[AlpacaTalk] Open letter to Board re: feedback and input re: long range planning objectives
Hello AOBA Board,
Please understand that these are questions and I'm not good at
sugar-coating questions (i.e. sometimes I'm too direct) so please don't
take offense that I'm asking them.
Please also understand that many of these are questions from a number of
people who have contacted me...so some of these questions are theirs as
well. I think under the circumstances it's fair to assume that if we as a
membership do not respond to your proposed objectives, they may in fact
become reality so this post is an attempt to learn more about them so that
I can respond. I will repeate this throughout this post so that you know
my "agenda."
Here goes...
As an overview, your new proposed objectives for AOBA are:
Objective #1: Develop and promote national and regional qualification
show system based on commercial trades.
Objective #2: Create and promote a sustainable health management model.
Objective #3: Create national end production marketing program similar to
"certified angus beef."
Objective #4: To improve member benefits (increase "no additional charge"
benefits to membership
Objective #5: Create and promote a sustainable end products production
model
I'm certain that these are important issues for the membership/industry to
discuss.
My first set of questions/comments: I've been told that FOUR members of
the Long Range Planning Committee have already handed in their
resignations soon after you, the AOBA Board, "handed down" your new
organizational objectives and that these objectives written solely by the
BOARD took the Long Range Planning Committee by surprise. It's my
understanding that these new planning objectives were NOT developed by the
Long Range Planning Committee, nor even with their knowledge, nor was the
committee invited to the Board meeting where this was handed down but
rather were developed by the current Board and that these objectives were
not objectives recommended nor developed by the Long Range Planning
Committee but rather are personal agendas of several Board members.
So....since the Long Range Planning Committee was not involved in the
creation of these proposed objectives which many members find concerning,
what will the role be for the Long Range Planning Committee in the future?
Will you restaff the Long Range Planning Committee or is it a planning
committee in name only? As far as I am concerned, your recent actions,
while objectionable are past history. We're more concerned about what's
coming next, to understand your positions, these objectives, and to know
how to proceed. In other words, I'm asking this because we want to learn
more, give input and feedback and do not know how to go about doing this
especially in light of the abolishment of the Affiliate Congress who could
have been an important conduit for input and feedback.
My second set of comments/questions: When will the Board minutes be
posted? They are literally months behind being posted. We are used to
timely Board minutes and it would be helpful now to see who is voting on
these topics and how they are voting.
My third set of comments/questions: We received a messages from several
affiliate members who explained that the abolishment of the Affiliate
committee is final. I am sorry to see this avenue of communication end.
I'm having trouble getting my mind around how this abolishment helps
improve communication. I find it troubling mostly because you reference
committees as providing input to the Board and yet it's clear from Erin's
post, that there is little communication going on. Since it's a done deal,
there's nothing more to say.
My fourth set of comments/questions: We'd like to reconfirm... We
understand based on Gordon's e-mail from AOBA that these long range
planning objectives were NOT approved and are NOT FINAL and are just a
work in progress? If we are reading the AOBA e-mail incorrectly, please
let me know as a lot of us are now going to assume this. In other words,
many of us will now assume this means that they are a DRAFT copy of
objectives being sent out to the membership for comment and input? Perhaps
a separate e-mail where the objectives are not tucked away on the bottom
of an unrelated e-mail coming out from the AOBA office would help resolve
some of the confusion as some members don't realize that they have
received them and some are angry feeling they were left out. Might help
alleviate some of the anger.
Were ALL Board members involved in the development of this proposed
strategic plan? Was this proposed plan with the new objectives approved
by the Board? What was the vote? (for and against?) How would these
new objectives change the current AOBA organization?
Assuming this is the case and these objectives are a draft being sent out
for comment and input and feedback, in order to respond to the proposed
objectives, we as a membership need to know MORE about each objective,
i.e. background, and some detailed information so that we can
intelligently respond. The objectives as written are quite scarey to many
of us.
Let me take one of the least volitile ones:
Objective #1: "Develop and promote national and regional qualitification
show system based on commerical trades." Perhaps I'm reading too much
between the lines, but does this mean that breeder's alpacas have to win
points at regional shows BEFORE their alpacas can go to the national
conference? If so, why is this necessary at this time? It seems to me
that there's still room for everyone to attend the national show, even if
you limit stalls to one stall per farm which clearly isn't needed yet. We
always allowed breeders of all sizes to go to the national conference and
take alpacas without requiring them to first win at regional shows and
this will discourage small breeder participation if true. Big breeders
like us who go to 20 shows or more a year will find it easy to quality
animals. Small breeders will find it much harder. What if a small
breeder can only afford to go to one show per year? What if the Judge
makes a mistake in placements at that show? Shows fill up quickly and not
all breeders can get in? What happens to their alpacas if they couldn't
show at a regional show because it's full or because they can't afford to
go to their regional show? What happens with a 6 month old who has never
shown before? What if he's the BEST alpaca in the world but can't go to
the national because he hadn't gone to a "regional" show yet? Which shows
will be "regional?" How does this affect the showing of Juvenile alpacas
who might not be able to go to a regional show before AOBA? What do you
mean by "...based on commercial trades"? How is this different from the
current show rules? What do the current Judges think about this? Did you
get input from Judges for this objective? Is anyone worried about the
effect such a plan would have on small breeders?? Please note that if
breeders are not permitted to bring alpacas, many will not come at all.
That means fewer farms represented, fewer farms at the auction buying
alpacas, fewer farms in educational programs, fewer farms networking,
fewer farms attending annual meetings of AOBA and ARI, fewer farms buying
from vendors, fewer farms participating in the national fleece show and so
on.
