BOT Strawman: Class Presidents Being Deployed

USNA-At-Large,

  The Alumni Association continues to be flushed out of their foxhole.

  Now, just five days away from the December 1 BOT meeting, we have the Class Presidents sallying forth to do battle.  Here is an example.

  Guess I've got to get picky again (sigh!):

  1.  This Class Prez says, "The purpose of the change is to open the trustee selection process to the entire membership of the Association"  Not quite true.  The Strawman gives EVERY alum the chance to vote for six out of twenty-five Trustees.  Add the Chairman and Vice Chairman to get eight Trustees subject to direct election.  That says that two-thirds of the Trustees continue to be selected via some form of "old boy" network.  Whoop de do.

  2.  (BTW, this missive was probably drafted in Alumni House for the use of the Class Presidents -- an important factor to keep in mind as you assess this missive and others like it.)

  3.  The Class Prez goes on to say, "the four regional trustees are each elected only by the members living within their respective regions"  What a crime against humanity that Regional Trustees are elected only by folks in their Regions!  IAW the Strawman, the eight Trustees will be elected by EVERYBODY which means that they will be accountable to NOBODY!  (This is all free society 101 stuff!)

  4.  The Class Prez then parrots the Alumni Association, "The purpose of the change is to ... stimulate more interest and participation in the activities of the Association"  George keeps popping up in this stuff (ORWELL, that is, along with Watt).  Just the opposite will take place.  What pathetic little interest there is now will notch down even more.  The Powers That Be cannot handle even the small spark of life that the Regional Trustee Concept has brought to the BOT.  The Strawman seeks total control of the BOT and the Alumni Association with zero, zip, nada inconvenient Trustees running around.

  5.  And if losing four Regional Trustees is not enough, the Strawman seeks to banish FOUR Chapter Trustees.

  6.  BTW, note that this missive drops the bit from George Watt of a few days ago that all of this has been brought about by the SUCCESS of the Regional Trustee Model!  We burned 'em on that one and that pretense has been popped down the memory hole.

  7.  Then this Class Prez goes on to say, "The recent emphasis on increasing representation of class presidents on the Board of Trustees began in 1998 -- it was in recognition of the increased role that the class leadership was being asked to assume in fundraising and support of the Alumni Association."  He fails to say that that major restructure event (which was based on very legitimate and thorough analysis, as opposed to this slipshod Strawman putsch) also set up the Regional Trustee Concept.  Nowhere in any forum has the Alumni Association set forth any AAR re what succeeded and what failed from the 1998 restructure.  In essence, we have the Class Trustee Concept killing off the Regional Trustee Concept and emasculating the Chapter Trustee Concept.  Small wonder that this Class Prez is in favor of the Strawman.

  8.  Bottom line -- we say again -- the Board of Trustees should take a wave-off on this "Strawman" proposal on December 1, go back to the drawing boards and do a SERIOUS study of governance issues, including the proposal that there be a SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REGIONAL TRUSTEES.

    Go Navy; Beat Army!  John Howland

Make-up of the USNAAA Board of Trustees.  Our class President David xxxxx has asked that I forward his email below regarding an upcoming vote for the make up of the USNAAA Board of Trustees. 

"Dear Classmates,
During the weeks since the last Council of Class Presidents meeting, you may have heard or received emails regarding the upcoming vote at the December 1 Board of Trustees meeting on the proposal to change the composition of the Board of Trustees of the USNA Alumni Association.  The proposal is below.  I urge you to read it and let your Regional and Chapter Trustees know your position.  To help you do that, their email addresses are provided at the end of my email to you.  Plz copy me on your emails so that I may also know your position and can let the President of the Council of Class Presidents know how our class feels about this.

The key element of the proposal is to replace four Regional Trustees and two Board Appointed Trustees with six National Trustees elected by the entire membership of the Association.  Under the current structure, the four regional trustees are each elected only by the members living within their respective regions and each member has the opportunity to vote only once every three years.  Under the proposal, the six National Trustees will serve staggered three year terms so that two are elected each year.  Thus every member of the Association will have the opportunity to vote for two National Trustees every year.  The purpose of the change is to open the trustee selection process to the entire membership of the Association and to stimulate more interest and participation in the activities of the Association.

A secondary element of the proposal replaces the Past Chair of the Board as a trustee with the Chair of the Council of Class Presidents and phases out four Chapter trustees, thus balancing the number of Class and Chapter Trustees at eight each.

The overall result of the proposal is a Board with eight Class selected trustees, eight Chapter selected trustees and eight National Trustees (including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman) elected by the entire membership of the Association plus the President/CEO of the Association -- resulting in a board of 25 members, a modest reduction from the current 29 members.

The recent emphasis on increasing representation of class presidents on the Board of Trustees began in 1998 -- it was in recognition of the increased role that the class leadership was being asked to assume in fundraising and support of the Alumni Association.  While each of you will make up your own minds regarding this proposal, I have personally supported this initiative as I believe it will end up increasing the participation of our alumni in the voting process and provides an increased opportunity for the Alumni Association to reflect the desires of its members.

I urge each of you to express your position for this proposal to your Regional and Chapter Trustees.  A simple, brief email stating:  "I urge you to [support (not support)] the proposal to change the composition of the Board of Trustees to be voted on at the December 1 meeting," will suffice.

For your benefit, the following is a listing of the Regional and Chapter Trustees:

Eastern Regional Trustee Through Spring 2008
     CAPT William O. Rentz, USN (Ret.) '55
     billsuereentz@mindspring.com

Mid-Atlantic Regional Trustee Through Spring 2006
     RADM John W. Adams, USN (Ret.) '58
     jackannadams@cox.net

Central Regional Trustee Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Leonard R. Wass, USNR (Ret.) '64
     Len.wass@1964.usna.com

Western Regional Trustee Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Robert G. Stevenson, USN (Ret.) '60
     Bob.stevenson@1960.usna.com

Atlanta Chapter Trustee Through Spring 2008
     Mr. Carl P. McCallum '60
     cpmc@comcast.net

Boston Chapter Trustee Through Spring 2008
     Mr. Frederick J. Sheehan, Jr., '78
     fredericksheehan@verizon.net

Greater Washington DC Area Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CDR Edward J. Sullivan, USN (Ret.) '68
     ed_sullivan@1968.usna.com

Hampton Roads Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Daniel B. Lear, USNR (Ret.) '68
     omegadanl@aol.com

Knoxville-Oak Ridge Chapter Through Spring 2006
     CDR Arvel J. Popp, USN (Ret.) '62
     popp661962@aol.com

Los Angeles Chapter Through Spring 2008
     Mr. Joseph W. Koch, Jr. '57
     jwkoch@pacbell.net

Pensacola Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Glenn Harold Montgomery, USN (Ret.)
     monty4gb@aol.com,

Puget Sound Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Colin H. Saari, USN (Ret.) '60
     saari@apl.washington.edu

San Diego Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Thomas J. Hammons III, USN (Ret.) '71
     tjhammons@aol.com


Your vote counts -- let your Trustees know your position.
All the best,
David
BEAT ARMY "