FYI: I wouldn't count a whole lot on the author information in the "Properties" tab. This is easily editable and could be used by anybody into making you think that this was written and/or edited by anybody else.
We cannot blame committee heads and members for the President's own actions,inactions and/or decisions (or maybe indecisions). I have picked out things listed in the reasons from the Save USfencing page - that we cannot blame on committee members - these are reasons listed that relate directly to the Presidents, actions, inactions and decisions:
• "The President refused to accept the previous President’s offer to have transitional planning meetings. Instead, she took office without
having done any planning or even having committees selected.
• The president habitually comes unprepared for Executive Committee meetings, and conference calls, and does not prepare agendas for EC meetings
• The president notified USFA members of the USFA’s 2005 FIE Task Force of the conference call to plan USFA strategy three hours before the call prior to the FIE Congress. Several USFA representatives were unable to participate on such short notice, with the result that our effort to represent coordinated strategy at the Congress suffered. This affected issues such as foil machine timing, which fencing events would be in the 2008 Olympics, etc.
• The president did not attend the 2005 World Championships. This venue provides an opportunity to converse with other federation presidents and to discuss upcoming FIE proposals. All major fencing nations have their presidents attend the World Championships. The Worlds preceded the FIE Congress meeting which was held a month later.
• The president actually missed her plane to the FIE Congress, thereby missing the first day and the most important time for political lobbying.
• The president appoints all committee members save a few elected positions on the FOC and in the Athletes Advisory Group. The president is responsible for oversight of the committees and the office. The president is responsible for each committees' plan of action (or in-action) and for monitoring the progress they make with their programs and responsibilities. Each committee is expected to have a chair assigned by the president, provide agendas to its members and provide minutes of their meetings. Many of the committees are not functioning at this level and will not, so long as the oversight and leadership of the president is not there to help these group move along. Should an individual or committee fail to do their work or stay within their timelines on their business plans, then it is the responsibility of the president to correct the situation or to remove such individuals and appoint someone else who is able to get the job done. We have committees working at a snails pace and no changes in the committee or oversight by the president to keep them on track.
• The president habitually becomes unavailable for long periods of time, and refuses to answer phone calls or emails from members of the
Executive Committee.
• The president lacks the business background to lead an organization of this scope.
• There is no clear focus or goal of the organization in place. There is no business plan with timelines in place.
International Programs
• The president did not name a chair for the International Committee for 8 months after taking office
• The National Coaches who will be responsible for getting the teams to Beijing have still not been selected, nearly a year and a half after
Athens
• The president personally promised National Coaches at a meeting held at the 2005 Junior world Championships in April 2005, to contact them
with specific answers to questions with 10 days of that meeting. She informed the coaches that the International High Performance Committee would be re-organized and the coaches would have input through an Advisory Group she would set up. Additionally she led the coaches to believe she was about to close a significant sponsorship deal that would take care of all their proposed budgets and support our teams thru 2008. To date, she has not responded back to the coaches.
Disregarding Athletes Rights
• The president unilaterally named the USFA’s athlete representative to the FIE, and ignored the athlete chosen by the Athlete Advisory Group.
• The president then falsely stated that that athlete had been irresponsible for failing to get his paperwork in. The reality was that the athlete was contacted while competing at the Maccabiah Games in Israel and given no time to get it in.
• The president called a meeting to discuss US fencing withdrawal from the World University Games without athlete participation, as required
by USFA and USOC rules. When questioned, stated that this was not the kind of decision that required athlete input."
The first point where the president declined to accept the previous president's (Stacey Johnson) offer to have transitional planning meetings is extremely alarming to me, especially since Ms. Johnson went on to join the US Olympic Committee after her exceptional job in leading the USFA during her term. Almost like dissing our best friend on the USOC. Then its all down hill from there.
FYI: I wouldn't count a whole lot on the author information in the "Properties" tab. This is easily editable and could be used by anybody into making you think that this was written and/or edited by anybody else.
I emailed Paul Soter and he said he did write it. He expanded on the criticisms in the petition, and said that nothing he wrote is confidential. He said tell anyone I want, so I did (posted above)
Can you accept that the group is comprised of, or supported by, National Coaches, Parents, Athletes, Athletes Representatives, Board Members, and some members of the Executive Committee?
Respectfully, I have to say that, as a matter of principle...No, I can't accept that the group is made up of the aforementioned people as an article of faith, not without some evidence. I'm not saying anyone is lying or exaggerating; it may well be a fact that the organizers are as stated. But there is a difference between *a* National Coach and 95% of the National Coaches, *an* athlete and his or her parental units and *many* athletes. And so on. If it's just one or two individuals, then conflict may be a result of perception or personalities or a particular grievance, rather than a widespread problem.
I'm not venturing an opinion in this forum as to whether I believe that a recall should happen or not, but if we the public and general membership are being asked to form an opinion and take an action with consequences, it is helpful to know and weigh the personalities and characters of those doing the asking.
-Mary Anne Walker
Last edited by persistence; 12-16-2005 at 01:06 AM..