Anyway, just an example of information that would be helpful to have
before giving input as to whether or not we support this objective.
My fifth set of comments/questions: Gordon is right...AOBA is not ARI but
that doesn't mean we can't have open planning processes and honest input
and feedback. For example, when the past AOBA Board (Amy as President)
struggled with the issue of Breed Standards, they first educated the
membership, discussed it at great length and then sent the issue out for a
membership vote. ARI did the same with major issues like merger and
closure. You have presented objectives which if approved would change
many aspects of AOBA and would of course require some organizational
changes. What changes do you envision would be necessary to meet these
proposed objectives? What are the TIMELINES and DEADLINES for comments
and input and again, how will this process work under David Barboza's and
your administration?
My sixth set of comments/questions: What is the next step in this
process? I've never encountered a strategic planning process in our
industry being so "closed" before. I'm frankly surprised that you
excluded key former Board members in the process and allowed only Board
participation. I'm curious as to the reasons for this going forward?
My seventh set of comments/questions: you now have another Board vacancy
and four Long Range Planning Committee vacancies. Instead of filling them
with other like-minded individual, why not fill the Board position with
the next highest vote getter, whoever that is, and the committee with
those who like as well as don't like the concepts you advocate so that the
membership knows that all sides will be involved. You will still have a
majority of like-minded folks on the Board and it would not cost you
anything but might help with the perceptions being promoted.
My eighth set of comments/questions: I understand that you have cut the
marketing budget for the marketing for the promotion of the sales of
alpacas off farms. Say it ain't so!!! Ian, when you ran for the Board, I
expressed my concerns publically about membership marketing and got some
grief for my questions for a couple people angry with me for daring to ask
you anything. We won't have a bad economy forever and we will need those
marketing dollars to help members sell their alpacas. Many breeders
(including us) donated marketing dollars or alpacas whose sales were to be
used for marketing alpacas. These were legally RESTRICTED
funds...restricted for membership marketing. I am asking for reassurance
that national marketing for the industry will not be further reduced nor
terminated. Please don't forget...for small breeders, AOBA's marketing
program is THE most important marketing program in the industry!
My nineth set of comments/questions: I just read Erin's e-mail on
alpacasite. I hope that the Board's lack of response to the Long Range
Planning Committee members isn't going to be representative of the Board's
lack of response and concern for the efforts of their committees and
volunteers. Enough said.
My tenth set of comments/questions: I'm sure this is inappropriate but
don't you see it as somewhat ironic that your Board Role/Responsibiliti
call for "avoiding Personal Agendas when these objectives appear to be
exactly that...your personal agendas? While that DOESN'T make them bad in
the long run depending on how this turns out, it does make this entire
episode ironic and exactly what you seem to want to avoid? If you need
examples, I would provide them but I think you know which objective
belongs to which Board member.
My eleventh set of comments/questions: Where do the traditional
objectives and others lie in this model such as national membership alpaca
marketing? Strong breeder's market? Growth of the organization like Erin
said in her post.
To the members of the sites: I know there are discussions about starting
another breed organization but that's throwing out the baby with the bath
water. There are many things about AOBA that are great and we will get
past this and be stronger. Whoever sits on the Board, sits on it for a
specified term. The Board members, past and present, are not "AOBA"...we
are AOBA and our elected representatives who are responsible for the
entire membership, not just those who share their views and they mustn't
further only their own agenda. Vote them OUT of office next time or DON'T
vote them OUT but please do not throw away the organization because you
are temporarily unhappy. The economy is hitting our organization hard
just like other industries but this too shall pass.
Here's some personal feedback from me: No Board minutes, new Objectives
proposed without membership input (no, I don't recognize these objectives
from the AOBA survey), abolishing the Affiliate congress, new show system
which seems to penalize small farms...all run contrary to Ian and Jess'
election platforms. It's clear that these proposed objectives are your
personal agendas and while it's certainly important to discuss ALL of
these things, it's dangerous and scarey for the membership to receive them
in such a way as it feels like it's a done deal or to develop such an
important document in a vacuum. These aren't little issues...these are
huge. Traditionally in the American alpaca industry, big decisions are
made WITH membership input like ARI requires a membership vote on
reopening the Registry to imports or AOBA's process to decide on Breed
Standards. Leading the membership to believe that the Long Range
Planning Committee was a party to your new proposed objectives is just not
right and makes it harder to trust you.
So--summarizing.
that we need a LOT more information before we can decide whether or not to
support them. Many questions remain such as what is happening to our
national marketing program and exactly what do these new objectives mean?
Please...we need more information about each objective. Until then, my
feedback is please do NOT formalize and implement these objectives until
the membership learns more about them and is able to respond in an
intelligent fashion. Please do not set up regional shows where members
have to qualify their alpacas before they can show at AOBA. Please keep
the national alpaca marketing program strong and let it grow as the alpaca
and membership population grows. While these are quite a few questions,
you will note that most will be quite easy to answer. Please let us know
the next step and processes re: education and please let us know timelines
and deadlines for input and feedback.
I URGE the members to continue to support AOBA but I also urge the
membership to let the Board know that at this time without more
information, we do NOT support implementation of these new objectives.
Note that their e-mail addresses are at the top of this e-mail. I also
urge the Board to re-populate and utilize their Long Range Planning
Committee.
That's it! Most of these questions are easy to answer. We look forward
to hearing more about your proposed objectives and what they mean and how
they would work so that we can comment.
Thanks so much!!
Libby Forstner
Magical Farms, Inc.
Litchfield Ohio
(330)667-3233
cc: Scott Young, immediate past Board member
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posted by Chaddo at 5:18 PM
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