RE: [lace] IOLI Convention/Meeting
Here in the UK visitors are allowed to come to the annual general meeting of The Lace Guild so I was surprised that visitors were not allowed at the IOLI meeting (my friend was turned away too). Perhaps it's a country difference in the rules governing such organizations? There haven't beem any problems with visitors at Lace Guild AGMs - visitors are reminded at the start of the meeting that they do not have a vote, and anyone wishing to speak has to give their name and membership number (Comvention attendees have their membership no. printed on their badges). Jean - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] IOLI Convention/Meeting
From: Carolyn Hastings [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] When I went into the meeting room I explained to the people who greeted me that I was a new member and would just like to sit in the back and observe, that I was there mostly to keep my friend company. I believe it's not a matter of secrecy. Once you're in, there's no way to separate you from the voting membership. Once inside, it would be hard to prevent a visitor from orating and debating; someone can crash the meeting in order to espouse their own agenda. And since vote is by voice, it would be hard to prevent them from voting, so the organization has to limit the attendence. Business meetings are, for the most part, rather boring but necessary. It's hard to get voting members to attend (the real reason for checking ID at the door is to make sure they have a quorum of convention attendees). It's also hard to imagine someone ineligible to vote wanting so badly to attend, unless it's to influence the matters before the membership. Given the brouhaha on Arachne before the convention, this year's meeting could have been more in danger of such disruption than most years. The evangelizing is taking place throughout the rest of the convention--I don't think a business meeeting is going to win new members to the organization. Another friend told me that although she had been a member in good standing for twenty years, she was told she couldn't enter because she didn't have the right ribbon, or wasn't on the list, or something. Snafus to happen, and sometimes a name falls off a membership list. It hardly seems worth dropping out over, but that's just me. Robin P. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] IOLI Convention/Meeting
Robin, Thank you for your response, and thanks to others who replied privately. Mostly I decided to write to alert anyone interested of this problem, so that it could be remedied if IOLI sees fit. As you say, boring business meetings (in this case, mostly by-law changes). So, as you said, why would someone want to crash anyway?? Maybe out of curiosity, or interest, in the organization? Does it need to be a nefarious purpose? And, as I said, I stated immediately to the tender who showed up to challenge me that all I wanted to do was to sit in the back of the room, that I was there really to keep my friend company -- and the only reason **she** wanted to be there was to say farewell to some friends who she wouldn't see for a while. The evangelizing comes not only during the rest of the convention. It also comes when there is any choice between a user-friendly solution and one that isn't. On the scale of things, it is a **little** organization. One solution could be a visitors' gallery where observer/non/new members could sit. That shouldn't be too hard. Isn't it a whole lot better to encourage involvement, than to shut people out? And whether a long-standing member **should** have been offended at being almost thrown out, all I can tell you is she really was. I can't imagine that it would have been a huge problem if she had been lying through her teeth, and had fraudulently voted. Were the votes all that controversial and all that close?? Your comments about some sort of bruhaha before the convention, and possibly someone(s) wanting to make a fuss, remind me sadly of attempts to limit speech at our current political conventions. I have faith that the chair of IOLI could have handled even such an eventuality with grace, although I didn't detect any whiffs of such a move while there. My point is, I think any lacemaking organization should do everything possible to avoid offending present/potential members. It just isn't worth it. Just my 2 cents worth. Regards, Carolyn Carolyn Hastings Stow, MA USA -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Panza, Robin Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 9:56 AM To: 'lace-digest' Subject: RE: [lace] IOLI Convention/Meeting From: Carolyn Hastings [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] When I went into the meeting room I explained to the people who greeted me that I was a new member and would just like to sit in the back and observe, that I was there mostly to keep my friend company. I believe it's not a matter of secrecy. Once you're in, there's no way to separate you from the voting membership. Once inside, it would be hard to prevent a visitor from orating and debating; someone can crash the meeting in order to espouse their own agenda. And since vote is by voice, it would be hard to prevent them from voting, so the organization has to limit the attendence. Business meetings are, for the most part, rather boring but necessary. It's hard to get voting members to attend (the real reason for checking ID at the door is to make sure they have a quorum of convention attendees). It's also hard to imagine someone ineligible to vote wanting so badly to attend, unless it's to influence the matters before the membership. Given the brouhaha on Arachne before the convention, this year's meeting could have been more in danger of such disruption than most years. The evangelizing is taking place throughout the rest of the convention--I don't think a business meeeting is going to win new members to the organization. Another friend told me that although she had been a member in good standing for twenty years, she was told she couldn't enter because she didn't have the right ribbon, or wasn't on the list, or something. Snafus to happen, and sometimes a name falls off a membership list. It hardly seems worth dropping out over, but that's just me. Robin P. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] IOLI Convention/Meeting
While it was unfortunate that the situation happened, consider this. IOLI stands for International Old Lacers, Incorporated. That last word has more meaning then most of us give. After all we are just a group of people getting together for making lace. But in fact the organization is required by federal law to fulfil certain functions because of that part of the name. What we see standing at the front of the stage is a friend that happens to be chairing the business meeting that year. In reality she is the CEO of the corporation at that point. The business meeting is required by law, a quorum needs to asertained, and normal business must be conducted to fulfil some of the legal requirements. The convention itself is simply a convienent and enjoyable means of getting the people there at the same time to do so One would normally not, nor should they, expect to enter a business meeting of, well, let's say, Kodak, I.B.M., Microsoft or Xerox, and not be questioned on their intent. At the least you would ask if you could attend prior to the meeting, and accept the obvious answer when denyed entry. This episode we are discussing is on the same plane. Business must be done in a business like manner. So I would have to say that they were correct not to let you in. This was not a social function at that moment. And for the friend, saying farewell to aquintances should have been after the meeting when people exited ( and you could have been included in that as well). We all like to have an enjoyable time at the convention, but sometimes the real reason for its existance gets in the way. While I am sorry that you had an unjoyable moment while there, unlike lacemaking, we can not retro-lace and redo it. All we can do is understand some of the reasons behind it. ** Bobbins by Van-Dieren Kenn Van-Dieren 2304 Clifford Avenue Rochester, NY 14609 Tel: 585.654.5711 Cell: 585.750.8842 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web Site: www.bobbinmaker.com * - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
