. As I illustrated above, sometimes a director 
> doesn't even want to explain his OWN votes to someone in person. I sure 
> wouldn't want to have to answer for everyone else.
>
> Besides,  not all CORSA Chapter members are CORSA members. And UNTIL THEY 
> ARE, AS THEY SHOULD BE,  that alone is a good enough reason not to do it.
>
> Regards
> Hank
> Not a Director
> But a Proud Co-Founder of the Corvair Basics Manual
>
>
>>
>
>
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