According to New York State law, in a membership nonprofit, the
board has the right to add or remove board members at will,
unless there is anything in the bylaws or the corporate charter
that states otherwise. Even in that case, if there is a
justifiable reason, like proven embezzlement, or something like
that, the board probably could get rid of the offending board
member. There is nothing wrong in the appointment of board
members, with members approval or not.
According to MFW bylaws, the president can call for an election
at any time for a special purpose at their discretion.
Stephanie Wuertz could have made that decision at time. I am
not criticizing her because of Millennium's extenuating
circumstances. I also don't think that it is fair nor
appropriate to bag on George, Lili, or the rest of the current
board either.
There has been a lot of stuff going on, but as far as I know,
the board is working on getting the bylaws together, etc., so
that when the time comes, the meeting will be able to go on
smoothly. I have trust in the current board, and would prefer
that they can have the space to do their job. If one has
concerns, it is much better that they contact board members
personally, rather than through public forums.
David Baker's criticisms about the movement to reform MFW was
predicated on "negating howard" and that there was no interest
in the archive and completely false and oversimplified. MFW had
been in decline for many years. The problems were not personal
but structural. The NYSCA grant went from $30,000 to $12,000,
to $8,000. There were considerable debts to the landlord, who
were about to pull the plug. NEA stopped funding MFW.
When I spoke to the funders, they both said that MFW was
suffering from severe and obvious "founder's syndrome," where
one individual dominates the organization, and can not
distinguish between their own affairs and the affairs of the
organization. MFW was in danger of imminent collapse. If
nobody had stepped in the following would have happened: the
landlord would have pulled the plug, the archive would have been
hastily sold, the landlord would get that money, the equipment
would have gathered by vultures, etc. It was in the best
interest of all parties that something was done.
Regarding the finances, all of that information should be
available. As for myself, the "undocumented income", that Sasha
describes totals $22K, which includes 3K of debts from my works
as a monitor, or 19K, basically 10K a year. I can document that
I worked an average of 15, 16 hour days for months on end,
including thirty six hours clearing stuff from the theater and
putting it in a dumpster. I worked my ass off well past the
point of exhaustion and payed and significant personal price for
it. If anyone has a problem with that, tough shit. I have no
complaints about it, nor any animosity towards anyone, but I am
not going to take shit for it either.
I have been away from MFW for two years and have moved on. As
tough as it was, it was a great experience for me. I was
thankful to have the opportunity. I also am supportive of the
current board. I think that people should not think about how
MFW was or how MFW should be, but how MFW is, what MFW can do
and what they themselves can do to contribute. If people want
to be stuck on negative shit from the past, that is their
problem, not mine. If people don't like the "now" MFW, they
don't have to participate.
On Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 1:41 PM, Francisco Torres <[email protected]
> wrote:
I would like to bring something up may seem harsh to most people
on this discussion- Why not close the place for good already?
After all these years it seems like the only sensible thing to
do. As of ''As if it was our last day'' it seems that day is
long past for the MFW. Maybe it was the day they closed shop at
4th street. Only the journal will remain as testimony of its
greatness. And our memories.
2015-09-30 12:26 GMT-04:00 David Baker <[email protected]>:
Dear Sasha,
For all those who enter the orbit of this strange institution
there are endless irreconcilable ironies to untangle.
There is considerable mystery in how Howard Guttenplan was able
to preside despotically for forty years
without adherence to any of the precepts set forth in the bylaws,
simultaneously acting single handedly as steward to a cultural
milieu of such importance
that MoMA would proffer eighty five thousand dollars
(a number I believe was low for the staggering trove therein)
to obtain the archives.
Lili White as much as she may vex
(I have no appreciation for gender biased curation whatever the
rationale)
decisively stepped up to lead a tiny group of people in order to
preserve the
Millennium Film Workshop Archives at a moment of almost
unimaginable disorder and chaos.
Were she not to have acted with such forceful authority this
treasure could easily have
been made to disappear by an ensuing political regime determined
to negate Howard's
achievement.
As ironies go, one of the greatest for me to negotiate
has been observing my mentor Ken Jacobs's recent involvement
with the Millennium,
serving as great Oz behind
an obfuscating curtain in successive post-Howard "democratic"
political regimes
each of which eschewed and expunged the monthly open screenings
that were an entry portal of the most democratic kind.
The irony being that it was precisely the open screening format
that gave Ken his start as a maker.
Things blossom in that sort of environment that cannot occur
elsewhere.
One Friday on Fourth Street I remember the rare paperback book
specialist and great single frame advance
practitioner Chris Eckhoff a.k.a. Mr. E speaking about the
projection screen, he asked
"What if residue from all the films that have ever been
projected on that screen
are still there in some way?".
