See below...
> These may be true facts taken alone, but there has to be reasons for
> younger generations to join. Playing at military rules is not a reason
> to join or to stay for most of us.
Agreed.
But we should INVITE those elder members to join events, even if they
> can't drive. How many members could loan a trailer? How many elders
> could come to a major gathering if given a ride from a local motel and
> would love to visit with friends? But how hard is it these days to be a
> visitor to the International? Even with full membership? But are there
> good enough reasons to be at the International while avoiding meetings?
> Shouldn't it be little informal meetings of friends? Why should members be
> excluded because of physical adversity?
>
>
We just held our (MetroNY) 50th Anniversary. We were fortunate enough to
run our event at a facility that we could also rent rooms from. Three elder
member couples that no longer trailer plus our '63 Past President (no longer
a member) came and shared the unit's history with us. It was fantastic to
have them there!
Photos:
http://MetroNY.WBCCI.net <http://metrony.wbcci.net/>
Review:
http://MetroNY.WBCCI.net/newsletter/ <http://metrony.wbcci.net/newsletter/>
Yes, but one does not run a company or a club with the iron handed rules
> that are necessary in the military. When the membership is free to come
> and go (unlike a military draftee or enlistee and subject to harm
> brought on by unfriendly military action) rules on clothing, flags,
> parking, postings and the like aren't the rules that encourage members
> who have brains.
Agreed by the Silent Majority ;^)
While there is a great military history in this country, the rules still
> are that the military ANSWERS to the civilian leaders and those civilian
> leaders ANSWER (at a minimum through regular elections if not through
> regular public meetings) to all the citizens of the country. Neither the
> military, nor the elected leaders have authority that we citizens
> haven't granted them.
Well the IBT eventually agrees when their poorly conceived plans backfire on
them. Then they proudly proclaim that the membership decided the issue.
Yeah, right after they've thrown the club into upheaval two years in a row.
Good job!
Pictures I've seen show Wally's beret off to one side. Pictures I see of
> present officers show them worn in every other style including beanie or
> pulled to a peak and then flattened. As a point of US military history
> berets were not military headgear before the Vietnam era and then only
> certain special forces expeditionary troops wore them. The US military
> adoption of berets as standard headgear happened decades after Wally's
> death. Berets have had a longer history, I believe, with the French and
> Swiss military forces.
>
> Wally adopted blue berets as a marker so he could find members while
> traveling as a group, so the group would not visibly mix in with the
> natives to make for easy accounting and gathering when it was time to
> move on. At a closed rally enclave those needs are not so much required
> since the group isn't moving through hostile territory as a group. It
> may be thought of as a tradition. I have no idea where the polyester
> monocolored uniforms came from. Lawrence Welk's orchestra? Badges of
> office when a name tag doesn't cause proper worship from afar?
Agreed.
So if I came to a major rally and brought only plaid and T shirts, no
> shirts with a button able collar, no ties, no suit coats, and a 10
> gallon Stetson would I be forced to don the approved clothes by
> immediately acquiring those or would I merely be asked to leave despite
> having paid my nonrefundable rally fee? I happen to prefer some shade
> that the Stetson gives and the beret doesn't in order to hold off
> sunburn or worse.
You'd be fine no matter how you came to any event. It's the Delegates that
typically have a dress code required of them. Beyond delegates you'll
routinely see Region and International Officers along with their committees
dressed in the uniform.
I'm allergic to polyester. You don't want me to wear polyester if you
> have a nose.
>
> If this meeting is for members why only delegates get to speak?
It's a little involved. IBT and Delegates Seminars are open for all to
speak but the Chair (President) gives priority to Delegates first,
Alternates second, Members third. If I had to guess why I'd guess that if
comments are allowed in that order that possibly Delegates and Alternates
would have greater knowledge of constitution and bylaws and might clarify or
address issues more completely than many members wondering the same thing
that haven't (and shouldn't have to) studied all WBCCI Constitution, Bylaws
and Policy? Just a guess...
| Seemed to me when I read the credentials of the officers to be elected
| (I can justify in my radio club of only 20 members having a single
| slate, shouldn't a club of thousands of members be able to field more
| than one candidate for each office? Or is it that once elected to 17th
| VP that the path to president is guaranteed if you live that long?) last
| year that the majority had connections to the military, mostly retired
| military officers.
There is simply no incentive for the nominating committee to offer multiple
candidates to the membership. That's not what this system is about. Have
you ever seen an election ballot where you could CHOOSE? ;^) Running for
the International Nominating Committee from the floor lead to a long
discussion as to how units could cast there votes for three candidates (two
open slots already had INC 'selected' candidates for those positions. It
appeared that the club has never had to deal with a plurality vote and
didn't know how to handle it.
| Being a war time draftee paid one tenth my civilian salary for similar
| work plus the threat of combat service did not make me worship most
| military officers. Not to say that I didn't meet some great men, but
| greatness wasn't common. Most were just the opposite and treated
| enlisted as expendable cannon fodder.
Witnessing how this club is run for the last three years and seeing our
International Leaders serving themselves instead of the club they were
elected to SERVE is disheartening at best. They do a great job with the
infrastructure, doing what is required for the yearly operation of club
ACTIVITIES, but as far as leadership - understanding the club's foundation;
the clubs core identity and purpose, and covering the most basic business
functions they get failing grades. It's a total shock that membership and
membership retention has been handled so poorly. Make assumptions and run
with them -- never mind the facts. How valuable is a member that pays $70
year in and year out just for membership (never mind all the local functions
and volunteer effort) that each non-renewing member shouldn't get a phone
call from HQs to find out what has happened that would cause them to not
renew? $700+ over ten years and we don't make the phone call? Huh?
| But with these contrarian opinions running the VAC, how long will we
| stay a part of WBCCI (providing it exists and there is a benefit to be
| such a part)?
Fred C. pinpointed this one to a tee. I think the post is at WBCCI.org/forum
somewhere, but the WBCCI umbrella makes it much easier for the VAC to exist
and operate. The corporate end of the club (a business the VAC would have
to assume on its own) under the WBCCI makes it easy for the VAC to exist.
In reality if the VAC were on its own it would likely need 1-2 full time
employees because the VAC ranks would grow quickly to 1000-1500 while the
WBCCI would shrink at least 2/3rds that amount. If an independent VAC
opened up to all AS product, well you'd see ranks swell to 2500+ quickly and
now there would be a pretty big corporate burden that somebody would have to
tend to.
Jim Franklin's response to the VAC report was great. Dick Hyde's comments
just make it 3 years running of contentious meetings with the IBT. Some
have theorized (conspiracy theorists don't you know) that an intentional
game of good cop/bad cop was played out at that meeting. Hmm... Well
Hyde's got one year left on the IBT. Let's see if the IBT INC puts him up
for I3VP in '08 or '09. Then let's see if he can get elected...
Leo