Nominating Committee Kids: Blue Flyer

[HDG]

The labels cost us $66.30. That amount was paid for by the group of us to the USFA. As was the cost of printing and the postage.

There, just in case any paranoiacs missed it.

[gorgie101]

Alas, the bylaws seem to be right!

[Fencergrl]

Anyone with a basic understanding of marketing/public relations knows that one of the most important decisions in any campaign is the identification/selection of target audiences for a specific message. Considering that I was targeted by a direct mail campaign with a minimum cost of approximately 50 cents per exposure, I immediately wondered why/how I was selected for targeting.

Some of the posts in this thread surprised me. If I was a coach in the USFA, I would be asking the same question. I ALWAYS want to know which list my name was taken from. I even developed a coding system whenever I provide my name to a company (with is very few). Often, I'll use a certain letter for my middle initial, or I might add a suite number to my home address if I can't change my initial (such as in this case).

[tchwojko]

Often, I'll use a certain letter for my middle initial, or I might add a suite number to my home address if I can't change my initial (such as in this case).

My coding system consists of identifying:
misspellings
location of hyphens
existence of hyphens
ordering of parts of my name

Slightly related: http://www.catalogchoice.org/

[telkanuru]

That's a VERY good question. One which, unfortunately, I cannot answer.

Because then he'd have to kill you.

[Mr Epee]

Some of the posts in this thread surprised me.

You and me both, sistah.

What blows my mind are the folks who immediately started jumping around and screaming about paranoiacs, conspiracies, and other sundry bizarrities.

My father is an engineer and a very talented amateur mechanic in his spare time. When he sees a car he likes, his first impulse to to look under the hood. No one thinks he's paranoid, or searching for evidence of mythical propulsion systems.

Sheesh, people, curiosity is a good thing.

It helps us learn about the world around us.

[Redblade]

A possible answer, yes... but not the only possible answer, so let's avoid getting uppity about bylaws. K?

I sensed no uppitiness in his very straightforward, simple response.

As Dberke says, Occam's Razor at work. ... Even in quoting a bylaw.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_Razor Often paraphrased as "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.")

[Mr Epee]

Since you two, apparently, don't know how to use the razor properly, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take it away from you. We don't want anyone to get hurt.

[jjefferies]

Over the recent holiday weekend, I received a blue flier from the "2008 USFA Nominees".

One panel contained a letter addressed "Dear Coach", and it encouraged me to help "getting out the vote".

I'm curious just what was in the flyer? Is it possible to quote or paraphrase it?

[Mr Epee]

JJeff,

It was mostly along the lines of...

This is a critical election. We need your help getting out the vote for the official nominees*.

We believe that the future is supporting current clubs and establishing new ones.

These candidates are the best chance to revitalize the organization.

Support Athletes, utilize new technologies, responsibly manage finances, provide new structures and listen to the membership.

Encourage you to visit our website. ....

There were also a list of goals arranged by topic and presented in bullet-point format. I think they were c/p from the website.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_Razor Often paraphrased as "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.")

I love when people save me time by linking to information that clearly demonstrates their misuse of a concept. Thank you.

Oh, Happy Day.

-------------------
* do we have unofficially nominated candidates? This wording is extremely slimy. ugh...

[gorgie101]

* do we have unofficially nominated candidates? This wording is extremely slimy. ugh...

No more slimy than the accusations made in the USFFC's latest mass email.

[Mr Epee]

No more slimy than the accusations made in the USFFC's latest mass email.

Time to start a thread, baby doll...

Get em'....

[tchwojko]

No more slimy than the accusations made in the USFFC's latest mass email.

It would be nice to raise the bar once in a while...

[epeemike81]

Time to start a thread, baby doll...

Get em'....

I'd imagine she doesn't want to help in spreading rumors that she feels are slimy...

That said, I (unsurprisingly) didn't receive the email and would be interested in knowing what accusations she's talking about...

If somebody who did get it could forward it to me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

-m

[telkanuru]

I've not recieved any such e-mail either. I wonder what mailing list they used?

[Inquartata]

I got an email. I wouldn't characterize it as "slimy". No direct accusations are made.

It talks about the failures of the current leadership, and the problems they have not solved. It does not mention the NC candidates. However, by concluding that the organization and membership would be best served by "outsiders", it indirectly continues to link the NC candidates to the current leadership and to paint them as "insiders".

Not only is this not true, or at least not demonstrably true, it continues to argue that outsiders=better performance. This is simply false. Outsiders are as capable of poor performance as anyone else. They are even capable of worse performance.