Thereafter I treated that particular projection surface
as a secret sacred palimpsest.
When Millennium collapsed and the screen came down,
the ghosts were gone.
The place was useless to us.
Cronyism and concomitant kickbacks do not make a cultural milieu
of consequence.
Singular courage and passion of the intensity you demonstrate
does!
As artists it is our mandate to be fearless, to find a way, to
make it happen.
As if it was our last day.
David
On Sep 30, 2015, at 12:16 AM, Sasha Janerus wrote:
Thank you Dr. Walley. Thank you David.
It is worth noting that MFW has kept this document off their
website. Strictly speaking you're right about the "President"
thing, which I'd forgotten about--but it's really a
technicality, as the title doesn't bring any special powers.
George was not elected to this or any other position, but was .
As I recall it, after Howard stepped down, a member-consensus
decision was made to keep the director off the board, and to
have the ED be appointed by the board. All of which makes good
sense, especially given everything that had transpired during
the latter phase of the Gutenplan period, though this emergency
measure should have been ratified by a timely revision of the
bylaws. So "President" here is just an honorific--same term,
different meaning--so that the board looks the way boards are
supposed to look.
If only the board had acted the way a board's supposed to act.
One other quibble, David: the verb: "to Gerrymander" implies
that elections are in fact taking place. The mot juste would
have been "to steal."
***
George,
I didn't receive your email as you didn't send one to me.
Apparently the fact that I don't agree with your failure to
follow MFW's bylaws means that I'm not to be counted a "Friend"
of Millennium--or is it simply a friend of yours? My partner,
Stephanie Wuertz--who previously occupied your office--did
receive a copy but deleted it, wanting nothing to do with MFW
ever again. Another life you've touched. The email is, of
course, also posted on an orphan page on your site. How could I
have missed that?
Your texts are, needless to say, mendacious in the extreme.
Millennium didn't pack up shop because the MoMA money was late.
Millennium sank because you and PK were incapable of providing
financial information to go with the grant narratives I wrote
for you. When you did finally massage the books into order, I'm
pretty sure it involved making some shit up, in particular Jay
Hudson's undocumented ATM withdrawals.
Your claim to transparency is belied by the fact that nobody
knows what's going on at MFW and next to nobody cares, as well
as by a prior email from you instructing me 1) not to talk
about MFW in public and 2) not to share "confidential financial
and other information without authorization," namely PK's
insane budget for FY2014. I should note that PK had himself
informed me that all MFW documents--minutes, books, etc.--were
available to anyone who wanted to see them. And why not?: it
belongs to its members and to the community, and not to you.
If you'd like to have a discussion about Millennium's future,
I'd encourage you to do so in full view of your constituency,
which I'm sure you'll agree extends beyond present membership
and self-selected "friends". Here are some places to begin:
Could you put text of MFW's present bylaws on your website--
preferably not on an orphaned page.
How many active members does MFW presently have? How many of
them do you consider elligible to vote? How many lapsed members
would you consider eligible to vote upon renewal? According to
what criteria?
How much cash does MFW have on hand?
What are its month-to-month expenses?
What were its FY2014 net income and expenditures, exclusive of
the MoMA money?
How much income did MFW receive from workshops and equipment
rentals FY14? How much profit on the same?
Has the board passed any resolutions to compensate Peter
Kingsbury? If so, for how much?
ON WHAT DATE, IN OCTOBER, IS A MEMBERS MEETING TO BE HELD?
Finally, there is the question of "slander." I was careful to
frame certain statements speculatively, and in your last email
to me you enjoined me to "desist from broadcasting via
Frameworks opinions and speculation that are not based on
facts." The present opacity of MFW makes a necessity of
speculation. I do, however, know these people. Lili, for
instance, attempted to program herself in a Millennium show at
the New School, with a $200 honorarium for a single film. Steph
and I stepped in, and those with conflicts of interest were
replaced by Jen Reeves and Peter Hutton, among others. Lili
promptly one-upped herself by having her husband build
Millennium a website. MFW was stuck with unauthorized,
recurring, exorbitant paypal payments. The website Mark built
was so shitty it had to be replaced by the current shitty site.
MFW has furnished me with many more interesting anecdotes. And
I should note I have been a model of restraint insofar as I
have not contacted or the NY arts press, regulatory bodies, or
your prospective funders. That stance is subject to revision.
Yours in cinema
Sasha Janerus
PS I have a sneaking suspicion certain phrases in the trash
you've been sending out as "Outreach Coordinator" were derived,
consciously or not, from the grants and other fluff I wrote.
It's the sort of vague, pseudo-descriptive language that is
meant to sound inspiring when the situation is anything but.
On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 10:08 PM, David Baker
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Mr. Spencer,
Your skill as an Outreach Coordinator is certainly evident.
