Dennis Wright - I'll miss you

Hi,

I feel this needs to be said.

I am very sorry to see Dennis Wright resign from the SSA. I agree that it
makes sense. I agree that he should have caught the financial issues long
ago - that would have saved us all a lot of pain. However, I was impressed
with him.
- He was a glider pilot
- He was a volunteer at a soaring contest or 2
- He traveled to meet SSA members and soaring clubs
- He seemed to have our best interest in mind
- He seemed to be trying to streamline the SSA and make it more efficient.

I hope his replacement considers emulating some of those attributes.

I'm sure others will have strong opinions on this, but I felt it needed to
be said. I never worked with him closely, but I was impressed with his
accomplishments.

Good Soaring,

Paul Remde

Paul,

Good post. I agree with you.

Good luck in the future Dennis.

Regards,

Frank Reid


Paul Remde wrote:
Hi,

I feel this needs to be said.

I am very sorry to see Dennis Wright resign from the SSA. I agree that it
makes sense. I agree that he should have caught the financial issues long
ago - that would have saved us all a lot of pain. However, I was impressed
with him.
- He was a glider pilot
- He was a volunteer at a soaring contest or 2
- He traveled to meet SSA members and soaring clubs
- He seemed to have our best interest in mind
- He seemed to be trying to streamline the SSA and make it more efficient.

I hope his replacement considers emulating some of those attributes.

I'm sure others will have strong opinions on this, but I felt it needed to
be said. I never worked with him closely, but I was impressed with his
accomplishments.

Good Soaring,

Paul Remde

Dennis,

I hope this isn't 'goodbye' from soaring and hope that
you will continue your soaring endeavors. Anyone who
takes an auto-launch in a 1-26 for his Silver Distance
flight has to be fully 'infected' with the soaring
'disease.'

We met at the Arlington convention and at Perry, South
Carolina and I hope we can meet at another gathering
of soaring pilots in the future. You are welcome to
fly with us in our club at Harnett County, North Carolina.

Keep chasing the great thermals!

Regards,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina

This seems to be the opinion of a lot of people. I too, was very impressed
the 2 times I met and talked with Dennis. He was barely on the job until he
came to a nationals at Mifflin one spring. Charlie Spratt introduced me to
him, and I was always impressed with his communications, and his willingness
to be out among the general membership that he worked for. Not all agreed
with everything he did, but who among us agrees with someone else on every
issue. NO ONE!!! Good luck to you Dennis, SSA and soaring will miss you.


Brian Glick

"Ray Lovinggood" wrote in
message ...
Dennis,

I hope this isn't 'goodbye' from soaring and hope that
you will continue your soaring endeavors. Anyone who
takes an auto-launch in a 1-26 for his Silver Distance
flight has to be fully 'infected' with the soaring
'disease.'

We met at the Arlington convention and at Perry, South
Carolina and I hope we can meet at another gathering
of soaring pilots in the future. You are welcome to
fly with us in our club at Harnett County, North Carolina.

Keep chasing the great thermals!

Regards,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina

Brian Glick wrote:
This seems to be the opinion of a lot of people. I too, was very impressed
the 2 times I met and talked with Dennis. He was barely on the job until he
came to a nationals at Mifflin one spring. Charlie Spratt introduced me to
him, and I was always impressed with his communications, and his willingness
to be out among the general membership that he worked for. Not all agreed
with everything he did, but who among us agrees with someone else on every
issue. NO ONE!!! Good luck to you Dennis, SSA and soaring will miss you.


Brian Glick

"Ray Lovinggood" wrote in
message ...
Dennis,

I hope this isn't 'goodbye' from soaring and hope that
you will continue your soaring endeavors. Anyone who
takes an auto-launch in a 1-26 for his Silver Distance
flight has to be fully 'infected' with the soaring
'disease.'

We met at the Arlington convention and at Perry, South
Carolina and I hope we can meet at another gathering
of soaring pilots in the future. You are welcome to
fly with us in our club at Harnett County, North Carolina.

Keep chasing the great thermals!

Regards,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina




O'K...Dennis made a mistake or 2...but I don't think he did that
purposefully and knowingly. I think that his attitude toward soaring
was excellent and I also think that he should stay as the ED. I am sure
he is not going to repeat same type of mistakes again.
So, he resigned because he was probably force to do so or maybe he gave
up under the criticism of our society. But do you suppose bringing
another ED is going to solve our problems or the situation will not
repeat itself ? Dejavu again ?
Yeah, I know....the board will resign, the ED resigned and some miracle
will happen that we will wake up out of hibernation some time in 4 or 5
months and every thing will be nice and dandy ? I don't think so.
Therefore I not only think that the people who are directly involved
with running our society, people who are making decisions for us should
stay in place. They just should be hold accountable for their actions
and performance. Firing and termination, resignation is not a good long
term solution. Alan Gleason should be prosecuted to the fullest extent
of the law, SSA pay to the IRS whatever they owe them and maybe try to
negotiate the penalty, deal with the state and move on. Case closed.

Jacek Kobiesa
Washington State

One of the faceless members who witnessed a demise of "several systems"
around Central Europe and no overnight improvements as a result of
firing, termination and resignations.

wrote:

O'K...Dennis made a mistake or 2...but I don't think he did thatyoposed are su
purposefully and knowingly. I think that his attitude toward soaring
was excellent and I also think that he should stay as the ED.


