Fellow Board members and volunteers, it is hard to know where to begin because I am deeply troubled. But I will try to get across to you the danger YOUR Project faces because of a group whose members are using despicable means to achieve their ends. Evidence is damning and piling up of a conspiracy to utterly destroy this project as you know it thru ballot box stuffing. Some of it I am not at liberty to divulge at this time but your Board is working overtime to blunt it before the actual election and try to ensure that a fair and honest election allows the Project to survive in a form we can accept and to live up to the promise that is implied in our nobel mission, free online genealogy for all. The disheartening thing is that some of our most talented people are involved. When their efforts are directed to honorable pursuits the results are sometimes stunning. But once one lapses into a mindset of misconduct each new step is easier and that is the vortex I spoke of the other day. For over a year I have served on this Board and, along with my fellow Board members, suffered the insults poured upon us by a group who call themselves "activists" while we have worked sometimes killing hours to do this job. This Board in the main is a good Board. They are courageous, tough and have sworn to stay with it. None of us are blessed with divine wisdom, but most us are blessed with common sense and dedication. We have made some mistakes but they were honest mistakes. I am not whining about our sacrifice but asking that those who are so turned off by all this to support us, resist the efforts of these so called "activists" to turn the election into a circus. If you are a concerned SC talk to your CCs, explain to them the seriousness of this situation and encourage them to vote their convictions. You are in a leadership position, now is the time to lead. If the name of any individual involved in this pops up on your radar screen talk to them sternly and dismiss them if need be after a fair hearing and don't shrink from the task. The Board will back you to the limit allowed in our Bylaws and I will back you to the limit with my pen. This plea will be followed by a motion to show Board support for our NC and the Election Committee, who now stand between this threat and an honest election. I would be heartened if the vote were unanimous after discussion but a passing vote will do. Please hear me, else look around for another organization in which to pursue your genealogical interests because you may wake up some morning and not like your bedfellows. Corky Knebel stood up to be counted yesterday and others are also. Won't the rest stand up today? Joe -- Zsedeny Genealogy - http://www.rootsweb.com/~jzed/home.htm NDGenWeb Archives - http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nd/ndfiles.htm Pembina County, ND - http://www.rootsweb.com/~ndpembin/pembina.htm Ramsey County, ND - http://www.rootsweb.com/~ndramsey/ramsey.htm