(Paraphrase: The president acts in many ways that we find unacceptable.)
Unprepared, lack of focus, tardy appearances, picking the "wrong" people for various positions... More whining.
Good grief, people. You put up with a president of a whole frippin' country who is inept at least seven levels lower. Recalls in Washington, DC, anyone? No, we wait for the next opportunity every four years.
97 percent of the examples in k9's long list are merely bothersome, not grounds for recall. For example, so what if the new prez didn't take up the old prez's offer for transition meetings? And I know, personally, at least seven business execs who seem to be totally clueless at the beginning of all their board meetings. And missed a plane? - Gimme a break! That's a cheap cheap example to toss into the mix.
And the other 3 percent of the examples? Darned if we can trust any of this as being valid, based on the kneejerking elsewhere.
I'd recall Dubya in a heartbeat, if that's what you're getting at. Still, the US government can run itself (or not) pretty much independent of the president, given how much corruption there is.
The USFA, however, will live and die by having good governance.
Unprepared, lack of focus, tardy appearances, picking the "wrong" people for various positions... More whining.
You have got to be kidding. That list of complaints is serious! If even one third of it is true then she needs to go. If all of it is true then it defies belief that anybody would tolerate having her in office any longer than is needed to find a suitable replacement.
* The current president continues to butter her toast on the wrong side.
* Her dog barks at strangers, even those who might be in the neighborhood to potentially discuss USFA business.
* The president's car is filthy, thus giving a bad impression to visiting dignitaries.
* She often wakes up late.
* Many of her socks mismatched.
* The president admitted to a friend who knows this guy who may have mentioned it to my brother Guido that she doesn't really like one of the coaches.
* She once bought an airline ticket after a promotional deadline ended, thus costing the USFA tens of dollars in lost revenue.
* Her hair just doesn't have that bouncin' and behavin' full body it could.
* Mom always liked the current president better.
* How many USFA-branded T-shirts does the current president have? - Only three. It's disgraceful.
We cannot blame committee heads and members for the President's own actions,inactions and/or decisions (or maybe indecisions).
... actually you can blame individual committee members. Having had to sit on committees where a single individuals aim is to prevent the movement of that committee - by purely legitimate means (in many ways a truly awsome thing to watch) - I have to say that the problem with useless committees which can't agree/make progress may not have much to do with the president.
... and this one is my favourite
Quote:
Originally Posted by k9fav
• The president then falsely stated that that athlete had been irresponsible for failing to get his paperwork in. The reality was that the athlete was contacted while competing at the Maccabiah Games in Israel and given no time to get it in.
Or the reality is that the athelete was not properly prepared and did not plan in advance to be contacted or to have the paper work prepared in advance. No intention of offense to the athlete concerned but pots and kettles spring to mind.
Interesting to read. If she's ruffled this many feathers already I think she'll make a great president.
It would be interesting if she "ruffled feathers" due to making bold, but controversial, decisions for the improvement of the sport. For instance, hypothetically, if she had suddenly decided to include youth competitions in the NACS, or in consultation with some National Coaches she had decided to include repechage in the tournaments, then we could maybe argue over the merits of the decisions. However, negligence, failure and lies are not going to help the sport any. I have no inside knowledge of the workings of any officials, I only know what I read, and all of that is about what the current president has not done. No one that I have heard of has said anything positive that she has done.
I'd recall Dubya in a heartbeat, if that's what you're getting at. Still, the US government can run itself (or not) pretty much independent of the president, given how much corruption there is.
The USFA, however, will live and die by having good governance.
What makes you think it hasn't been running independent of the president of the last few years...
The USFA, however, will live and die by having good governance.
True enough. Congress pushed the USOC to clean up its act. Sooner, rather than later, the USOC is going to push the NGBs to clean up their acts.
Let's embrace this inevitable change. The sooner the USFA amends its bylaws to get in line with current best practices in the not-for-profit world, the better. Best practices include:
a. a smaller board - smaller boards are more effective.
b. a BOD that focuses on setting direction, policy, fundraising and supporting (and evaluating) an empowered CEO - and not a BOD that see its role as management and gets mired down in day to day administrative issues.
c. a BOD with staggered term limits to improve continuity - the current mass rotation of the USFA board every 4 yrs guarantees organizational inefficiency.
d. more outsiders and fewer "passionate volunteers" (who bring their personal agendas along with their energy) to achieve a higher level of decision making.
e. a highly professional CEO with the support and authority to really run things - not an ED who is dragged down by politics and unclear lines of authority. It may be there, but I couldn't even find a reference to the ED in the current bylaws.
IMOH, the key people in place today are decent people who are trying to do their best in an outmoded and dysfunctional structure. Change the structure first. Then evaluate the players. That's good governance.
And finally, one good thing in the current bylaws is that it requires the USFA to change its governance to conform with USOC guidance. So this will happen and we will all be happier for it. Well, maybe not all. Some fencers like to fight for fun.
