Rick -
Given your numerous replies to this thread, I must presume that you are the new ISSCA point of contact. So, I will direct my questions to you for reply, as it appears that you are the only BOD member willing to at least step up to the plate. Let me state upfront that this is not a personal attack against you, but simply my desire to reach the truth and I am confidant that the membership can handle the truth. If you are not the correct person for me to be addressing this matter towards, please let me know who is the correct person.
Having been one of the first elected members to the ISSCA BOD, I am appalled and disappointed at the actions taken by this Board at the recent meeting in San Antonio, TX on November 13-14, 2004. While the ISSCA BOD was completely within the letter of bylaws to take the action they did, I find it difficult to believe that their actions were indicative of the intent of those bylaws. I have been involved in many volunteer organizations and had to remove members. However, we never took such cowardly actions as to not notify the member of the problem, allow the member to defend him or herself in person and even work to correct the problem. This seems to be very much like a “lynch mob” mentality.
Since the BOD chose to expel Mr. Spera from ISSCA in totality, I would question how heinous where his actions that it precipitated removing him from the club versus simply removing him from the Board. Did he commit some sort of crime wearing an ISSCA shirt and claiming he was doing so in the name of ISSCA? Did he engage in killing nuns and disabled children while driving his Impala blazoned with ISSCA stickers? My point here is that the actions of the board seem suspect given that if the Board could have mustered up a ¾ majority vote, the board simply could have removed him as a director. (Reference ISSCA Bylaws Article III, Section 1a and Article III, Section 4a) However, it appears that whoever brought this action couldn’t garner such support, so they took the more cowardly approach to simply remove him from the club, as this only required a simple majority vote. (Reference ISSCA Bylaws Article VII, Section 2d). By removing him from the club, it achieved the desired result of removing him from the board. This entire event seems very pre-meditated and suspicious. I am also surprised that this board was able to accomplish this action as the board has experienced severe difficulty having a quorum present to do business. It is my opinion that had a certain Board member not paid for another board member’s travel expenses to get to San Antonio, the Board would not have had the numbers needed and been able to conduct this action.
I can only surmise that Mr. Spera’s offensive actions were to hold a dissenting viewpoint and that he is considered a threat and not an asset. I will be the first to admit that Mr. Spera and I have on many occasions not seen eye to eye. However, I would never support simply removing a dissenting view because it didn’t match my own. Can you explain to the entire paying membership of ISSCA what Mr. Spera did to get himself ousted from the club? This will help the rest of us make sure we don’t do the same actions that would cause us to be summarily dismissed. As a lifetime member, I doubt that that my lifetime membership is a protective shield. It could be that my simply asking these questions and being controversial could get me kicked out.
Rick, the problem here is that we are not hearing anything from the Board other than you to explain what has happened. And candidly, Rick, other than citing chapter and verse to us on the Board’s rights under the bylaws, you have not answer the important question of the cause. While the Board’s position that Mr. Spera’s actions were detrimental to the organization, I would contend that the Board’s lack of response to the membership’s call for an explanation is causing far more damage and is severely calling to question the ethics and integrity of this Board. One could argue that the entire Board is in violation of Article VII, Section 2d by not responding and is “disturbing the order, dignity, business or harmony, or impairs the good name, popularity, good will, or prosperity of the organization”.
You stated that the membership could change this situation by voting out our Directors. I would argue that there is a far more effective method for the membership to communicate their displeasure and that is with their dollars. Let’s keep in mind that “By the members for the members” means you have to have members for it work. Rick, as a Director of ISSCA, your constituency is talking to you. However, you don’t seem to be hearing what we are asking and for; thus we aren’t getting any answers.
If the Board chooses to remain silent on this topic, then you will leave the membership to continue to put the pieces together and we may or may not get it correct. You can put an end to this now, but simply telling us what happened and answering the many questions that have been raised here.
I patiently wait to hear from you. Thank you for reading this post.
