EVAN - THANK YOU FOR POSTING YOUR OPINION! I do not like closed meetings either - it is our club also. Louise [digest perhaps reformats .. but I believe your post begins with "I agree that the board did the right thing..." if not, then this is how it appeared from the digest...] **************** Msg: #4 in digest From: ELG440@xxxxxxx Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:34:30 EDT Subject: My opinion and only my opinion In a message dated 4/30/07 7:20:43 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, irrenhaus4@xxxxxxxxxxx writes: This has been a very unpleasant weekend for our BOD. Many thanks to them for doing the right thing. I could not care less about the procedure or who voted how. I agree that the board did the right thing. But, what I do not agree with, is how it was done. I was not going to say anything about it, but I feel it is time I said this. Before the meeting I conversed with Lew and urged him to hold the discussion of any settlement with Mr. Hunte an in open session. He said he agreed and that there was nothing being discussed about individuals, and it was club business of interest to the club members. When Sunday came, I was told that everyone would be asked to leave and a closed meeting would be held. I did tell Lew that it was his right to do that, and it would probably work out better to exclude the lawyers. By that time I had heard of such great hostility, that I wanted it to end for the board members. I had talked to a number of them who were concerned for their own safety. But, I do not believe that is the way to run this or any other dog club. We should know what the board is required to do. We should know who hired the lawyer, and how much of our money was paid for her. We should know who was or was not threatened. We should know what was offered to Mr. Hunte, or any applicant to get them to withdraw an application. We should know what was demanded of our board, our club, or any members of the board. We should know if anyone of our board members or club members was threatened. We should be told what is required in the future. We should know the business of our club, not just the results. We are not left with rumors, half truths, guesses and speculation as to what is going on. Some will see it as good, and some will see it as a cover-up. I was offered a chance to read the terms of the settlement, and I declined. I want to be in the same position as the rest of the club, and not given any special treatment. We are not a large profit making corporation with a board of directors and stockholders who run the company. We are a club, a non-profit organization that belongs to the members. We do not elect people to work in secret and effectuate results, and then maintain secrecy of those restrictions. That is not what we voted for when we elected our board. Or at least I didn't. We asked them to represent us, nothing more, nothing less. I have never liked a secret meeting, and I never will. I do not think it serves us properly, and while I continue to respect the board for their service, I was disappointed to see every one of them vote to close the meeting. This club business should have been done in the open, it should have been discussed in public, and it was not the proper way to act. It is legal, just not right. I do thank the board for the hard work they did, and do. I appreciate how difficult this was, and how dedicated they all are. I know they resolved a terrible threat with a reasonable solution. I just don't like the manner in which it was done. I was told at the meeting by a board member that the biggest problem was that I have posted so many things to inform people what was going on, that it has caused this trouble. If the truth does not set you free, then obscuring it sure isn't going to. The messenger should not be blamed for the message. But, I was. I wrote this in the hope that in the future, this board, and whoever takes over after them will remember that they should work in the open. Be proud of what they do, and trust us, the little people, to understand the process. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Evan (http://www.asgardgsd.com/) Asgard German Shepherds http://www.asgardgsd.com/ Where Type Movement and Temperament come together ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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