This continuing failure of logic on the part of the the FFC, along with recent statements ( "reduce economies of scale" )which lead me to infer that T knows economic lingo but not what the words actually mean, has finally tipped the scale and decided me to vote in favor of the NC people...

[academe]

This continuing failure of logic on the part of the the FFC, along with recent statements ( "reduce economies of scale" )which lead me to infer that T knows economic lingo but not what the words actually mean, has finally tipped the scale and decided me to vote in favor of the NC people...

The super-delegate speaks. All that's left now is the popular vote...

[foiled once again]

No more slimy than the accusations made in the USFFC's latest mass email.

What was in the mass e-mail and who recieved it. I have not seen anything in my e-mail at all to date.

[gorgie101]

I don't know what email list Mrs. Hurley has been using to send out these mass emails. My husband has yet to receive one; not really a surprise. I signed up for both of the webinars that the USFFC have had and you must submit email addresses for those. The problem is I got an email from the USFFC before the webinars so they must get their list from somewhere.

I would assume that Mrs. Hurley would be the best person to ask about what mailing list is used and where they got it from.

My ballot is already in the mail so at this point any email from either group is spam and gets trashed.

[foiled once again]

I would assume that Mrs. Hurley would be the best person to ask about what mailing list is used and where they got it from.

I was not asking who got the e-mail or from where but simply what the e-mail stated. I think it's funny because non of the current canidates are responsible for the past administration.

Here is the e-mail; a new friend sent it to me:

Top 10 Issues
All USFA Members should be Concerned about in 2008!
As of August 2007, the USFA had nearly a $500,000 deficit; the current deficit (including 2007-08) is ongoing but it has been estimated to be nearly $1.25 million (out of a total of $4 million budget). Five of the 6 candidates from the 'Nominating Committee' slate were either on the Executive Committee or the Board of Directors (BoD) while the significant financial deficit went unchecked.


At the February 2008 BoD meeting, the Executive Director submitted his resignation yet he is being allowed to remain on staff (and collect his paycheck) until after the Olympics. In most organizations an Executive Director, with this level of poor performance, would be fired for neglecting his fiduciary responsibility.


USFA members have no access to financial information. In addition, the information that is provided entails highly filtered comments from someone within the organization. We are told that the financial problems are due to "a death of a thousand cuts" yet this explanation comes from the same organization that is unwilling to provide financial information to members who ask for it (yet they are required to do so by Colorado law). Who are they protecting? USFA members or themselves? Where is the accountability and transparency? We encourage you to ask the USFA for copies of financial budget information that all USFA members are supposed to be provided upon request.


At least since August 2007, the USFA BoD knew that the organization was in a desperate financial situation yet the motion to create the Budget & Finance Committee and the Audit Committee was not moved to 'Urgent Status' so that it could be approved and initiated at the September 2007 Board of Director's meeting; instead, the BoD waited for a second hearing to approve the motion in February 2008.


The Audit Committee completed and presented a report to the Executive Committee on May 17, 2008 which outlined the current state of the financial situation of the USFA along with recommendations. As of May 30, this information has not been released to the membership (even when two of the Nominating Committee Candidates are on the Executive Committee). During this critical time for USFA finances, the membership has a right to know where we stand!


A few weeks ago, the W. Saber National Coach filed a law suit to recover $60,000 in back salary while the W.Saber team is left without funding to important Olympic seeding world cup events. Credit card balances are at maximum levels and the current financial situation is evidently not as rosey as promised.

There is no marketing plan that has been initiated to coordinate an effort by local clubs to take advantage of likely Olympic successes this summer. Just as happened after 2004 Athens Olympics, the USFA is once again, not in a position to take advantage of likely successes in Beijing in terms of membership growth and corporate sponsors.

The technology for online NAC registration has been available for many years yet the BoD and USFA leadership have not implemented this highly-demanded service, for its members, which provides a cost effective way to save thousands of dollars and eliminate hundreds of wasted staff-hours associated with processing paper and faxed entry forms to every national tournament.

There is no oversight of Divisional and Sectional leadership. This lack of oversight has contributed to political proxy fights or political power plays that often keep clubs from having a chance at participating in local governance, hosting local tournaments, and 'making a living'. This local, unchecked power has also led to several incidents of reported financial mismanagement that are still yet to be resolved after several years.


Now is the perfect time to elect 'outsiders' as new officers to run the USFA and NOT to rely on the same officers that were on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors when the organization nearly went bankrupt!