I mean no disrespect in asking who designated you President of
Millennium Film Workshop?
As I read the bylaws (with which Howard Guttenplan was wrested
from his long time role as Executive Director), it stipulates
in Article I #2,
the President is to be voted on by the membership.
I have no recollection of this election occurring in regards to
you
holding this office.
Is it possible I missed this important event?
Perhaps I am in some way mistaken.
It is my understanding that the original bylaws are applicable
until the membership chooses to ratify a new set of bylaws.
Is this not the case?
Attached are the original bylaws as they were sent to me by Jay
Hudson on 9/21/11.
I do not think Sasha Janerus is alone in the perception that this
venerable institution has been gerrymandered by a coterie of
insiders bent on personal
enrichment of one sort or another.
This may in part explain the precipitous decline in Millennium's
membership from last year's 89 to the current 40 active members
(as I count them on this recent list, http://millenniumfilm.org/memberlist/
)
I would very much appreciate a response from you here in this
forum.
Herein I also appreciate Jonathan Walley's caring constructive
words
as they pertain to this matter.
Thank you,
David Baker
On Sep 27, 2015, at 8:55 PM, George Spencer wrote:
Hi, fellow experimental film enthusiasts-
The great institution of Millennium Film Workshop, which over
49 years has done much to support the development of artists
cinema, has been under financial threat since 2011. Our
governing board, executive director, and volunteer staff have
struggled in extremely difficult circumstances not only to
maintain our workshops, screenings, film journal, and
equipment access programs, but to restructure our governance
and operations.
THESE are the questions some of you are asking on FRAMEWORKS,
and here is MFW's reply:
- Is there any foundation to the original allegations posted
on 7/10/15?
NO. Millennium’s finance and operations are transparent, with
best practices internal controls. Its board wholly supports
and appreciates the work of its Executive Director, Peter
Kingsbury, who will step down on October 31. Accusations
against a public service non-profit such as Millennium are a
disservice to the experimental cinema community; and slander
against individuals is morally repugnant and a violation of
the Frameworks terms of service.
- Is there a more objective account of what’s gone on at
Millennium that we might be able to read and discuss?
A “status update” letter emailed by the board to our Members
and Friends on 7/23/15 provides some perspective on recent
developments. It can be found at: millenniumfilm.org/
boardupdate
- Is there anything we could do to improve things? To intervene?
YES, YOU CAN HELP IN MANY WAYS.
1. Become a member or supporting member via our web-site:
millenniumfilm.org/membershipandsupport/
2. Join our email list at millenniumfilm.org to get news and
program announcements.
3. Come to our screenings, currently being held at Spectacle
Theater in Williamsburg Brooklyn. See the schedule at:
spectacletheater.com/millenium-film-workshop-at-spectacle/
4. Subscribe to the Millennium Film Journal at mfj-online.org
5. Attend our Members & Friends Informational Meeting on
Wednesday 10/7 at 7:00 pm at Brooklyn Fireproof (119 Ingraham
Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237 -two blocks from Morgan Ave stop on
the “L” subway). Learn about our organizational restructuring
and plans for the future. Contribute ideas and volunteer some
time.
6. Finally, and most importantly, “Take a Turn for
Millennium”. Make a short term volunteer commitment (see
millenniumfilm.org/volunteer). Millennium’s restructuring and
transformation over the last few years has been difficult and
frustrating work by a very small number of filmmakers who
believe in its promise and potential. We have made
significant progress toward “the new Millennium”. But to get
there we urgently need volunteers to perform simple but
necessary tasks in the next few months to sustain our
screenings, workshops, film journal, and equipment access
programs.
- What’s happening right now?
We are planning workshops, programs, and fundraising in
celebration of Millennium50, our fiftieth year. We are
searching for a new Executive Director. We are working with
our lawyers to finish our new Bylaws, which will improve
Millennium’s governance and support, and enhance member
participation. After their approval by members, we will hold
elections for our new expanded governing board. In
preparation for elections, we are defining the diverse
knowledge, skills, and experience we will need on our new
board, and our expectations for candidates. We will ask
members and friends for candidate recommendations, and ask
people to serve. Finally, we are asking people to volunteer,
to “Take a Turn for Millennium” (see millenniumfilm.org/
volunteer).
This email list serves parties interested in the cinema art.
Please join, volunteer, or otherwise show your support for
Millennium, an organization that has effectively supported
that art for nearly a half century. Encourage others to
become involved. You will be revitalized by personal
interchange with others of like mind, and your own cinema
practice will be supported by becoming part of our community.
MFW continues to be a place where the passion and expression
of hands-on, personal cinema, is studied, nurtured, and
celebrated.
Thanks,
George Spencer,
President, Millennium Film Workshop
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