Being an unpaid volunteer on any board like the SSA is a huge and thankless
personal commitment. Management of an organization like the SSA has two
parts: The soaring part, which is why everyone is interested in helping
out, and the back office part which is a necessary distraction that no one
is particularly interested in.

When you have an organization of this size, the back office is a real
problem. The group is too large to run with volunteers, but barely big
enough where professional management is efficient and affordable.

That is the advantage of becoming affiliated with a larger organization,
whether it is the EAA, AOPA or someone else. It provides an opportunity to
leverage the existing professional back office infrastructure of that
organization, so that the SSA volunteers can focus on what they love:
soaring.

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
I feel the need to rise to the defense of the SSA board of directors and
the very small group of volunteers that work for the us, the SSA
membership.

First, let me say that I accept the explanation of the SSA board. They
have stood up and taken responsibility for their oversight. I'm sure they
are working overtime to get to the bottom of this mess. I expect they are
very, very depressed that it could have happened on their watch.

Remember, these volunteers are dispersed around a very large country and,
for the most part, have full time careers and families. The problem, I
suspect, is less with these individuals than with the system that has them
spread thin yet charged with huge responsibilities of managing the affairs
of an organization with small group of paid employees in a very remote
town.

Lets look at the weaknesses of the organizational structure before
pointing fingers at the fellow member/volunteers that serve us.

Further, I don't like the idea of a "broomcloset" SSA. No one would take
us seriously. In this world we need an organization to represent us that
is taken seriously. Lets get past this and build a far better
organization to serve us through the century. I'm sure it can be done.

Bill Daniels


"Doug Haluza" wrote in message
oups.com...

Frank wrote:
Doug Haluza wrote:
You need to put more skin in the game than just your $65.

Doug, how much skin are YOU putting in?

I have done hundreds of hours of volunteer work. And you?

Maby the real problem with the SSA is not the minority of dedicated
volunteers who try to make the organization work, it's the majority of
armchair critics live in their own worlds, unburdened by reality.

Maybe you need a little reality Doug, This minority of hard working
volunteers admitedly ignored the bylaws of the SSA for several
years.What part of reality am I missing here?

Then why didn't you say so sooner?