Re: General session at the AERC convention - YES

["Robert Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

Joe:

This is one time I fully support you and I certainly feel that every thing
you expressed is very important.

Now, What will the Board and our Executive Director do about it.

Bob Morris  also a former Board member
Morris Endurance Enterprises
Boise, ID
-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Long <jlong@mti.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 1999 4:49 PM
Subject: Re: General session at the AERC convention - YES


>On Wed, 27 Jan 1999 11:58:38 -0800, "Michael K. Maul"
><mmaul@galaxy.nsc.com> wrote:
>
>>Hope this clears things up. It does not fix the conflict with
>>speakers but unfortunately there are a fixed number of hours in the day.
>...
>>Saturday AM
>
>>9:00 - 9:15 - Swearing in of new Directors At Large
>>9:15 - 9:45 - Election of 1999 Officers
>>9:45 - 11:45 - General Session - Open to Membership
>
>It clears things up but leaves it clear that there is a serious
>problem.  The General Membership meeting is the most important
>session at the Convention, and IMO MUST NOT be in conflict with a
>speaker.  The limited number of hours is no excuse.
>
>It is bad enough that this session is normally run first thing
>Saturday morning, a time when attendance is at its lowest point for
>the day.
>
>I most strongly urge the BoD to direct the office to fix the schedule,
>so that the General Membership Meeting mandated by our Bylaws (and by
>common sense) is not held concurrently with any speaker.  This is the
>one time all year that the members have a chance to express their
>views to the full Board, to hear Board responses, and for the Board to
>get a real feel for how the members think on the important issues
>before us.  When I was on the Board this was always a most valuable
>time for me, and many of the actions and votes I took were influenced
>by these meetings.
>
>Yes, they are poorly attended.  Partly, IMO, due to the time they've
>been scheduled.  But those people who care most about the sport and
>the AERC are the ones who go there, and speak their piece.  They
>should not be shortchanged by having to choose between doing so and
>hearing a speaker they've paid a lot of money to hear, and that kind
>of scheduling is sure to make attendance even worse than it has been
>in the past.
>
>One solution (there are others) is to double up two of the speakers,
>and run them concurrently.  Not everyone wants to hear every speaker,
>they could make their own choice.  And the General Meeting would not
>be compromised.
>
>Frankly, I think that the choice (for the first time in the AERC
>history) to not give the General Membership Meeting its own time slot
>shows a disregard by the office staff for real membership input.
>
>--
>
>Joe Long
>jlong@mti.net
>http://www.mti.net     Business
>http://www.rnbw.com    Personal
>
>