You don't get a second chance to watch somebody else's money when bags
of it disappear while you are out flying, running ropes, and shaking
hands. It doesn't matter how nice a guy you are.

I hope he continues to enjoy soaring, though.


Jack

Jack wrote:

You don't get a second chance to watch somebody else's money when
bags
of it disappear while you are out flying, running ropes, and shaking
hands. It doesn't matter how nice a guy you are.


I disagree with your sentiments, Jack. In fact, count me with Paul
Remde and others: I also have regrets about Dennis Wright leaving,
though it may be for the best.

I didn't agree with everything Dennis did but he impressed me with his
ability to take charge, organize, and make things happen. He did a lot
of good things for SSA and I will miss his presence, too.

I agree that based on what we have been told, he bears some
responsibility for not informing the Board sooner of the part of the
problem he'd learned. What makes me uncomfortable is that it seems
others must share that responsibility (e.g., SSA FinComm and the
Board). It's probably a necessary "housecleaning" step to change top
management when something like this happens. But those who come down
harshly on him, saying it's not enough to mean well and be dedicated,
should be just as demanding of the others who share responsibility for
this. Dennis may have been the ED but until recently (mid 2005, well
after the alleged financial irregularities began) it wasn't his job to
"watch somebody else's money." According to ExComm, that was Alan
Gleason's job...and Alan--the man everyone is pointing a finger
at--reported directly to the Board.

I'm not advocating punishment (unless Alan is proven guilty, that is).
The current and past directors involved are/were just as dedicated and
I know some have taken this failure very personally. I just want us all
to be intellectually honest. This problem was apparently caused by one
bad apple. But it was allowed to happen because of a flawed system in
which more than one person made mistakes. Replacing Dennis Wright
doesn't address this. We need to acknowledge the problem, analyze it,
and fix it.

Chip Bearden

Jack wrote:

You don't get a second chance to watch somebody else's money when
bags
of it disappear while you are out flying, running ropes, and shaking
hands. It doesn't matter how nice a guy you are.


I disagree with your sentiments, Jack. In fact, count me with Paul
Remde and others: I also have regrets about Dennis Wright leaving,
though it may be for the best.

I didn't agree with everything Dennis did but he impressed me with his
ability to take charge, organize, and make things happen. He did a lot
of good things for SSA and I will miss his presence, too.

I agree that based on what we have been told, he bears some
responsibility for not informing the Board sooner of the part of the
problem he'd learned. What makes me uncomfortable is that it seems
others must share that responsibility (e.g., SSA FinComm and the
Board). It's probably a necessary "housecleaning" step to change top
management when something like this happens. But those who come down
harshly on him, saying it's not enough to mean well and be dedicated,
should be just as demanding of the others who share responsibility for
this. Dennis may have been the ED but until recently (mid 2005, well
after the alleged financial irregularities began) it wasn't his job to
"watch somebody else's money." According to ExComm, that was Alan
Gleason's job...and Alan--the man everyone is pointing a finger
at--reported directly to the Board.

I'm not advocating punishment (unless Alan is proven guilty, that is).
The current and past directors involved are/were just as dedicated and
I know some have taken this failure very personally. I just want us all
to be intellectually honest. This problem was apparently caused by one
bad apple. But it was allowed to happen because of a flawed system in
which more than one person made mistakes. Replacing Dennis Wright
doesn't address this. We need to acknowledge the problem, analyze it,
and fix it.

Chip Bearden

wrote:
Jack wrote:

You don't get a second chance to watch somebody else's money when
bags
of it disappear while you are out flying, running ropes, and shaking
hands. It doesn't matter how nice a guy you are.


I disagree with your sentiments, Jack. In fact, count me with Paul
Remde and others: I also have regrets about Dennis Wright leaving,
though it may be for the best.

I didn't agree with everything Dennis did but he impressed me with his
ability to take charge, organize, and make things happen. He did a lot
of good things for SSA and I will miss his presence, too.

I agree that based on what we have been told, he bears some
responsibility for not informing the Board sooner of the part of the
problem he'd learned. What makes me uncomfortable is that it seems
others must share that responsibility (e.g., SSA FinComm and the
Board). It's probably a necessary "housecleaning" step to change top
management when something like this happens.


You are in good company, Chip.

Though you say you disagree, you seem to echo my statement. As you say
too, a house cleaning is necessary -- because that's the way things are
properly done. Despite any wishes to the contrary, the exit of the ED is
required. There is no reason to be pleased about that in Dennis' case --
that's just the way it is. My "sentiments" -- my sympathies -- are with
all who have to bear the burdens both personal and professional of this
debacle.

The ten thousand members who never have nor would have met Dennis and
come to learn what a great guy he is, what an advocate for soaring, have
the right to expect that their ED will be aware of the weaknesses of the
system, will identify both potential and actual assaults upon its
integrity, and will act to defend the association -- all in a timely
manner. Though others may share those responsibilities and
opportunities, the ED has the spotlight and the microphone, and is the
one getting paid to do that job.

Working quietly within a flawed system, while either keeping your
fingers crossed or wearing blinders, or both, is a damn poor way to run
a railroad, a soaring club, or a national association. The membership is
not going to read up on the minutes and the bylaws and the tax filings
every month, or every quarter -- or ever, once the headlines disappear.
That's why we select others to do those things for us. And that's why,
when they screw up, they look for other work -- and no gold watch.


Jack