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Re: (erielack) ELHS Members

Schuyler,

All well and good, but seeing how no one else had stepped forward; i.e. 
a Board member, I am simply providing a service to members that would 
otherwise not have the opportunity to ask a question put directly to all 
of the Board members in attendance.

I also fail to see how you being copied on someone's question is not 
"fair". I hadn't realized the questions would be screened first and not 
put directly by the questioner. Is this to be one of those "scripted" 
open discussions or a real open discussion?

I don't consider it unfair that the Board reviewed our op ed piece that 
was published in the Extra Board well in advance of publication because 
I provided the Board with copies back in May at the Eastern Region 
meeting. We certainly were not returned the same courtesy. I didn't 
claim it was unfair. Discourteous maybe, but not unfair.

I didn't claim it was unfair that the Board insisted on mailing the 
member survey that was oh so important, after not bothering to survey 
the membership for 18 years, but it couldn't wait until the opinion 
piece or pieces were published in the Extra Board, unfair. Ok so that 
one maybe I did consider unfair. Aside that it cost extra money to be 
spent on postage unnecessarily that could have been saved if it had been 
mailed with the Diamond. But I am sure there were good reasons for that 
despite the fact I was never given any. Being the other "member" of the 
Survey Committee certainly wasn't reason enough. It wasn't like I didn't 
ask that it be postponed if you will recall.

I admit that these are just my personal and humble opinions which are 
meaningless under the present by-laws of the ELHS. After all I am simply 
a magazine subscriber and have no voice in ELHS matters beyond what the 
Board graciously bestows upon me. Is that "fair"? No say, no recourse? 
Just the whim of the Board? That's effectively what the by-laws as they 
stand do.

My apologies for sounding so cynical, but the ELHS by-laws remind me of 
the type of constitutions that were written for Socialist dictatorships, 
certainly not someone used to a Democracy, so accepting them is rather 
difficult for me to stomach. The worse part is, they don't even allow a 
recourse for a bad Board decision by the membership or for that matter, 
prevent the very thing it is claimed they were set up that way in the 
first place to prevent from happening. In fact, if a majority of the 
Board wanted Nebraska, to use your example, to be the seat of ELHS 
power, there is nothing the members could do to prevent that. At least 
with an elected Board they could the next election cycle and with a 
strong constitution and by-laws, they could prevent much damage from 
happening in the interim. The ELHS has no such escape hatch, the Board's 
word is gospel. We have been very fortunate so far that only relatively 
minor poor decisions have been made over the years and not major ones. 
That IS to the Board's credit.

Oh, and no one has to subscribe to nothin', I simply stated that they 
send me an email at an email address. And...if you like Mr. Larrabee, we 
would gladly open the forum up to anonymous, unmoderated posting, who 
would that serve? But...say the word and it will be done Mr. Chairman.

Oh, and to correct your comment in the Extra Board, as you are now 
aware, no ELHS web resources were or are used to support the forum. Only 
the time, effort and dedication of members that care and are concerned 
about the future of the ELHS.

Respectfully, your humble servant,

Will

Schuyler Larrabee wrote:

>Will, in this email, asks that people not
>attending the annual meeting send him questions
>that they'd like asked during the open discussion
>we've scheduled.  Well, I think it's only fair
>that any such questions should be sent to me as
>well, if this is to be a fair discussion.
>Therefore, I'd ask that you send me the questions
>you may have as well.
>
>Since some people don't necessarily find it easy
>to send me an email by reply, for some reason,
>send them to schuyler.larrabee_@_verizon.net
>
>I agree that your opinion is important.  You don't
>have to register at any website to talk to me, or
>anyone else on the board.  Just send me a note.
>
>Schuyler Larrabee
>Chairman
>ELHS
>
>  
>
>  
>

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