SSA Leadership after 12/31?

Fellow soaring fans,

Early in the course of the SSA crisis, involving embezzlement and fraud on
the part of the SSA's CFO, the entire Executive Committee committed to
resign before the end of this calendar year (except Phil Umphries, who was
too new to have been tainted by the scandal).

Since they are all honorable people, I'm sure they will follow through with
the commitment they made (unless they choose to act like politicians, who we
all know have never heard of "honor"). It would be disgraceful for them to
stay in their posts.

Anybody know who the next Chair will be? Who else will be stepping into the
SSA leadership vacuum happening at the end of this month?

Apologies to the non-US readers of RAS, for whom this sad saga is probably
of little interest.

Respectfully,
Bullwinkle

Bullwinkle:

At the Board of Directors meeting in Elmira Dianne Black-Nixon was
asked to stay on as Chair to give continuity to the society and the
Board of Director. Fred

On 12/5/07 11:24 AM, in article
,
" wrote:

Bullwinkle:

At the Board of Directors meeting in Elmira Dianne Black-Nixon was
asked to stay on as Chair to give continuity to the society and the
Board of Director. Fred

Thanks for the update.

Like I said: disgraceful.

On Dec 5, 11:35 am, Bullwinkle wrote:


Thanks for the update.

Like I said: disgraceful.

Have you ever been on officer in a national volunteer organization?
Did you run for office?
Are you willing to take on the responsibility?
Are you willing to take on the expense of being an officer?

Then what you say means very little, epically without being willing to
put your name behind it.

Tim

On 12/5/07 12:05 PM, in article
, "Tim
Taylor" wrote:

On Dec 5, 11:35 am, Bullwinkle wrote:


Thanks for the update.

Like I said: disgraceful.

Have you ever been on officer in a national volunteer organization?
Did you run for office?
Are you willing to take on the responsibility?
Are you willing to take on the expense of being an officer?

Then what you say means very little, epically without being willing to
put your name behind it.

Tim

Question 1: Yes, at significant personal expense in both time and money. I
am doing that currently, in my national (indeed, international) professional
organization.

2, 3, and 4: In the SSA? No. I prefer to spend my available soaring time
soaring, but as a dues paying member of the SSA, I think I'm entitled to
express my opinion about the current officers and how they do their jobs.

I hope I'm still entitled to think that someone who pledges to do something
should do so, even if I'm not willing to take their place. And even if you
disagree with me about that.

Not interested in a dogfight: just expressing my opinion. Sorry if I
offended.

Dear Bullwinkle:

It is common for members of the SSA to have strong opinions on this
subject (and many others). Those opinions are often quite different
from member to member. As a matter of courtesy, I believe you are
entitled to your opinion and I believe you have the right to post in
on this forum.

My opinion however, is quite different and I feel the need to post it
behind yours. Dianne Black-Nixon specifically has done an excellent
job in trying to contain the damage done in this situation and she has
my total support. I have communicated that to her personally and I
(like many, many others) have encouraged her (and the ExCom) to remain
in office to see this though. Other members of the ExCom, BOD and
Restructuring Task Force have also put forth their best efforts to
contain, define & resolve the SSA's current financial situation.

Most (if not all) of these people are not disgraceful, nor are they
seflish or self-serving. They (as volunteers) are working hard, long
hours to resolve a bad situation in the hope of creating a strong,
viable SSA for the future. They have not only my support...they also
have my respect and my sincere thanks.

Steve McLaughlin (PSU)

On Dec 5, 1:35 pm, Bullwinkle wrote:
On 12/5/07 11:24 AM, in article
,

" wrote:
Bullwinkle:

At the Board of Directors meeting in Elmira Dianne Black-Nixon was
asked to stay on as Chair to give continuity to the society and the
Board of Director. Fred

Thanks for the update.

Like I said: disgraceful.

As a point of information, I'm posting the following verbatim from the
final recommendations of the Future Restructuring Task Force, availble
to all SSA members for review. I'm assuming you read the report?