A. I am not nec against what you have outlined, but I do have a few questions.
B. Once the USFA has chosen to consolidate power into the hands of a few professional and presumably benevolent leaders... who will act with increased power for the good of the whole... then what? What is it that needs to be accomplished, that can't be accomplished with the current arrangement?
C. Regardless of the structure on the USFA, our sport will still be couched in structures of the USOC, the IOC, and most directly the FIE. All which are extremely unstable and home of scandles/bickering/uprisings that make the USFA seem like a cake walk.
D. I too have been confused for some time about the role of the ED within the USFA. I am even more confused today, in light of the Recall Petition against the Ms Anderson. If the volunteer President is responsible for EVERYTHING, then why the hell are we paying $92,000 annually to an ED?
__________________ Quit touchin' me, ya freak
F.Net Rule #1: E. L. E. (everybody love everybody)
* The current president continues to butter her toast on the wrong side.
* Her dog barks at strangers, even those who might be in the neighborhood to potentially discuss USFA business.
* The president's car is filthy, thus giving a bad impression to visiting dignitaries.
* She often wakes up late.
* Many of her socks mismatched.
* The president admitted to a friend who knows this guy who may have mentioned it to my brother Guido that she doesn't really like one of the coaches.
* She once bought an airline ticket after a promotional deadline ended, thus costing the USFA tens of dollars in lost revenue.
* Her hair just doesn't have that bouncin' and behavin' full body it could.
* Mom always liked the current president better.
* How many USFA-branded T-shirts does the current president have? - Only three. It's disgraceful.
I don't think this helps the discussion much. I understand your sarcasm, and that you think some of the charges leveled are not substantial; however, I would counter that some of them do indeed raise concern.
It is clear things have not been running well. Does that warrant a recall? Well, there is a legitmate discussion for you -- and I think it deserves more more serious attention than you are giving it.
My remaining concern is the seeming anonymous nature of the proponents of this initiative. If indeed the President of the USFA was confronted at the last NAC, the people confronting her were not anonymous -- and I am curious why these proponents choose to remain in the shadows. After you have confronted the person in question, what is to be gained by not going public? Isn't "In for a Pfennig, in for a Deutchmark" how the saying goes?
* The current president continues to butter her toast on the wrong side.
* Her dog barks at strangers, even those who might be in the neighborhood to potentially discuss USFA business.
* The president's car is filthy, thus giving a bad impression to visiting dignitaries.
* She often wakes up late.
* Many of her socks mismatched.
* The president admitted to a friend who knows this guy who may have mentioned it to my brother Guido that she doesn't really like one of the coaches.
* She once bought an airline ticket after a promotional deadline ended, thus costing the USFA tens of dollars in lost revenue.
* Her hair just doesn't have that bouncin' and behavin' full body it could.
* Mom always liked the current president better.
* How many USFA-branded T-shirts does the current president have? - Only three. It's disgraceful.
Do you really believe that your list is in comparable to the actual list of complaints given? Missing meetings and being unprepared is just unacceptable. Failing to have any plan when your job is to be a leader is also a pretty blatant failure. Missing deadlines by 6+ months with no explanantion? Also not acceptable. If you have a reason for postponing a decision then give it, if not then make the decision. If you have ever been part of an organization that has to make decisions with consequences, then you'd realize these faults are poison to an organization.
On the other hand, if as keith said many of the things posted are not exactly true, are exagerations, or are deliberate half stories, then those who know the truth need to speak up.
I have to say that from what I've seen so far I'm with Sciurus on this one. It smells like a power grab to me. And one which may well be as costly in terms of time and money spent on the recall and in disruption as simply leaving things alone would be.
The USFA has been trundling on for a long time now. It is not going to self-destruct in three years. And should this recall succeed I would be willing to bet large sums that the complaints many of us have with the policies and "visions" of the bureaucracy will NOT suddenly get resolved. It will just be a new head cook in a dysfunctional kitchen.
I received an email that mentioned the prime movers. It was a rather large distribution list, and contains much of the info on the website. The email states:
Quote:
The movers include Jeff Bukantz, who is
the US Team Captain and former Chair of the FOC; Carl Borack, former
Team Captain and USFA former EVP; Cathy Zagunas, mother of our only
Olympic Gold Medalist and a former Olympian in crew herself; and [Paul Soter], a former Section Chair, USFA VP, USFA Secretary, and National Coach. We are supported by numerous other people, many of whom are understandably afraid to identify themselves at this point.
__________________ We're no threat, people, we're not dirty, we're not mean
We love everybody but we do as we please
When the weather's fine,
We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea
We're always happy
Life's for livin', yeah, that's our philosophy
Last edited by achilleus; 12-16-2005 at 05:31 PM..
Reason: Clarity
D. I too have been confused for some time about the role of the ED within the USFA. I am even more confused today, in light of the Recall Petition against the Ms Anderson. If the volunteer President is responsible for EVERYTHING, then why the hell are we paying $92,000 annually to an ED?
I have been wondering this very same thing.
__________________
John Matus
Anchorage Fencing Club
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