[AlpacaTalk] RE: [Alpacasite] Re: Open letter to Board re: feedback and input re: long range planning objectives
Good evening sites,
I am beginning to feel that the drain is backed up because we all keep
dredging up the same old issues.but not much is resolved.
Generally speaking those elected to any of our industries illustrious
BODS..or Committees, or a variety of other industry entities.run because
theyALREADY have a background in alpacas .so even without formal "input"
from the electorate..
elected in part because they already support one side or another of the
argument.
It would be blatantly idiotic if they did not. So why are we as a set of
chat sites so suddenly focused on the idea that we and only we can tell them
by either giving to them our 10000's of individual opinions each personally
delivered by email or phone? Isn't that a bit disingenuous of us? Come
on..our officials already know what the industry issues are and frequently
know how the most active of us line up on those issues.no matter which issue
you speak of.
What is more important to realize.and many don't appear to consider this in
their thinking.is the fact that with so many new people joining in the
industry.many of "us" DON'T remember some of t he historical moments
chronicled in Libby's or several other email postings. It is well to
remember that the "we" that votes in the BOD has changed and will continue
to change over the years. These new folks won't always know the long range
history behind this favorite knee jerk issue or that one.
Even more importantly.
that little set of buzz words uttered in one of these public forums suddenly
seems to have set off a landmine of lustily bawled comments.from what seems
to be at best a limp wristed reason to cry much else but "Wolf".
We must mature as a industry to the point where we can weather the
occasional poorly chosen word or phrase without bankrupting the printers of
ink. And overloading thousands of in boxes.
We have to be better able to address even real or serious industry
challenges in a calm, deliberate, reflective and open minded manner.
Little blizzards of emotion.as have occurred in the recent past, just must
not occur. If it is so easy to stampede this industry.so reliable is its
response of chaos..that it is very easily manipulated.
more than once in my memory. So ask: Who is playing on your fears? Who is
whipping up emotions? Who is making claims of conspiracy in the elected
officials? Who is crying, "Wolf"...with high hopes you will continue to
respond?
At what point do we learn NOT to be so easily manipulated to someone else's
fervor.to someone else's advantage.to give up our power so easily at the
smallest whisper .whether founded or not?
When do we learn to quit demanding and wait for facts to develop instead of
playing a never ending game of "Gossip"? If we disable our own industry
group.disable our own elected officials before they can plan and act.aren't
we just cutting off our nose to spite our face? Why give someone else the
satisfaction of creating a situation where we are self disabling?
What is the reason why certain persons have worked so hard to destroy any
trust in the new BOD..learn to look behind the actions to find the
motivations. Always.Always.
Think BEFORE you act.not after. Don't run scared. Don't become maudlin.
Don't let others use your ease in becoming upset to make their power.
Let us just "cool our jets" and figure out who is so interested in getting
this "herd to run".
Allison Moss-Fritch
New Moon Alpacas
Santa Clara, CA
From: Alpacasite@yahoogro
Behalf Of libby@alpacafarm.
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 5:59 PM
To: Alpacasite@yahoogro
Subject: Re: [Alpacasite] Re: Open letter to Board re: feedback and input
re: long range planning objectives
Hello John,
My couterpoints are facts and everyone here knows it as we all voted on
merger, closure and breed standards and the membership decided them all.
No one is perfect but on those biggest issues mentioned, the Boards in
place involved the membership and gave them a vote. I'm not saying that
the Boards (plural) were perfect and didn't make mistakes but on those
biggest issues, they let the memberships decide and I believe the
Strategic Plan which makes major changes is an area that begs for
membership involvement. Yes, the membership should expect the Board to
handle the day to day operations but this issue is bigger than day to day
operations. It just happens that you don't care about marketing and you
seem to like this plan so I'm not surprised at your perspective which I
don't begrudge. Perhaps you have more information than the rest of us.
While on the ARI Board, I asked the membership to also vote on moving
Closure (and other important ARI issues) to the Bylaws of ARI which they
did and now requires a vote of the membership to reopen the Registry
instead of letting 5 or 7 Board members decide such a big issue on their
own. Some issues are of such a grand impact that membership involvement
is critical. There were other key issues I was involved with when I was
on the ARI Board. Amy, as AOBA President, and I, as ARI President opened
communciations between ARI and AOBA when previously the organizations
weren't getting along. We started One Voice to better communicate with
the members and ARI began participation in the Affiliate meetings. Even
you must admit that I responded to every e-mail sent to me by the
membership during my tenure on ARI as soon as I could which was usually
within hours...even those with whom I disagreed.
I'm sorry but I do not see asking for information and giving feedback on
such an important issue as negative but as you and I always seem to
do...we can agree to disagree. Those were my questions and the questions
of many others.
Yes, I also anxiously await information from the Board re: details of this
new proposed plan and we are continuing to discuss this only because I was
answering your post. The problem I see is that if the membership agrees,
then the feedback is seen by you as healthy and supportive. If the
membership disagrees, then it is seen as divisive and hateful. So...now
this Board is paying attention to their own agendas and ignoring those
with issues different than their own such as national marketing. And so it
goes.
I also agree to make this our last exchange.
Be well.
Libby
Libby Forstner
Magical Farms, Inc.
Litchfield Ohio
(330)667-3233
"gatewayfarm" <johnwmerrell@
<mailto:johnwmerrel
Sent by: Alpacasite@yahoogro
11/17/2008 08:19 PM
Please respond to
Alpacasite@yahoogro
To
Alpacasite@yahoogro
cc
Subject
[Alpacasite] Re: Open letter to Board re: feedback and input re: long
range planning objectives
--- In Alpacasite@yahoogro
libby@... wrote:
>
> John,
>
> Sour grapes? It's actually concern peppered with a little fear and
lots
> of curiosity as well as a concern to calm the fears I have and
others have
> as well. Positive action helps.
This will be my last response on this one Libby.
Your counterpoints fail to ring true. As a former Director you are
well aware that Boards make decisions - big, overarching policy
decisions sometimes, and little seemingly inconsequential decisions
other times.
Such decisions do not always include any formal involvement of the
membership - in fact it is the exception where the inception of
policy decisions begin with formal member involvement.
I gave a pretty good list of examples, most of which you, or yours,
were involved in.
Member involvement, if it occurs at all, comes after the idea
receives Board approval.
So, I expect we will now have some member involvement.
It can be healthy and supportive..
Or, it can be divisive and hateful...
This Board would appear to be responding to concerns and interests
that have been raised by many, many current and former members of
AOBA - concerns soundly ignored for a very long time by the Board of
Directors.
So, let's give 'em a chance to do their job, and see if they don't
involve us all as the framework gets filled in - just as you have
admonished industry stakeholders to do for the past 4 years or more.
Again, I would encourage you to go have a glass of wine (vs. whine)
or do something else satisfying and fulfilling. Positive action
would indeed help, and there are many hoping that you will be
POSITIVE role model.
As the Rolling Stones sang, "You don't always get what you want, but
if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need..."
Regards,
John Merrell
Scio, OR
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posted by Chaddo at 9:06 PM
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