[Begin Quote] Transition
Recommendation 4 -- Transition from Current Board to New Board
The Society needs a smooth transition from the current Board structure
to the
new structure proposed in this report. During the transition period
all directors should continue to serve until the end
of the terms for which they were elected. The Executive Committee has
stated that those of its members who were elected
prior to February 2007 intend to resign en masse at the end of 2007.
It cannot be stated too strongly that the entire membership of the
FRTF feels this would be a major mistake. There is a strong need for
organizational memory within the
Executive Committee. The Board should follow existing practice when
determining how the next Chairperson and other ExCom members are
chosen. ExCom members should feel free to continue to serve the needs
of the Board and
continue to serve on the Executive Committee. However, any who
disagree with our viewpoint on this issue should follow their hearts
and resign. The bottom line is that the routine departure of a small
minority of members is tolerable, but
the mass resignation of the entire ExCom would be detrimental to the
best interests of the SSA, and is unacceptable.

Erik Mann
LS8-18 (P3)
Member, FRTF

On Dec 5, 5:52 pm, Papa3 wrote:
The bottom line is that the routine departure of a small
minority of members is tolerable, but
the mass resignation of the entire ExCom would be detrimental to the
best interests of the SSA, and is unacceptable.

Erik Mann
LS8-18 (P3)
Member, FRTF

Agreed.
I am please that they all offered to resign.
I am more pleased that some were asked to stay to provide continuity.
I am very pleased that someone would accept the request, for the good
of the society.

I don't get to fly often, and even less so in gliders. But I sorely
wish the best for the SSA, for the good of soaring and aviation in
general.

On Dec 5, 10:35 am, Bullwinkle wrote:

Like I said: disgraceful.

As the well known quote goes:

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat
it." (Socrates).

Keeping at least SOME members of the board during the transition is
the BEST way to teach that history to the new board, and IMHO is the
best way to help the SSA from repeating any of the past mistakes. To
throw the new members of a board into the water just to see if they
will sink or swim is also disgraceful.

I too serve as a volunteer on the board of directors of TWO
international professional societies, and have served on the BoD of
organizations in decline.

When nobody else volunteers, would you prefer that the organization
fold up when there are no directors left??? That would be most
disgraceful. If that's truly your wish, please feel free to resign
from the SSA.

I for one am grateful for the directors that discovered the problems
with SSA, brought them into the open, effected some change to IMPROVE
the SSA, and are still volunteering to help rebuild, reinforce and
reestablish a viable organization that serves the sport (or hobby, if
you want to draw that distinction). There are some directors that
should find it appropriate to resign -- there are some that I support
and sincerely hope will continue their (volunteer) service to SSA.
Some "sub-organizations" (e.g., Region 12/SoCal Soaring) have put
together fund raisers to help defray the cost of a board members'
service to the region and SSA, and I have gladly contributed to these.

Yes, you're entitled to your opinion. Rather than yell "FIRE" in the
theater, pull together some facts, apply a little reason and ask
yourself if throwing them all out would really be the best thing to
do. Yes, I find myself feeling that way about our all to parochial
lawmakers...but putting in a 100% new batch of people that have no
idea how sausage is made is a recipe for instant disaster, IMHO.

-Pete
#309

Dear Bullwinkle et all:

I agree with Eric & Pete.

I think the statement "All directors to resign" was made in haste, as
was Dennis's resignation. I believe all our Directors are good,
honest, honorable men and women that were deceived and very, very
embarrassed by it.

Mr. Gleason deceived the organization and Dennis for 2 years; he was
eventually caught and is now undergoing due process for his crimes.
Good, done, move on.

It makes no sense to get rid of all our directors for the reasons
pointed our above.

It does make sense to follow the FRTF recommendation on Transition, no
matter what the earlier, hasty statements of intention. I also feel it
will be a long time until we find a new Executive Director that will
just equal what Dennis has done in membership and new vitality to the
SSA. IMHO I think he never should have resigned. He was deceived by a
crooked CFO that plotted to deceive him, the BOD, and the Ex
Committee. The deed was identified, corrected and the guilty party
punished (or soon to be). Now we must move on, but we don't need to
throw everything out with the dirty bath water.

I too apologize for taking this domestic matter to an international
forum, but we really don't have a better place to air our laundry to
the rest of the SSA membership.

Sincerly,

Wayne Walker