Robert,
You may find that like many other members we simply don't really
mind what the GFA does as long as we are allowed to continue flying and
soaring in piece. If heaven forbid the GFA put in place something else
that stops or limits our ability to fly. Say another rule that (and this
is toungue in cheek) requires a second Level 2 instructor to always be
on the ground to supervise us. Then yes we might just get a little upset.
If the only feed back is that we don't want the new rules then
please feel free to fight the good fight to make sure the new rule does
not happen.
Your in appathy (and I have served on the board so I understand your
commitment)
Sean
Robert Hart wrote:
Board members
I have not received a single comment in support of the move to extend
terms. Not one. I have, however, received quite a few comments
actively opposed to it.
Amongst those comments was the view that because the changes happen at
an AGM which is generally attended by less than 5% of the membership,
there was never any real debate about proposed changes to the
constitution of our organisation.
If, as appears likely, the Board goes ahead with pushing for this
change, I would ask that a better effort is made to have a public
debate on the Article changes than has occurred in the past. I realise
that this is hard to do - but failure to properly engage the
membership would be a significant failure of responsibility. Given the
undemocratic way the GFA officers are elected, moving to extend their
term of office without a significant effort to engage the membership
in debate is far too easily seen as a flagrant attempt by those in
power to strengthen their grip on power.
Some ideas about how such a debate might occur...
1. Use the web site to provide a detailed commentary on the current
situation and the proposed changes; then, keep that article
listed on the front page until the time of the actual meeting.
Make sure the article contains a link to the GFA Articles so
members can easily find these. The article needs to contain
details of how members can have their say on this issue through
contacting their regional association and also detail the proxy
voting requirements.
2. Joomla, which runs our website, has a number of modules that
allow for polling opinions. Set this up and ask what members
think about this proposal. Require registration on the website
before you allow voting of course, but this could well provide
significant input (for or against the change) in terms of the
general membership who cannot be at the AGM and yet whose voices
should be heard.
3. Put the website article in the magazine - probably more than once.
4. Our membership database now includes the email address of a
significant majority of our membership. We should use this to
communicate directly with the membership on this issue. We could
send out an email to every known email address that contains the
same information as the article on the web site and in the magazine.
5. Request every regional organisation to include discussion of the
article changes and distribution of information about proxy voting.
6. The central administration also has the contact info for every
club and the GFA could use this to write to each club explaining
what the changes are and why the Board sees the need for them.
Then request each club to post this information on their
noticeboard and include reference to it in their club newsletter.
Furthermore, the communication effort needs to be protracted as well
as extensive. Ask yourselves: if you are concerned that the membership
might not like what you are doing, why are you doing it? If there are
good reasons for the change not understood by the membership, then it
is your job to communicate them.
If you are not prepared to put in a significant effort /*as a board*/
rather than relying solely on the regional representatives, your
motives for the change will understandably be called into question.
Over to you.
--
Robert Hart [email protected]
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au
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